Customer Reviews

Panasonic TH-42PZ700U 42-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

5 star:		(57)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

This TV has the best picture of any TV I have ever seen.
I build homes for multi-millionaires and I have seen some incredible
TV's, theater rooms, with $50K audio systems wired in; and I have never
seen a TV with a better picture.
I bought this TV within a week of Consumer Reports rating it as the best
picture they had ever tested, and I was still surprised at how breathtaking the picture was.
You cannot overrate this TV and its capabilities to deliver a picture like none you've seen before.
I do implore you, however, to invest in a blu-ray DVD player and a high quality HDMI cable for the full effect. The picture, when playing a blu-ray DVD on the new Panasonic blu-ray DVD player, along with a high quality HDMI cable (Panasonic makes maybe the best available for only $25)
is unbelievable. The definition is so amazing that your opinions of beautiful big screen actresses may come back down to earth after seeing the the blemishes in their complexion that you never would have seen on a
regular TV.
This TV is the pinnacle. There is no TV better.

For myself, it came down to a few important items. First, LCD was not going to be adequate given the problems with watching highspeed programs like sports or action movies. Secondly, I needed a screen that was capable of producing an excellent picture both in HD and on non-HD. Finaly I wanted to buy from a corporation that had an outstanding reputation and produced excellent products. With that said, this plasma television has been all of this and more. I am extremely impressed by this product. The picture is outstanding on non-HD, and it is exceptional on HD. I have a PS3 and the 1080p picture is surreal. The clarity of the picture and the sound is excellent and I would recommend this product to anyone who is looking for an new flat-pannel television. Being the only 42in 1080p plasma on the market singles this product out, but after owning the item and observing it's capabilities, it definetely lives up to it's hype.

This is an amazing TV. After alot of research and waiting for prices to come down, I chose this TV and have not regretted my decision at all. The TV is so clear. I have been watching the U.S.Open tennis (using hi-def cable box)for the last two weeks in hi-def and it is awesome. The TV is very easy to set up. I do not have a hi-def DVD player but I do have an unconverting DVD player and movies on here are great. I am sure they would even be better with a hi-def DVD player. I am also very happy with the speakers on this TV. Generally I recommened using a separate surround sound speaker system which of course will be even better. The speakers in the TV are very good for someone who isn't a serious audiophile. Overall I highly recommend this TV.

I wanted a 42 inch TV for our bedroom. Close viewing distance was an issue
so I wanted a 1080P television. No other 42 inch panel, LCD or plasma can
hold a candle to this one for close viewing. NO screen door effect discernable
at all. Beautiful picture quality, excellent controls, , beautiful
package. One other thing -- The SOUND on this TV is great !!
Highly Recommended

First I need to declare that I am not a video expert. My research involved several months of going to stores, looking at televisions and quizzing sales peoples. Also I read several articles about how to pick a good television.

I chose the Panasonic mainly because it was a Editors Choice in both PC Magazine and CNET magazine and I found a substantially reduced price on black Friday from 6th Avenue Electronics on Amazon.

The television took about a week to be delivered. We needed the television moved to the basement and were told that the delivery man was only responsible for bringing it in the front door if there were fewer than 4 steps. The delivery man from the company employed by 6th Avenue agreed to help me carry it down the steps. I opened the box and looked at the glass of the television and signed the delivery slip stating that the television and box didn't have any obvious damage.

My wife and I unpacked and set up the televison and turned it on. However the television only showed two colors. Blue and Pink. We called 6th Avenue and we were told that there were no returns and we would have to deal with Panasonic to have our television serviced. I believe this is standard operating procedure for online sales of televisions. They did however promise to call Panasonic and find a repair company. In the documentation provided with the television was a number to call Panasonic Concierge service.

I called the number and was connected with a customer service agent in a matter of minutes who told me an appointment was already set up with Electronic Service Center located in my area. It was Friday that the television was delivered and the appointment was set up for Monday. The representative arrived on Monday within the appointed time and decided we needed a new mother board for the television. The next day I called the service center on Tuesday and was told the part would be delivered on Friday and an appointment was scheduled for Monday. Again, the next business day. On Monday the repairman arrived within the scheduled appointment time and fixed the television.

I wanted to get angry during this experience but I was never given the opportunity. I didn't receive any runarounds or questions. No long waits or lack of communication. Everyone was businesslike and efficient. I'm not sure I would have received the same service from one of the discount companies selling HDTV's. But Panasonic sent me a broken television and made me a happy customer. Who knew.

As far as the television the colors are fantastic. We have had the television for about 2 weeks and we aren't beyond the how great is the picture stage yet. We aren't really paying attention to the details of plot because we are looking at moles on faces and the sharpness of the background of the shot. HDTV and this television is fantastic.

Two things to keep in mind. Standard definition Television is hit or miss here. Some look fairly well and some are unwatchable. Cartoons and newer shows tend to be very watchable but you do gravitate towards High Definition programs. And it is amazing how few channels show High Definition. Also the sound of the television is so good my 5.1 surround system is almost worthless at this time. I have both the television and surround sound on to get the best quality. All the surround sound does better is the sub woofer. For most programming I just use the television.

All in all I am happy with the purchase so far and would highly recommend this television and Panasonics in general.

This 42" Panasonic plasma features a picture quality far superior to any other flat panel display in the 40-42 inch size range currently on the market. Featuring 1080P resolution and deep black levels that only plasma can provide, the TH-42PZ700U is equally at home watching HD and SD programming, playing games on next generation consoles (Xbox 360, PS3) or watching DVDs (Blu-Ray or HD-DVD highly recommended). Coupled with a quality high definition signal, the picture quality is nothing short of stunning. A sleek stylish case rounds out this very complete package. The only weak spot in the Panasonic's game is the decidedly dated and unattractive remote. Though completely functional, the remote looks like an eyesore on this reviewer's coffee table.

This was my first high-definition, flat panel TV. I was very picky when doing my research. My requirements were: 1080p, Plasma, and at least 40". After doing research on several sites (especially [...]) and reading countless reviews, I settled on this Panasonic.

I found out that this is pretty much the smallest screen size that you can get while still realizing the benefits of 1080p. This worked great for me because I didn't have a budget for the 50"+ TVs.

This is a fantastic TV and looks phenomenal when playing HD-DVDs in my Xbox 360 HD drive (using component connections). I haven't had a chance to try the HDMI connections, but I'm sure those will look great as well.

Highly recommended!

The TV picture and sound quality are all excellent as the other reviews describe. However, some of these TVs were manufactured with defective power supplies (see http://stafford.typepad.com/the_next_america/2004/02/panasonic_plasm.html) that cause a "blinking red power light of death" and the TV won't power on anymore. I was lucky mine failed after just 3 months so it was still under warranty. Panasonic arranged for a local repair shop to repair it, but we were without a TV for 3 days before the warranty repair service appointment. The repair (replacing the power supply circuit pack) took 20 minutes and the TV is fine now.
It's a fantastic TV, but beware the faulty power supply.

I love this TV. It is exactly what I was looking for. HD programming looks great even though it is only 1080i through my Comcast DVR. Regular definition channels look much better than I feared. If you will be watching regular definition programming through cable or from regular DVDs keep in mind that it may look really bad on some HD TVs. The worst culprits are TVs that are much bigger than this one. (My couch is only about 6-8' from the TV by the way.) My only caution is that you should be careful if you have a really bright viewing room. I live in a townhouse and my living room doesn't get direct sunlight. I would be a little concerned about picture brightness if I wanted to put this TV in a bright room. I love it and highly recommend it.

After doing a ton of research I decided to purchase this Panasonic. Since I was going to purchase the TV online I didn't want to take a chance on a set that had shown any hint of problems in AV forums. I couldn't be happier with this set. The picture is amazing.