Panasonic TC-P42U2 42-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

by Panasonic

• 600HZ Sub-field Drive
• VIERA Image Viewer
• Clean touch bezel
• Rated Power Consumption 298 W

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 40.6 x 12.1 x 27.8 inches ; 54.1 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 63 pounds
• Shipping: This item can only be shipped to the 48 contiguous states. We regret it cannot be shipped to APO/FPO, Hawaii, Alaska, or Puerto Rico.
• ASIN: B00392141U
• Item model number: TC-P42U2
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #79,449 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: March 1, 2010

Product Description

Amazon.com

Building on its award-winning 2009 Plasma line, Panasonic's 42-inch VIERA TC-P42U2 Plasma HDTV features a full HD 1080p resolution, 900 TV lines of moving picture resolution, and 600Hz Sub-field Drive for superb motion clarity. This and other models in the U2 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. And you'll get a long Plasma panel life of up to 100,000 hours--more than 30 years of viewing when watched 8 hours a day--before the brightness of the panel decreases to half.

Key Features

600Hz Sub-field Drive: 600Hz technology lets you view superb full-HD motion and still images with 1080 lines of resolution. For even greater clarity with motion images, Panasonic uses its own unique image-analysis technology, which converts the motion in each scene into data. And each frame is practically displayed for a shorter length of time than in previous systems, to reduce aftereffects (see an illustration of 600Hz technology).   VIERA Link: Allows the interlinked operation of various AV devices--from DVD and Blu-ray Disc players to home theater sound systems to digital cameras and camcorders--using only the VIERA remote control by simply connecting the devices to each other by an HDMI cable (see pop-up illustration).   Game Mode: With Game Mode, quicker image response increases the enjoyment of video games when a game console is connected to the TV. What's more, VIERA produces the dark images in video games more clearly. This mode works with the anti-image retention (wobbling) function, too.

Panasonic's VIERA U2 series Plasma HDTV.   VIERA Image Viewer: View full-HD images with the integrated SD card slot, enabling you to view JPEG photos captured from your digital camera or camcorder on the big screen. Navigate your images via an easy-to-use thumbnail display.

Key Specifications

Series: U2 Screen type: Plasma Screen size: 42 inches Native resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels Contrast ratio: Native: 2,000,000:1 Shades of gradation: 6,144 equivalent Receiving system: ATSC/QAM/NTSC HDTV display capability: 1080p, 1080i, 720p EDTV display capability: 480p Speakers: 2 full range, 20W total power; surround sound capabilities Image viewer: JPEG compatibility Aspect control: Normal, Just, Zoom, Full, H-fill Optional wall-mounting bracket: TY-WK4P1RW Multi-lingual menu: English/Spanish/French Energy Star qualified: Yes

Connections HDMI: 3 (1 side) Component (Y, PB, PR): 2; each with audio input Composite A/V: 2 (1 side); each with audio input Digital audio output: 1 Dimensions TV with stand: 40.6 x 27.8 x 12.1 inches (WxHxD); 54 pounds TV without stand: 40.6 x 26.1 x 3.7 inches (WxHxD); 49.6 pounds What size TV should you get?

What's in the Box

Panasonic U2 series Plasma 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

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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. Minimum size = Viewing distance/3 Maximum size=Viewing distance/1.5

Product Description

Panasonic TC-P42U2 42-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Love it July 7, 2010

By tequilapickles

Amazon Verified Purchase

This is my first HDTV purchase and I'm very happy with it. A friend suggested I go with Panasonic as I'd get the most bang for my buck, and she was right.

The stand was easy enough to assemble and the set looks and feels well-constructed and appropriate for any room decor. The menus are user-friendly and initial setup was a breeze; an explanation is shown for every available option, so people who aren't familiar with funny acronyms don't need to look through the user manual.

The video quality is outstanding. I tested it first with my PS3 (my main reason for buying a tv) and the colors really pop out at you. I was worried that the plasma would be too dark, but it handles both bright and dark colors exceptionally well. Nothing looks washed out or too black. The only complaint is that the screen brightness can be overpowering with the Game and Vivid settings (I'm more a fan of the latter, but it depends on the game), but the brightness can be adjusted and the adaptive lighting seems to work well enough. I would have liked an overall gamma setting, but you can tweak the video to be nearly perfect with the tv options and the video source's settings. Also, the anti-glare works well enough that I can keep one set of curtains open while viewing and the picture doesn't suffer.

Next, I connected my laptop through its HDMI output (most customers probably don't have this but I'll mention it anyway). 1680x1050 resolution seems to work the best as 1920 left the desktop looking too small and making it easier to notice the pixels, and anything smaller doesn't fit just perfectly. I think these are issues with my laptop giving the tv strange resolutions that it's not used to, but these aren't enough to detract from the quality of the tv. I tested a few games at 1280x960 and they looked better than they do on my laptop's screen (anything less than 1680 on my computer is fuzzy). As mentioned before, small portions were cut off of the left and right sides but it was only enough to notice while on menus. I'll definitely be using this tv as a monitor for schoolwork. Movie quality is great with compressed video files, so I'm sure the blu ray will be amazing.

The speakers are sub-par, but they're not terrible. I was still able to enjoy the games without the extra oomph of a solid set with a woofer, but my next priority will be audio.

I'm satisfied with the connections in the back of the tv. I'm only using it for HDMI and occasionally the RCA at the moment, but the optical audio out is convenient if go that route for speakers (I'm not sure if this is standard now but I like it).

Overall, I'm very happy with the tv and would buy it again. The price you pay is well worth the quality you get out of it. Aside from a few minor issues and poor speakers, it's a great HDTV.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Can't get much better for the price! November 3, 2010

By E. Heroux

Very good choice for home use if you are hooking up a Blu-ray player with an HDMI cable, and using external speakers. The built-in speakers are not so great, though decent for TV shows. For DVDs or Blu-ray, I run the audio out digitally through an optical cable to an external home theater system.
I coupled this with Panasonic's wireless ready Blu-ray player (DMP-BD85) and they work nicely together, even the 2 remote controls cooperate when linked. I watch a few digital broadcast channels with a simple $10 indoor antenna. Nice. I watch videos wirelessly through Netflix and Amazon on Demand. If you have a fast wireless connection, these stream in HD no problem. This plasma picture was gorgeous for the "Avatar" Blu-ray disc. But you need to adjust it to your room lighting and taste. Its "Standard" setting was too dim, and the "Vivid" setting too bright. I started with the "Cinema" setting and tweaked it ever so slightly from there. Easy enough. Check out the other "advanced" menu options for "Deep Color" and blacker than black contrast, etc. The result is better than anything you can see on demo in the store.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Ok for the price June 13, 2010

By OWEN

Not a bad picture, but be prepared to tweak it until you're happy. The other reviewer is correct about the brightness. I saw this in the shop, and they had it pegged to almost max. Understandable with the flo lights they have in the store. Reviewer number two is missing the point on his purchase. You don't buy an HD based on it's audio quality, and you don't buy it for S-Video. This is like saying your surround receiver doesn't have good audio in mono.

is this a top notch set. Nope, but considering what I paid compared to what I could have paid a year ago, I'm quite happy with this as my first HD set.