Customer Reviews

Panasonic Viera TH-42PZ80U 42" 1080p Plasma HDTV

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

We bought this as an upgrade from a Sharp Aquos 32" LCD HDTV --- an excellent television, but a bit too small for our new, larger living space. I first looked at 46" and 50" sets, but they use a lot more power, and after looking at units in the store decided the 42" was quite large enough (70% more viewing area than our old TV). For environmental reasons we wanted low power consumption --- usually plasmas lose out there, but Panasonic comes through --- only 170 watts, as measured by an independent test, which is less even than some of the similar-sized LCD TVs tested by that same outfit!

The picture is stunning --- though our old Aquos looks great, this Panasonic blows it away in terms of contrast, black levels, and overall picture quality. Properly adjusted, the DirecTV HD channels look fantastic --- much better than they do on the Sharp or most other TVs I have seen. (DirecTV tends to compress its HD channels quite a bit --- yet on this Panasonic, after adjusting it, the image looks very clean and cinematic.)

Blu-Ray discs are unbelievable --- Planet Earth on this set is tremendous. Another thing I really like about the set is it passes through Dolby 5.1 sound from the HDMI connector to the optical digital out --- which I then pass into my Logitech Z-5500 THX speakers (an inexpensive way to get surprisingly good home theater sound) --- the Sharp didn't pass through the signal from our PS3 Blu-Ray player.

As others have noted burn-in and ghosting are mostly non-issues with the new plasma sets --- some basic precautions will prevent any problems, and this Panasonic set comes with some display "reset" patterns to cure any burn-in issues you might face.

The number of connections is extremely handy --- with 3 HDMI connectors I have enough for my DirecTV box, my PS3, and a front connector for the occasional times when I hook up my MacBook Pro via a DVI-HDMI cable.

There's not much to say about the built-in speakers --- serviceable but not great --- but who uses the built-in speakers on their HDTV? I certainly don't...

The picture out of the box definitely needs adjustment for optimal results --- I set the black levels to dark, turned up the Picture (contrast) and brightness, lowered the color and sharpness, in Standard mode. Fiddle with it a bit and you can get a stunning picture.

This set is cheaper than most LCD sets of the same size, and the picture quality is better. Definitely recommended.

This plasma is awesome (note: we have hd cable through comcast) we previously purchased (and returned) an lcd 1080p
this plasma is great because of the following:
the blacks are very black
the images are crystal clear and not distorted (on cable and on dvd)
we don't have a blu ray or anything only a basic 7 year old component input dvd player and we watched "no country for old men" and it looked superb...I can't wait to get a blu ray.
HOWEVER! I want other people to know if you want to mount this tv on the wall that this TV is NOT VESA compatible...we went through 2 mounts trying to find one that worked...you will not have any luck getting help from Panasonic, they want you to buy their $300 mount--

This is my fourth HDTV that I kept since they came out ( I have returned more than you would believe) so I've had a chance to evaluate a few sets and I know what is and is not acceptable. I have hdtv in most of my house now and have utilized technologies which are better for different applications and locations. The quest for a 40-42 inch den tv began last year in the summer. I bought a top brand 42" lcd from a local retailer. The tv did not perform as it was susposed to- it had terrible vertical and horizontal banding. I took it back and got another tv of another brand which was worse. After a few rounds of this nonsense and arguing with the store manager who was not nice at all I got my money back and decided to wait a while. I simply could not understand why I got multiple bum sets in a row and was very nervous about buying any tv again. We are talking serious mura defects (uneven brightness caused from unequal dispersion of the liquid crystal or uneven pressure when pressing glass layers together during manufacturing) and one even would only make green snow on the screen. These tv's were either abused in transit or should have gone to the trash heap and never left the factory. I only wanted a decent tv.

A friend recently told me plasma HDTV was much better now than in the past. I had previously stayed away from plasma because of the short lifespan and the horror stories about image burn in. I researched and he was very right. This tv is rated for 100,000 hrs they say 8 hrs a day for 30 years right on the box and burn in is not much of a problem anymore on this brand of plasma as long as you use common sense and allow a reasonable break in period at moderate settings- and don't be stupid and pause a game for hours and leave it on the tv screen. I honestly don't expect to use it 30 years before getting whatever is newer at the time but if it lasts me 10- 15 years I would be thrilled.

So I went to a different local store and bought one of these after looking at everything they had. Everything about this tv is better than lcd. The viewing angles are very good on this. The picture quality is not often matched- especially in this price range. The specs on this tv are almost too good to be true, especially at this price point.

I play ps3 on this and have no problems. If burn in was such a risk you could not game do you really think they would give the tv a game mode?

I found I had to tweak the factory settings quite a bit to get the ideal picture out of this, I know how so if you don't get a pro or a guide of some type.

I would highly reccomend this tv to anyone else who is very picky about their electronics. I took back many tv's to the store and sold a couple to friends before I found this wonderful tv. BB told me to go shop somewhere else since I brought back one too many I guess last year. I'm glad I did listen to them. This tv was the real deal on the first try. Consistent picture from corner to corner. And it just works like it is susposed to.

Lcd is ok if you play nothing but games or have a super bright room. However if you watch movies some nights, game others, watch broadcasts on others, or just want the best all around picture this plasma is it. The picture really is very good. All colors,even blacks just are so real. Never will I look at tv the same way I used to. Now that I have stepped up to this level I simply must stay here. I thought lcd had a good picture in the past now I find them inferior.
As long as it continues to work as good as it does now I will be very happy. At least I can just sit back and enjoy finally!!

I bought the TV as an upgrade from my 26" Sharp Aquos. I did a lot of research and came to one conclusion; Panasonic will be my best bang for my buck and it had a series of consistent great reviews from a range of models (80O, 80OU, 85O, 85OU, etc) on various websites like amazon and cnet. Lets just say the Pani blew the Sharp out of the water. This TV is comparable to, and maybe even better in picture quality than my parents 42" Fujitsu Plasma that is 3-4yrs old that cost them way more. I use the TV predominantly for watching sports and playing video games. The black levels and HD quality is immaculate. It's almost as if I'm receiving a new signal from Direct TV, that's how noticeably better the picture is. I have the color's turned down below 50 as recommended for the first 80-100 hours, and the picture is still amazing.

Sports in HD are flawless with no motion lag as I experienced with my LCD, and video game play is smooth with crisp colors. I have a Wii and Xbox 360, both look stunning. The TV has now drawn me towards a Blue Ray player purchase which will probably a PS3. Another great feature of the TV is the 3 HDMI and 3 Component inputs. My 3 will be full: Xbox 360, Direct TV box, and a soon to be PS3. The Wii only has Component which worked out great.

The TV itself looks great too. The solid black frame, and very sturdy stand. Although, the only downfall is that the stand is not a swivel like on most LCD's, but I plan for a wall mount anyways. The built in speakers are decent... I had the TV temporarily in my bed room, and the they were more than sufficient. But realistically, any kind of speaker system would be better. Couple great features; 1) TV is compatible with Yamaha or Onkyo theater systems. 2) As a review here has already mentioned, the set comes with some display "reset" patterns to cure most burn-in issues you might face.

A final recommendation from a review I read here on Amazon and from what I've read at the Panasonic website is to break in your TV correctly. I'm a big fan of treating electronic's with.... lets say respect. A few quick tips for new plasma owners and to increase longevity and picture quality:

- Keep the Picture (contrast) and Brightness levels under 50 for the first 100 hrs. This helps the phosphors become "tempered" and in turn not so easily susceptible to bun-in and image retention. As I said, I've yet to experience either.
- Watch everything in Just mode (full screen) for the first 100 hrs for the same reasons listed above
- After the first 100 hrs you can turn things up & start watching things in letterbox, here are some recommended levels someone on amazon posted:
Picture: +70
Brightness: +48
Color: +44
Tint: -3
Sharpness: 0
Color temp: Warm
Color mgmt: Off
x.v.Color: Off
C.A.T.S.: Off

*I know this sounds a bit ridiculous or a bit much, but it will be worth it in the end.

My final comment is that, I highly recommend using Amazon. This was my first purchase from here after hearing nothing but great things from friends and family. The purchase was flawless, I knew what I was getting, since I researched and even went to stores like Bestbuy to see the TV. They use a distribution company for delivery, and they call you with a 4-hour time window before they deliver the TV. They also unpack it so that you can inspect for damage and also turn it on to verify that it works - if anything is wrong they take it right back. None the less, I am thoroughly satisfied with the product, service, and purchase from amazon.

I recently bought the 42PZ80U for $899 and I've been using it for about 2 months. I think it's an excellent buy even around $1000.

Picture:
I was a little skeptical of the virtue of plasma's over LCD's because, in those white-washed, warehouse stores, the difference in contrast looks to be negligable. I was wrong. This set produces outstanding blacks. I have another LCD in the house and I didn't know what I was missing. Contrast ratio on this set is very, very good. Blu-Rays on my PS3 look amazing. I just watched "The Incredible Hulk" and I was SHOCKED at how good it looked. It is unbelievable what this 1080p set can do with the right content. There is far more detail in 1080p than there is in 720p. In the short amount of time I've had the Viera, I've viewed almost everything I could: sports, news, sit-coms, dramas, HD, SD, Blu-rays, DVD's, video games, computer games, PC use. It crushes almost everything you throw at it with ease. (I say almost because of problems using it as a computer monitor, see below) Also, the screen itself is glossy, not matte like some LCD's. Personally, I've always prefered the deeper color and slightly more glarey picture of glossy screens over the more-washed out, less reflective matte screens. The Viera has an anti-reflictive coating (aparently) and it does help with glare a lot, at least compared to glossy laptop screens, and TV's I've seen. I have a window behind my seat and I really can't say I've been bothered by reflections at all.

Sound:
First of all, I didn't expect much of anything from a flat-screen. I have a (rather modest) home theater system and I know better than to expect built-in speakers to compete with a sound system. That said... the speakers are terrific! The sound is full (plenty of bass) and it gets LOUD without distorting. In "Hulk" explosions were booming, ricocheting bullets were crystal clear, and it wasn't even at half-volume. I won't be giving up my dedicated surround system for movies and parties and such, but most of the time I'll be comfortably relying on the Panasonic's speakers.

Features:
Well, the on screen menu is very good. Not exceptionally pretty or groundbreaking, but it's better than any of the TV's I've had in the past (except that the useless "Vierra Link" is first up on the menu). The remote, functionally, is not bad, but it is pretty ugly, and a TV at this level should have a universal remote. I would have liked picture-in-picture, but no-one in this class has PIP, so I won't fault it there. SD card slot is a nice feature, but it doesn't pan or fade or anything, so I'll stick to Windows Media Center if I want a slide-show. I also give points for including an input button on the front of the TV with the standard CH, VOL, so you don't have to find the remote every time you want to switch between cable and Playstation. Also, a front HDMI input is nice but I have major problems with the back inputs (again, see below).

Other:
I bought this TV partially for use as a computer monitor, since I'm paying for a 1920x1080 screen. It doesn't have a VGA input, which is a bummer for most people who want to use it with their laptop. I don't mind since my desktop will work with a DVI-HDMI cable. Kinda. First of all, this set isn't exactly pixel-perfect. I assume this is an issue generic to plasmas of any brand, but small text is slightly blurred and difficult to read. It's not that big of a deal since color is more accurate than an LCD for programs like Photoshop. The bigger and more unforgivable problem is with the inputs. The second day I had the TV, it wouldn't turn on and the power LED kept blinking. I thought it was broken. A little internet research told me that the back two HDMI ports don't work with computers: if you try to power-on the TV while the computer is already on and plugged in, something in the TV keeps it from turning on. You have to a: plug it in the front port (obnoxious and unsightly) or b: buy an HDMI repeater/extender. (This information was gathered from an internet forum). I'm probably going to buy the repeater, as I currently have it plugged in on the front of the TV and I hate it. This is absurd and inexcusable. Just be warned about these issues if you want to use it as a monitor.

Also, plasmas are generally more power hungry than LCD's. I don't have a wattage meter or anything but according to tests I've read, this set is on par with most 42" LCD's and has a very low standby power rating. Excellent work, Panasonic.


I know I went into great detail over the flaws, but overall, I'm extremely happy with my purchase and continually impressed by the picture I get. Excluding those really needing a computer monitor, I would recommend the Panasonic 42PZ80U to anyone.

This is a great product. Since picking up the set at Best Buy (and using the Amazon price to knock quite a bit off their retail price) I have enjoyed every minute of watching this TV. The picture quality is stunning, and the set is built well. The menus are intuitive and well laid-out.

Don't worry about the common plasma myths. Google "plasma buying guide" for information on modern plasma displays. In my opinion, they are currently the best HD technology.

Note: if you want to connect to your PC, consider the Viera TH-42PZ85U, as the 80U does not have a PC input.

[Update 12/28/08]
I have had this TV now for 8 months or so and I am very pleased with it. What I said originally below holds:
- No burn-in issues whatsoever. Even with PS3 (I play Rock Band), I only had some image retention that went away after 2-3 mins of watching another channel or using the scrolling bar tool. I also keep the pixel orbiter at 4 and don't notice any issues with it, but it's supposed to be safer;
- As some people mentioned, the plasma screen does look better after a few months of use. If you really know what you are doing I've heard you can go in the factory settings and calibrate it, though I just use cinema mode (apparently this is sharper than the other settings) and adjust it for normal TV;
- Colors are still great and vivid, and nicer than LCDs. I have a friend with the equivalent Samsung LCD and the plasma looks a lot crisper for standard television, and the blacks are deeper for HDTV; and
- I think it's safe to say that unless you are using the TV as a monitor (in which case LCD is better), you get much better value with the plasma because people don't forget the early burn-in problems.


I have had this TV for a month and I'm very happy with it. As another reviewer mentioned, I don't think burn-in is an issue and haven't seen any on my set. I saw on one of the AV sites that image retention, which is one of the concerns with plasmas, is as likely on the new plasmas as it was on the old school CRTs.

I did use one of those break-in DVDs for the first 100 hours or so, using it to watch some TV (with those logos) and my PS3 for no more than an hour at a time, but again I did not have any issues, which was a relief since I was playing mainly sports games, which have those tickers. Some people say the burn-in DVD is a waste and it seems like that might be true, though I'd rather not roll the dice. I would also suggest forcing the pixel orbiter on 4, which prevents burn-in and image retention.

As for picture quality, it's great on this TV, which is the main advantage of plasmas over LCDs. The blacks are great and it's much closer to a CRT for SD television, and HD TV looks great, even upscaled DVDs. If you like to tinker a lot with the settings, this TV probably isn't for you, as there isn't much you can play with, but it does the job.

The one thing this TV does not have is 24p (the specs say it has it, but it's 2:3, not full 24p), which you have to pay $500 bucks or so more for; I have never seen any of the ghosting or jagged edges though on anything, so it hasn't been any issue. Still if you want that feature it's something to consider.

The 85z model does come with a 30k contrast ratio, however, I don't think I could see the difference. The price is closer now then when I got the TV, however, so for $50 bucks it might get you piece of mind. It will also get you a PC input, though I just use one of those $2 HDMI-to-DVI converters to get around this, but I don't really connect the PC to my TV much anyway; if I do, I use the PS3, which can do it wirelessly.

I actually got this TV for $1,155 thanks to the price guarantee from Amazon, though I'd still get it at the $1,250 it's selling at now.

Finally, Amazon's delivery service was great; they were scheduled to delivery the TV two weeks from the order date but were actually ready to come by the 3rd day. They also were on the earlier part of the delivery window (~10am), took out the TV, assembled the stand, and make sure it was setup before they left. I'm pretty lazy so it was nice to not deal with unpacking it and lugging it from the store.

Overall, I'd say you can't get a better TV for this price and I am very happy that I went plasma and got it on Amazon. Even if there are burn-in issues 5 years down the line this TV probably won't be worth anything, so I'm not too worried, especially now that I am past the 200-hour mark and haven't noticed anything.

At 42 inches, this TV is right in that range for people who are deciding between Plasma and LCD and having owned both technologies, I would consider this TV better overall, but not for everybody. The pz80u has deeper blacks than any LCD in this price range and is able to get just as bright and white. Looking at the TV on the showroom floor, the picture may look somewhat dim but thats because the standard settings set the brightness and "picture" settings very low. Colors are beautiful, well saturated and pop more than most LCDs. Black levels are very good and unless you are viewing content in a completely dark room, there is not much more you could ask from this TV, and even then it performs very well and better than any LCD. SD content is scaled very well and looks very good although it is slightly fuzzy in some instances due to the fact that there is considerably less information to show from a 480i or 480p signal.

All of the lighting in my room is behind the TV (two windows and a lamp) so I have had no issues with glare or reflections. If you do however have a room with lots of external lights which can't be moved, you may be able to see reflections on the screen in dark scenes as the screen is relatively shiny.

I use my pz80u mostly for gaming and am yet to notice even the slightest bit of image retention or "burn-in" even after several long sessions of Call of Duty and Gears of War. I would still not recommend leaving a still image on the screen for any extended length of time, but even brand new, gaming is not a serious risk of image retention. Also for those interested, Guitar Hero played on this TV very well requiring only a 4ms lag calibration (which is basically nothing).

For anyone considering the pz80u and the pz85u, I would recommend the 80u. Although the 85 does have a higher contrast ratio, if you compare the two sets side by side, there is little or no noticeable difference and for a $200 price bump, you are really only getting a VGA input which does not even support a 1920x1080 resolution. If you plan on connecting a computer to this monitor (and be careful of leaving an image on the screen too long if you are) I recommend using a DVI to HDMI cable to get a full 1920x1080 resolution. I have done this and it looks beautiful and the image is crisp and clear.

This is definitely a great TV with a bright and beautiful picture and I would recommend it to anybody who has a room without lots of lights as that is the only advantage any LCD has over plasma. For the price, the pz80u is probably one of the best deals out there right now.

This is our first plasma tv, and we love the high def. We do not use separate speakers, just the ones built into tv. The volume varies wildly from between stations. The volume will be fine on one station, and when we switch channels the volume is just blaring. Since we switch bet channels during commercials, this is a real distraction. We have a cable box that must be used with hdtv and must use remote f/cable co, not tv remote. Don't know if this is the cause. Haven't seen many other comments here on volume control, so not sure if it is tv and other posters haven't encountered because they use separate speakers, or it has to do with remote used from cable company. Certainly would rate much higher if speakers and volume control worked better.
UPDATE: I contacted Panasonic and they resolved the problem quickly and professionally over the phone. Just needed an adjustment to the audio on the tv so that tv and cable box would coincide. I've had such bad customer service for other products I almost didn't call them, but very pleased with customer service. Would increase stars to 4 or 5 now.

What do you expect when you decide to spring for a new HD TV? A spectacular image that blows away your previous non-HD television, right? The Panasonic Viera plasma tv is exactly that - it is a spectacular image, and if you love sports, get the plasma TV. The blacks are black and the contrast is amazing. Love the 3 HDMI ports on the new Viera set and programming seems quite easy (even my wife can figure it out - HA!) Anyway, if you want a fabulous reliable image get the Panasonic Viera Plasma.