My first HDTV, so I have nothing to compare it to. With that said, I'm really liking the TV so far. Excellent picture with 1080i over-the-air channels as well as 720p videos through AppleTV. No Blu-Ray test yet. Black levels seem pretty good (I've definitely seen worse while browsing at BestBuy) and colors seem good as well. I did some slight adjustment to the picture with the THX Optimizer system on a Pixar DVD..
Negatives: I wish there was an over-the-air channel guide like my Insignia DTV converter has. Also, I wish there was an "enter"/"ok" button near the numerical keypad for changing channels. You have to type the channel number (bottom of remote), then regrip and hit "ok" at the top of the remote - pretty awkward. Both of these issue are admittedly minor.
Also, I've read many negative comments on the speakers on 2010 and older Panasonic TVs. I think they are reasonable quality for standard built-in speakers.
Something else to add is that this TV was originally listed by both Best Buy and Amazon as having an LED backlight. That info has now been removed from both. The Panasonic website does not list this under their "LED LCD" category (just the standard "LCD" category, implying a CCFL/EEFL backlight), but makes numerous mentions in the product description as having an LED backlight. I originally ordered this when Amazon, Best Buy and Panasonic themselves had it listed as having an LED backlight, so I assumed that's what I was getting.
The LED info never seemed right to me as this TV has nearly the same thickness, contrast ratio and power consumption as the 2010 model Panasonic TVs which ARE listed as having an EEFL (CCFL) backlight. After I got the TV, I looked through the ventilation slots on the back and can see a sticker with a high-voltage warning on it that says "Fluorescent Lamp in Color LCD contain Mercury..." I have real doubts that this TV has an LED backlight.
Overall I'll give it 5 stars. Bottom line is that it has a great picture for a $500-ish TV. Panasonic VIERA TC-L37U3 37-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV
This is the second Panasonic Viera TV we have bought, and both are excellent in both picture quality and value. The HD picture rivals that of our 58" plasma in detail, and there is no artifacting with fast movements. We find the menu to be very "user friendly" and set-up was fast and easy. The only thing that could be improved is the built-in speakers. If you are using the TV in a large room, or a room with extraneous noises, you will want to run the sound through a sound system. The on-board speakers just don't put out a lot of volume. We have this TV set up in a small room, and the sound volume is no problem.
This is a lot of HD TV for the money, and I highly recommend this product.
Bought this TV as we finally upgraded to digital cable with HD channels. We had good experience with Panasonic in the past, and this TV has been great so far. The picture is absolutely fantastic with the HDMI connection to our HD DVR. Added a Panasonic blue ray player to the set up, and there is a 3rd HDMI input on the side for our laptop or anything else. Optical digital audio out really finishes off the set up. Great TV, and it fits in the 36" opening in our entertainment center.
Price was exceptional on a limited available TV. Must be selling a lot of them, due to limited availability... Lucky I got one, and at an exceptional price. Arrived in 2 business days. Fast shipping!!!
I bought this LCD TV from Amazon and found out the screen brightness is much darker compare to other brand like Sony and Samsung.
Even I change the display setting to Vivid or change to brightness to 100. It still look kind of dark. I should have check the TV out before purchase it online. I would not recommend buying this TV.
Purchased this Panasonic TV to fit in our solid cherry-wood entertainment center and it fits perfectly. We are edtremely pleased with the picture, sound, and overall quality of this HDTV. Amazon's pricing was great. Would highly recommend this item.
TV arrived in one piece, but missing the remote control!
Like E365 I purchased this after having determined that it was LED backlit, and indeed the Panasonic pages describing it have changed in the meantime. One star down.
Regarding the missing remote, Amazon's page instructs to try to resolve the matter with the manufacturer first. 20 minutes on hold until I got a human who inexplicably immediately hung up on me. Another 20 minutes on hold and I got someone again. Gave all requested information, was given a case number and a fax number to send information to (supposedly) get a remote. Fax number? What a hassle, by design no doubt. The only small saving grace was that the customer support line has Saturday and Sunday hours.
If I don't get the remote within 30 days of ordering I guess it has to go back.
To be continued...
Update: nearly two weeks after having faxed all the required information per instructions there's still no remote and no contact by Panasonic. A little irony here is that the printing on the front of the box the TV comes in extols the wonderful customer service as part of the "Viera experience." I guess it's time to go through Amazon's normal return service. Second star down. - 120hz - 1080p - 1080p Lcd Hdtv - 120 Hz'
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