Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(124)
4 star:		(39)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Price was a significant contributor to my decision to buy this TV. Conversations with tv-guys made me think that I needed to pony up for a 1080, but I just could not justify the premium over the 720p. Now that I have it, I am glad I saved my money. The picture quality is great, both in high def and for normal (low def?) viewing. Whenever I have guests and the TV is on, they are blown away by the quality and ask my questions about it.

I also like the anti-glare screen. At first I was a little concerned that the anti-glare picture would look "dull" compared to your average plasma, but that is no longer a concern - it looks great.

Another big plus for me was the appearance of the TV. Like other Panasonic models, this TV is sleek. Vizio and other manufacturers seem to incorporate larger speakers that look clunky in comparison. The size of the tv relative to the picture size is great - looks nice on the wall, and doesn't take up any more room than it needs to.

In fact, the reason why I am writing this review is because I am going to buy another one for a different room in the house. Panasonic has definitely won my repeat business with this one - I think that says it all.

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.

I spent a few months reviewing plasmas and lcd's both in the big box stores and online. I watch a lot of sports, and the lcd's still have the motion blurring problem (except the expensive new ones). For me, that narrowed it down to the plasmas. Like others have said, the Panasonic's stood out from the rest of the plasma's (except for Pioneers, but they are almost double the cost). In terms of 1080 and 720 plasmas, I could not tell a difference between the two in 42". Maybe a little in the larger sets, but not in this size. Not worth the extra cost IMHO. So, I finally took the plunge on Panasonic's 720 42" when the price dropped below $1000, no tax, free shipping. A great deal for a TV that has been on the market for less than 2 months.

Delivery on the TV was fast (about 5 days early). They called a day ahead and delivered it within 1/2 hour of their estimated arrival. They made sure that the TV worked, and offered to take away all the packaging material. A+.

The TV was a snap to set up--10 minutes. The first thing that I noticed was that the color contrast is excellent, even on SD- much better then our 6-year-old Toshiba 27" tube TV. The clarity varies by station- a function of the channels, not the TV. SD = A-

The picture quality really excels while playing DVDs through component video. Deep rich blacks, vivid colors. The "Planet Earth" series looks incredible. We have not hooked it up to HD yet, but I'm sure it will be even better. A+.

A nice feature is that the TV remembers your settings for each video input. I.e.--we programmed a different color contrast for broadcast TV and DVDs and it stores each separately. There are more than enough ways to adjust picture quality to really fine tune it.

The audio is better than other sets, but not great. We don't use it though, since the TV is hooked up through a 5.1 receiver.

Overall, I am very happy with my purchase, both the TV and Amazon's delivery service. Definitely would buy it again.


FOLLOW UP: I just got HD, and it is even better than I could have imagined. I don't even like NBA basketball, but I found myself glued to the playoff game just to see the clarity. UFC was almost TOO clear for comfort. The only problem-- I can't go back to SD now...

I bought the prior year's model, delivered in December of 2007. The picture is now flickering and going completely black for about half the time. I'm in contact with Panasonic to have this resolved, under the one-year warranty, and I will follow with an update on how well this goes.

Regardless, it is annoying to have what otherwise is a splendid product apparently needing replacement in less than a year.

****
I promised a follow-up. Panasonic was *very* responsive. I filed a request for service at their online site. Within 24 hours, they contacted me to arrange a service appointment. The service person arrived when arranged, replaced one of the video boards quickly and without charge. It is possible that the problem was not with the board at all, but simply a cable connector that had not been seated properly at the factory. So, in all, a very good experience with Panasonic -- prompt response, no hassles or arguments for this repair service under the one-year warranty.

I drive my wife crazy when I decided to buy something of substantial value. I will research every possible source until I am satisfied with my decision to purchase. I originally set out to purchase an LCD and gave little thought to Plasma as I considered it an aged technology, but after researching and listening to plasma owners, former LCD owners and many high end reviews i couldn't ignore it. In my final stage I made 5 trips to the store and watched TV for a couple hours bouncing back & forth between various sets. In the end the Panasonic won out for a few reasons. First of all the store puts everything on vivid and this drives me nuts! I reached up and set the Panasonic to standard setting and it was beautiful. I then noticed how soothing and rich the picture looked compared to some of the harshly lit, overly bright LCDs. I already knew that Panasonic has had many generations of plasma and were good at it so I brought it home. Once in the home it was sweet out of the box. It was important that it display standard definition programming well as that isn't going away to soon. I am a sports buff and motion blur on some of the LCDs is annoying. This plasma does it all good. I don't know if CNET and a couple other reviewers got bad sets or what, but I find that it has NO noise problem? I sit 8 feet from the TV and it seems almost perfect.
LCDs are getting better sure, but they are still a couple years from these plasma sets!

After two months of comparing models & prices, reading internet reviews, and visiting stores for hours of free viewing, I finally decided on purchasing the Samsung 42" plasma, due to the family's budget.
Sadly my bedroom's 32" Olevia LCD died in about 15 months, so I really did my homework this time. Unfortunately, my decision to buy was during the no-tax weekend, and the local BB was like a human feeding frenzy.
However this particular day turned out to be advantageous. So anyway, I'm standing in front of the Panasonic 42" Viera and absolutely loving the picture quality! The Samsung and the LG both looked great also, but the Panasonic was noticeably better. The store clerk interrupts me and asks if I'm ready to purchase. I said yes, but informed him that since my "out-the-door" budget was under $1K, I wanted the $897 Samsung. The Panasonic's price tag was $998 + 9.9% state tax.
After checking for availability, he returned and sadly said they were out of the Samsung models until around August 11th. After seeing my reaction, he said; let me talk to my manager. He returned and said, my mgr will not only give you the Panasonic for the price of the Samsung, but you will also receive 10% off! Unbelievable! So I ended up paying $970 out the door!
This plasma looks & feels like pure quality! Even the way it's boxed. The set up was a breeze, and within 15 minutes, we were watching an up conversion of the Matrix. What an experience! This was absolutely the most awesome picture and sound. After about 4 hours of viewing, I felt the rear of the TV, and it was warm to the touch. Not hot like my 32" LCD. Plus I didn't hear any buzzing sounds emitting from the rear, unlike some owners have noted. So here's my take on the Panasonic TH-42PX80U:

Likes:
1. Setup is extremely easy. The stand or mount attaches in about fifteen minutes.
2. Sexy and sleek body. The black gloss and mirrored bottom strip looks futuristic.
3. Very informative and easy to read Owner's Manual. (plenty of picture guides!)
4. Auto tuning was excellent. The Panasonic picked up 16 digital and 4 HD channels with a standard pair of rabbit ears!
5. Picture quality is excellent. Very deep blacks and the colors are crisp, clear and vibrant. (especially the reds, greens and yellows) Absolutely NO GHOSTING!
6. Hi-Def is a sight to behold! Like night and day when compared to my 4 yr old DLP! Also, my Toshiba 1080i HD-DVD movies look awesome! No need to buy a Blu-Ray player........yet.
7. The sound is great! Loud and crisp! No need to hook up a separate receiver, unless you opt for a sub-out. (I love a deep bass)
8. Standard definition looks great via the Direct receiver.
9. (3) HDMI ports, (3) component out, (1) optical, an SD slot, and (2) svideo. (for those who still own a VCR)
10. The remote control is very simple, easy to use, and the buttons are large and clearly labeled.
11. Panasonic's In-Home Concierge Program. You get your own personal 1-800 number for support issues.
12. Panasonic's awesome new plasma technology almost completely eliminates the worries of burn-in & IR (image retention) issues.
13. On-screen component labeling. (ie: DVD, VCR, DVR, etc.)
14. The anti-glare screen.
15. TV turns itself off, in case you fall asleep while watching.
16. Picture quality gets better after initial 100 hr break-in.
17. My wife loves it!

Dislikes:
1. None except the 100 hr break-in period. I can't wait to really see what this plasma is capable of!

Please go view the Panasonic and compare it with the others. The picture quality will convince you that Panasonic is one of the leading plasma producers as it relates to quality, design, technology, and dependability. I promise it will literally blow you away! I'm really glad I decided to purchase the Panasonic instead of the Samsung. Besides, what's spending an extra $100 compared to getting what you really want?
In fact, I'm so pleased with this television, that I'm seriously considering not investing in the $200 extended warranty. I have 30 days to decide, so we'll just wait and see.

This entry level Panny plasma is just what I needed for my bedroom wall - and without the extra cost of upper tier units. I think the price is right at $799 with free shipping. Awesome. I was also able to find a smokin price on the extended warranty from DTVExpress/XpreServ - which has a great rating and gaurantee. As far as the TV goes the black levels are incredible as well as color and there is a discernable difference in the brightness level from past Panasonic plasma models. Since I dont watch much TV during daytime in my bedroom, ambient light is not an issue so plasma is the obvious choice (better picture than LCD). The one drawback I've noticed is a slight moire' pattern in stairs, blinds or verticle/horizontal lines. It's a challenge for all TVs so tihs is not surprising but it's something I can help but notice.

Excellent TV!! This is my first flat screen tv. I've done all kinds of research on plasma vs lcd. Plasma wins out in all areas except for glare (glass), and burn-in. Even with the antiglare, there is still a little bit of glare. However, the picture and color are very bright and deep colors too. As for burn-in, the issue does not exist.

CR has rated the panasonic's plasma tv as either #1 or #2 on their list. If you want lcd, look at sony.

Screen resolution, people can not tell the difference between 720p or 1080p on 42" screens. So, don't waste your money for something that you can't see.

Scaler, HD resolution looks great! Keep in mind that most TV stations are still SD. The good news is that the SD channels look good too. Panasonic has an excellent scaler on this tv.

I Researched all over for the best TV for my money. Not only is this the best brand for Plasma. It is the cheapest by far. under a grand with FREE SHIPPING. I have had it for a week and my family is still blown away with how good the picture is. If you don't have HD yet it still looks fantastic With SDTV. My son and I set it all up in less than 15 minutes. You can't go wrong with Panasonic. I am so glad I didn't go with the LCD model. Don't worry about glare either. It's not an issue with this TV. If you are a gamer don't worry about Burn-in, The pixels shift automatically to prevent that. Go ahead and get this AWESOME PLASMA. You won't be sorry.

plasma or lcd..the question everyone has to ask and review..i agonized, researched on line and then took a leap of faith...love the plasma...
panasonic or samsung...price had me at these two manufactures..agonized, researched on line then took a leap of faith....love the panasonic...
should i buy now or wait for price to drop: i agonized, i researched, i took a leap of faith and bought now,,,price dropped 3 times so far, BUT if bought from amazon, you have a 30 day price quarentee, i emailed them each time the price dropped and they refunded the difference each time.
delivery was quick, two guys brought it in, set it up and asked to take the box away...
my t.v. worked the first time it was plugged in, looks great and i havent even messed with the settings yet. glare a problem,,,not at all, much better than the 26 inch t.v. we replaced. we have a room with lots of lites, overhead, lamps, outside lite....tried to remember to notice if this was a problem after we turned it on, here we are one month later and i can not tell you if there is a reflection problem...there probably is reflection, but obviously not a problem. why did we have to research this so much..
sound is great, and i havent hooked this up to my surround system yet..love the hdmi, one cable hook up to cable and my upscaling dvd player.
yep, i love everything about this hdtv.
chris