The new TV is: a Panasonic TC-L32C3. That's 32" IPS? ISP? screen, LCD, 720p, 60Hz, with a multiple-link something-or-other called Viera that Panasonic is very proud of.
FWIW, the game-playing folks seem to think very highly of these little sets due to low lag time.
Sears currently has these marked down to $300, I figured they would charge us sales tax on that price but nope, no $ was needed. Yes, it's last year's model & I don't care. I'm satisfied that it'll make a good entry level flat panel TV, and is a better choice than the very few other 32" sets that were in stock. It sure beats nothing- which we would have had if I'd just thrown away the old owner's manual & not found the extended warranty! Mom was firm about wanting it to fit her cabinet "just in case", so 32" was the largest to consider.
PS: I was wrong about this model having no composite YWR input jack set on the back, it's got 'em all right. I had looked up its next-up-the-line brother, the Panasonic TC-L32U3 with 1080p, and assumed the C3 had the same inputs. Nope, they're different. The U3 has one extra HDMI socket, the C3 has the good old RCA jacks in YWR. Too bad that neither one has analog audio out jacks, it's optical digital Toslink only. Monoprice has a converter for about $24 that should be OK so long as we don't have real Dolby 5.1 coming through- unlikely on analog cable.
I plan to unbox & connect it up within a week or so to make sure everything works OK. After that, I dunno.
But... I *do* have this little Philips micro-theater system, long paid for, still boxed up, that's never been used. It's the MDS-515, like a little desk/tabletop stereo, with CD, Cassette, AM/FM radio, 2 small bookshelf speakers- + the CD player also plays DVDs, has WR stereo inputs, *Plus* a digital co-ax input. It also has a subwoofer output but no SW included. A small 8" active SW, a Toslink to analog)or Toslink to dig coax) adapter- might sound surprisingly good. If nothing else- it's paid for, that's pretty much free!
Sears currently has these marked down to $300, I figured they would charge us sales tax on that price but nope, no $ was needed. Yes, it's last year's model & I don't care. I'm satisfied that it'll make a good entry level flat panel TV, and is a better choice than the very few other 32" sets that were in stock. It sure beats nothing- which we would have had if I'd just thrown away the old owner's manual & not found the extended warranty! Mom was firm about wanting it to fit her cabinet "just in case", so 32" was the largest to consider.
PS: I was wrong about this model having no composite YWR input jack set on the back, it's got 'em all right. I had looked up its next-up-the-line brother, the Panasonic TC-L32U3 with 1080p, and assumed the C3 had the same inputs. Nope, they're different. The U3 has one extra HDMI socket, the C3 has the good old RCA jacks in YWR. Too bad that neither one has analog audio out jacks, it's optical digital Toslink only. Monoprice has a converter for about $24 that should be OK so long as we don't have real Dolby 5.1 coming through- unlikely on analog cable.
I plan to unbox & connect it up within a week or so to make sure everything works OK. After that, I dunno.
But... I *do* have this little Philips micro-theater system, long paid for, still boxed up, that's never been used. It's the MDS-515, like a little desk/tabletop stereo, with CD, Cassette, AM/FM radio, 2 small bookshelf speakers- + the CD player also plays DVDs, has WR stereo inputs, *Plus* a digital co-ax input. It also has a subwoofer output but no SW included. A small 8" active SW, a Toslink to analog)or Toslink to dig coax) adapter- might sound surprisingly good. If nothing else- it's paid for, that's pretty much free!
