Price Paid:  $479.00 from Goodguys.com

Summary:
Recently purchased the CT-27SX31 Panasonic TV. Went into the store and saw many other tv's on display and the one that stood out amongst the crowd was the Panasonic. So I picked it up for a relatively good price and took it home and eagerly hook it up to begin what would be my home theater experience.

The first night the tv performed well except the picture was not as crisp as it first appeared in the store. Needless to say they used a dvd in the store and I was only using digital cable to view. So that's that until I hooked up my Xbox to it. Wow!!! it was sweet. The speakers came alive and the picture was very clear.

However, the next day I tried to play the same game the speakers began to give me problems. They would fade in and out and make popping noises. I called the nearest Panasonic repair center for it to be fixed. Good thing this happened now rather than later because 90 day warranty is not long at all.

Strengths:
Picture quality is very good but it's true potential comes out when playing dvds or other high resolution videos.

Weaknesses:
Speakers had problems just after one day of use even though it sounded pretty good initially.

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
A word of warning - I have experienced serious problems with Panasonic. I recently purchased an CT-27SX12. Straight out of the box as soon as I hooked it up I noticed the left channel audio out was not working properly. It sounds like the balance is off. My local Panasonic repair center has twice tried ordering a different repair part they thought would correct the problem but still no improvement. Almost a month later I still have no TV. The repair center put a call into Panasonics Tech Support center for guidance. That was two days ago. They have still not been contacted by Panasonic. I tried calling Panasonic directly - four different times. Their unhelpfulness is astounding. They seem to be giving me the runaround. Each time I call they have no record of my previous call. Needless to say I am extremely dissatisfied. I will not buy Panasonic again.

Price Paid:  $500.00 from Costco Wholesale

Summary:
I am also one of the people who initially thought Sony = "the way to go". However, I, like others, feel that the picture quality is better on this panasonic. The Sony WEGA tvs have really annoying scan lines!

Picture -- My DVD player is hooked in via component cables. I have finally setup the picture with the newest Sound and Vision home theater setup disc (the newer, 2001 version). A few notes, I was not able to effectively set the "picture/contrast" levels (currently maxed out is the best I can do). The other four main adjustments preceded smoothly. Unfortunately, even when tuned up, there is definitely some "red push" in this tv which causes "flesh tones" to be off. I have found no adjustment knobs on the back to mechanically correct this. The good news is the picture is amazing overall, a definite improvement over my previous Sharp!

Sound -- compared to the Sharp tv it replaced, not that great. However, I run the sound through my Denon receiver so no worries.

PIP -- Cool to have. Be aware, as far as I know, if you need to have a cable box or run satellite, PIP will not work. Luckily, I have the traditional mom and pop 75 ohm cable (which needs to be split for the two built in tuners).

Remote -- Pretty crummy. I use the sony vl-900 which is the best remote on the planet! I highly recommend it to replace all of your remotes ( and I mean ALL! )

Menu (Setup) -- Easy.

Strengths:
Picture - no annoying scan lines, good color and clarity
Very nice assortment of A/V inputs / outputs
PIP is nice to have

Weaknesses:
Some "red push" in the picture
Sound is not that great
EXTREMELY HEAVY (98lbs) Get someone to help!

Similar Products Used:
Sharp 25" mono tv with one, front video input.

Price Paid:  $515.00 from Sears

Summary:
Just picked this set up over the weekend on sale at Sears. Listed for $649.00 minus $50.00 on sale. Got another 10% off on another special plus a $25.00 off coupon I had from another purchase. Total came out to $515.00. Oh, and I forgot to mention 0% financing till November 2002. For a set with the features it has I think I stole it!

Like I said, it has an absolutely beautiful picture. Nice and crisp with brilliant color. DVD's (Panasonic RP91K) look incredible through the component inputs. I can't imagine HDTV looking much better (although I've yet to see it!). This will definately tide me over till I can afford a larger HDTV set. Until then I'm very happy with my purchase. Give Sears a try, especially when they have a sale like last week!

Strengths:
Beautiful picture, especially with DVD's through the component inputs.

Weaknesses:
None that I can find!