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Imperfect 10s: Best TVs for design, features, picture quality, and value

Maybe you don't care how many features a TV has. Maybe you just want to see the coolest design going. Maybe all you want is the best bang for your buck, or the best picture regardless of cost.

Lucky for you, CNET's reviews have subratings. All of our TV reviews are rated according to four criteria -- Design, Features, Picture quality, and Value -- that are weighted, sifted, and centrifuged into the overall star rating.

Unfortunately you can't sort CNET's TV reviews by subrating on the Web site yet, so in the meantime I present the four TVs that would be perched at the top of those sorted lists. Each scored the only "10" we've awarded so far this year in the subratings mentioned above; they're not perfect, but a "10" is as good as it gets. I also list runners-up and potential challengers in each subcategory.

Disagree? Sound off in comments! TL;DR? Click here!… Read more

Panasonic Este gently steams your tech-fatigued eyes

After a long day staring at your computer monitor, squinting at your smartphone, and ogling video games, your eyes start to feel like they've been lightly sandpapered and left out in a desert wind. You could use eye drops or catch a few winks to recover, or your could invest in a Panasonic Este ES-SW50.

The Este is one of the weirder eye masks ever created. It's a bit chunky, but it does a lot more than just sit there. My Google Translate version of the product page indicates the Este generates a warm steam to soothe the eyes. Essentially, this is the high-tech version of laying a lukewarm washcloth across your peepers.… Read more

Want affordable OLED TVs? Don't hold your breath, Panasonic says

The beauty of slender OLED televisions might be enticing, but their price tags aren't. And according to Panasonic, that will continue to be the case for the time being.

Company President Kazuhiro Tsuga told reporters in Tokyo today, according to Reuters, which was in attendance, that he does not believe OLED pricing will match LCD televisions "for a considerable time." According to Reuters, he didn't provide a road map on when the televisions might come down to a far more affordable level.

OLED televisions have become the most sought-after sets in the marketplace. The devices are … Read more

Panasonic to deliver opening keynote at CES

The Consumer Electronics Association, the organization that runs the Consumer Electronics Show, announced today that Kazuhiro Tsuga, the newly appointed president of Panasonic, will deliver the CES 2013 opening keynote speech.

"Panasonic is one of the largest and most dynamic consumer-electronics companies in the world, and I congratulate Mr. Tsuga on his official appointment to president of Panasonic Corporation this morning," CEA Chief Executive Gary Shapiro said in a statement. "We are thrilled to have Mr. Tsuga take the stage for his opening keynote at the 2013 International CES, and we look forward to hearing his vision … Read more

Cheaper OLED TVs the goal for Sony-Panasonic effort

Sony and Panasonic have announced a partnership designed to mass-produce OLED panels for large displays and televisions.

According to the companies, they will jointly develop OLED panels with help from their respective technologies. That will result in reducing the total costs of production, potentially making OLED panels more affordable to vendors looking to bring the technology to future sets, the companies say. Mass production should begin at some point next year.

Sony and Panasonic have been rumored to be in talks about OLED production for a while now. Both companies have lost the LCD market, and Panasonic's focus on … Read more

How to ban the banner ads from Panasonic Smart TVs

When I reviewed the Panasonic TC-PVT50 series, I was annoyed to see that the latest software update caused a banner ad to appear for a few seconds whenever I turned on the TV. It disappeared quickly and only popped up upon power-on, but it was still obnoxious. The first thing I wondered was whether I could turn it off.

Happily, Panasonic built in a way to disable the advertising. It's a simple, albeit buried, menu command. Here it is in a nutshell.

Hit the main Menu button on the remote (not the "Internet" or "VieraCast" … Read more

Unlikely Panasonic duo rules this week's top gadgets

What a week for Panasonic. Of all the products CNET reviewed this week, the company scored the best ratings for both the most expensive gadget and the cheapest. There must be some sort of award for that. (Actually, there isn't, but there should be.)

The Panasonic TC-P65VT50 (affectionately known around these parts as the "VT50") is a 65-inch plasma TV that nabbed the hardest-won praise of all: A glowing review from our own David Katzmaier. Katzmaier gets right to the point in his review, explaining that the whole line of TVs in the VT50's series have &… Read more

Ultracompact megazoom cameras compared

Zoom lenses sell cameras these days, so it's no surprise that manufacturers are doing everything they can to get longer lenses into increasingly smaller bodies.

A 3x or 5x zoom lens used to be the standard for ultracompact cameras -- those measuring 1 inch thick or slimmer -- but in 2012, you can easily find a skinny point-and-shoot with a 10x optical zoom.

The frontrunner here is the sub-$250 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX150 thanks to its excellent features, fast autofocus, and the quality of its pictures and video (though its color accuracy could be better). Most of the category consists of sub-$200 cameras, though, so there are several options if you're just looking for a simple pocket camera with a long lens.… Read more

Panasonic eyes major layoffs at headquarters

Panasonic's troubles have been well-documented over the last several quarters, but now the company could be planning to lay off employees at its headquarters in Osaka, Japan, according to a report.

Panasonic currently employs about 7,000 people at its headquarters, but if recent claims are true, that figure could soon drop to 3,500, according to the Wall Street Journal, citing sources. The Journal's sources say that the layoffs will include early retirement, and some employees might be moved to other divisions.

Last month, Panasonic outlined plans to reorganize its operation by cutting down its current five … Read more