Customer Reviews

Panasonic Viera TH-42PZ800U 42-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Panasonic has done a fine job on this one. I was told that the LCD was better that plasma. I find it hard to believe that anything could look better that this.

I was impressed with the ease of putting it together when it arrived. I had it in the cabinet within 15 minutes after opening the carton.

The picture is good in standard mode and that is where most of our viewing takes place. Normal local channels on cable do not really show what the TV is capable of showing. HD channels start to bring our how good it really looks.

When I turn on my PS3 and bring up MotorStorm in Vivid mode, the Mountains look real. The picture is so real that it will take your breath away.

I have not run across anything that I would consider to be a negative other that the price. But, sometimes it costs a little more to go "First Class".

We purchased the Panasonic HD Plasma TV from Amazon and requested extra-fee white glove delivery. This is our first hd tv and so we have no basis for comparison with prior sets. The TV is wonderful with sharp, clear picture and user-friendly controls. The white glove delivery was a different matter. Amazon uses an outside logistics service which in turn utilizes a series of independent contractors and, at least in the Bay Area, the logistics service uses one independent contractor per delivery truck. The initial delivery was prompt and the crew courteous, but the crew showed us that the packing (and the tv)were damaged. They nevertheless moved it into the house to see if it fit our existing tv stand. It did and they took the damaged tv with them and promised a prompt replacement. That was the last we heard. After we made many phone calls, and with the help of an Amazon supervisor, we learned that Amazon had provided an incorrect tracking number. A call to the logistics company revealed that the replacement tv was just sitting on their loading dock. The next day a new contractor delivered the tv. The crew was rude and unhelpful, and they even had to borrow a screwdriver to make the installation. When I went down to the driveway to ask them a question, they jumped into the their truck and sped off. So much for white glove delivery.

I spent a lot of time waffling on what plasma to get. I settled on the 42" Panasonic PZ800U, but immediately after ordering it I started to get buyers remorse.

Within minutes of hooking up my television I was totally happy with my purchase.

I had not been able to preview this model since none of the stores locally carry it so I had hoped it was going to be better than what I had seen and it is. Compared to any other 42" I've seen, and I've seen a lot, it is heads and shoulders better.

This is the first large purchase I've made through Amazon. I've been buying books from them forever but I've never bought any consumer electronic devices. I was a little hesitant, but the shipping company used by Amazon was very responsive with making themselves available when it was convenient to me and even helped set the television up.

This is a great television. You can get much larger televisions for much less money, but you get what you pay for. The picture on this set is phenomenal. I have an Xbox 360 and a PC connected to it and you can't beat the picture.

Well worth the money and buying through Amazon was a breeze.

This TV is sharp. So far I only have HD through Comcast. Make sure you use an HDMI calbe; it does not have to be an expensive one - try Belkin.

The THX makes me feel like watching TV through polarized sunglasess; in otherwords, too dark - I have yet to watch a Blu Ray movie on the THX mode. So far, I have been watching this TV on the Custom Mode.

The TV is stylish and stands out from the pack. I have not had a burning image and not sure if that's a problem anymore.

If you do not have HD service from your Cable or Dish and do not plan on getting a Blu Ray don't bother getting this TV - stick to your old tube.

The size, 42-Inch is big enough for my 12 feet away viewing experience. Another plus is that this tv has an excellent sound and more than likely you will not need a surround system; other HD TVs have very poor sound systems.

The tv looks great both on and off. The controls are very straight forward making it very easy to set up and start viewing your favorite shows right away. The sound quality is surprisingly good so now thinking twice about getting separate a/v receiver and external speakers. Amazon's delivery service was prompt and professional; unboxing the unit and setting it up in the home. All around a good experience and have no second thoughts.

As other reviewers have stated this product is a top of the line plasma TV for its size. I've had absolutely no problems with the product and it never ceases to impress me with its sharp picture and accurate colors. I may opt to get it calibrated some time soon in order to get the perfect viewing experience but for now I am pleased with the picture quality. Also you can configure the TV to use any combination of video and audio sources. For instance, I am using a HDMI-DVI cable hooked to an HDMI port to obtain PC video and I have it matched with the PC audio input. I think this is a very thoughtful consideration on Panasonic's part for those consumers who may want to hook up non HDMI sources in a variety of wire configurations.

Shipping was fast; however, Amazon did not ask for a phone number and as a result a few days were lost since the shipping company could not get in touch even though I called Amazon customer support and supplied my contact number. Eventually, I had to contact the shipping company to arrange for the delivery. While I have no problems with the product I feel I did not get the white glove delivery that I was promised. The shipping agents just brought in the TV to my living room, obtained my signature and left. I was under the impression they were supposed to unpack the TV and give me the opportunity to inspect it. Instead, they were in a hurry to leave and left as soon as I signed the paperwork.

In any case the TV was in good condition and has provided me with breath-taking viewing of the Olympics. Looking forward to football season!

PS: The maximum resolution on the VGA PC input is less than the maximum resolution supported by the TV. This is not a big issue since at maximum resolution everything on screen may be too small for viewing (the icons, windows, etc). You can obtain maximum resolution using a HDMI-DVI cable.

I decided to spend a little more on this model. In addition to the improved picture quality, card reader and extra HDMI input I chose this because it was crafted from a single sheet of glass and had a swivel stand (the tv sits in a corner and allow us to swivel to face the kitchen if we need).

I did a lot of research on TVs and knew I wanted a Panasonic plasma from the outset. The picture quality is excellent (colors and blacks are extremely well defined), menu's easy to navigate and the THX certification was noticeable when you switched - particularly on DVDs. All in all a great price for this TV and a solid, good looking performer.

I ordered this product through Amazon.com on the 18th of August. It was shipped on the 19th with an August 26th estimated delivery date. I was more than surprised to find that this product was actually to be delivered on the 23rd, and on a Saturday to boot.

First off-- the picture is beyond comparison for what I spent for this model. The unit does not give off much heat (as long as you are not in a closed room with no air circulation); as the addition of four low rpm exhaust fans on the top of the plasma keep it cool without additional noise.

Secondly-- I would highly recommend the use of blue ray discs through an additional PS3. The smooth scaling from the PlayStation to the plasma is just phenomenal! I did my research on many brands of plasma hd tvs, and I have to honestly say that this is a purchase I won't regret. In addition, with a unit running this cool, and with an estimated 11 year 24/7 365 days/yr running time until the TV loses half its brightness, I believe I won't have trouble finding a buyer for this unit if I ever choose to upgrade.

Lastly-- This unit can easily detect any HDMI device and conform to its specifications in short time. I find it easy to switch display and audio from my PS3 to my laptop and not lose a second in between.
I highly recommend this product, and duly urge any potential consumer to do their due diligence before any product purchase. If this model is your choice, utilize Amazon.com and not a local brick and mortar store. The free shipping saves you gas, and the 'white glove' service will both setup and verify your plasma's integrity.

Best of luck in your quest for an ideal plasma 1080P TV!

Let me preface this by saying this is my first BIG $$ purchase from an online retailer. Also, this is my first plasma purchase. Like most people, I spent many hours at Best Buy, searching online forums ([...] is a GREAT resource for anything TV related), and reading reviews about products. It was a little hard to make a solid decision without reading any reviews of this TV or seeing it in person (I saw the 50pz800u at Best Buy but not the 42). Anyways, I finally decided on this TV, mainly because of the THX certification and 4 speaker setup. Most people raved about the out of the box setting that the THX provided so I definitely wanted that. This TV is for my room so I am not hooking up any entertainment system, thats why I wanted 4 speakers.

I purchased the TV from [...]. I found them thru Amazon and ordered directly thru them. They offer free shipping. I ordered the TV on May 22 and the price was $[...]. Between May 22nd and June 3rd (when the TV arrived) the price had dipped as low as $[...]. I called up 6ave and they price matched it all the way down to the lowest price. Each encounter I had with 6ave was great. The shipping company (Perlas Logistics) was great! They have an online tracking site (not always up to date, but still useful) and their customer support is great. Twice I emailed them to get more information on arrival date and they got back to me within minutes. When my TV showed up, the driver took it out of the box for me to inspect. He then offered to help me take it upstairs to my room. After reading all of the horror stories about online retailers, shipping companys, damaged products, horrible customer service etc from other retailers, I am totally happy with 6ave.

As for the TV, it is great! I have only had limited time to play with it, but the HD picture is really good. My cable company's box only outputs 1080i, but the HD channels look really good. Standard TV looks good too. I don't have much to compare it to, but when looking at Best Buy, this TV definitely stood out against others. The THX setting is a really good out of the box setup. I have that on all the time. The sound is good, but once you get above the middle range of volume, it doesn't go much louder. Either way, for my bedroom, it is perfect. The reflection is not too bad, but with lights on I could definitely see some reflection. It is not any worse than on my 20" iMac. If they room were dark, like at night, I am sure it will be fine.

The viewing angles are awesome. I can see the picture great from any angle in my room. After I get 100 or so hours on this, I will hook up a DVD player and old PS2 to see what the picture is like.

I will update this when I have more viewing hours logged.

I researched this tv for 3 months before pulling the trigger. I was only disapointed in paying a buck fifty more then what I could have gotten it for but the price has since risen since.
I purchased the Plasma on 10/3 and right out of the box it was great. The picture was great and that was just in Standard. I got the HD receiver three days after and thats when I really fell in love with it. It is also good to note that you can not find this tv in retail stores. I actually had a saleman at Circuit City tell me that the 42pz800u didn't exsist.
The only draw back on this Plasma that i could actually complain about would be the sound. Not the best but not the worst. Nothing a cheap home sound system couldn't fix. This Panasonic gets a 10. If there's a Plasma better, well...I won't worry about that for some years to come.

Tom
South Jersey