Panasonic CT-32HX40 32 inch TV
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- Screen Size: 32 inch
- Built-in Tuner: NTSC
- Screen Type: Flat Screen
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3
- Digital TV Standard: HDTV-Ready
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Panasonic CT-32HX40 - Great value HD TV
Pros
Great picture for the price. Feature packed. Great look. Good prices to be found.
Cons
Digital filter not true 10-bit. Picture susceptible to electro magnetic influence.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
A great HDTV for the money. Great picture, fantastic sound and minimal issues.
I am an Australian Buyer and I use the equivalent model sold here in Australia. The picture standard here is PAL but the Panasonic CT-32HX40 will handle NTSC also.
Model name: Panasonic TX-80 300A Tau Giga.
Progressive scan.
100 Hz picture refresh rate.
External 5.1 speaker system.
Pure flat screen.
I wanted to take advantage of the sudden price drop for medium-big screen TVs due to advances in all areas of television technology (including the newer widescreen, Plasma and LCD TVs). I researched as much as I could (20 hrs via mainly internet) reading reviews, specs, prices etc.
I was able to get this TV at 40% off the retail price with 1 years interest free finance too. I've used it solidly for 12 months now (5-15 hours/day I'm embarrassed to say) and its still going strong.
A cursory inspection at a few local TV shops revealed a few key things... rear projection was not bright enough in daylight and viewing angle too restricted....plasmas were still way too expensive and prone to crack.... Price and performance needs meant a wanted a standard TV but the larger screen models tended to flicker a bit (to my eye).
Being ready for high-definition TV will mean I won't need to upgrade until the plasma screens get much cheaper.
After seeing some 100Hz models and progressive scan TVs I decided I wanted that for the clarity and flicker-free picture. Since much of public TV (and cable) here in Australia is not yet broadcast at 16:9 ratio, a widescreen TV was just an unnecessary expense too since I don't watch too many DVDs. The TV was mainly to be used for watching broadcast TV and Playstation games.
My pre-buying research on look, specifications and prices narrowed my choice down to 3 TVs... this one and 2 other Sony 32 inch (80 cm) WEGAs. Model names differ here in Australia so I won't list them.
Picture quality is excellent but not quite as refined as the equivalent Sony Wega model. Even though others writing reviews on this model say the Panasonic is superior, I actually think the high end Sony WEGAs are slightly better (I attribute this to Sony's true 10-bit digital filter but more on that later...) However the vastly superior price of the Panasonic CT-32HX40 won me over in the end.
Although the Panasonic CT-32HX40 seems brighter, it has some artefacts at times and the picture is a little... plastic... compared to the Sony (in my opinion). The colours aren't quite as natural as the Sony's but they are more intense I believe. The picture is crisp and clear both at 100hz and progressive modes. I am extremely sensitive to low refresh rates in computers and TVs and the 50hz refresh rate of PAL standard exhibits a visible flicker for me - especially with bigger screens. The Panasonic CT-32HX40 overcomes that beautifully - to the point that I can't watch normal TVs any more without being uncomfortable!
My main gripe about the picture is the filter system. Dot crawl is better than on the sony, very crisp but it seems to "over-enhance" light/dark contrast areas. There are visible grey bars when viewing, say the scrolling white on black credits at the end of the films. This enhancement often visually distorts the picture due to additional pixels being added to some areas of the picture.
Be warned that large screen standard TVs have a problem with electro-magnetic influence from the earth and also the environment (especially metal building cores) - this results in a slightly distorted picture that (for me in Australia in my 3rd story apartment) bends down to the bottom left corner of the screen slightly. After obtaining the "secret" menu to adjust all hidden picture properties on the TV (this is how the repair guys do it!)... I was able to visually correct this in part and hide the rest by making the picture slightly larger. Interesting to note here is that this model (or any Sony for that matter) does NOT have a true parabola or pincushion control.... it allows you to adjust the bends at the left and right sides of the screen but not the top and bottom edges! Why have manufacturers stopped providing this? My parents 18 year old TV does it!
Overall the picture on the Panasonic CT-32HX40 is superb for the money (comparable Sony models at least 1/3 more) and the difference in quality is negligible. The pure flat screen is very comfortable to watch from any angle. Pixel saturation is excellent - very little gaps between them even at the edges when very close to the screen. Blacks are extremely true in most scenes however this makes the dark-shade areas of the picture in other scenes harder to see (eg. a dark shadow walking a darkened street). For the most part, the picture is very detailed and clear especially with DVDs or Playstation games. I have not yet seen it working with HD yet (other than in the store) so I can't comment there much. From what I saw it looks great.
In widescreen 16:9 mode the Panasonic CT-32HX40 performs equally well and there are 4 picture modes including "zoom" and "best fit" so that you can balance the picture size with any horizontal picture "stretching/squashing" to your liking.
The built-in sound system with external satellite speakers is on par with the cheaper mid-range systems I've heard which is a real bonus. Inbuilt twin subwoofer really boots! The 5.1 digital input/outputs allow me to amp my CD player through the TV if I want. This has allowed me to "make do" for a while until I can afford a proper sound system... no need to do without the great sound to go with the great picture until you save up another 500-1000 bucks! The included speaker cables could have been longer but we have a large lounge room.
Other features on the Panasonic CT-32HX40 that impressed me was the easy to use programmable multi-brand remote, the abundance of inputs (and 5.1 audio output) at the front and back... room to plug in 2 DVDs, video and playstation. Included front PC video input (at 640X480 resolution) also! I think the simple straight-edge design is superb with minimal "box" around the screen edge... a great look!
The features are almost too many to list. PIP has 4 modes including "all channels". Great sound and picture setup options allowing full control over 3 easily changeable settings for each. You can even freeze the frame at any time! The remote can use (or learn) all your other video and DVD controls too (for main brands) so you don't have to use 3-5 remotes all the time!
The Panasonic CT-32HX40 is heavy... like any other large sized standard TV. It's a 2 two person job moving it around so unless you intend to in-build it somewhere, I would advise getting a stand with rollers!
Overall this is a top-end TV with beautiful picture and sound quality, great features and a great design.
Model name: Panasonic TX-80 300A Tau Giga.
Progressive scan.
100 Hz picture refresh rate.
External 5.1 speaker system.
Pure flat screen.
I wanted to take advantage of the sudden price drop for medium-big screen TVs due to advances in all areas of television technology (including the newer widescreen, Plasma and LCD TVs). I researched as much as I could (20 hrs via mainly internet) reading reviews, specs, prices etc.
I was able to get this TV at 40% off the retail price with 1 years interest free finance too. I've used it solidly for 12 months now (5-15 hours/day I'm embarrassed to say) and its still going strong.
A cursory inspection at a few local TV shops revealed a few key things... rear projection was not bright enough in daylight and viewing angle too restricted....plasmas were still way too expensive and prone to crack.... Price and performance needs meant a wanted a standard TV but the larger screen models tended to flicker a bit (to my eye).
Being ready for high-definition TV will mean I won't need to upgrade until the plasma screens get much cheaper.
After seeing some 100Hz models and progressive scan TVs I decided I wanted that for the clarity and flicker-free picture. Since much of public TV (and cable) here in Australia is not yet broadcast at 16:9 ratio, a widescreen TV was just an unnecessary expense too since I don't watch too many DVDs. The TV was mainly to be used for watching broadcast TV and Playstation games.
My pre-buying research on look, specifications and prices narrowed my choice down to 3 TVs... this one and 2 other Sony 32 inch (80 cm) WEGAs. Model names differ here in Australia so I won't list them.
Picture quality is excellent but not quite as refined as the equivalent Sony Wega model. Even though others writing reviews on this model say the Panasonic is superior, I actually think the high end Sony WEGAs are slightly better (I attribute this to Sony's true 10-bit digital filter but more on that later...) However the vastly superior price of the Panasonic CT-32HX40 won me over in the end.
Although the Panasonic CT-32HX40 seems brighter, it has some artefacts at times and the picture is a little... plastic... compared to the Sony (in my opinion). The colours aren't quite as natural as the Sony's but they are more intense I believe. The picture is crisp and clear both at 100hz and progressive modes. I am extremely sensitive to low refresh rates in computers and TVs and the 50hz refresh rate of PAL standard exhibits a visible flicker for me - especially with bigger screens. The Panasonic CT-32HX40 overcomes that beautifully - to the point that I can't watch normal TVs any more without being uncomfortable!
My main gripe about the picture is the filter system. Dot crawl is better than on the sony, very crisp but it seems to "over-enhance" light/dark contrast areas. There are visible grey bars when viewing, say the scrolling white on black credits at the end of the films. This enhancement often visually distorts the picture due to additional pixels being added to some areas of the picture.
Be warned that large screen standard TVs have a problem with electro-magnetic influence from the earth and also the environment (especially metal building cores) - this results in a slightly distorted picture that (for me in Australia in my 3rd story apartment) bends down to the bottom left corner of the screen slightly. After obtaining the "secret" menu to adjust all hidden picture properties on the TV (this is how the repair guys do it!)... I was able to visually correct this in part and hide the rest by making the picture slightly larger. Interesting to note here is that this model (or any Sony for that matter) does NOT have a true parabola or pincushion control.... it allows you to adjust the bends at the left and right sides of the screen but not the top and bottom edges! Why have manufacturers stopped providing this? My parents 18 year old TV does it!
Overall the picture on the Panasonic CT-32HX40 is superb for the money (comparable Sony models at least 1/3 more) and the difference in quality is negligible. The pure flat screen is very comfortable to watch from any angle. Pixel saturation is excellent - very little gaps between them even at the edges when very close to the screen. Blacks are extremely true in most scenes however this makes the dark-shade areas of the picture in other scenes harder to see (eg. a dark shadow walking a darkened street). For the most part, the picture is very detailed and clear especially with DVDs or Playstation games. I have not yet seen it working with HD yet (other than in the store) so I can't comment there much. From what I saw it looks great.
In widescreen 16:9 mode the Panasonic CT-32HX40 performs equally well and there are 4 picture modes including "zoom" and "best fit" so that you can balance the picture size with any horizontal picture "stretching/squashing" to your liking.
The built-in sound system with external satellite speakers is on par with the cheaper mid-range systems I've heard which is a real bonus. Inbuilt twin subwoofer really boots! The 5.1 digital input/outputs allow me to amp my CD player through the TV if I want. This has allowed me to "make do" for a while until I can afford a proper sound system... no need to do without the great sound to go with the great picture until you save up another 500-1000 bucks! The included speaker cables could have been longer but we have a large lounge room.
Other features on the Panasonic CT-32HX40 that impressed me was the easy to use programmable multi-brand remote, the abundance of inputs (and 5.1 audio output) at the front and back... room to plug in 2 DVDs, video and playstation. Included front PC video input (at 640X480 resolution) also! I think the simple straight-edge design is superb with minimal "box" around the screen edge... a great look!
The features are almost too many to list. PIP has 4 modes including "all channels". Great sound and picture setup options allowing full control over 3 easily changeable settings for each. You can even freeze the frame at any time! The remote can use (or learn) all your other video and DVD controls too (for main brands) so you don't have to use 3-5 remotes all the time!
The Panasonic CT-32HX40 is heavy... like any other large sized standard TV. It's a 2 two person job moving it around so unless you intend to in-build it somewhere, I would advise getting a stand with rollers!
Overall this is a top-end TV with beautiful picture and sound quality, great features and a great design.
