Panasonic TX-26LXD70 - 26" Widescreen Viera HD Ready LCD TV - With Freeview

Amazon Customer Reviews

(5 out of 5)

Superb Picture (and from standard inputs too)

This LCD is really impressive. Bought as a normal TV replacement but with my PC and future HD in mind. After spending several lunchtimes looking through reviews, it came down to this or the Samsung LE26R87BDX. I popped out to the nearest electrical shop to check them out. Both were perfect for HD, but where the Panasonic really shines is standard input. The 100Hz technology (in the LXD models - not the LMD ones), improves the picture dramatically by inserting an additional frame between each normal one, calculated to reduce blur and digital artefacts. The number of different inputs is massive. It has both a Digital and Analogue tuner. Set up is a breeze. Basically the best 26" LCD available.

One thing to remember though, when buying TVs, is the distance you are supposed to sit away from the screen. It should be a minimum of 3x the screen size. So for a 26" you should be at least 6.5 feet away. I was going to buy the 32" until I worked out to watch it I would need to sit outside my bedroom window :)

(5 out of 5)

Worried about picture quality? Forget it!!

I have been studying the LCD HD ready market for some time but have been reluctant to buy due to the problems of viewing sport on LCD screens (smear etc). With my Virgin V+ box on order I thought I would now buy the TV. After quite a bit of research I homed in on this model - and wow, what a superb set. The Virgin V+ box is not due until next week, but I watched the Cup Final on standard TV input and I must say I was knocked out by the picture quality. The set up was a breeze - just plug it in and turn it on and the TV does the rest! You will need to adjust the picture setting as I found the factory settings to be far too bright and heavy on the colour and contrast - but this will take you less than a minute!

Another concern I had was the sound quality, but yet again this set delivered with panache. Although I have a home cinema sound set up, I played many of my music DVDs via the TV speakers just to see what the quality was like and although it could never compete for bass, the TV speakers deliver a warm and engaging sound.

Whether you have HD or not, I would heartily recommend this TV and I'm sure I will be knocked out even more when the HD V+ box arrives!

(5 out of 5)

Attention sports fans!

I've had this TV for about a month now and I have to say it's very impressive. It may be one of the pricier 26" LCD's but it's well worth the extra expense (it is getting cheaper though - the price has actually come down since I bought mine).

As other reviewers have suggested, the real selling point for this TV is the picture quality from standard inputs. I watch a lot of sport and this TV handles it exceptionally well. The 100Hz `Motion Picture Pro' system definitely makes a difference and there is none of the motion blur I experienced with the Samsung LCD I tried out about 18 months ago. I don't have Sky Sports HD but the picture quality is easily as good, if not better than my old Panasonic CRT.

The picture from the built-in Freeview is extremely clear and set-up was a piece of cake - basically you just plug it in and it automatically searches for and stores all the available channels. I also have my cable box connected via scart, a DVD recorder via component cables and an upscaling DVD player connected via HDMI. The picture through all inputs is sharp and clear, the colours are rich and vibrant, and the sound is also very impressive. The picture quality from the upscaling DVD player, in particular, is exceptional. I don't own any HD equipment at present but if the performance I'm getting from my current set-up is anything to go by I'm sure this set will deliver stunning results.

I did a lot of research on the net before buying this TV and I couldn't find anything less than a 5-star review everywhere I looked. This really is the best 26" LCD on the market so, unless you're after a ridiculously oversized LCD which will completely dominate your living room (and probably have an inferior standard definition picture), look no further.

Highly recommended.

(5 out of 5)

Very impressive set

Spent some time researching HD LCD sets before committing to the 26"LXD70. Purchased a Samsung 32 R74 for my Dad last Christmas. Though the Samsung is a good set, especially for upscaled-DVD playback, the superiority of the Panasonic equipment is self-evident. It even makes a good job of video, analogue channels and old films; which is rare for LCD. The picture quality is stunning, menu system simple and intuitive, EPG clear and responsive and the sound quality is the best of any similar sized TV I have ever heard. Can't recommended it enough. If you have a modern games console, this TV would be perfect. I have also been using the Panasonic for viewing graphics via my PC and am pleased to report crisp and vibrant images. My only grumble at the moment is that the built in digital tuner presently refuses to pick up Film Four but I am sure this is just a software glitch that will fix itself with a firmware update. Best to check you have decent freeview signal before purchasing an LCD TV for that purpose.

(5 out of 5)

So easy, even a seventy year old can use it

My father in law was desperately in need of a new tv for christmas, to replace his old hitachi plus set top freeview box. He's in his seventies, so the criteria for choosing a tv are a little different to some i.e. it doesn't need to be great for using with an xbox, or have perfect picture quality to the nth pixel, or whatever. (I'm no techie myself.) However, he does deserve a top quality picture and research showed this fits the bill.

What we really needed though, was a remote control that was going to be easy for him to use, not too fiddly, and with decent sized buttons. This ruled out loads of sets but not this one.

Sound quality was something of an issue too. The old boy's hearing isn't what it used to be and this set's got good quality sound. The Samsung, for example, has speakers around the back, to give a surround sound type effect. Not clear enough for him.

Finally, it needed to be easy to set up. All the reviews confirmed that this would be simple. We couldn't take the tv to him, so arranged for delivery direct to him. He took out of the box, plugged it in and it set itself up. He's just like a little boy with a new toy.

All in all, this tv is a superb buy and ticks all the boxes. When something is this simple to operate, you might expect it to be the basic model, with fewer features or lacking in quality. But just because it doesn't have dozens of tiny buttons and complicated onscreen menus that you have to access to adjust the picture to make it absolutely perfect, it doesn't mean you aren't getting a top of the range product.

And a plus mark for Amazon - they delivered within 36 hours of placing the order.