Panasonic TC L26X1 Review
For the use of a PC monitor or placing it in a small room, this is actually a very good entry level LCD TV. I bought this replace a PC monitor and play a Nintendo Wii on. The price I got it at, on Amazon, is comparable to brands found in store like Dynex, but has a quality comparable to better TV’s such as Samsung and Sony.
Panasonic TC L26X1 Review - Setup & Connectivity
Setup: You should have a magnetic tip Philips screwdriver handy to attach the base which only takes about 5 minutes to complete. The rest of the setup is automatic to the way it comes out of the box. Once you turn it on, you are immediately thrown into the initial setup stage. It guides through channels and the inputs you need to hook up. If you are having any problems, you relate to the manual which is an easy read. Of course, you can always come back to the setup if you decide to skip a few steps.
Connectivity: The TV has an input for an antenna, cable, dish, or VCR. It also comes with two HDMI inputs, but keep in mind that the resolution is only 720p, not full HD. But for a 26 inch TV, 720p is just fine. 1080p is almost unnecessary at this size. The extra detail is almost unnoticeable. It comes with one component video input, two composite video inputs, and a PC input. You should know though that the audio for the PC hookup is shared with one of the composite video inputs. There are no analog audio outputs for headsets, but you will probably go through a different device for better quality anyway. But there are Digital audio outputs for receivers and amplifier, which you probably will use.
Connectivity: The TV has an input for an antenna, cable, dish, or VCR. It also comes with two HDMI inputs, but keep in mind that the resolution is only 720p, not full HD. But for a 26 inch TV, 720p is just fine. 1080p is almost unnecessary at this size. The extra detail is almost unnoticeable. It comes with one component video input, two composite video inputs, and a PC input. You should know though that the audio for the PC hookup is shared with one of the composite video inputs. There are no analog audio outputs for headsets, but you will probably go through a different device for better quality anyway. But there are Digital audio outputs for receivers and amplifier, which you probably will use.
Panasonic TC L26X1 Review - Picture Quality & Audio Quality
Picture Quality: The picture, for the price you pay and resolution out of box, is actually amazing. Just many of the other popular brands you have different preset modes for brightness and clarity. And of course you can customize your own settings, my personal favorite feature. The picture quality is no different than the Sony’s and Samsung’s I saw at BestBuy, and it has a better price tag. One you thing you do have to consider on setup though, it the angle you place it at, because this will effect quality. But that is normal to all TV’s. As a monitor the image is also extremely clear to lesson eye strain.
Audio Quality: I was actually very surprised to find that the audio quality was so nice. It wasn’t something I was expecting, and isn’t something I usually consider a major factor. I placed it in a room that 11x14 and you can hear it at mid volume perfectly. I actually stalled on hooking up my surround sound because the internal speakers were just fine. There were some background sounds I hadn’t heard before when playing tennis on Wii with my kids. Everything sounds very realistic and high quality.
Remote: The remote has a crazy amount of features is extremely easy to use. Everything is menu base on screen, but the navigation couldn’t be any easier. The only drawback, which isn’t a huge one as far as I’m concerned, is you can’t save the sound settings outside of ‘game mode’. You can argue that a huge feature that is missing, but most of us don’t even play with sound settings. Especially if you’re hooking up surround sound. The settings out of box are fine just the way they are. I’ve never played with sound settings before this TV, I’m actually surprised I came across it and noticed this missing feature. But still not a big one if you ask me.
Audio Quality: I was actually very surprised to find that the audio quality was so nice. It wasn’t something I was expecting, and isn’t something I usually consider a major factor. I placed it in a room that 11x14 and you can hear it at mid volume perfectly. I actually stalled on hooking up my surround sound because the internal speakers were just fine. There were some background sounds I hadn’t heard before when playing tennis on Wii with my kids. Everything sounds very realistic and high quality.
Remote: The remote has a crazy amount of features is extremely easy to use. Everything is menu base on screen, but the navigation couldn’t be any easier. The only drawback, which isn’t a huge one as far as I’m concerned, is you can’t save the sound settings outside of ‘game mode’. You can argue that a huge feature that is missing, but most of us don’t even play with sound settings. Especially if you’re hooking up surround sound. The settings out of box are fine just the way they are. I’ve never played with sound settings before this TV, I’m actually surprised I came across it and noticed this missing feature. But still not a big one if you ask me.
Panasonic TC L26X1 Review - Other Features & Summary
Other Features: There’s an iPod dock where you play your music and videos straight off of you iPod. The TV has a feature where it automatically recognizes the hookup. You use an onscreen menu system to navigate your iPod. The only I thought would have been cool, is if you could play the iPod in the background while working in PC mode. Instead I have to use my laptop for that. That’s the only complaint I have and they should add later. There is an SD card viewer for pictures and playback is a slideshow, this is done automatically on hookup. An important feature if you ask me, it it has an energy saving mode for those looking to save on energy.
Summing it up: This is a great TV for the price you pay. You can find a better deal that at Amazon and their shipping service is, I think, the best in the world. It arrived at my house in a few days and I was ready to roll. There are plenty of TV’s out there that have the same features but don’t come close to the price you pay at Amazon. Follow the link below to read more at their sales page and check out the other reviews. It’s one of the highest scoring TV’s online. Take care.
Summing it up: This is a great TV for the price you pay. You can find a better deal that at Amazon and their shipping service is, I think, the best in the world. It arrived at my house in a few days and I was ready to roll. There are plenty of TV’s out there that have the same features but don’t come close to the price you pay at Amazon. Follow the link below to read more at their sales page and check out the other reviews. It’s one of the highest scoring TV’s online. Take care.
