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Technical Details
- Brand Name: Panasonic
- Model: TC-L42U22
- Display Technology: LCD
- Display Size: 42 inches
- Image Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Product Details
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Product Description
Amazon.com
Offering advanced LCD technology for the highest possible picture quality, Panasonic's 42-inch VIERA TC-L42U22 LCD HDTV features an improved panel with In Plane Switching (IPS) for an ultra-wide viewing angle and higher moving picture resolution that results in clear, bright images. This U22 series model provides 1080p resolution, 24P Playback function for superb imagery from 24-frame movies on DVD and Blu-ray Disc, and a 20,000:1 contrast ratio.
This and other models in the U22 line offer Panasonic's VIERA Image Viewer feature, which enables you to play slideshows of JPEG images stored on SD memory cards, as well as the VIERA Link feature for controlling a variety of compatible components--from Blu-ray Disc players to digital cameras--through a single remote.
Adhering to Panasonic's commitment to the environment, this VIERA model--as well as all 2010 models--features improved power consumption and meets the new, more stringent Energy Star 4.0 requirements.
Key Features
|  Panasonic's VIERA U22 series LCD HDTV.
 With the VIERA Image Viewer, you can view a slideshow of JPEG photos stored on your camera's SD memory card. |
Key Specifications
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Connections
Dimensions
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What's in the Box
Panasonic U22 series LCD HDTV, removable stand, remote control (with batteries), operating instructions| Series: | VT25 Plasma | GT25 Plasma | G25 Plasma | S2 Plasma | U2 Plasma | C2 Plasma | U22 LCD | X2 LCD | C22 LCD |
| Models: | TC-P54VT25 54" TC-P50VT25 50" | TC-P50GT25 50" TC-P42GT25 42" | TC-P54G25 54" TC-P50G25 50" TC-P46G25 46" TC-P42G25 42" | TC-P65S2 65" TC-P58S2 58" TC-P54S2 54" TC-P50S2 50" TC-P46S2 46" TC-P42S2 42" | TC-P50U2 50" TC-P42U2 42" | TC-P50C2 50" TC-P46C2 46" TC-P42C2 42" | TC-L42U22 42" TC-L37U22 37" TC-L32U22 32" | TC-L37X2 37" TC-L32X2 32" TC-L22X2 22" | TC-L37C22 37" TC-L32C22 32" |
| VIERA Cast |  | | | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| VIERA Image Viewer | (AVCHD/MPEG2/JPEG/MP3 playback) | (AVCHD/MPEG2/JPEG/MP3 playback) | (JPEG) | (JPEG) | (JPEG) | (JPEG) | (JPEG) | (JPEG) | (JPEG) |
| VIERA Link | webcam capable | webcam capable | webcam capable | | | | | | |
| NeoPDP Panel | -- | -- | | | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| THX Display | | | | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Contrast Ratio | Infinite Black Pro / 5,000,000:1 Native | Infinite Black / 5,000,000:1 Native | Infinite Black / 5,000,000:1 Native | Dynamic: 2,000,000:1 | Dynamic: 2,000,000:1 | Dynamic: 2,000,000:1 | Dynamic: 20,000:1 | Dynamic: 20,000:1 22": 15,000:1 | Dynamic: 18,000:1 |
| Moving Picture Resolution | 1080 lines | 1080 lines | 1080 lines | 1080 lines | 900 lines | 720 lines | -- | -- | -- |
| Anti-Reflective Filter | | | | | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Display Capabilities | 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 480p | 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 480p | 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 480p | 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 480p | 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 480p | 720p, 480p | 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 480p | 720p, 480p | 720p, 480p |
| 600Hz Sub-field Drive | | | | | | | -- | -- | -- |
| Game Mode | | | | | | -- | -- | | -- |
| Speakers | 3; 30W total | 2; 20W total | 2; 20W total | 2; 20W total | 2; 20W total | 2; 20W total | 2; 20W total | 2; 20W total 22": 6W | 2; 20W total |
| Surround Sound | | | | | | | | | |
| HDMI input | 4 (1 side) | 3 (1 side) | 3 (1 side) | 3 (1 side) | 3 (1 side) | 2 | 3 (1 side) | 3 (1 side) 22": 1 | 2 |
| Component input (Y, PB, PR) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Composite input | 2 (1 side) | 2 (1 side) | 2 (1 side) | 2 (1 side) | 2 (1 side) | 2 (1 side) | 2 (1 side) | 2 (1 side) 22": 1 | 2 |
| PC input | 1 (side) | 1 (side) | 1 (side) | -- | -- | -- | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| USB | 2 | 2 | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Ethernet LAN input | 1 | 1 | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Digital Audio output | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| iPod Universal Dock | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | | -- |
| Energy Star | | | | | | | | | |
| Series: | VT25 Plasma | GT25 Plasma | G25 Plasma | S2 Plasma | U2 Plasma | C2 Plasma | U22 LCD | X2 LCD | C22 LCD |
Which Size HDTV is Right for My Room?
 | With standard-definition TVs, the rule used to be that viewers would feel comfortable watching a set from a distance of 3 to 6 times the screen size in inches. With HDTV, the resolution is so much better that you can sit closer to a larger TV without noticing the pixels. So with HDTVs, the rule tends to be you can sit anywhere from 1.5 to 3 times the screen size (in inches) for the best experience. If you know the size of the room you have already, where you want to sit, and where your new HDTV should go once you get it, you can figure out the size HDTV you should get.
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Product Description
Panasonic TC-L42U22 42-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
129 of 133 people found the following review helpful
By J. Lee
Overall:
I've had this set for a few months now. Despite the little criticisms I have, I think this set is an excellent value and the picture is breathtaking with a 1080p source or even 1080i over-the-air.
Picture:
It's a great display and I have no complaint at all with the picture. It has presets for adjusting the picture and that is a nice feature; I use 'cinema' most of the time.
Chassis:
The chassis is a very elegant piano black and looks nice when it is off. This is actually kind of important when you get a TV this large!
Sound:
The speakers are not great, but they are adequate. They are in the back so you (at least I) need to turn them up more than you would for front facing ones.
Inputs / Outputs:
This is where the 'not legacy friendly' gripe I have shows up, and costs Panasonic a star. The only audio _output_ is a digital optical output. If you have a stereo with a corresponding digital optical input, you're all set. However, I'm willing to bet many if not most homes don't have such an input. This means that you must use the so-so speakers when you use the antenna or an HDMI source that doesn't have an analog audio output (including perhaps some digital cable boxes). It isn't too big a deal for me since movie watching is usually via a DVD player and I run its (analog) audio output through my stereo and it sounds great. However, it would have been EASY for Panasonic to have a legacy analog audio output. On the input side, there is no S-video input. I get why they didn't put this in; S-video is on its way out. However, I have a legacy video camera with S-video output and it would've been nice to use it.
I've used the SD card input and it is slick. They have a way to let you quickly start a slide show of all the pictures in the camera and even navigate around on the SD card directory. It was nicely done and when you see pictures from an SLR camera brought out to a 42" display the 'WOW' factor is pretty high.
I've also used the DB15 connector for the laptop and it worked fine. Be aware, if you want to use your laptop to stream video to this set, you will need a long VGA cable AND a long audio cable. I found a combo cable on Amazon (both the video and the male-male audio cable on one 15' cable) that worked great.
Remote:
The remote is okay, but the buttons are quite close together so it is actually easy to press the wrong button when you do certain tasks. The one I hit most often is VIERA TOOLS when I meant to hit INPUT. I don't have anything that supports the VIERA standard (other than the tv) so I never want the VIERA TOOLS, but I do want to change the input fairly often. The two buttons are right on top of one another and the VIERA TOOLS button is like 3x the size of the INPUT button.
One thing I liked about the remote was a special "sub menu" button that lets you quickly get to things like the signal strength meter. I get my HDTV signals off an antenna so I use the meter a good bit and it is nice not to have it buried under sub-menus. Another cute feature on the remote is the favorite button. You can program several favorite channels and get to them via this short cut.
There are R G B Y buttons on the remote but get this: THEY DON'T TWEAK THE PICTURE. They are used for special functions. Uh, how about using F1 F2 F3 F4 for labels and color code those? Otherwise everyone in the world will think these buttons are for picture adjustment.
I really liked the INFO button; it shows you whether you're looking at 720p or 1080i or whatever and if the show is a digital source the name of the show, etc. The FORMAT button lets you force 4:3 and has a few different 16:9 flavors that are nice to have.
I've had this set for a few months now. Despite the little criticisms I have, I think this set is an excellent value and the picture is breathtaking with a 1080p source or even 1080i over-the-air.
Picture:
It's a great display and I have no complaint at all with the picture. It has presets for adjusting the picture and that is a nice feature; I use 'cinema' most of the time.
Chassis:
The chassis is a very elegant piano black and looks nice when it is off. This is actually kind of important when you get a TV this large!
Sound:
The speakers are not great, but they are adequate. They are in the back so you (at least I) need to turn them up more than you would for front facing ones.
Inputs / Outputs:
This is where the 'not legacy friendly' gripe I have shows up, and costs Panasonic a star. The only audio _output_ is a digital optical output. If you have a stereo with a corresponding digital optical input, you're all set. However, I'm willing to bet many if not most homes don't have such an input. This means that you must use the so-so speakers when you use the antenna or an HDMI source that doesn't have an analog audio output (including perhaps some digital cable boxes). It isn't too big a deal for me since movie watching is usually via a DVD player and I run its (analog) audio output through my stereo and it sounds great. However, it would have been EASY for Panasonic to have a legacy analog audio output. On the input side, there is no S-video input. I get why they didn't put this in; S-video is on its way out. However, I have a legacy video camera with S-video output and it would've been nice to use it.
I've used the SD card input and it is slick. They have a way to let you quickly start a slide show of all the pictures in the camera and even navigate around on the SD card directory. It was nicely done and when you see pictures from an SLR camera brought out to a 42" display the 'WOW' factor is pretty high.
I've also used the DB15 connector for the laptop and it worked fine. Be aware, if you want to use your laptop to stream video to this set, you will need a long VGA cable AND a long audio cable. I found a combo cable on Amazon (both the video and the male-male audio cable on one 15' cable) that worked great.
Remote:
The remote is okay, but the buttons are quite close together so it is actually easy to press the wrong button when you do certain tasks. The one I hit most often is VIERA TOOLS when I meant to hit INPUT. I don't have anything that supports the VIERA standard (other than the tv) so I never want the VIERA TOOLS, but I do want to change the input fairly often. The two buttons are right on top of one another and the VIERA TOOLS button is like 3x the size of the INPUT button.
One thing I liked about the remote was a special "sub menu" button that lets you quickly get to things like the signal strength meter. I get my HDTV signals off an antenna so I use the meter a good bit and it is nice not to have it buried under sub-menus. Another cute feature on the remote is the favorite button. You can program several favorite channels and get to them via this short cut.
There are R G B Y buttons on the remote but get this: THEY DON'T TWEAK THE PICTURE. They are used for special functions. Uh, how about using F1 F2 F3 F4 for labels and color code those? Otherwise everyone in the world will think these buttons are for picture adjustment.
I really liked the INFO button; it shows you whether you're looking at 720p or 1080i or whatever and if the show is a digital source the name of the show, etc. The FORMAT button lets you force 4:3 and has a few different 16:9 flavors that are nice to have.
32 of 35 people found the following review helpful
By R. Newel
I replaced a 6 year old plasma TV that went out. My TV screen faces multiple windows. With the plasma I had to cover the windows with towels during the day to avoid glare. With this TV any glare is barely noticeable and only when the screen is dark. I'm watching it right now (day time) with the windows uncovered.
I live at 5000 feet which caused the plasma to generate a lot of heat. That thing was hot! I could feel the heat radiating from it when I walked by. It did help heat my house in the winter, but probably caused the TV to give up the ghost. This Panasonic generates very little heat and is hardly even warm to the touch.
The only issue is one I discovered after installing this TV and apparently many LCD TV's have this issue. With the TV powered on my dish network remote would not operate the dish network receiver. After entering the proper code it did operate the TV fine but not the dish network receiver. I had to put the remote withing 2 inches of the dish IR port to get it to function. I had a couple of very frustrating days fighting this thinking it was the dish receiver flaking out. Then I did some research and discovered the interference issue with the LCD TV and various receivers. Different LCD TV's have different fixes. Some fixes I found are: turn CATS on or off on the TV, turn energy savings on or off or adjust back lighting. On this TV you adjust the back light on the TV. This TV adjust from 1 to 100. I found that adjusting it below 45 the dish remote inconsistently operated the dish receiver. At 42 or lower the dish remote refused to operate the dish receiver at all. I set the TV back light at 78 and the problem was solved. My research showed that this issue is not limited to any one manufacturer and indicates manufactures are aware of the issue. The possible resolutions to this issue should be included in the manual.
I ordered an HDMI cable with this TV, but it was shipped separately and am still waiting on it and am only viewing 480i. Even with an analog signal the picture is much clearer than my old plasma. However, with the analog signal I notice some fuzziness with quick moves on the screen. Most notably when using the dish TV guide. As I move around the guide it turns fuzzy for a fraction of a second, but it immediately clears up and becomes sharp. I suspect this will be resolved once I receive the HDMI cable and boost the resolution to 1080 since it's a fairly well known fact that an HD TV picture is less than perfect with an analog signal.
I use the dish remote to operate the TV, but I will note that the TV remote buttons are large and well labeled. The exception is the keys labeled R, G, B and Y. They apparently have nothing to do with the RGBY connection. One wonders why they are labeled this way. On page 11 of the manual it notes the colored buttons are used for various functions and refers to pages 14, 18 and 31 for examples. I could find no reference to these buttons on pages 14 or 18. Page 31 simply says that these buttons are available when their purpose is displayed on the screen. I guess I'll find out what they're for when I need them. I don't consider this a negative because it doesn't concern me. It's just a little confusing.
So far I am really happy with the TV. This is a good looking TV. The bezel isn't huge and the speakers are in back which I like. I had it up and running without ever cracking the manual. I look forward to when the HDMI cable arrives. Though I haven't used all the features I certainly recommend this TV. Just be aware of the IR interference issue and how to resolve it and you will be happy with it.
I live at 5000 feet which caused the plasma to generate a lot of heat. That thing was hot! I could feel the heat radiating from it when I walked by. It did help heat my house in the winter, but probably caused the TV to give up the ghost. This Panasonic generates very little heat and is hardly even warm to the touch.
The only issue is one I discovered after installing this TV and apparently many LCD TV's have this issue. With the TV powered on my dish network remote would not operate the dish network receiver. After entering the proper code it did operate the TV fine but not the dish network receiver. I had to put the remote withing 2 inches of the dish IR port to get it to function. I had a couple of very frustrating days fighting this thinking it was the dish receiver flaking out. Then I did some research and discovered the interference issue with the LCD TV and various receivers. Different LCD TV's have different fixes. Some fixes I found are: turn CATS on or off on the TV, turn energy savings on or off or adjust back lighting. On this TV you adjust the back light on the TV. This TV adjust from 1 to 100. I found that adjusting it below 45 the dish remote inconsistently operated the dish receiver. At 42 or lower the dish remote refused to operate the dish receiver at all. I set the TV back light at 78 and the problem was solved. My research showed that this issue is not limited to any one manufacturer and indicates manufactures are aware of the issue. The possible resolutions to this issue should be included in the manual.
I ordered an HDMI cable with this TV, but it was shipped separately and am still waiting on it and am only viewing 480i. Even with an analog signal the picture is much clearer than my old plasma. However, with the analog signal I notice some fuzziness with quick moves on the screen. Most notably when using the dish TV guide. As I move around the guide it turns fuzzy for a fraction of a second, but it immediately clears up and becomes sharp. I suspect this will be resolved once I receive the HDMI cable and boost the resolution to 1080 since it's a fairly well known fact that an HD TV picture is less than perfect with an analog signal.
I use the dish remote to operate the TV, but I will note that the TV remote buttons are large and well labeled. The exception is the keys labeled R, G, B and Y. They apparently have nothing to do with the RGBY connection. One wonders why they are labeled this way. On page 11 of the manual it notes the colored buttons are used for various functions and refers to pages 14, 18 and 31 for examples. I could find no reference to these buttons on pages 14 or 18. Page 31 simply says that these buttons are available when their purpose is displayed on the screen. I guess I'll find out what they're for when I need them. I don't consider this a negative because it doesn't concern me. It's just a little confusing.
So far I am really happy with the TV. This is a good looking TV. The bezel isn't huge and the speakers are in back which I like. I had it up and running without ever cracking the manual. I look forward to when the HDMI cable arrives. Though I haven't used all the features I certainly recommend this TV. Just be aware of the IR interference issue and how to resolve it and you will be happy with it.
26 of 28 people found the following review helpful
By Doctor gee
Amazon Verified Purchase
This TV is fine. My biggest complaint is that the only sound output is through an optical cable. No RCAs, no headphone jack, no way out! I routed all my sounds out from cable, blue ray, DVR, and Wii to a switch with 4 inputs and one RCA or headphone jack for output for $30. I can connect it now to my home theater system. The images on the TV are crisp with no blur on fast action. Standard settings seem a little dark but it can be customized for every video input. Good overall set except for the sound. I had for about 2 months.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
very happy
we received this in a timely fashion. We were very very happy and would order this again from this same company.
Published 2 months ago by kim1241
2.0 out of 5 stars
Sound is a real problem!!!!!
Don't buy it if you intent to listen thru the tv, the speakers are very very disappointing and you will be sorry if you buy this, there is better options with samsung and i... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Just Me
2.0 out of 5 stars
Not bright enough! All 3 HDMI Inputs Failed after a year
Have owned this TV for about a year and a half and it has several issues. The TV does not get bright enough even at night with full brightness the picture just isn't that bright. Read more
Published 5 months ago by remermn
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not enough inputs
Okay, let's see: GameCube, xBox, PS3, DVD system, laptop... Um I needed to buy a media center just to have everything connected and switchable without touching the wires every... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Ryan James
5.0 out of 5 stars
Panasonic 42" LCD HDTV TC-L42U22
My wife and I purchased this television for our combined Christmas present to each other. We have never owned an LCD HDTV. We read all the reviews on this TV on AMAZON. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Brian T
4.0 out of 5 stars
Hosedraggerz
This is a very nice tv. I am not big on Panasonic, but I have to give them credit. It has a GREAT remote, very nice picture, and the sound is clear. Read more
Published 23 months ago by D. Wilkow
5.0 out of 5 stars
HDTV
This is a great television. I purchased one for myself and my son was so impressed with the picture he purchased one as well.
Published on April 22, 2011 by Danisa Brown
4.0 out of 5 stars
Solid. legacy unfriendly is fair statement
I actually bought a variant version of this same TV for sale in Asia (we moved to Singapore recently). Picked this one up on a major retailer sale. Read more
Published on April 11, 2011 by Optimized_Shopping
5.0 out of 5 stars
Replaced 2006 720p TV
Recommend this TV...This TV replaced our 2006 720p Sony model when the lamp burnt out. Gave it to my son who bought a lamp and that TV is back in service... Read more
Published on April 10, 2011 by Bonnie N
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Value!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just got this TV yesterday and its a unbelieveable TV for the price. Easy set-up, great picture, great price. Read more
Published on March 23, 2011 by Technotron
