Are these two TVs the same?

Here's a message from a reader:

The last figure of a model number, which we often leave out of our tests, usually indicates one of two things:

• The same product comes in several different colours.  For example, when we looked at the Philips Brillance 225B1C monitor a couple of months ago, we noted that two different versions were available: one with the model number 22B1CS, which is silver, and the other with the model number 22B1CB, which is black.

• The manufacturer wants to localise the product for a specific market.  For instance, the maker might want to include a compatible TV tuner for a particular region or make some other distinction.

In some rare cases, these characters at the end of product model numbers can suggest a new version of a product that has already been released, but this only represents a minority of cases.

With the TV you want to buy, you can rest assured that the two models are exactly the same.  We still checked with Panasonic though a couple of months ago when we did the test, and their response was loud and clear: 'that doesn't change anything, just pretend that the last letter isn't there!'

> Product Survey: 50'' and larger TVs