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Has anyone seen the Panasonic PT-40LC12? I am in the market for a good TV, and I think this one may be the one. A 40" screen with 1280x720 resolution and 16:9. I am really intrigued by the LCD projection technology. Can anyone explain more on how it works and how it compares to CRT, plasma, and rear projection?Thanks
Does anyone know if this set can be with Dish Network's 6000 HD Receiver? This is from the Consumer Electronics Show review of the Panasonic PT-45LC12 "An optional STB is needed to receive OTA and satellite HDTV broadcasts." One would assume that an HDTV will be able to get signal directly from an HDTV Satellite receiver, but the salesman at Best Buys wasn't sure.
To answer spartan's question, a satellite reciever is a set top box (stb) so you dont need another one to see the hi def pic from a direct tv bird, just the satellite box.
After reading the comments here and checking out the TV for myself at Best Buy, I now have the PT-40LC12 as the centerpiece of my home theater. I'm glad to say that I couldn't be happier. Looks just as good or better than $10,000 plasma screens that I have seen. Of course, it is not a thin panel, but 16 inches thick is not bad at all compared to CRT's and normal Rear-projection.Now I want to see the Sony Grand Wega 60" LCD rear projection. For $8,000, it's possible you could have a screen that looks like a $30,000 plasma screen! =)
Honestly, for my room, I think the 40" model is perfect, and the picture is just amazing. LCD rear projection is really a cheap way to get plasma quality (and you supposedly don't have to worry about burning in images with the LCD RP screen).
Look for a more cleaned-up review on AudioReview.com once they put the PT-40LC12 in their database, but here are my initial thoughts.The Good:
Brilliant screen -- I would compare the quality of it between a direct view and a plasma screen. The contrast and brightness is so much better than a traditional rear-projection TV, unfortunately one still has to view it at eye-level for the best picture. The depth of it is 1/2 to 1/3 of a direct view and weighs only 93 lbs (my CRT Toshiba 27AF41 weighs 99 lbs)! No plans to hook it up to a laptop/computer, but it does have that option available. A pair of component hookups are in the back and three for S-Video and RCA (one set of RCA and S-Video in the front). There's also no need to adjustments after time like traditional rear-projection models. It also comes with three different stetch modes for 4:3 programming (Full, Justified, and Zoom) which are just OK, but takes time getting used to (do you prefer a squashed or cut-off picture?). The TV speakers are better than average I suppose, but I have it connected to an external 5.1 system anyway. Build quality is solid.The Bad:
The instruction manual is not detailed and doesn't sufficiently explain some of the set's features. For example the manual doesn't even discuss the option of adding a tuner to view HD programming. The PT-40LC12 also gives very little control over custom configuration. I couldn't believe that this set doesn't allow one to fine-tune the contrast (contrast is only adjustable when viewing with a computer/laptop), but instead has a switch from "normal" to "cinema" mode. Despite this obvious shortcoming the LCD picture is still exceptional. Powering up the PT-40LC12 takes 5-10 seconds and the cooling fan can unfortuneately be heard in a quiet room during low sound volume. There also seems to be a lag (split seconds to up to 2-3 seconds) during channel surfing.The HID projector lamp has a life of only 5000 hours and costs $300 to replace according to the salesman. The PT-40LC12's air filter needs to be cleaned periodically with a vacuum and comes with an extra one, however. The 45" model (PT-45LC12) should be available within the next month or so for only $500 more. I would definitely recommend this TV to others.
I just got one delivered from Best Buy ($2999) and played with it a bit last night. I really like this set for all the reasons mentioned above, though I would have preferred the 45" model and may return mine to exchange for that one when it comes out. Wish I knew when that's going to be.Picture is sharp, zoom modes seem about as good as you can get (the JUST mode causes more stretching near the right/left edges, but preserves the center portion of a non 16x9 signal).
For the person who said that the picture quality is between a regular projection and a plasma - I disagree. Some of the plasma screens I've seen don't have a very good picture ("screen door" effect, lack of brightness), and I would rate this picture better than plasma IMHO.
Addendum: The cooling fan can even be heard during moderate sound volumes -- nothing extreme, but somewhat annoying. Also would have liked a TV/VCR button on the set's console (the only buttons are power, volume and channel).
Not much info on this unit yet. About the best I've found so far is this link: http://www.hometheatermag.com/shownews.cgi?190
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