Panasonic PV-20D52 20-Inch TV-DVD Combo
Practical purchase
<br />Panasonic pros:  noticeably better picture, nicer remote, clean integration with the DVD player, built-in FM tuner, has (limited) channel labels, is name-brand, has nicer-looking black plastic cabinet.<br />Apex pros:  lower price, flat screen picture tube, base/treble audio controls, S-video input.<br />You can download the product manuals from both manufacturers (the latter is at apexdigitalinc.com) and compare for yourself; like most consumer products, the manuals exist primarily to publish CYA disclaimers from the law firms of the manufacturers, not to actually help consumers.<br />A word about the channel labels in the Panasonic:  there are 24 hard-coded labels from commonly-used stations like ABC, HBO, CNN.  You have to first scan your cable for available channels, then you can associate a channel number for each of the labels.  You can't define your own labels; you're out of luck if you want to label one of the lesser channels like FOOD, HGTV, E!, etc.; and 24 is a small number.  This limitation, along with the lack of S-video connectors, leads me to believe this is an OLD Panasonic design.  Still, when I went to Sears to check out the Apex, I found that its built-in menus lack channel labels entirely, and is even more bare-bones than this simple Panasonic set.<br />One other comment about this first generation of TV/DVD players:  you can't play a CD or the FM tuner in the built-in unit while watching the TV.  Bummer.  I would like to be able to put in some music and perhaps watch the news (muted with closed-captions) and not have to listen to the TV's yammering.  So it won't fully replace a CD player or stereo if you're hoping to do that (as I was, in an exercise room).<br />The Panasonic's audio-out is optical, which IMHO is a win over the Apex' coaxial audio-out.  It seems that 5.1 receivers with multiple optical inputs are the wave of the future; I've only seen 1 or 2 coaxial inputs in most.<br />Bottom line:  the Panasonic is a better unit but notbetter.  And I'm surprised at the lack of S-video inputs.