Buy Panasonic CT-30WX52 30" 16:9 HDTV-Ready Pure Flat Screen TV Now !
Manufacturer: Panasonic
CT-30WX52 is a 30" diagonal Tau series 16: 9 HDTV monitor with 2-tuner P-I-P / split screen. It combines a nifty design and a high functionality with the comfort you need. PureFlat screen produces fewer reflections, so you can enjoy distraction-free TV viewing no matter where you sit in the room. The Invar Mask adds to the flat screen picture quality, by applying the optimal amount of vertical tension to the shadow mask to minimize the color shift problem common with conventional flat CRTs. The small dot pitch permits the display of details in high-definition images, such as HDTV programming. Motion-adaptive 3D-Y/C digital comb filter displays bright colors and action scenes with incredible clarity by minimizing the "color rainbow effect" in closely spaced patterns, compensating for the motion that occurs between fields. Enhanced progressive scan doubler provides even more image enhancement by improving the quality of diagonal lines in a moving picture. It displays a full frame of video in 1/60th of a second by de-interlacing the incoming video signal and progressively scanning the image. With it, you generally don't see the horizontal scan lines that are often visible in ordinary television images.
Amazon.com Product Description:
The CT-30WX52 is loaded with features to make DVD and HDTV viewing as simple and as pristine as possible. The set's 30-inch PureFlat picture tube enhances contrast while reducing glare and reflections. Even better, its widescreen aspect ratio (16:9) is custom-made for movies and high-definition broadcasts, while its HDTV/EDTV display capability (1080i, 480p) lets you view high-definition and enhanced-definition TV programming from an external DTV set-top box with an ATSC receiver (which is not included; an external over-the-air antenna may be required). Progressive Cinema Scan (3/2 pulldown) provides faithful reproduction of film-based materials. DVD mastering introduces a common distortion when adjusting 24 frames-per-second movies to 30 fps video; Progressive Cinema Scan digitally corrects this distortion, removing the redundant information to display a film-frame-accurate picture.
Two-tuner, split-screen picture-in-picture lets you view two programs at once by dividing the screen in half down the middle. Each program is shown at full height, with one program on the left side and the other on the right. A motion-adaptive 3D-Y/C digital comb filter displays bright colors and action scenes with incredible clarity by minimizing the "color rainbow effect" in closely spaced patterns, compensating for the motion that occurs between fields. Included 10-bit, 60 MHz analog-to-digital image processing boosts conventional gray scale from 256 to 1,024, to deliver four times as many shades of black and white.
Digital velocity-modulated scanning is advanced circuitry along the neck of the CRT that senses transitions from black to white in the video signal. The black and white portions of the signal are sped up and slowed down, respectively, resulting in sharp black-to-white transitions. For a more filmlike picture when you're watching movies, you may want to selectively turn off this circuitry. Other features include horizontal and vertical edge correction, three rear and one front-panel audio/video inputs, 15 watts per channel stereo sound, fixed/variable audio outputs, Artificial Intelligence Sound Control (prevents variances in sound level), and simulated stereo sound (which works with stereo and monaural programs), and a lighted-disk universal remote control, which can be programmed to control many current video and audio devices.
Lowest Used Price: USD 600.00
- 30-inch widescreen (16:9) aspect-ratio PureFlat tube TV with 1080i and 480p compatibility
- 2-tuner PIP, 8-bit PIP image processing, and split-screen option
- Progressive Cinema Scan (3/2 pulldown) provides faithful reproduction of film-based materials
- Motion-Adaptive 3D-Y/C digital comb filter further enhances resolution by removing blurred edges between colors and reducing dot crawl
- Digital velocity-modulated scanning improves the definition at picture edges
Model: CT-30WX52
Good without HD, Great with HD
Super for DVDs and HD signal. Not as good on non-hd tv signals.
I recommend digital cable with HD for best picture.
Sound is very good for a TV. Sometimes you don't want to fire up the home theater system just to watch TV. This does a great job with audio, even music and movies, but still no comparison to a home theater system.
It's fairly deep, so measure your cabinet or shelf before you buy it. Also very heavy because it is a CRT (tube).
Remote is easy to use. Have not tried to program it for other components yet.
Problems! VERY low quality 16:9 tv.
My wife and I purchased this TV new in Oct. 2002 from a reputable eletronics store, and it was plagued with problems - Possibly because it was a very early production model. It was replaced under warranty in Dec. 04 due to these problems:
Problem #1.
After approximately 2 months, the set started making an incredibly loud, high-pitched screeching noise. It was repaired under warranty and returned to us after 4 weeks.
Problem #2.
The picture tube failed. The colour red started to bleed and the bottom right-hand corner of the screen became very fuzzy. It was especially noticeable when trying to read any text on the screen such as film credits. We lived with this problem for about 6 months. It was never fixed because the next problem occurred and changed everything....
Problem #3.
The final problem we experienced was with the glass. The inside of the glass became distorted with rainbows making it impossible to see proper colours. It was similar to when gasoline is spilled in a puddle of water. This problem could only be solved by replacing the entire picture tube, under warranty, which Panasonic refused to do. Instead, they honoured their warranty by replacing our entire TV with the 2004 model.
I would steer clear of this particular older model. The poor quality of the components is likely due to the fact that it was a very early production 16:9 TV and the bugs were not worked out before it was mass produced. Quality has drastically improved with newer models.
GREAT EVEN WITHOUT HDTV INPUT
I have had this TV for almost a year now and it continues to work flawlessly. Even though I dont yet get HD signals the set significantly improves the cable signal and blows me away with DVD's. At the current prices you can't afford to buy a regular 4:3 TV. I have a fairly small Media room so the 30" set is just perfect for us...about 10 feet -me to set. I usually set my picture to "Just" or "zoom" and never have a problem with regular TV pictures. It also has many high capacity connectors...I have a cable box, a direct cable connection (so I can use the sets controls), TIVO, DVD, VCR & I route sound thru my Stereo.And all this works from the one remote supplied with the set. I have no negative comments about my set.... I love it.
Serious reliability problems and terrible service
I have had this product for 6 months and it has broken 3 times with the same problem. There is something wrong with the power supply, as out of the blue it simply refuses to power up. To make matters worse, Panasonic does not do their own service (in the NY area, at least) and the 2 different shops I have tried both failed to fix it. Each kept it a few weeks and returned it, only to have the problem re-occur. I also had trouble with picture quality, which one shop denied existed but the other improved. Panasonic hasn't helped me at all, despite contacting their consumer affairs division. When it works, it's a nice TV, but thus far it's been out of service for over 6 weeks in 6 months.
A very sexy set!
This TV is simply eye-popping. I wanted an HD set and was convinced early on to go for the widescreen format. Price was a consideration so I initially bought a Samsung 30 inch widescreen (mistake!). Upon getting it home I was really disapointed in the picture (very distorted at the edges) and came back for a different brand. You get what you pay for I guess. Side by side comparisons led me to conclude that while the Sony was a bit sharper, the Panasonic had an overall more vivid picture. I don't have a very large space, so the fact that Panasonic makes a 30 inch (in addition to a 34 inch) but Sony only makes a 34 inch sealed the deal. This set is plenty big for a mid-sized room.I love the set! Watching Discovery HD channel is utterly mesmerizing--friends can't believe it and watch slack-jawed (I still do too). DVDs (don't settle for less than progressive scan capability with this set) are equally awesome (current favorite to show off the set is "A Bug's Life"--surreal). You will not be dissappointed in this set, but you will forever notice how poor traditional (nonHD) signals are.The set looks good when turned off too--silver and sleek. Remote is pretty good and the on-screen menu is very intuitive.
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