Panasonic VIERA TC-L55ET5 55-Inch Buyer's Remorse

Well, you're partly paying extra for the Panasonic name, to which is more reliable and has better quality control over its products. The IPS panel is much better than the Vizio's - especially off angle viewing, if that's important to you.

From amazons page

Share Content on the Large Screen with 2D-3D Conversion

Unique Panasonic technology converts 2D images into high-quality 3D in real-time. The 3D effect is natural and realistic. Enjoy Blu-ray movies, DVD movies and even ordinary TV broadcasts in 3D. The Super Resolution function allows images that were converted from 2D to 3D to be displayed in sharp, clear 3D images. Learn more about Panasonic's true-to-life Full HD 3D technology here.

Learn more about 3D, how it works, and exactly what you'll need to enjoy 3D at home at our 3D Center.

From me:

On normal active 3D you would need something to push the 3D to the tv. That means a 3D capable player (blu ray player,PS3,Computer with 3D, etc), plus 3D capable media (blu-rays, media files, games). This is because it relies on the media telling the tv when to "shutter" the lenses on the glasses.

This is passive or polarized 3D, it is the same as the 3D glasses you get in theatres, or like the old school red/blue ones. So im guessing it just needs a processed 3D image (the ones that look doubled up w/o glasses) and would not really need the tv or media player to know that it is 3d just 3D media + polarized glasses. This tv has a bonus that it "converts" 2d to 3d so everything could be 3d, though I am skeptical about that.

Thanks so much for the responses, everyone. My husband has been wanting a big screen for ages, and 55" is plenty big, I suppose. And I'm sure the kids will enjoy the 3D.

We have a narrow living room and our couch sits only about 5 1/2 feet away from the tv. I didn't know that the pixels were the same in each. Does that make one better than the other?

rpi1967 said:   The optimal viewing distance is listed online from many sources (google), but generally it is 6 to 7 feet minimum for 55 inch set. http://www.crutchfield.com/S-oSR87kkauzF/learn/learningcenter/ho...
THX recommended viewing distance for a 55" TV is 5.5', although that is for 1080p sources. Optimal viewing distance would be farther for those of us watching a lot of 720p content. Still, 7.5' is about the farthest I would want to sit from a 55", and 5.5' is reasonable.

Let a good thing be a good thing. If you think too much you only cause suffering to yourself.

IMO your $200 value is a lot more than that 5in. Go buy yourself a cup of Starbuck and sit back to enjoy.

WorkerAnt - That sounds like a lovely idea. Thank you for your input, I really appreciate it!

hungngo83 said:   I also bought this Panny TV and the 60" Sharp from Sears for $688. The Sharp is 5" bigger and $200 cheaper. However, it is only LCD and nothing else. I will return 1 to the store. Can someone tell me which one should I keep?

Sine you can afford to buy both, keep both and use it few months. Once you can determine the pros and cons of each tv, post it here. Thanks

MILOBRI said:   I really wanted the VIZIO E601i-A3 60-Inch 1080p 120Hz Razor LED Smart HDTV that Amazon had as a lightning deal, but could not snag it on Thanksgiving. I did, however, get the Panasonic VIERA TC-L55ET5 55-Inch in my cart and, determined to get a big screen tv for a good deal, decided to purchase it. I am not technology savvy, but I have been trying to compare the Vizio to the Viera for the past few days and really justify purchasing the Viera when I missed out on the Vizio. All things considered (size, 3D, etc.), do you think that the Viera is as good of a deal as the Vizio? I was hoping that the 3D on the Viera would make up for the 5 fewer inches in screen size and the $200 higher price tag, but do I have to purchase a 3D blu-ray player to even use the 3D feature? Another ~$100? Sigh. Is my buyer's remorse justified, or is this Viera worth the $899 price tag?

I just read below where you stated you are sitting 5-6 feet from the TV. Frankly, your eyes might fall out of your head watching a 60" from that close. I have a 61" and at 10 feet away it's a smidge too big and certainly isn't as sharp as my 50" from 10 feet away. Honestly, my 50" in a 20x15 living room is a little large...

You got a better brand television (arguably the best in its class) at a size that fits your viewing space better. Stop over thinking and be happy with your deal...