Panasonic CT-27D12D 27 inch TV

I've purchased many Panasonic electronic products over the years (TV's, VCR's, & a DVD Player) and have never had any problems. My past experience made me confident to go again with Panasonic when I purchased my new 27" television. I compared many televisions before making my decision.

I purchased the Panasonic CT-27D12D 27" TV because my 20" TV (largest I've owned) was getting older, picture wasn't as crisp, and wanted to be able to watch DVDs on the TV using my laptop. I shopped at three stores and all were differently priced. So, when I found the store who had the best warranty, and no delivery charge (their price was the middle of the three I found), I asked them if they would meet the lowest price. They said they would, and I purchased the TV. As usual, I was offered an extended warranty, but didn't accept it because I think they're a waste of money in most cases.

Quality of Picture- This 27" television has a great picture with vivid color, and even though the screen isn't flat, it sure does appear to be (so save the extra $250 you will pay for a Flat Screen Tau model because that's all you're paying the extra money for – flat screen. All the features you need are on this television). This TV has a better picture than a huge screen Hitachi a friend owns.

Setup - Very easy. Just plug your TV in and press OK, and you are guided through the process. We have Cable Television, so we use a Motorola Cable box and use the Cable Remote, and not the Universal remote we got with the television.

VCR Connection - We have a Panasonic 4522K VCR. We have to set both the TV and VCR to channel 4, and then use the TV Power and Cable Power buttons to turn the television on and off. We use the VCR remote to run the VCR. You can program a code into your Digital Cable remote for many VCRs, but we had trouble finding a code for ours. So we just use both remotes.

Add'l Cables Suggested - We were told by the dealer we purchased the TV from, that we could get the full benefits of our Cable TV if we used audio/video cables IN to TV and OUT from Cable box. So we purchased and hooked this up to the Cable box (Yellow – Video cable, Red – R Audio and White – L Audio cables).

Size - This television is approximately 77lbs (not as heavy as most I compared), and it fits nicely on our wooden TV stand which measures 16" D x 29" W. Note - You want to make sure your cart is stable, as this television is high. The manual states you should buy TV stands that are suggested for this TV. I would suggest you use your best judgment, especially if you have kids or pets around.

Personally, I think having a 27" is more than adequate. Anything bigger would be too big and look out of place in our living room. This size allows me to see the small scroll at the bottom of the CNN screen without glasses, so this works for us. (Also, Bigger doesn't always mean better).

Connections & Other -

Front -
*1 – Headphone Jack
*1 – Input Video 3
*2 – Audio Inputs

Rear -
*1 – Component Video
*1 – S-Video
*1 – Audio Input

Note - Component Video is superior, then S-Video, then Composite Video and RF Type. This TV has Component and S-Video.

Speakers - Left and Right bottom of screen. They are 5 watts per channel (10 total). There is also Surround Sound. One additional feature is the AI Sound (Artificial Intelligence) which equalizes the overall volume levels across all channels. This feature is not available in video mode. I believe the sound is very good on this TV.

Parental Controls - There are ratings on shows, and the V-Chip feature allows you to block programs, if they exceed your rating limits.

Features -

*500 Line Resolution (this is very acceptable)
*3-Line Digital Comb Filter – helps separate color signal from black/white providing higher resolution. There are three types: 1) 3DYC , 2) then Digital Comb Filter 3) and Analog. Going from best to not as good.
*V-Chip Capability
*Artificial Intelligence Sound
*75 Ohm Input
*Menu Language (Eng/Span/French)
*Video Input Memory
*Channel Info Banner
*Video Input Skip – allows user to skip desired input modes when pressing TV/Video.
*Closed Captioning – displays text, when program provides this service.
*Stereo
*Surround Sound
*Timer (up to 90 mins)
*Energy Star Compliant
*Illuminated Remote

Warning In Manual for Use of Fixed Image Displays-

The warning states "This TV is designed to display constantly moving images on the screen. Continuous viewing of stationary images such as letter box pictures on standard screen TV's (w/ top/bottom bars), non-expanded standard (4:3) pictures or wide screen TV's, stock market report bars, video game patterns, fixed scoreboards, bright station logos, on-line internet or repetitive computer style patterns should be limited."

"The extended use of fixed image program material can cause a permanent picture tube damage, shows as "shadow image" viewable on normal programs. This type of irreversible picture tube deterioration can be limited by performing the following: 1) don't display the fixed image for extended periods of time, and 2) turn the power off when not in use."


Warranty -

USA –
*1 year – all parts except CRT
*2 years – CRT
*90 days – Labor (N/C for Labor)
*Service – In-Home or Carry-In

CANADA –
*2 years
*Purchased from a dealer who will pick up TV and repair it at their store. Most other dealers have you bring it to them, and then they ship it out for repairs.

Using Laptop to watch DVD Video on TV

You Will Need - An S-Video Cable (I have a 6' Philips Cable - pd $9) and an Audio Cable.

How to Hook Up TV and Laptop -

NOTE: I have a Dell Inspiron 4150 laptop w/ Windows XP Home.

Steps:

1) Turn off Computer and TV
2) Plug S-Video Cable into the Laptop, then into the TV
3) Plug in Single-Connector of Audio Cable into computer
4) Plug 2 RCA Connectors of Audio Cable into TV
5) Turn on TV, then turn on Laptop
6) Enable Display Settings for TV on the Laptop by going to Start/Control Panel, then Click Display, Click Advanced, Click Displays, Click upper-left cover of TV button.
7) To play DVD, Click small "primary" button (looks like a bulls-eye) at lower left corner of window under TV picture. Then click Apply, Yes, then OK.

The video we watched on TV was in a letter box, so it wasn't full screen. I believe there may be a setting on the Laptop for Full Screen viewing. I haven't found that setting yet. The video was fine for viewing, but Full Screen would have been better. So be sure to see if you can figure this setting out on your laptop.