Panasonic CT-20SX10 20 inch TV

Have you ever made on of those purchases that just makes you smile every time you think of it; one of those purchases that makes you forget how much you spent because it was soooooo worth it? For me, the Panasonic CT-20SX10 was one of those purchases.

The circumstances under which I bought this delightful little TV are fairly typical. I am a college student and I live in a little dorm room. The 13-inch TV I had been using for the past two years was serving me just fine. That is, until I got a DVD player. Connecting a DVD player to a 5-year-old 13-inch TV is just a bad idea. Needless to say, the picture didn?t live up to my expectations.

So, what could I do? My room definitely could not accommodate a large TV (say, 27-inches and up). So how could I get true DVD performance from a small TV? One trip to Tweeter answered that question.

Tweeter had three 20-inch TV?s that seemed built to order for my situation. All three were flat screens, two were Sony Wega?s and the other was the all new Panasonic Tau (I think Tau means Wega in electronic-speak). All three looked virtually identical so I knew the choice would be a tough one.

I had to consider what I needed from the TV, especially in terms of connectivity. I have a VCR, a Playstation, a DVD player, a powered antenna (I wish my $30K tuition entitled me to cable), and for sound I use a bookshelf stereo. I definitely needed a TV with more than one input. Also, price was a definite issue...all three TV?s cost more than I really wanted to spend. The Panasonic and the cheaper Sony were both $350 and the other Sony was $400.

The first TV I ruled out was the expensive Sony. Four hundred dollars is way too much to spend on a 20-inch TV. I then began to inspect the other two choices. Visually the two are nearly indistinguishable. They both share the same metallic silver outer case. The speakers on the Panasonic are bigger than the Sony?s. No biggie there since I?m not going to use the TV?s built in speakers to watch movies. The picture on both TV?s was virtually the same. The Sony?s picture seemed a little grainier than the Panasonic?s but I?m sure that was a picture adjustment issue and could be easily corrected.

So, how was my decision made? I usually buy Sony when given the choice. The difference between the two was in connectivity. Upon further inspection of the Sony Wega I found that it did not have an S-Video input! Given, the Sony does have component inputs (2 sets I believe) but my DVD player doesn?t have a component output...just S-Video. The Panasonic, on the other hand, has an abundance of inputs. This little TV features two S-Video inputs, three RCA video inputs, four RCA audio inputs, an RCA audio output, a coaxial input, and a set of component inputs. Wow!

My choice was made right then and there. I brought the TV back to my room and I have been happy with it ever since. This $350 flat screen TV provides sharper DVD picture and performance than standard screen TV?s costing three times as much! The on screen menu is one of the best I?ve ever seen. Every operation is easy to find and execute. This TV has more audio and video controls than I would know what to do with along with oodles of other features that I haven?t even had time to explore. You can read about all the features for yourself on the manufacturer?s web page; I won?t waste your time here. The universal remote is just as easy to use and, as an added bonus for ?bells and whistles? fans, it lights up red for viewing in the dark.

All in all, if you need a small TV that delivers all the performance of a large screen TV in a more concentrated form, the Panasonic Tau CT-20SX10 is, without a doubt, the TV for you.