The LCD Advantage

This LCD TV is only 3.5 inches deep, which is about 5 times thinner than a CRT TV of the same screen size. The super-thin profile means you can place your LCD TV just about anywhere. And its light weight means it's easy for you to carry from room to room. Or, using the optional bracket available, you can hang it on a wall like a painting. This LCD not only delivers a superb picture, it also delivers energy savings. An LCD TV consumes about 1/3 less electricity than a CRT TV of the same size, cutting down your electricity bill and reducing C02 output. With this stylish TV, you get high-contrast images in all viewing conditions. When you watch an ordinary TV in a bright room, light reflects off the screen and lowers the contrast, making the picture hard to see. A Panasonic LCD TV, on the other hand, gives off almost no reflection, even in a relatively bright room. This is due partly to the LCD's natural properties, but also to the screen coating process Panasonic has developed using advanced anti-glare and low-reflection technologies.

Some Bright Ideas

An LCD TV's brightness depends on two key factors: the brightness of the backlight, and how wide the optical shutters open. Panasonic's original LCD AI technology uses Active Light Control and Active System Control functions to link and control these two factors, resulting in greater brightness and deeper blacks in scenes with varying contrast. The New LCD AI takes this technology a step further, with an advanced control method that achieves deeper, more lifelike images in scenes where previous AI systems fell short. Active Light Control technology automatically detects the brightness levels of the input signal and adjusts the backlight accordingly in real-time. Active System Control increases contrast by dynamically extending the output brightness signal. Active System Control and Active Light Control work together. In a dark scene, for example, Active System Control increases the contrast while Active Light Control lowers the backlight brightness. This results in deeper blacks and greater depth.

Pixel Control

The edge of an image sent to a television screen contains noise. LCD TVs use pixel conversion to enlarge the image, which hides the noisy portion outside the screen periphery. However, each manufacturer uses its own pixel conversion methods. Panasonic's Pixel Control LSI allows their LCD TVs to accept signals and produce sharp, precise images from a variety of input signals. This LCD TV automatically chooses the correct aspect ratio (4:3 or 16:9 (letterbox)) according to the signal input. Some LCD TVs "squeeze" wide-format DVD movies to make them fit the screen. Panasonic LCD TVs, on the other hand, show wide-format images in correct letterbox format with no distortion. Also, the New Pixel Controller is compatible with progressive signals, so this LCD TV delivers natural, true-to-life images from DVD players and video games with progressive output. This LCD TV also uses high-precision pixel control to enlarge the image both vertically and horizontally, resulting in images that fill the LCD panel's entire 480 x 640 pixel display area.

Advanced LCD Panel Technology

The LCD's color filter and backlight (fluorescent lamp) are the keys to color reproduction. Using a thicker color filter improves color purity (vividness), but it also reduces light transmittance (brightness). Panasonic has developed a new LCD AI that increases brightness and thus allows them to use a thicker, higher-purity color filter. This dramatically increases the color reproduction range, resulting in strikingly vivid colors with greater depth. The color temperature has also been raised by optimizing the characteristics of the fluorescent lamp, resulting in purer whites. Using a high-uniform-brightness LCD panel has helped Panasonic achieve picture brightness of 500 cd/m2. A new panel fabrication has reduced light leakage during black display, improving contrast to 700:1. And, a long-life backlight provides around 60,000 hours of service.

Component Video and EDTV Capability

The component video input on the TC20LA2 delivers outstanding resolution and color accuracy of video images from a variety of sources, including DVD players, by keeping the Y, PR, PB of video images intact during the transmission process. EDTV display capability (480p) enables you to view enhanced-definition TV programming in the 480p signal format. In order to do so, the TV must be connected via its digital component video inputs (Y, PR, PB) to a DTV set-top box and switched to DTV mode. A DTV signal must be present in your area and the set-top box must be tuned to the proper channel. An external over-the-air antenna may be required. The TC20LA2 will also display 480p signals from a progressive scan DVD player at full resolution.

Purchase Includes:

Remote Control, Pedestal Stand

Comparison Specifications

• 20-Inch LCD Screen
• 4:3 Aspect Ratio LCD Panel (640 x 480 Pixel Display Area)
• 170-Degree Horizontal Viewing Angle
• 480p EDTV Display Capability, Progressive Scan
• (1) Component Video Input
• (2) S-Video Input, (2) Compoite Video Inputs
• (2) Audio Inputs (For Composite/S-Video), (1) Audio Input (For Component Video), Headphone Jack
• (2) Built-In Speakers (6W, 16 ohms, 200Hz-13kHz, 10% THD)
• Video Noise Reduction
• Remote Control

Additional Specifications

• Aspect Control 4:3/16:9
• Menu Language: English/Spanish/French
• Sleep Timer
• 700:1 Contrast Ratio
• 16-msec High Response Speed
• Tilt Angle: 15-Degree Up, 5-Degree Down
• Built-In Closed Caption Decoder
• Video Picture Memory (Standard, Cinema, Vivid)
• New LCD AI (Artificial Intelligence)
• Motion-Adaptive 3D-Y/C Digital Comb Filter

Manufacturer Specifications

• 500 cd/m2 Picture Brightness
• V-Chip Program Lockout
• Video Input Labeling
• Purchase Includes: Remote, Pedestal Stand

Dimensional Specifications

• Size (Width x Depth x Height): 19.6" x 3.5" x 17.7
• Weight: 16.8 lbs.

Panasonic TC-20LA2 Warranty Details

1 Year Parts and Labor