297wv03 Panasonic TX-28

28/6/05

12:29 pm

Page 072

On test
28in CRT IDTV G Approx price: 500

Fact file

I 28in CRT IDTV I Built-in digital tuner I Scart can output digital or analogue tuners I 7-day EPG support I 50Hz pictures

Also Consider >>

SONY KD-28DL11U A touch more expensive, but has better looks and sound. The Panasonics pictures are sharper. Reviewed: Jan 05 SAMSUNG WS32A116 Commonly discounted, this IDTV has an extra 4in. But the picture isnt the best quality. Reviewed: Sep 04

Panasonic TX-28DTM1

Details

FEATURES

Screen size & shape: 28in, 16:9 Tuner type: Digital and analogue Sound system: Nicam stereo 50Hz/100Hz: 50Hz Processing: n/a Dimensions: 766(w) x 515(h) x 529(d)mm Weight: 38kg Others: Quintrix F tube; 7-day EPG; personal planner; noise reduction

SOCKETS

Rear: two Scarts; RF input; CAM slot Front: stereo audio input; composite video input; headphone jack

CONTACT

www.panasonic.co.uk

TEST DATA

For a full explanation of test data, please see page 118
Test Colour Geometry Frequency response
Rating Excellent Good Excellent
owever casual a TV viewer you are,you cant ignore the looming analogue shutdown.Like it or not, one day youre going to wake up,turn on your old analogue TV,and get nothing but static.So if youre in the market for a new TV,you really should think seriously about making it digital.Especially as integrated digital TVs (idTVs) are getting cheaper,as evidenced by the 450 Panasonic screen here. Inevitably for such a cut-price option, the 28DTM1 is hardly the most stylish TV in Panasonics current range.The silvery finish looks plasticky, and the sculptings a bit cluttered and messy. Connectivity is bog-standard, too theres no 4-pin S-Video jack and you only get two Scarts. Still, at least theres a slot for adding optional digital features like the Top-Up TV subscription service, and both Scarts can be switched to output the analogue tuner, the digital tuner, or what the other three AV jacks are receiving meaning you can watch one analogue channel while recording a different digital one. Features are dominated by the digital tuner, which is backed up by support for Freeviews 7-day electronic programme guide (EPG); the facility to search the listings by genre; a personal planner; and an 8-event recording timer you can set by simply selecting programmes directly from the EPG.
Otherwise, interesting features are limited to picture noise reduction, which is acceptable for 450.

performance

Probably the strongest suit of the 28DTM1s generally good pictures produced by Pannys latest Quintrix F tube is their cleanliness. Images from the digital and analogue tuners look impeccably smooth and direct, with the lack of blocking noise and dot crawl especially commendable. Colours impress too, thanks to the combination of vibrancy, tonal accuracy and sharp containment. Whats more, a decent chunk of this vibrancy owes a debt of gratitude to a tidy black level response a key picture area that many a budget CRT rival struggles with. Next to catch our eye is detail in the image.The discipline of colour boundaries, impeccable focus of the CRT mechanism and strong inherent frequency response completely avoid even with digital feeds the slightly soft tone commonly witnessed on cheaper CRT sets. Inevitably the picture isnt perfect. Its a 50Hz TV,so there are traces of the 50Hz flicker effect.Also,the black level response,while mostly good, occasionally feels a touch forced, with dark areas looking slightly hollow and dominant.But thats all. Panasonics design for the 28DTM1 doesnt leave much space for the speakers and this is reflected in its

rather mixed sound.Bass is merely adequate; reaching for loud volumes can cause speaker distortion and cabinet hum; the mid-range is clear but stays flat rather than opening up for loud scenes; and trebles are well positioned in the soundstage,but can sound harsh. Still, the audio is certainly never less than functional.And if you add this to the overall rather pleasing pictures, youve got a new digital proposition from Panasonic that, while no TV classic, certainly represents great value I

Ratings

WHATS GOOD
Pictures; price; ease of use

WHATS BAD

Looks cheap; average sound; no 4-pin S-Video; only 1 RGB Scart
Picture Sound Features Ease of use Value
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OVERALL VERDICT

Panasonic proves once and for all that cheap digital tellies dont have to be nasty
072 I What Video and Widescreen TV I Issue 297

WHV301.02_sony_kd28dx51u

18/10/05

3:48 PM

Page 061
28in CRT TV G Approx price: 550

Get set for

Fact file
I 28in CRT TV I Built-in digital tuner I Seven-day EPG support I 50Hz picture I Dolby Virtual sound processing

Also Consider >>

TOSHIBA 32YT56 A solid digital all-rounder that also happens to give you an extra 4in of picture for the same money Reviewed: Issue 299 PANASONIC TX-28DTM1 Impressive picture quality, especially off the digital tuner, and for 50 less. The sounds average, though Reviewed: Issue 297

Sony KD-28DX51U

Details

FEATURES

Screen size & shape: 28in, 16:9 Tuner type: Digital and Analogue Sound system; Nicam stereo 50Hz/100Hz: 50Hz Processing: N/A Dimensions: 795(w) x 514(h) x 525(d)mm Weight: 54kg Other features: seven-day EPG; category sorting; direct timer setting with Smart link support; picture tilt; RGB centring

SOCKETS

2 Scarts; RF input and RF loopthrough; CAM slot; stereo audio output; stereo audio input; composite video input; S-video input; headphone jack

CONTACT

www.sony.co.uk

TEST DATA

For a full explanation of test data, please see page 102
Test Colour Geometry Frequency response

Rating Average Good Good

ar too many TVs struggle with bass.They either distort or rattle horrendously, or dont bother trying to produce it at all.The Sony KD28DX51U, however, is an exception, building a dedicated, 15W RMS subwoofer into its rear end. Its got a pretty interesting front end, too.The eccentric combination of jet-black screen frame/midsection and silver, speaker-bearing wings is as stylish as it is unique. The 28DX51Us connections reveal it to have a built-in digital tuner.The give-aways are a CAM slot for adding extra services (such as Top Up TV) and a trio of RF jacks: one direct input so the digital tuner gets the cleanest signal possible, and two more for looping the signal through secondary devices such as a VCR or DVD recorder. Other connections include two Scarts, stereo audio outputs, and full suite of front AV accommodation. Secondary features associated with the digital tuner include support for the Freeview seven-day EPG, from which you can directly select up to 12 programmes for a reminder or timer recording.You can also sort the listings by category, with the only disappointment being that theres no quick way to look ahead to distant days. The only other more general features of interest are video noise reduction, RGB centring, and Virtual Dolby audio processing.

performance

In action, the 28DX51Us sonics actually prove a touch disappointing. The subwoofer makes its presence felt, but not in a particularly likeable way, sounding rather thuddy and boxed in.And the other speakers sound muddy, dense and unclear, with neither sufficient mid-range power or enough treble to give action scenes any detail.At least the cabinet doesnt rattle even under severe duress, and the soundstage is exceptionally wide. The 28DX15Us pictures are roughly in line with those of other 50Hz Sony efforts weve seen recently which is to say good rather than excellent.Arguably their strongest point is the suppression of MPEG decoding noise with Freeview digital broadcasts, which makes watching digital broadcasts much more pleasurable than usual. Images with all sources look generally smooth and direct, not least because theyre delivered without serious moiring interference or grain. Edges are well rendered, too, and free of ghosting or haloes. Black levels are deep, giving pictures plenty of depth, and the colour tone is consistently natural no matter how bright or otherwise your source material. But from here on things go downhill First, the picture looks quite soft, especially when watching the RGB Scart.Also the 28DX51Us colours

look strangely muted.Two smaller complaints are the pronounced 50Hz flicker at times, and that RGBfed pictures are missing a slight section of their left-hand side. Although its not a bad TV, were slightly disappointed with the 28DX51U. Its aggressive looks, digital tuner and built-in sub promise much. But, in the end, neither the pictures nor the sound are special enough to see that promise fulfilled to our satisfaction John Archer

Ratings

WHATS GOOD
Pictures mostly; price; design

WHATS BAD

Only one RGB Scart; muted colours; slight picture softness
Picture Sound Features Ease of use Value
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OVERALL VERDICT

Great aesthetics and built-in subwoofer cant disguise the slightly pedestrian performance
Issue 301 I What Video and Widescreen TV I 061