» Panasonic Viera TH-42PX80U 42-Inch 720p Plasma HDTV

Panasonic Viera TH-42PX80U 42-Inch 720p Plasma HDTV Reviews

Customer Rating:
Summary: Amazing TV - clean standard tv signal
Comment: I've had it for only 1 day so far. Whereas the manufacturer recommends about 100hrs break-in period, I have seen a huge improvement in picture quality since just in the last 24hrs. Of course, I put the TV on a channel that doesn't constantly show their logo and left it on the whole day while I was at work. Regular standard signal looks very clean for an HD TV set. Its not too grainy at all. HD signal over the air looks sharper. I matched it with a sony upconverting DVD player hooked via HDMI and the sound and image quality is superb. It upconverts automatically to 1080p. This TV has an optical out so you can get the best digital TV sound to your receiver. The one HD station I received broadcaseted in Dolby digital. I picked this set after weeks of research from which I concluded that for a 42 inch TV, you really won't see a difference between 720p vs 1080p. And an added advantage is that 720p looks nicer if you have standard signal for your tv. For those who are picky - the remote looks ugly but it works. Don't waste your money paying the store $300 to "callibrate" your tv. It looks just fine from the store and you can either use preset picture modes or play around with the 'custom' until you're satisfied. Plasma is the best choice! At the store, brighter isn't always better - when comparing plasma vs LCD. Plasma has deeper blacks and more natural colors. Great value - got mine at Best Buy for $999.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: A fabulous TV
Comment: This TV is wonderful, it's a visual pleasure every moment you watch a high-def program... great blacks, great colors, great definition, all the time. And it looks good as an object too, although not as good as a Samsung maybe. However, only HD channels look good, others look worse, so you end up with less channels, although I can't do without PBS, Thirteen and the NYC channel, so I watch them anyway, and it's OK.

I also own a Wii and the games have a great definition on it.

It seems that below 46" it's not worth investing in a Full HD TV, which was my only concern about a HD-ready investment.

BTW the delivery man told me it seemed to him every TV he delivered were Panasonic!

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Best value for the money
Comment: You really can't go wrong purchasing this TV. Don't base your decision directly on the Cnet review and instead head over to AVSForum. You'll find a 80+ page thread with numerous reviews done by experts in the field. All of which are very positive and explain why CNet's review isn't too reliable.

Unlike Panasonic's earlier model, the 77U, this TV has an excellent picture right out of the box. There's no need for an expensive calibration or messing with service menu's. I've found my favorite settings, thanks to someone on AVSForum, is:

Picture Mode: Cinema
Picture: 84
Brightness: 40
Tint: -2
Sharpness: 50
Color Temp: Warm
Color mgmt: off
x.v.Color: off
Video NR: off
MPEG NR: off
Black Level: light

You'll find a ton of other settings there too so just do a google search.

This TV also seems very reliable. Out of over 3000+ posts I only saw maybe three that were returned due to a serious failure. (All of which were promptly replaced/repaired) Panasonic also has a really cool warranty service called "Panasonic Concierge". You can schedule service calls online and you'll be contacted within 24 hours. You can also call or chat online with a rep if you've got any questions. Another great thing about them is that if your TV fails and they have to take it away for repair they give you a loaner TV! I sure wish I had that option with my old Philips.

I was first considering purchasing a Samsung LCD but decided to see both first hand in the store. After adjusting the settings on both TV's the Samsung had a very unnatural and bright image while the Panasonic looked as if you were looking out the window. While this sort of thing boils down to what type of picture you prefer I personally was sold on the Panasonic.

Off topic, Amazon rocks too. After buying the TV their price dropped by a lot. I requested a refund for the difference and they did it no questions asked. I got the money back within 3 days! I couldn't be happier with not only the TV, but also Amazon.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Excellent TV
Comment: I was a little reluctant to purchase a TV this way but depended on previous reviews and everything worked out perfectly. Delivered without problems and setup was easy. The quality of the TV itself met all expectations.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Panasonic Viera TH-42PX80U
Comment: Very happy with the television, however I should not have purchased it through Amazon. Poor customer service on this purchase.

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