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Excellent all-around RP-LCD Set
Pros
Sharp HD image; excellent left/right viewing angle; shallow (18 inches); HDMI input available
Cons
Slow warm-up time (5-7 seconds); built-in tuner has poor signal strength software
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
A great HD set -- excellent image and viewability angles. Built-in menu software is so-so, but daily use is a joy.
Background:
My wife purchased this set for us (well, okay, for me) on our 10th anniversary. I had actually been looking at the earlier Panasonic models (the PT-50LC14), but the new Panasonic models were just arriving, and the extra features on the LCX65 series turned out great.
Rear Projection LCD basics:
The Panasonic PT-##LCX65 models are rear projection LCD units. This means the image is generated on an LCD panel (like a notebook screen), and then a bright lamp shines through and displays the enlarged image on the display screen. LCD projection units tend to be brighter than "traditional" rear projection units, and they're very shallow and light for their size -- in our case, the new 52-inch set weighed in at 83 pounds, compared to about 85 pounds for our old 27-inch CRT. They don't suffer from the possible image burn-in issues of plasma displays, but they do require you to replace the lamp every two-three years, depending on use. As of this writing, lamps are about $250 - $300, so this can be a noticeable recurring expense over the life of the set.
General Features:
Input connections: We were very happy with the number and variety of the input connections on the set. On the back of the set, going from worst to best, the set has one coaxial connection (which can tune either standard analog signals, or digital HD signals), and two sets of RCA-style composite connections. There are also two S-Video connections, and three sets of component (Y/Pb/Pr) video inputs. Finally, there is one all-digital HDMI connection.
In addition to the array of input jacks on the back of the set, the front has an additional set of AV/S-Video connection, and an RGB "monitor" connection. The RGB connection is your standard 15-pin "monitor cable" connection, and will display up to a 1024x768 XGA image from a laptop or other PC. We found we could get a surprising amount of use out of this connection: it was fun to browse the web (legibly!) on a 52-inch set, and doing digital slideshows of family photos on a 52-inch display was truly impressive.
All in all, the input connections were all we could ask for. Changing modes is fairly simple: press the "TV/Video" button once to bring up the display of choices, and then press from "1" to "9" to choose which input you want. Changing modes takes about two seconds, which feels slightly on the high side, but hasn't felt too bad so far. Overall, the connections are probably fairly comparable to any set you'd find in this size, and are certainly more than adequate for our needs.
Display size and resolutions. The Panasonic models come in three sizes (44, 52, and 61 inches), all in 16:9 wide-screen dimensions. When displaying a standard television signal (also known as 480i), you have several options. You can display in its normal 4:3 size, which means you'll be watching a square-ish, 29-inch image, with vertical black bars on each size. You can choose "zoom" which zooms the entire image and gets rid of the black bars, but cuts off the top and bottom of the image. "Full" means the image will be stretched left and right to fill the whole screen, but -- well, it'll look stretched wide! People's heads will be wide ovals rather than circles. Finally, "Just" mode also stretches the image to fill the whole screen, but does it in a more interesting way: the center of the image is kept undistorted, but the very edges and corners are stretched.
In the time we've had the set so far, we've found that the "Just" mode has worked very well. The majority of the image looks perfect, with noticeable distortion only around the edge. One time this is noticeable is if there are two people on-screen, facing each other and talking left/right. Because they're each at the edge of the screen, you'll notice the stretching. Also, "ticker tapes" (such as the scrolling text at the bottom of CNN) will zoom quickly in, then slow down, and then zoom quickly away again when it reaches the other side.
One step up from "standard" signal is to watch a DVD on a newer player that supports component outputs. In that situation, even though the image is still "low res," you can get a 480p image displayed, which means you'll actually be able to see about twice as much detail as a standard 480i signal.
For truly high definition signals, the set will display in either 720p mode (720 lines, displayed progressively in one frame), or 1080i mode (1080 lines, but displayed interlaced, with 540 lines each cycle). As you might guess, this is where the display truly shines. Sources such as Discovery HD are breathtaking, and I've sometimes lef the set displaying shows like "Best Sunrises" as a beautiful low-tech screensaver while chatting with friends.
Viewing Angles: When viewing the set, you can view it from a very wide right or left angle. The manual lists 70 degrees to either side of center, and our testing certainly bore that out: I was able to move almost until I was viewing the image completely from the side and still see bright colors and detail. This is one area where I think the series really stands out from many other models, where even a modest left/right angle can make viewing difficult.
Up/down shifts are a little more picky: the manual says 30 degrees above or below the middle. When standing up above the set, or lying on the floor close to it, the image will tend to fade out. If you're watching from a typical couch, the perfect height for a stand is about 18 inches. This will give you plenty of leeway to see a perfectly bright, sharp image from anywhere in your viewing area.
Split screen: Rather than picture-in-picture, the Panasonic models offer split-screen viewing, where you get two 29-inch 4:3 display areas at once. I'm not actually sure how useful this would be in normal use (since at least one person would want to use headphones), but it was neat to see.
HDTV integrated tuner: Unlike many models, the LCX65 sets all feature an integrated HD OTA (off-the-air) tuner, which means you can take display high resolution signals using just an antenna -- no need for a separate box. Unfortunately, we've been frustrated in using the built-in tuner to determine how to orient our antenna. That's because the system will attempt to tune a channel for about half a second, and then go to "no picture" screen if the signal is low, and stop trying to tune. This means you can't tune to a channel, and then change your antenna until you have a good signal strength.
There is a separate "Signal meter" menu that looks like it would be perfect, but as far as I can tell, you can't see the signal strength on a channel until you have had it automatically selected from the "channel scan" option ... and, of course, if you couldn't tune the channel, then you can't select it for the meter screen.
In our case, we ended up borrowing a separate HDTV external tuner from a friend; this system let us watch the channel and see the signal strength go up and down as we made modifications. Similarly, tuners in a DVR such as the HR10-250 Tivo unit are much easier to use. So, having the integrated tuner in the television is nice, but the UI for getting the most use out of it doesn't seem to be complete yet.
Audio and Speakers: The earlier Panasonic models featured the speakers on the left and right of the display, which made the entire set very long and narrow. The LXC65 models have moved the speakers down underneath the display, which makes the set more square overall. In my opinion, this is a good thing: it means you don't need as much left/right space, and also pushes the set up by six inches or so.
For audio, you can use the built-in stereo, or pipe the audio out (via A/V cables or a digital audio out jack) to the sound system of your choice. The set will process Dolby Digital and various other formats that are beyond my ability to differentiate. Certainly everything the set has produced has sounded fine to me, although we've tended to turn off the main television speaker, and use our stereo speakers instead.
Warm-up time: One of the most noticeable drawbacks on the set is that it takes several seconds to warm up and display an image when you turn it on. On average, I'd say it takes about 5-7 seconds to go from completely off to the first watchable image, and then another 5 seconds to reach full brightness. Because we're not turning the set on and off all day (and because we use Tivo to pre-record shows), this hasn't been much of an issue to us. However, if you don't have a DVR such as Tivo, and you're rushing home at the last minute to watch a 9:00pm show, it might be frustrating to feel that you're missing the show while waiting for the set to warm up.
Final thoughts:
Overall, we have been very happy with this set -- the display is bright and sharp, and easily viewable from a wide viewing angle. The menuing system, while not as intuitive as Tivo's, is easy enough to get around in, and most features are explained well enough in the manual or on-screen. The set is very shallow and light, making it easy to place on a stand, and the RGB connector for attaching to a computer has been nice.
Other than that -- please feel free to ask questions and I'll update this review!
My wife purchased this set for us (well, okay, for me) on our 10th anniversary. I had actually been looking at the earlier Panasonic models (the PT-50LC14), but the new Panasonic models were just arriving, and the extra features on the LCX65 series turned out great.
Rear Projection LCD basics:
The Panasonic PT-##LCX65 models are rear projection LCD units. This means the image is generated on an LCD panel (like a notebook screen), and then a bright lamp shines through and displays the enlarged image on the display screen. LCD projection units tend to be brighter than "traditional" rear projection units, and they're very shallow and light for their size -- in our case, the new 52-inch set weighed in at 83 pounds, compared to about 85 pounds for our old 27-inch CRT. They don't suffer from the possible image burn-in issues of plasma displays, but they do require you to replace the lamp every two-three years, depending on use. As of this writing, lamps are about $250 - $300, so this can be a noticeable recurring expense over the life of the set.
General Features:
Input connections: We were very happy with the number and variety of the input connections on the set. On the back of the set, going from worst to best, the set has one coaxial connection (which can tune either standard analog signals, or digital HD signals), and two sets of RCA-style composite connections. There are also two S-Video connections, and three sets of component (Y/Pb/Pr) video inputs. Finally, there is one all-digital HDMI connection.
In addition to the array of input jacks on the back of the set, the front has an additional set of AV/S-Video connection, and an RGB "monitor" connection. The RGB connection is your standard 15-pin "monitor cable" connection, and will display up to a 1024x768 XGA image from a laptop or other PC. We found we could get a surprising amount of use out of this connection: it was fun to browse the web (legibly!) on a 52-inch set, and doing digital slideshows of family photos on a 52-inch display was truly impressive.
All in all, the input connections were all we could ask for. Changing modes is fairly simple: press the "TV/Video" button once to bring up the display of choices, and then press from "1" to "9" to choose which input you want. Changing modes takes about two seconds, which feels slightly on the high side, but hasn't felt too bad so far. Overall, the connections are probably fairly comparable to any set you'd find in this size, and are certainly more than adequate for our needs.
Display size and resolutions. The Panasonic models come in three sizes (44, 52, and 61 inches), all in 16:9 wide-screen dimensions. When displaying a standard television signal (also known as 480i), you have several options. You can display in its normal 4:3 size, which means you'll be watching a square-ish, 29-inch image, with vertical black bars on each size. You can choose "zoom" which zooms the entire image and gets rid of the black bars, but cuts off the top and bottom of the image. "Full" means the image will be stretched left and right to fill the whole screen, but -- well, it'll look stretched wide! People's heads will be wide ovals rather than circles. Finally, "Just" mode also stretches the image to fill the whole screen, but does it in a more interesting way: the center of the image is kept undistorted, but the very edges and corners are stretched.
In the time we've had the set so far, we've found that the "Just" mode has worked very well. The majority of the image looks perfect, with noticeable distortion only around the edge. One time this is noticeable is if there are two people on-screen, facing each other and talking left/right. Because they're each at the edge of the screen, you'll notice the stretching. Also, "ticker tapes" (such as the scrolling text at the bottom of CNN) will zoom quickly in, then slow down, and then zoom quickly away again when it reaches the other side.
One step up from "standard" signal is to watch a DVD on a newer player that supports component outputs. In that situation, even though the image is still "low res," you can get a 480p image displayed, which means you'll actually be able to see about twice as much detail as a standard 480i signal.
For truly high definition signals, the set will display in either 720p mode (720 lines, displayed progressively in one frame), or 1080i mode (1080 lines, but displayed interlaced, with 540 lines each cycle). As you might guess, this is where the display truly shines. Sources such as Discovery HD are breathtaking, and I've sometimes lef the set displaying shows like "Best Sunrises" as a beautiful low-tech screensaver while chatting with friends.
Viewing Angles: When viewing the set, you can view it from a very wide right or left angle. The manual lists 70 degrees to either side of center, and our testing certainly bore that out: I was able to move almost until I was viewing the image completely from the side and still see bright colors and detail. This is one area where I think the series really stands out from many other models, where even a modest left/right angle can make viewing difficult.
Up/down shifts are a little more picky: the manual says 30 degrees above or below the middle. When standing up above the set, or lying on the floor close to it, the image will tend to fade out. If you're watching from a typical couch, the perfect height for a stand is about 18 inches. This will give you plenty of leeway to see a perfectly bright, sharp image from anywhere in your viewing area.
Split screen: Rather than picture-in-picture, the Panasonic models offer split-screen viewing, where you get two 29-inch 4:3 display areas at once. I'm not actually sure how useful this would be in normal use (since at least one person would want to use headphones), but it was neat to see.
HDTV integrated tuner: Unlike many models, the LCX65 sets all feature an integrated HD OTA (off-the-air) tuner, which means you can take display high resolution signals using just an antenna -- no need for a separate box. Unfortunately, we've been frustrated in using the built-in tuner to determine how to orient our antenna. That's because the system will attempt to tune a channel for about half a second, and then go to "no picture" screen if the signal is low, and stop trying to tune. This means you can't tune to a channel, and then change your antenna until you have a good signal strength.
There is a separate "Signal meter" menu that looks like it would be perfect, but as far as I can tell, you can't see the signal strength on a channel until you have had it automatically selected from the "channel scan" option ... and, of course, if you couldn't tune the channel, then you can't select it for the meter screen.
In our case, we ended up borrowing a separate HDTV external tuner from a friend; this system let us watch the channel and see the signal strength go up and down as we made modifications. Similarly, tuners in a DVR such as the HR10-250 Tivo unit are much easier to use. So, having the integrated tuner in the television is nice, but the UI for getting the most use out of it doesn't seem to be complete yet.
Audio and Speakers: The earlier Panasonic models featured the speakers on the left and right of the display, which made the entire set very long and narrow. The LXC65 models have moved the speakers down underneath the display, which makes the set more square overall. In my opinion, this is a good thing: it means you don't need as much left/right space, and also pushes the set up by six inches or so.
For audio, you can use the built-in stereo, or pipe the audio out (via A/V cables or a digital audio out jack) to the sound system of your choice. The set will process Dolby Digital and various other formats that are beyond my ability to differentiate. Certainly everything the set has produced has sounded fine to me, although we've tended to turn off the main television speaker, and use our stereo speakers instead.
Warm-up time: One of the most noticeable drawbacks on the set is that it takes several seconds to warm up and display an image when you turn it on. On average, I'd say it takes about 5-7 seconds to go from completely off to the first watchable image, and then another 5 seconds to reach full brightness. Because we're not turning the set on and off all day (and because we use Tivo to pre-record shows), this hasn't been much of an issue to us. However, if you don't have a DVR such as Tivo, and you're rushing home at the last minute to watch a 9:00pm show, it might be frustrating to feel that you're missing the show while waiting for the set to warm up.
Final thoughts:
Overall, we have been very happy with this set -- the display is bright and sharp, and easily viewable from a wide viewing angle. The menuing system, while not as intuitive as Tivo's, is easy enough to get around in, and most features are explained well enough in the manual or on-screen. The set is very shallow and light, making it easy to place on a stand, and the RGB connector for attaching to a computer has been nice.
Other than that -- please feel free to ask questions and I'll update this review!
