1. The "Model" you have.
I own a Panasonic Viera 32" model # TC-L32E3 1080p 60hz LED-LCD TV. This was to replace my previously bought Panasonic Viera TC-L22X2. I had bought and tested two Panasonic models after extensive research, the Panasonic TC-L32U3 LCD model (was $400 at Best Buy at the time) and the Panasonic TC-L32E3 LED model (was $450 at Best Buy at the time). I liked the input lag and black levels slightly better on the E3 over the U3. I bought it at Best Buy on November 17, 2011. When Best Buy lowered the price of the TC-L32E3 model down temporarily to $300 on November 20, I relented on the TC-L32U3 model and had Best Buy price-match my TC-L32E3 set to the online sale price of $300, giving me a $150 refund after some negotiations with the sales staff.
2. What convinced you to purchase this particular model.
I was in the market for a HDTV that would primarily be used for video gaming and some Blu-ray watching, possibly even a cable setup in the future. Input lag was THE deciding factor in purchasing this set, all other features, including usage as a possible PC monitor, were secondary. I also wanted to have the IPS-Alpha panel and the 1080p resolution that was lacking in the set that I replaced, my old Panasonic Viera TC-L22X2. I had considered getting the step-up model at one time (TC-L42E30) but it was too big for my entertainment center and a bit out of my price range.
3. What you like best about your LCD.
Has a lot of features for a TV in this size. Excellent picture quality for a 32" set. Excellent black levels for an LED, not nearly as good as plasma sets, but LEDs use less electricity and heat and most plasma screens don't come smaller than 40" these days. Has more inputs than the U3 model, which was another factor in my purchase (I hated the shared composite/component on the U3 model). Input lag on this set is absolutely fantastic, consistently getting about sub-1 frame to 1 frame of lag (about 8-16ms) on the Game Mode picture settings with post-processing options turned off. So far I really haven't noticed any major light-bleeding issues that other TV owners have reported about this particular model, but all I've used it for was for video gaming so far.
4. What you don't like about your LCD.
No S-Video input at all, I have to use a separate A/V box in order to hook up my older consoles through S-Video. No headphone jack output either, why are TV manufacturers taking these out? It makes no sense to me. Also not that ideal as a PC monitor, since it doesn't to my knowledge support 4:4:4 chroma test. DVDs are a bit dark, but playing with the settings alleviates it somewhat. I haven't tried digital TV with it yet.
5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your LCD had.
I wish TV manufacturers (and Panasonic is a big offender of this) would put RCA audio output jacks back in. Saving on costs? Because I don't care much for sound out of the TV speakers, and I have to buy a sound bar or A/V receiver to use the much bigger speakers I have at home. 4:4:4 chroma support would be very nice, as that would make it an ideal PC monitor, and color reproduction and static contrast ratio would be almost perfect.
6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacturer" about your LCD.
First off, Panasonic had a rough year in 2010. They saw the problems with last year's models and for the most part fixed them. The LED/LCD models of 2011 aren't bad, but Panasonic has a lot of room or improvement if they plan on catching up to the competition in the LED/LCD HDTV front. I would like to see Panasonic go the Sharp route and start making higher-end LCD models. And since they have the Kuro technology, use it! Panasonic would be untouchable in the plasma market if they brought back the Kuros. And bring back S-Video inputs and headphone jacks, not to mention RCA audio output jacks.
7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your LCD.
The fact that this model has quite a few features and flexibility considering the size of the HDTV. But most importantly, a very nice picture quality for a HDTV in a 32" size. Everyone says the input lag was better with the U3 model, but I found the E3 model to be even better than the U3 model (8-16ms on the E3, around 16-24ms on the U3 model), but my testing setup isn't to be taken as gospel since it isn't that accurate, but Beatmania proved to be the ultimate acid test for both models, with the E3 slightly edging out the U3 input-lag wise.
8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your LCD.
Still the sound, although the speakers on this TV are much better than my old 22" HDTV (6W speakers compared with 20W speakers). Still, nothing says Dolby 5.1 like a sound bar. Right out I have my TV speakers lined out to my PC speakers, but I would like to hook up some real speakers. The light bleeding issue either hasn't cropped up yet or it's barely noticeable, it seems to be a bigger problem with the larger sized sets.
9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
The price I paid for my 32" LED? Absolutely! HDTVs will continue to go down as the technology gets better. At the same time, we'll get bigger and bigger sets; I wouldn't be surprised to see 100"+ or more sets pumping out solid picture quality in 3D. Photorealism is becoming a watchword for the next generation of HDTV, I'd love to see it happen. I'm still not sold on 3D technology just yet; I still think it is largely a gimmick, but maybe next year when I consider getting a mainline HDTV, I'll be able to open up more to 3D technology. 3D video games, on the other hand, may be a deciding factor if they continue to improve the technology.
10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
The extra research I did on my new TV paid off. I got most of the features I wanted, at the price I wanted. My 32E3 excels very well for my purposes, and does well so far for the other things.
Panasonic VIERA TC-L37DT30
