Toshiba 46G300U 46-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV (Black Gloss) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)A good TV at a very good price; it does have a couple of issues, which may be no big deal for you, depending on your needs.
Good: The picture is very good, comparable to much more expensive sets, in both standard and high definition. The 120Hz refresh does make a difference, although if, like me, you're accustomed to the slight jitter of high-speed motion on a 60Hz set the smooth motion will seem a little unnatural at first!
It has a good selection of input ports. No real internet connectivity, but I figure that functionality will be obsolete in a couple of year anyway, so it makes more sense for that to be built into a dedicated component or blue-ray player or something similar in any event.Bad: Power cord is hardwired into the back of the set, rather than being detachable - that was a real nuisance when I was trying to run the cables. More importantly, the internal speakers are pretty poor. Compounding this problem, it has neither analog audio out nor a headphone jack! If your external speaker system/receiver takes digital optical SPDIF ("Toslink"?) connections (most recent ones do), you're good - otherwise you'll need an adapter (Somthing like this: Digital Audio To Analog Audio Converter, although mine is still on order so I can't vouch for it yet.)
Still, if you want really good sound, no flat-panel will deliver that, and you could add a $200 soundbar to this to get a system that will have as good a picture and much better sound than more expensive sets. If you already have a good sound system (especially one with optical inputs), this is a very good option for the money.

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Enjoy a stunning picture bursting with color and clarity with the 46-inch Toshiba 46G300U LCD HDTV (46-inch diagonal screen size), featuring a 1080p Full HD resolution that provides twice the pixel resolution of 720p HD models. It also boasts Toshiba's ClearFrame 120Hz feature, which doubles the video frames from 60 per second to 120 per second to virtually eliminate motion blur--making this a perfect set for watching fast action movies and sports.
It provides a number of convenient home entertainment options and key picture quality features, including DynaLight dynamic backlight control for deeper black levels and four HDMI digital inputs for simple high quality connection to cable/satellite boxes, DVD players and more. Plus, the HDMI ports feature fast InstaPort switching for quick changes from one source to another.
With the Gaming Mode function, you'll experience reduced game control delay and improved reaction time--perfect for PC gaming--and the Photo Frame capability with Auto Slide Show enables you to display slideshows of your favorite images when not watching TV programming.
Boasting a slimming tapered bezel and attractive front panel gradation, the new Horizon design creates a more modern, elegant appearance that also adds a subtle luminance to the logo to further its stylish appeal. Other features include MP3 playback via the integrated USB port, a PC input, and a removable stand.

Key Features
1080p HD resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels)
ClearFrame 120Hz screen refresh rate virtually eliminates motion blur, making this HDTV a great choice for fast action movies and sports. Toshiba's ClearFrame 120Hz system doubles the frame rate of an LCD TV from 60 frames per second to 120 frames per second using superior Motion Vector Frame Interpolation technology.
DynaLight Backlight Control utilizes advanced image processing to monitor the brightness of each video frame, and adjust the backlight intensity accordingly. This precision creates seamless transitions with deep blacks for increased detail and depth analysis.
Photo Frame capability allows this HDTV to act as both a TV and a digital photo frame. You can showcase your favorite memories as a clear, crisp slide show on the high-resolution television screen--all controlled with just the TV remote.
Gaming Mode takes the gaming experience to a new level by reducing game control delay, thus giving the player improved reaction time and a more realistic playing experience. This is great when used with popular gaming consoles, or with PC games using the TVs PC Input.
Built-in ATSC/NTSC/QAM digital tuning allows for tuning of standard cable channels as well as off-air digital broadcasts, in addition to digital "cable-in-the-clear" broadcasts.
Native Mode restores the size of the picture by the 3-5 percent that is generally lost during the normal over-scanning that occurs on traditional sets.
Cinema Mode 24 fps (3:2 Pulldown): This HDTV performs 3:2 pulldown detection and reversal, too--a handy feature for watching progressive-scan movie programs in their native 24-frame format. To adapt 24 frames-per-second movies to 30 fps video, frames in the original movie must be duplicated; 3:2 pulldown digitally corrects this duplication by removing the redundant information to display a frame-accurate picture.
Color Temperature Control enables you to adjust white balance to achieve the best television picture possible in any viewing environment, or simply adjust the picture to suit your personal tastes. The "Warm" setting delivers a redder image that is ideal for display in a dimly lit room, while "Medium" and "Cool" provide a progressively bluer image for the best picture as room light levels are increased.
Three TheaterWide modes are ideal for displaying HDTV signals as well as enhanced for widescreen television DVDs.

TheaterWide 1: Letterboxed image is digitally expanded 33 percent horizontally and vertically. Useful for reproducing Academy Standard (1.85:1) formatted software.
TheaterWide 2: Letterboxed image is expanded 33 percent horizontally and 42 percent vertically. Particularly of use when viewing narrow letterboxed images originally filmed in Panavision or CinemaScope.
TheaterWide 3: Letterboxed image is expanded 33 percent horizontally and 24 percent vertically. Can be utilized when displaying letterboxed images that incorporate narrow bands at the top and bottom of the picture.


MP3 audio and JPEG image playback via USB port on the side.
REGZA-LINK (HDMI-CEC) allows peripheral AV devices such as a DVD player to be controlled by the remote control.
InstaPort fast HDMI switching between A/V components: Typically, when you switch HDMI inputs, there can be a five or six second delay. With InstaPort, as soon as you select an HDMI source, it will connect in a fraction of the time.
Ethernet port for connecting to wired home network.
Bottom-mounted invisible speakers integrated into stylish Horizon bezel design (20 Watts total power; 10W + 10W).
Channel Browser allows you to easily scan through the last 32 channels you have viewed, with screen images for the last five channels displayed, by channel, by favorites, and by input, at the touch of a button.
Channel Labeling allows you to put station call letters on the screen along with the station numbers, so you always know what channel you're watching
Input labeling enables you to name the individual inputs to denote usage, such as "DVD Player" (instead of having them display as just "HDMI 1" and "HDMI 2").
Removable stand for wall mounting (200mm x 200mm VESA mounting pattern)
Tri-lingual onscreen menu (English, French, Spanish)
Warranty: 1-year limited warranty on parts and labor

Toshiba 2010 REGZA HDTV Comparison
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Panasonic TC-P46S2 46-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought this television from Amazon & have lived with it for a couple of months.
I did a lot of shopping; finally deciding on this television & I am very happy I did. This TV is fantastic: Beautiful colors - 1080p - 600Hz Refresh Rate - 2,000,000:1 Contrast Ratio. The last two numbers make LCD's come up very short. In case you don't know: The contrast ratio is a measure of the difference between white and black. The higher the contrast ratio, the blacker the blacks & the whiter the whites. The deeper blacks make the colors really pop. This is where Plasma completely dominates LCD.
Sound & Vision Magazine rated these Panasonic Viera Plasma televisions right under the Pioneer Kuros. This is high praise considering that they had rated the Pioneers the best TV, of any kind - anywhere, for the last two years. Considering that the Kuros are 4 times the price, this TV was the obvious pick.
For the last years; the knocks against plasmas were the issues of Burn-In and excess heat compared to LCD's. The issue of Burn-In has been addressed. It is not a problem anymore. In addition, I have not noticed the TV giving off any abnormal heat. As a matter of fact, I don't notice any heat from it at all. Since these issues have been fixed, Plasma's should be much higher on everyone's shopping list.
A couple of side notes: 1) since I got it I have moved from cable to Dish. This has made a big improvement, & 2) the ability of take an SD card directly from the camera, insert it into the TV, and play the images is a nice feature.
I ordered direct from Amazon with the free shipping. The television arrived quickly and in perfect condition. The delivery people were accommodating and professional. They set everything up & were nice enough to even move some furniture around.
If you are considering a television in this price range, I think this is the one to get.


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Building on its award-winning 2009 Plasma line, Panasonic's 46-inch VIERA TC-P46S2 Plasma HDTV features a new panel with NeoPDP technologies that provide the best balance of black and white under brighter environments while also offering higher energy efficiency. The new NeoPDP Plasma panel also further reduces reflections and creates sharper pictures with higher contrast in brighter environments. This S2 series model provides 1080p resolution, full-time 1080 TV lines of moving picture resolution, and 600Hz Sub-field Drive for superb motion clarity.


Key Features

Key Specifications


What's in the Box Panasonic S2 series Plasma HDTV, removable stand, remote control (with batteries), operating instructions

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Samsung UN46D7900 46-Inch 1080p 240HZ 3D LED HDTV (Silver) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Go it in 5 days when the shipping i selected said 5-8 B'days.
came in pristine order. The QWERTY remote is to be ordered later.
But The TV did not come with the 3D glasses, that's a cone. yet to check the 3D feature of the TV.
Samsung must provide a pair with the set.
TV sound and picture quality is worth the money. Its light and sets up easily. It took me just a few minutes to get the fun going!
I will strongly recommend this product and for the 17K its a sweet deal.
Wont get into the technicalities of why i like this product so much.
So far so good.
Cheers!!!

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3D Technology Checklist
This product is 3D-related. To help you get a great 3D experience, use the checklist below to ensure you have everything you need. 3D viewing requires:

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Toshiba 46WX800U 46-Inch 1080p 240 Hz Cinema Series 3D LED TV, Black Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)i researched these types of sets for months for the family. surprisingly there were hardly any reviews on the 55wx800u - none on cnet or other major review sites. since my family loves toshiba products (3 generations of toshiba buying family members) we decided to take the plunge on this tv. reasonably priced with a whole host of settings to customize your tv's picture, if you like to tweak. if not, you can choose from some nice presets. overall, the color is vibrant, the set is very attractive - elegant, professional but not overly done like some other sets. prior to this tv, we had the panasonic s2 42" plasma tv (which replaced a 53" toshiba projection television)in the family room,as i wanted to try a plasma set and toshiba doesn't make plasmas. happy with the panay, we were torn to either get the panasonic 54vt 3dtv or this set. pricing was similar - but internet was not built into the panay. the plasma consumes much more power than this set. also, the 3d glasses that come with the toshiba are much more comfortable than the ones that came with the panay. so without reviews and based solely on my family's experience with toshiba, we bought this tv. we are extremely happy and i believe all the talk about blooming, clouding, flashlighting that comes with an edge lit set like this one is either overdone or toshiba has done an excellent job overcoming these issues. some quick things to note, connection to the wireless internet went smoothly and the widgets are very cool. there is a system update that takes about 5 mins - so make sure you update your system. also, when attaching the standing to the tv, it states slide and lock...it's a bit confusing and customer service wasn't very helpful -
just slide flat so that the two tabs on the stand slide into the two openings on the back of the tv - so you don't have to press down to lock in something the toshiba customer service (who apparently never put one of these things together) suggested. anyway, i wanted to put a real review up here since this is so lacking. if you have questions, ask. also, i will update in a couple months as to reliability. oh, lastly, don't buy from JR.com - their policy states that they have to open the package and add some "protective materials"- well - that set arrived broken. i refused the package and reordered through amazon.com and they sent the package "factory sealed" and it was fine.

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Toshiba 46WX800 46-Inch 1080p 240 Hz Cinema Series 3D LED TV, Black

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Sony BRAVIA KDL46NX700 46-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LED HDTV Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have had the KDL46NX700 for about 6 months now and I do have to say that this is a very nice set! I will start off with what I like about the TV and move on the few cons I have found. I love the monolithic design of this TV... it really does look stunning on or off. The internet streaming capabilities are very cool. The included internet widegets/ channels make it easy to wirelessly stream various media (which has been fun) and it's also a breeze to connect to your Windows 7 machine to stream photos, videos, music etc... Like all HD sets you need to be connected via HDMI and have a true HD source to get the best picture quality... with that being said I have a PS3 for games and blu-ray, and a DirecTV HD DVR for cable. The picture is very sharp, bright and crisp. I would also say that standard def processing is above average as 4:3 content looks pretty smooth as well. I have handed off the up-scaling to a nice Anchor Bay chipset on my Denon receiver and didn't notice any improvement in picture quality. So the on-board processing is definitely above average. All-in-all this is a very nice set from Sony. The only negative comments I have about this set, is that when the TV is on for a little while, I hear a slight popping noise... I believe its from the set heating up? No big deal to me, but it has bugged me on a few occasions. Other than that, the picture controls are somewhat limited which makes it hard to get the exact colors you may want to achieve. Great set from Sony! NX700 and NX800 series TV's are very sexy!

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Enjoy Full HD 1080p Sony picture quality and an innovative six-degree tilt for improved viewing at a lower level with the sleek and slim Edge LED backlit Sony BRAVIA NX700 LCD HDTV. Also features built-in Wi-Fi connectivity for convenient access to your favorite entertainment apps including movies, TV shows, videos, music and more.1

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Sony BRAVIA V-Series KDL-46V5100 46-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV, Black Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I just received this television. My first impression is great. I've been investigating diffrent brands and different models of LCD TV's for a while. Here is the conclusion I reached and the reasons for purchasing this TV:
* Sony has great models for over $2500. They have great picture but not great enough to compensate for the couple of thousand extra dollars paid. I saw 46XBR6 and 46V5100 next to each other in BB and did not see a significant difference except the price.
* Samsungs have great LCD TVs. But glossy screen would not work for me at all. I have a bright living room where my TV is located. So, if you will have your TV in a bright room, you probably would like to avoid glossy screens like Samsung has. It really reflects a lot almost like a mirror. This was a big deal for me.
Now, my experice with KDL46V5100 is as follows:
It has great picture quality. I did not expect it to be so good at even SD. It is very easy to use. We plugged the TV and started to use it right away. Even user's manual is just a few pages. Before buying the TV I paid extra attention to the wide angle performance. This TV has about the same view from front and from sides: no changes in color or image quality with angle that I recognized.
I am extremely satisfied with the Amazon delivery. They brought the TV, unpacked it and installed the TV on the stand.
Good TV for good price and good service from Amazon...

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Samsung UN46C6800 46-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LED HDTV (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Disclaimer: I actually purchased the UN46C6900 which is the exact same television with a different colored bezel, however all here applies to the 6800 as well.
After doing a great deal of research online and in the shops, this TV really seemed to make a lot of sense in terms of price vs. performance, and after my purchase I have to say I certainly agree. I am coming from a higher end 32" Samsung LCD from about 3 years ago, and have spent time with friends and their various Samsung, Toshiba, Sony LCDs and Panasonic plasmas. Hopefully this review will help you make a decision and also provide some insight into using it for various input sources, particularly with a PC.
The first question you need to ask yourself is if you want 3D... if you're like me, you'll find the added cost probably isn't worth it, particularly if you already have a Blu-ray player (given that you can get a better deal on 3D glasses with a Samsung Blu-ray bundle). For me it would have cost around $400-500 more to go 3D (for the added set cost of the UN46C8000 and two pair of glasses), and after seeing it in person, 3D will definitely get a lot better in the years ahead. Outside of the performance and illusion (which was pretty cool from my in-store demos), the two problems for me in particular were that the basic and advanced rechargeable glasses weren't comfortable with my prescription glasses, and the basic glasses use a non-rechargeable watch/coin style battery which sounds like a pain to deal with. That said I am definitely interested in 3D (particularly for games), in a few years I will likely upgrade looking closely at 3D sets to see if the quality and ergonomics have improved.
So anyway, actually on the topic of this tv! The main reason I chose this particular set was because I was interested in 120 or 240hz LED-LCD (mainly due to decreased energy consumption), and also some type of smart backlight technology to get better blacks. I've also had good success with Samsung sets, and they seem to offer the most models compared to Sony or Toshiba, so I could really dial in what features I wanted (or didn't want). So in terms of features, because many edgelit LED sets historically have been pretty horrible in terms of light uniformity, particularly in dark scenes, I was initially interested in the local dimming backlit LED sets such as the UN46B8500. Desire to save some expense and wanting to get a 2010 model year set (improved firmware considerations), I settled on this particular version given it's "precision dimming" functionality. Of course the challenge here is that the 6800/6900 set is edgelit, so while the same trickery in the B8500 was going to be impossible (turning off light directly behind the LCD), it pulls off a similar effect pretty admirably with a thinner profile and lot less cost. How this works is, first imagine a series of LEDs placed around the entire perimeter of the screen (picture a movie-star dressing room mirror with bulb lights all around it). These LED's can be turned on/off on the fly, dynamic to the content on the screen. For an extreme example, picture a game with a completely black loading screen, but with white text "Loading" in the lower right corner. In this scenario, all the perimeter LEDs are turned off, except for the ones in the corner, so the black areas are definitely black while the text is back/side lit. In some scenarios, where the solo text is in the middle of the screen, you get a bit of a projection of light from above and below, but this is very subtle and generally noticeable only from off center viewing. In dark scenes and places where pockets of black are on the sides of the screen, the precision dimming effect is really great. The design overall is a good compromise between the previous backlit LED sets in terms of price and form factor versus performance.
Regarding power consumption, I'll say I'm pretty impressed. Using a kill-o-watt meter on my complete system alternating both of my TVs (this and Samsung CCFL-LCD 32"), I did a test using identical conditions and watching the same video clip on my Playstation 3. While using this C6900, the system overall drew 80 less watts while watching the clip. I was especially impressed given that this set is quite a bit larger, so at most I was expecting the power savings from the CCFL would be offset by the increase in size. Actually saving power overall is a real bonus.
Regarding performance over different inputs... when using this set, I have the following items connected:
- Playstation 3 (via HDMI through Sony receiver STR-DN1000)
- Nintendo Wii (from component RGB to the Sony receiver, upconverted to 1080i and sent to TV via HDMI)
- PC (Windows 7 64-bit, slow fan spinning ATI Radeon 4850 via DVI to HDMI cable to HDMI1 port, designated for PC)
- Antenna (for over-the-air local HD, I don't have cable or dish, I generally just watch shows/movies through PC, Netflix streaming, Hulu, etc)
NOTE: If you are using a PC with this set there are many special considerations that I have discovered. As with many 1080p sets, to get perfect 1:1 pixel mapping at 1080p resolution, the TV and PC require proper configuration when using HDMI (or in my case DVI-HDMI).
First off, the PC should be connected to HDMI port 1 (labeled for DVI devices). Once you have the PC connected, turned on, it must be set to 1920x1080 resolution (note that if you have an ATI video card, you will also need to set the Overscan Ratio to 100% in Catalyst Control Center, with Nvidia or Intel graphics this is not required).
Second, the TV must be configured properly. There are two ways to achieve perfect 1:1 mapping (or close to it) that require separate settings on the TV and each have their own pros and cons. Both require changing the "label" of the HDMI1 input within the Samsung TV menu:
Method 1: Use the DVI-PC label. This method will provide perfect 1:1 pixel mapping and the sharpest possible picture from a computer. However, I have discovered the big downside is that in this mode, most the TV's bells and whistles are disabled including "precision dimming" and "auto motion plus" (the polarizing smoothing effect introduced with 120/240hz sets). Losing precision dimming sucks (particularly 4:3 content such as videos and emulated games) because you essentially get glowing bars and generally poor blacks, essentially making this TV in PC mode look like the Samsung C6500. This condition also exists when using the PC-VGA port, you lose most of the control over the set and most processing effects are disabled.
Method 2: The DVI Devices label. Initially this method scales the screen funny and does not appear to provide 1:1 mapping, but does enable all the whiz bang effects afforded by this TV (precision dimming, etc). However, much to my delight I recently discovered that by using the screen mode function (the method to toggle the screen between 16:9, 4:3, 4:3 zoom, etc), you can select a "screen fit" mode that effectively scales the 1920x1080 resolution to the total screen size with no over or under scan. The method provides an image that is probably only 98% (read: hard to notice) as sharp as method 1, but in my opinion getting precision dimming back well more than makes up for it. It looks great using this configuration with the PC when playing games (iRacing, Dirt2, colsole emulators), web browsing (text is plenty sharp enough in this mode), watching videos, etc.
Ultimately, because you need to configure the set in this way to get the most out of the PC connection (changing the input label), it becomes impractical to connect the PC via a receiver with all of your other gear connected to the TV via one HDMI cable. I was little disappointed by this initially, but running two separate HDMI cables and occassionally switching inputs on the TV is a pretty easy compromise. You COULD run just one cable, and change the label of the input each time you would switch between PS3 and PC for instance, but the way the TV menus are setup, it becomes a pain, particularly because each input type may have special contrast/color settings. In the end, I have found two HDMI inputs configured independently is substantially easier to deal with.
With all that out of the way, the other inputs via my PS3 and Wii via the Sony receiver look just as fantastic, I couldn't be happier. The color is great and the crispness is there particularly with HD signals. Since I'm a huge Wii gamer (Big props to Sin and Punishment 2, No More Heroes 1/2, Mario Galaxy 2, Zack and Wiki, Metroid Trilogy, and lots of awesome WiiWare games, Cave Story, Light Trax, You me and Cubes), I will concede I'm used to resolution compromises, so I bit the bullet with my old TV and got an upconverting receiver which takes the Wii component signal and upconverts to 1080i to the TV via HDMI. Obviously this doesn't do miracles to the 480p signal (or 480i in some games), but it produces a significantly sharper image than using direct input via component on this TV. Edges are sharper, but yet smoothed out quite a bit, and the colors really pop... Mario Galaxy 2 and Sin and Punishment 2 are particularly striking). I hightly recommend going this route if you're a Wii gamer who wants the most out of the systems's image quality. PS3 of course looks gorgeous via Blu-ray movies and various games I play such as GT5 Prologue, Street Fighter IV and Wipeout HD.
So far so good then, right? Well, the one small criticism I will levy towards this TV is that the viewing angles are not quite as good as was hoping for. I will say that my older Samsung 32", while not having the same black levels and brightness certainly, did hold it's image consistency better from an angle. If you're on center, it looks gorgeous, but move a couch cushion to the right or left (from 7' away), and...Read more›

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Samsung LED HDTVs combine breakthrough picture quality and advanced connectivity options that will keep you entertained 24/7. This UN46C6800 LED HDTV also makes it easy to be green, and will save you some green, by being ENERGY STAR compliant.

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Panasonic TC-P46C2 46-Inch 720p Plasma HDTV Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)My wife and I were really planning on buying a 42" 1080p Samsung "LED TV" (i.e., an LED backlit LCD TV) when we came across this TV on sale for roughly 60% the price of the Samsung 42" LED TV. So I spent the best part of an evening researching LED versus Plasma, 1080p versus 720p and also the Samsung brand versus Panasonic. Details of my findings are in the Appendix at the bottom of this review.
With the required research behind me, we concluded that we couldn't go wrong with either choice. The Panasonic won because not only would it would save us a bundle, but we would also get a 46" TV instead of a 42", which would be perfect for our living room HD cable setup. We decided, therefore, to postpone our purchase of a 42" 1080p LED TV for our bedroom to the near future when the prices for LED TVs would drop even further.
Although the C2 series is the most basic of Panasonic's 720P Plasma lineup, the build quality is very nice and refined. It took less than 30 minutes to set up the TV and connect it to our HD cable box and digital receiver.
The only initial calibration we made was to set the picture mode to "Cinema". Quite honestly, we were stunned at the quality picture when we first tuned to a HD channel - which was an English detective drama on PBS. The color reproduction, clarity, and fine details were way above our expectations, easily on par with the best LED TVs we saw in the showroom . With its 2,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, this TV is able to produce an awesome level of gradual black levels, with no dithering artifacts to speak of.
This TV has a moving picture resolution of 720p. We watched the Hawaii Five-O remake premiere with disbelief. With its 600Hz refresh rate, there were very smooth image transitions in the action sequences, making for a very film like experience with none of the "digititis" with fast moving images that I was used to seeing on some LCD TVs.
Being the most basic in the current Panasonic Plasma lineup, this TV has a basic set of features - which is actually a good thing because the menu system uncomplicated and intuitive. Some of the menu features can be accessed through dedicated buttons on the remote. For example there is a button to toggle between aspect ratios - which is handy when you need to watch old non-anamorphic DVDs.
This TV also has "anti-image retention" features to prevent logos from being seared onto the surface of the Plasma display. For the first 100 hours or so, it is a good idea to watch 4:3 aspect ratio programs in "zoom" mode, to prevent retention of the black bars on the side, and to switch channels frequently to prevent "logo burn" from particular channels. Once the TV has crossed the "break in" period, you can resume normal watching.
I have not tried Blu-Ray yet on this TV, but it does a pretty decent of upscaling DVD movies from 480p to 720p through component video, though not perfect. But playing DVDs through upscaling DVD players, like the Panasonic DMR-EZ48VP-K 1080p Upconverting VHS DVD Recorder with Built In Tuner, through HDMI is another story. From a normal viewing distance of 8 to 10 feet, DVD movies look almost like HD. I watched the DVD of the movie Downfall and it was hard to convince me that I was not watching full HD.
The sound quality on this TV is pretty good and more than adequate for most program content.
As for hum, it's present only when I stick my head right next to the back panel where a very low volume buzz can be heard. But from more than a few feet away this TV produces no audible hum!
Cons:
-----
I can think only of a couple of downsides to this TV. The first is that the C2 model has no anti-reflective coating like the higher models in Panasonic's Plasma lineup. But, to be quite honest, the reflections were not noticeable or bothersome until we turned on some bright lights in the side in the direct line of reflection. Having said that, the front plate glass in all Plasmas are reflective and it is therefore best to set them up in an environment where you have control over light sources.
The second issue is that this TV has only a single digital optical audio output, which limits you to using a digital receiver for external sound.
Conclusion:
-----------
This TV represents the best bang for buck for any TV out there. Although this is an entry-level Panasonic plasma, Panasonic has not skimped on build quality and the thing that absolutely matters most - picture quality! This TV packs the latest display technology of Panasonic, at a fraction of the price you would have paid just a couple of years ago. Sure, it does not have ethernet or in-built streaming video. But if your really want streaming Netflix or iTunes movies, why not spend just an additional $99 and buy an Apple TV - MC572LL/A NEWEST MODEL?
This TV is definitely in the "best buy" category and I have no hesitation in giving it a rating of five stars. Thank you, Panasonic!
Appendix:
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LED versus Plasma:
Both LED and Plasma TV's have excellent picture quality, colors and black levels as well a rated lifespan of 50,000 to 100,000 hours. LED TVs are thinner, lighter, "greener" in power consumption, have less reflective screen surfaces, can be viewed in bright daylight conditions and do not require a "break in" period for the first 100 hours of use. Plasma TVs, on the other hand, have excellent color accuracy and refresh rates that are hard to match, and they support wide viewing angles. Plasma TVs now come with 600Hz refresh rates, while most LED TVs still are in the 120Hz level. That, in itself is worth the price of admission for videophiles and video enthusiasts, given that the higher refresh rates have the effect of making the viewing experience pleasing, more film-like and easier on the eyes.
1080p versus 720p:
1080p versus 720p is not much of an issue if most of your viewing is HD broadcast, satellite or cable, which is pretty much 720p for the most part. But if you are serious about Blu-Ray, then 1080p is preferable since the difference becomes noticeable for larger TVs and at close viewing distances. But in most situations it is hard for people to tell the difference between the two formats even with a 46" panel.
Samsung's reputation versus Panasonic's:
Recent TV ratings from Consumer Reports indicate that Samsung has top ratings in the LED TV technology. But Panasonic Vieras still occupy the top spot in Plasma! (Samsung Plasma TVs are reputed to have an annoying audible hum or buzz from the rear of the panel, which the Panasonic Plasmas do not have).
Update: 02 October 2010:
I made changes to the white balance for the Cinema/Warm picture mode using settings described in AVS Forum, based on reference settings from member "D-Nice". The picture now is really natural and awesome. I had to get into the Service Menu for this. Please see the link in the Comments section of this review for more details.

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Offering excellent picture performance, Panasonic's 46-inch VIERA TC-P46C2 Plasma HDTV features a 720p high-definition resolution and 600Hz Sub-field Drive for superb motion clarity. This and other models in the C2 line offer Panasonic's VIERA Image Viewer feature, which enables you to play slideshows of JPEG images stored on SD memory cards, as well as the VIERA Link feature for controlling a variety of compatible components--from Blu-ray Disc players to digital cameras--through a single remote.
Adhering to Panasonic's commitment to the environment, this VIERA model--as well as all 2010 models--features improved power consumption and meets the new, more stringent Energy Star 4.0 requirements. And you'll get a long Plasma panel life of up to 100,000 hours--more than 30 years of viewing when watched 8 hours a day--before the brightness of the panel decreases to half.

Key Features Panasonic's VIERA C2 series Plasma HDTV.

Key Specifications


What's in the Box Panasonic C2 series Plasma HDTV, removable stand, remote control (with batteries), operating instructions

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