iFlat Panel

Panasonic VIERA S1 Series TC L32S1 32 Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

The VIERA S1 series LCDs HDTVs feature impressive improvements in picture quality, and are just right for gaming and enjoying your favorite high-definition TV shows.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Great Gaming TV
I started out on my venture to purchase a new gaming TV (mainly for my PS3). My old set was a 27″ Samsung CRT that had some really bad coloring and geometry issues. I finally got fed up and decided to start looking around for a 1080p LCD that would fit into my existing entertainment cabinet. After reading a bunch of reviews online, I discovered this horrible affliction that all LCD TVs experience – Input Lag. Generally, if a TV has a good/great picture (Sony and Samsung), it has more input lag. If you want a TV with low input lag, the picture won’t be as good. As mainly a gaming TV, I decided to try to find a TV set with great input lag numbers with a good picture. After hearing how well previous Panasonic models were for gaming, I decided to get this TV.

Well, I couldn’t be more satisfied with my purchase! Not only is the input lag very low but the picture quality is quite good. The colors are very good, but the blacks aren’t as good as a Samsung or Sony. Mind you, I haven’t had much time to go diving into the color/service menus to fine tune the display. Also, I cannot rate how well it handles SD signals as everything I’ve used it for have been 1080i/p native. Yes, the sound volume from the TV is pretty bad, as most reviewers have mentioned. But this is a non-issue if you have a receiver to hook it up to.

PROs

Excellent input lag

Good picture quality

Great price (Thanks Amazon!)

Great input select menu (press input and then hit 1-8 to immediately go to the input you want)

Very attractive design with a non-gloss screen

Lots of input options including 3 HDMI

CONs

Weak speakers

Only 1 component input*

*I had my PS2 and TiVo HD hooked up through component on my old TV. On this TV I had to go buy another HDMI cable just to have them both hooked up at the same time.

Overall, I am extremely pleased with this TV. If you are reading this and are looking for a great 32″ gaming TV, do not hesitate to buy this TV!

3 Stars 32″ cannot mount on exisiting wall moount
Just bought this from Amazon…wanted to put it on an existing wall mount…missing screws needed to do so..were not in Panasonic box…do not know if oversight on their part, or intentional so you have to buy their brand? So, have not turned it on as of yet..

5 Stars Great Picture
I removed my CRT 32″ Toshiba from it’s TV cabinet while I was doing some flooring in my home. I forgot just how darn heavy and bulky these old school TVs can be. I decided at that moment that I would replace it with something more modern, and lighter. This 32″ tv out of the box looked so much smaller, in height, than the previous one that I was concerned it was too small for my needs, it turns out it wasn’t. The picture on the other hand, was absolutely brilliant in HD mode. Rich, vibrant colors that makes my bedroom Element HD TV look poor in comparison. Audio quality is pretty good, very clear. Not very good low frequency sound but very good nonetheless. No probs with the connections and a good intuitive menu. The only prob., and it’s not really a prob, is running an audio cable to my surround sound audio system. It requires a single digital optical audio cable. Last time I tried one of those cables on a different system, I wasn’t pleased with the audio quality (ie tinny sound) so we will see how this one sounds once connected.

5 Stars Excellent buy!
I previously purchased the 37-inch predecessor to this model one year ago for my Livingroom, and have been extremely satisfied. I knew I wanted to stay with Panasonic to replace the set in one of my bedrooms. I purchased the TC-L32S1 on Black Friday for a great price, and free super-saver shipping. This new 32-inch 1080p model meets all my expectations. The set-up is a breeze, the picture quality excellent, and I have no complaints with the sound quality or volume. If your in the market for a competively priced 1080p Television, this is a serious contender!

4 Stars Excellent set for the money, but minor flaws.
I purchased this set to get rid of a heavy tube HD set, but couldn’t afford a high priced LED set. For the money, this set is an excellent value. I have DirecTv for tv with an HDMI input, and a regular DVD player with an HDMI “upconvert” feature. The picture is wonderful on both inputs. You can adjust the picture as you wish with the remote control menu.

Now for the minor flaws.

1) You do have to turn the volume way up. I thought at first it was because I have a noisy heat pump fan (I had just moved here when I got the set). But it’s not a major issue for me, and I can use the stereo if need be. I notice it more on DVD’s than DirecTv.

note: A reader in the comments section suggested turning off the “AI” feature. If you go into the AUDIO section on the remote menu, you will find several adjustments which helped the sound by 50% on my set.

2) The remote control is not easy to use. The sleep timer only gives you three choices: 30, 60, and 90 minutes. I prefer my old set that went in 10 minute increments up to 2 hours, but again, a minor issue. I normally use my DirecTv remote control to turn it on and off and adjust the sound.

3) It claims to have a feature that helps with motion scenes, but I notice some fast motion scenes are choppy, a problem that plauged earlier LCD sets. It only has 60hz refresh rate. Not a big deal for me.

Those are minor complaints and overall I’m satisfied with the set.

Buy/More Info