Panasonic VIERA G1 Series TC-L37G1 37-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV

Product Description

37" LCD, 1080p, 120 Hz, ISP Alpha panel, 20,000:1 Dynamic contrast, 3 HDMI, swivel base

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1535 in Consumer Electronics
• Color: black
• Brand: Panasonic
• Model: TC-L37G1
• Dimensions: 24.10" h x 35.20" w x 3.90" l, 38.60 pounds
• Display size: 37

Features

• 1920 x 1080 Resolution
• Dynamic contrast 20,000:1 for the brightest whites and darkest blacks
• 3 HDMI inputs
• 120 Hz Motion Picture Pro 3 for razor sharp moving images
• PC Input for computers

Customer Reviews

Panasonic TC-L37G1
Panasonic VIERA G1 Series TC-L37G1 37-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV
After researching the market for about a month I bought this product on 04/28/09 and it was delivered within 5 days. Overall I'm very satisfied with this product and can highly recommend it.

Installation and set up
Very easy within 20 minutes, excellent documentation and simple to understand. I own a Denon AV3805 and DVD 2910 and when you go through those manuals, it is painful!
The auto set up for digital and analog channels worked very well however it takes about 10 minutes to go through. The set up is pretty straight forward and the remote is easy to use with an ergonomic design. Feels solid and the numbers are bigger, so people can see them without glasses! Batteries for the remote are included.

Product features, picture and sound
The 1080p LCD HDTV has 3 HDMI connections and those work flawlessly. The SD card reader is a nice addition and works well too. The TV also offers component, video and optical connections. For surround sound I use my Denon receiver via a optical cable. The HD channels with the surround sound are an experience!
My main reason for chosing the G1 verses the S1 was the fact that this model comes with 120Hz, a better contrast ratio 20000:1, which produces deep black levels and the picture quality is superb. When you watch ABC in HD the digital quality is outstanding.
The sound of the speakers is pretty good, however in digital mode I use my AV.
The colors are more vibrant and natural compared to my old Panasonic TH32LX70. The contrast is excellent and the gray scale seems accurate and sport scenes are crisp.

While watching I'm about 8-9 feet away and that is a good distance for a 37" TV.
When connecting my Mac via a HDMI cable the screen is like a Apple display, crisp and sharp and much better compared to my old TV.

Panasonic has a good track record in terms of quality and reliability, my old TV has now 4 years of defect free performance , I hope that this one will be the same.

Hope this helps and if you are looking for a new or replacement HDTV give this one a closer look.
Have fun.

Good and not too expensive
I have this TV wall mounted in my home, and so far I'm happy with it.

As for picture quality, overall I'd rate it a "B":

- The contrast and black levels are very good, perhaps better than the Sony XBR I also own (but not even in the same league as the Pioneer Plasma I also own..if picture quality is your thing, go plasma or wait until OLED).

- Details are slightly "soft", even in high-def (especially compared to the Sony, which tends to be ultra-sharp). While this might sound bad, it's actually not, especially with standard-definition signals. SD content tends to look pretty good on the Panasonic, compared to other TVs I own. If you watch mostly HD content, you might not be as happy.

- The screen is a good mix of glossy and non-reflective. I watch in daylight and reflections aren't too bothersome as they are on some other brands.

As for usability and other features, I'd rate them a "B-" to "C":

I didn't think I would, but I find I use the SD support quite a bit. It lets you put some of your favorite digital photos on a SD memory card and use the TV to display them in a slide show.

Sound quality is okay, but not great. Specifically, in a large room, the embedded speakers aren't big enough to give enough volume, and there's a distinctly muddy sound to the unit.

I find the controls east to use and fairly straightforward, although the remote needs to be pointed directly at the TV sensor, and there tends to be an annoying lag between pressing a button and having it show up on the TV.

Hooking up HDMI devices worked well, and so far everything I've tried has worked flawlessly (unlike my Sony, which seems to be finicky).

I found wall-mounting the TV to be fairly straightforward, although many of the connectors will be blocked by typical mounting hardware.

Overall, I think for the price, this is a great TV that holds its own against most of what Samsung, Sony and so forth have to offer.

Great TV, with a few minor quirks
I bought this TV after seriously considering numerous manufacturers and models. If I could do it over again, I would probably do it over again.

Unboxing: What you'd expect. Easy enough if you have a flat, stable, clean, and non-abrasive surface to lay the TV on attach the stand on to. It comes with information about wall mounts that will fit, and setup is pretty easy.

Setup: Pretty good, with minor complaints. Automatic channel pickup takes longer than on a lot of digital TVs. One big quirk: I had a friend with an Insignia and it ignored digital channels that it could not receive (encrypted, cable box only). This box will add them to the list, and then when you try to watch it it will say that it won't display the channel- which may leave a lot of unusable channels clogging your lineup. No CableCard slot, so you'll have to do with OTA HD, unencrypted cable HD (usually only broadcast channels), or you'll have to get a cable box. This isn't a big concern- this TV has 4 HD inputs.

Picture Quality: Amazing. Color is stunning, ghosting is nonexistent. HD material looks amazing. Blu-Rays in particular look extremely fluid with 120HZ in the panel. I recommend you see it in person- I think the effect is positive, but some viewers don't like it. You CAN disable the technology, but at that point, you're spending a lot more money on this model (vs. Panasonic's other series).

Inputs: You get 3 HDMI outputs; 2 in the back, 1 in the side. The side input will become increasingly more convenient as camcorders, media players, and other devices use HDMI. Also on the side is are standard def inputs (S-Video, RCA Yellow/Red/White) and a headphone jack. The headphone jack automatically disables the speakers when a device is plugged in- convenient if you use it sporadically. If you have a set of wireless headphones though, it means plugging it in whenever you want to use them. Older Panasonic TVs had a seperate left/right audio out for purposes like this- I was negligent not to check, but I'm disappointed by the removal.

Back has the 2 previously mentioned HDMI inputs, a component video input with RCA L/R, an S-Video/RCA combo, and a VGA in with RCA L/R audio inputs. This is a 1080P TV; however, it will NOT ACCEPT 1080P OVER COMPONENT. I erroneously assumed it was; this is made clear in the detailed owner's manual, but not the product literature. Many newer TVs do support 1080P over component. It's not a problem, as most devices themselves don't support 1080P over component- a select few do. I'm an older Xbox 360 owner- no HDMI for me- so it's kind of disappointing.

Outputs: Headphone jack has been mentioned. There's also an optical out jack for 5.1 surround out from the TV. I haven't tested it- I can't tell you if audio from HDMI, etc. will pass along, or only cable/broadcast TV.

Sound: The built in speakers are not bad. However, they really are designed for a wall mount, in my opinion. The speakers fire downwards- if you have a stand, this really doesn't project the sound out. It makes the front of the TV look nice and clean. Still the speakers aren't bad- volume control is fine grained - 0 to 100 - and while it doesn't have the loudest speakers, it can still disturb the neighbors if you want to. The sound isn't tinny- just not the clearest, at least with the stand (haven't tried to wall mount it). I recommend you try it in person.

The random stuff:
-Stickers leave no residue (if you're a nut like myself).
-You can label the inputs with preset names (e.x. Cable, Game) or custom (e.x. PS3, Xbox). This is GREAT if you don't have a universal remote as it makes the inputs less confusing. The TV is in the Harmony database, everything's well timed and works great (turning on/off, volume, changing channels, changing inputs, etc.). -Unlike some HDTVs I've tried, it doesn't have HDMI handshaking issues (no video, going in and out, video but no sound, etc.).
-Included remote is decent- not the best, but very much usable with large print buttons. It does not glow in the dark, and it is not backlit.

IN CLOSING:
With a couple of (minor) complaints, I'm very happy with the decision and can easily recommend this TV.