We found a great deal on this TV with an included blu-ray player in the pre-Thanksgiving specials, so it was time after years of watching (and coveting), to upgrade to HD.
The TV set-up is simple. The attached stand is easy to install, but you'll want to have another set of hands to steady it during assembly. Once standing up, connections are straight-forward. There are plenty of inputs on the back, but the HDMI inputs are the best way to go. Component cables should be your minimum, however, as you can't get 1080 with the "RCA" single yellow video input. The onboard tuner will decode HD channels through the coaxial input if compononent/HDMI cables aren't available.
The remote control is easy to use, with intuitive options and onscreen menus. Switching aspect ratio is a single button press to cycle through the available views. Many HD broadcast signals still output 4:3 images, especially for older shows, so we have found the "just" setting to be best at filling the screen without distorting things too noticably. Input selection is also a simple button press.
Our blu-ray player is not a Panasonic (long story, partly to blame for waiting so long to review) so I can't vouch for the Viera link capability. Even still, the TV input changes automatically when the blu-ray is powered on or off, so HDMI cables alone would seem to offer some linkage features.
Viewing angle is, as they say, virtually unlimited. Picture best from 8-10 feet away, but sitting closer is no problem. Football games have been the most fun so far, especially games where snow is falling. Watching Dark Knight as our first blu-ray experience was also an eye-opener, as we got to see the full 1080P potential for the first time. Overall the picture is amazing, and the TV a perfect size for our average-ish living room.
Recommended for anybody thinking of taking the plunge, especially with prices possible in the $1000 range if you're a smart shopper.
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