Customer Reviews

Panasonic VIERA TC-P46G25 46-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I'm 70 years old and haven't been so excited about anything in a long time. I'm also a shopper and very picky, I've been looking at flat screens for the last 3 years. First I loved the Pioneer elite plasma, but at about $4000 was kind of crazy - then looked at Samsung LCD which had a good review, then saw they were coming out with the LED last year, so waited for that, but was disappointed with the reviews - I always did like the plasma better than the LCD, so last year read and re-read about the Panasonic G10, then the G15 reviews, kept wondering and waiting, then to my great delight heard about the 2010 model G25 - this is it! I had a new entertainment center built to fit a 46 inch, then ordered the 46G25 - the entertainment center arrived on Tuesday and on Wednesday I got all my stuff in it and got it ready for the TV, the TV was delivered on Thursday, the Amazon delivery service took the TV out of the box and plugged it in and connected to cable - my niece picked up my old entertainment center right after the TV was delivered and I sat back and had to pinch myself that there it was, the new entertainment center with a beautiful new flat screen - I have basic cable through Time Warner, don't even have the extra box - the TV auto programmed all kinds of channels that I hadn't had before - all the TV channels that are broadcast in HD, like the network channels were set to two channels, for instance I have a 2 and 2-1, 4 and 4-1, 7 and 7-1, etc - the -1 channels are the HD channels, the channels that are not broadcast in HD still look good, but the HD channels are absolutely beautiful - you can set the format - so the channels that are not broadcast in HD I leave at the 4:3 format, otherwise it kind of stretches it out - there are several format and picture mode settings. I also connected to internet and watched UTube videos - but best of all the picture is beautiful - I'm glad I waited - it is perfect and I love it.

Had this 46" plasma 2 weeks, buying it from Amazon, as I did for another Panasonic, 42" plasma, about 1 year ago. The colors and crispness are quite remarkable on both sets, with the edge going to this beauty. I'm going to get separate speakers to enhance the on-board sound. I knew I would, no TV I've heard ever produces the sound I'd like. I'm telling you, with a DVD blue ray movie playing on this screen, there is going to have to be a overriding reason to pluck $8 down, or $16 if I take my dearly beloved along with $15 for goodies at some theatre to see a movie. You feel you are in your own private screening room with this TV, no cell phones, prattle or obnoxious people.

Dealing with Amazon is a no-brainer. With their frequent-flyer Prime account, no shipping costs when the item listed is sold directly from Amazon, it behooves frequent on line shoppers to look into this Amazon feature. I have probably purchased about 200 different items from Amazon over the last 3 years experiencing one small problem, remediated by Amazon, quickly and professionally. I truly like dealing with Amazon, with their delivery and service equal to the two other great on lines sites, Newegg and LLBean. with this TV the delivery guys carted the Tv down a flight of stairs to my cellar, (Man's Cave), unpackaged it, set it up on a stand, turned it on and showed me how to run it after tuning in all my cable stations.

If you got about $1100 hanging around and need a quality TV experience, look into this plasma. By the way, having looked at 40-50 LCD's and plasmas at Sears, Costco, Best Buy,etc, plasmas offer a clearer and crisper picture, more vibrant colors. This is a great TV experience manufactured by Panasonic and sold by Amazon. Can't wait to see Sunday, Monday, Thursday night NFL on this set.

Firstly, this is my first HDTV. I did a lot of research before buying a TV and decided that Plasma was the way to go (I hated the unnatural colors of LCDs). There weren't many other manufacturers that make 46" 1080p plasmas, so Panasonic was pretty much my only choice. The G25 line offered the best balance of looks and features that I was looking for. Older panasonic plasmas had fading issues, but supposedly that's been fixed.

In Standard and THX modes the colors, and particularly skin tones, are very natural. In Vivid mode everything lights up and becomes very saturated just like on the LCDs you see in the electronics stores. With the curtains down, Standard and THX modes are sufficient, but wash out when the curtains are opened mid-day (the TV is next to the patio door). Switching to Vivid fixes that.

Power consumption isn't as bad as I expected.
Standard/THX Mode: 110-180W for normal HD programming, 20W for an all black picture, 300W for an all white picture
Vivid Mode: 300-350W for normal HD programming

The Good:

Great HD picture, if all programming were HD I'd like the TV.

The Bad:

Distinct, consistent buzzing sound, louder when picture is mostly light colored. Once you notice it, you can't ignore it.

Not impressed by built-in speakers, I know they are not supposed to be the greatest sound in the world, but my old TV was better.

Bad placement for buttons, hidden on one side, pretty inaccessible.

Only 3 HDMI inputs, one being on the side, three was enough for me, but the placement for the third input was poor.

Emits a lot of heat. My old 42" plasma emitted heat, not as much as this one.

The Ugly:

Standard Definition picture is horrible on this TV. I had the TV shipped to me, received it Friday, selling it Wednesday. Standard Definition TV is unwatchable. It hurts my eyes, it is pixelated, and blurry. I have High Def Satellite TV, not all programming is HD, until it is this TV should not be purchased by anyone, especially anyone who has already owned a flat-panel TV. This TV has a lot of ways to adjust the picture, none of them make SDTV easy to watch.

Bottom line:

I have had the TV for less than a week, I watched one football game, looked great. Watched a basketball game that was only offered in SDTV, listened to the announcers more than I watched the game, I got an almost immediate headache form the picture. I saw all the reviews, I overlooked the part in the CNet.com review that stated this was one of the worst performing TVs when tested on standard definition. Won't overlook that again.

I am going back to my 2005 42" Panasonic Plasma that is only EDTV (Enhanced Definition) 480p. I went from a TV that looks great on Standard Definition channels, and ok on High Definition channels, to a TV that hurts my eyes on SDTV channels, and looks great on HDTV channels. I'm going back. I hope this review helps, if I had read one like this I wouldn't have bought this TV.

Or anything else, for that matter. After reading all the rave reviews all over the internet and looking high and low for one of these in the Portland, OR, area I finally gave up and ordered one from Amazon.com for a great price and with free shipping. Within a few days it was delivered to my home, schlepped into my living room and perfectly set up by the delivery man. I bought this set to replace a lesser Panasonic (a TC-P46C2) I had recently returned to Sears because of subpar image and color accuracy. There is no comparison between the two. This set is as good as they get. I just leave the picture setting on THX and forget about it. The picture is flawless, the sound is just fine and the anti-glare filter actually works.

Buying the set from Amazon.com was, as usual, an absolute marvel in terms of convenience and value. I commend them for the service they provide.

Very happy with this solidly built unit. Graet picture on all accounts - especially in THX mode and with Blue Ray. Second to none watching sports, with no "lag" like all LCD and LED sets. Once you have a Plasma you'll never look at one of those "meager" LCD units - which are meant for watching cartoons. So far after 175 hours - no complaints, no floating blacks, no retention and no screen issues. So glad I waited for the G20 model rather than buying last years G10 model, as this unit is certainly a step up. Only (small) issue is the moderate speakers - which are fine for everyday TV watching but are lacking - when viewing the "big productions". Also happy with my 46" unit - rather than 50" which are almost the same size yet the 46" seems "less overwhelming" in our living room. Very Happy !!! Keep you posted....

I am old and quickly found that I couldn't handle buying this TV locally because I couldn't get it in my car. By buying from Amazon the TV was delivered, set up, and usable by me. This solved my problem of purchase.
The set itself is excellent as to the picture, color, ets. and whn I contacted Panasonic with a question the girl who answered the phone was polite and most helpful.
I recounted my experience at my coffee club (a group of older men) and those who are in the market for a larger television were very interested in the experience I had had with Amazon. I will continue to do business with Amazon. I think that they would be wise to let older people know of the convenience of having items delivered to their home and in this case unpacked and assembled.

Had the TV about a week and it is great. Glare is not any more of an issue with this plasma than it was with my 40" Sony 40v5100 and the picture in HD is absolutely perfect. Very satisfied. Hopefully will remember to update review after a few months of use.

This is the first plasma tv i've ever purchased and I don't want to stop watching blu rays on it! Huge upgrade from my 32" vizio lcd. I have done my research and read MANY reviews on a number of different types and sizes of tvs and Panasonic really seemed to be the best as far as picture quality and clarity. I have it in my living room with a large window. the anti glare screen works very well and it is very bright. I dont even need to set it to vivid mode to see it even when the afternoon sun is shining through the window! very satisfied with my purchase and would recommend this tv to anyone wanting a "perfect picture".

If you're like me and you prefer Plasma over LCD and new LED's, and 3D isn't an issue then this is the TV for you! I've tried and owned all three minus 3D technology and this particular model by Panasonic is the best quality for the money. I got this model because I'm not into 3D TV. I like my eyes the way they are and don't mind 2D. Also, spent months in research and reading reviews on-line. I got the 42" because that's what fits best and mounts to the brick over my fireplace. My brother is an electrician so we we were able to come up with a fancy recessed ceiling box for outlet plugs/data lines behind TV. I'm sure the 46" and 50" are just as good but can only speak for the 42" at this time.

I'll classify each category:

Picture: Clean, clear, crisp and colorful. In 1080 HD with dark scenes, dark colors are not comprimised. Even in 720, it looks rather good.

Sound: The THX sound built is not bad. I do plan on getting a low-profile sound system with wireless rear speakers or a Yamaha soundbar but for now, the sound is great. I turn it up quite a bit especially with the fireplace going with it's oxygen intake fans and really there's no distortion in sound. Plus my 1-yr old daughter likes to dance to all the songs on Sprout network when it's on in the mornings.

Footprint: Obviously 3.5" Depth is not that bad. They do have a newer Panasonic Plasma with thin screen but not available in US in 42", only in Europe. And it's 3D ready.

Burn-In: Does not exist on the new plasma's. No more bad pixels.

If you plan on using for Skype or Netflix, make sure you update the firmware. Either purchase the Panasonic Wireless dongle accessory or use the built-in LAN/NIC port on the TV like I did. Also, purchase the Panasonic Camera recommended for this model if planning on using Skype. Netflix, I use through my WiFi Blu-ray DVD so not needed through TV but I work in the IT industry, mainly networking and server/workstation hardware so I'm a firm (no pun intended) believer in firmware updates.

So in recap, this is a quality product. Though I've only had a couple months, I can say it has far exceeded my expectations. You can't go wrong with this product.