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

Other products by Panasonic

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 41.9 x 12.9 x 28.3 inches ; 66.1 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 85 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item can only be shipped to the 48 contiguous states. We regret it cannot be shipped to APO/FPO, Hawaii, Alaska, or Puerto Rico.
• ASIN: B00142MUDS
• Item model number: TH-42PZ80U
• Batteries: 2 AAA batteries required. (included)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #23,527 in Electronics (See Bestsellers in Electronics)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: February 19, 2008

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description--March 10, 2008
With its 2008 Panasonic Viera Plasmas, Panasonic brings anastonishing 1,000,000:1 contrast ration to the table. advanced pixel resolution and image-processing technology with the plasma TV's natural ability to beautifully reproduce fast moving images, so every detail is rendered with amazing clarity, and all the action is delivered with a high degree of fluidity.

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What's New This Year?

• Super Contrast--native contrast ratios on the PZ85, PZ800 and PX 850 series are 30,000:1, double last year's 15,000:1.
  
• Dynamic contrast ratios are up to 1,000,000:1.
• new anti-reflective filter; lead-free "Tough Under Force" panel is resistant to impacts and scratches
  
• x.v. Color and Deep Color (HDMI 1.3 features)
• Game Mode auto-adjusts image quality suitable to games and includes anti-image retention
• Viera Link is now compatible with Onkyo and Yamaha home theater systems
  
• At least 3 HDMI inputs on all models (4 on PZ800 and PZ850 series)
• THX Certification on PZ800 and PZ850 series

Which Viera is Right For You?

Click here to see a comparison of step up features on each Viera series.

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Amazing color reproduction

The incredible black reproduction of a Panasonic High-Definition Plasma TV results in impressive contrast and beautiful, natural colors. So you'll get warm, accurate skin tones, gorgeous greens, breathtaking blues and vivid reds. For color that's as rich and bold as life itself, look to a Panasonic Plasma TV.

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Consistent brightness from any angle

A Panasonic Plasma combines anti-glare and anti-reflection technology with the natural light-emitting properties of plasma, to give you a super-wide viewing range with a crisp, beautiful image from almost any angle.

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Smooth, graceful motion

When you're watching sports or movies with fast-motion graphics, you want a TV that can keep up with the action. With over 900 lines of moving picture, self-illuminating plasma displays eliminate afterimages in fast-action scenes. So whether you're watching a sporting event or an action-packed movie, you'll always get the most impressive viewing experience possible.

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1,000,000:1 Contrast

The Panasonic's Real Black system (a pre-discharge suppression system) and improved panel production processes combine to reproduce outstanding blacks with superb contrast. Each image is richly expressive, from bright scense, like scorching desert landscapes, to dark cave scenes. Compare the image produced by conventional HDTV on the left to the Real Black image produced on the right

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More Colors

Viera HDTVs support the xvYCC color profile (Extended YCC Colorimetry for Video Applications), or "x.v. color" for short. Standard RGB color space allows the display of a portion of the colors that are viewable to the human eye. The next generation "xvYCC" color space actually offers  an available range of colors that exceeds what human eyes can recognize. Next-generation "xvYCC" color space supports 1.8 times as many colors as existing HDTV signals Lets HDTVs display colors more accurately Enables displays with more natural and vivid colors

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Deep Color

Where x.v. color expands the available range of colors your HDTV can display, Deep Color increases the number of colors your HDTV can display within that range, for smoother transitions from color to color. Lets HDTVs and other displays go from millions of colors to billions of colors Eliminates on-screen color banding, for smooth tonal transitions and subtle gradations between colors Enables increased contrast ratio Can represent many times more shades of gray between black and white.

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Connectivity

Viera flat panel HDTVs interact with an array of high-definition devices and services, making it easy for consumers to access and enjoy content as never before. As of 2008, Viera Link is compatible with Onkyo and Yamaha home theater systems.

Videos and stills recorded on SD cards can easily be viewed via the SD slots on Panasonic Blu-Ray Disc players and Viera HDTVs.	Viera Link means easy connectivity via HDMI cables. Finally, consumers can easily operate their Blu-Ray Disc players, DVD recorders and home theater systems with a single remote control device.
4 HDMI inputs to connect all of your devices directly to your television.

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Long Life

Panasonic plasma panels are rated to last 100,000 hours, which is about 30 years of regular or 11 years of non-stop usage before the brightness of the display is halved.

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Get Full HD with Blu-Ray Disc Players

A Panasonic 1080p plasma television is able to render 1920x1080 pixels, but standard DVDs have a resolution of just 720x480. Blu-ray discs output true 1080p High-Definition resolution and have a storage capacity ten times greater than standard DVDs, so no pixel gos to waste.

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Which is the Right Viera for You?

	Screen Size Measured Diagonally	1080p Full HD 1920 x 1080 pixels	Native Contrast Ratio	PC Input	THX Cert	24p	Speakers	HDMI Inputs	One Sheet of Glass Design	Swivel Base	Shades of Gradation	H.264 Codec	Digital Cinema Color	Studio Reference Mode	Pro Setting Menu	Serial Port	Standard Features
TH-42PX80U	42 inches		15,000:1				2	3			4,096						480 Hz Sub-field Drive Technology Anti-Reflective Filter Viera Link HDAVI Control Built-in SD Card Slot w/Photo Viewer Deep Color Technology x.v. Color 3D Color Mangement Sub-Pixel Controller Motion Pattern Noise Reduction Anti-Image Retention Mode Game Mode Scratch and Impact Rsistant Panel 100,000 Hours to Panel Half-Brightness (>30 years @ 8 hours/day) Lead-free Panel
TH-50PX80U	50 inches		15,000:1				2	3			4,096
TH-42PZ80U	42 inches		20,000:1				2	3			4,096
TH-46PZ80U	46 inches		20,000:1				2	3			4,096
TH-50PZ80U	50 inches		20,000:1				2	3			4,096
TH-42PZ85U	42 inches		30,000:1				2	3			4,096
TH-46PZ85U	46 inches		30,000:1				2	3			4,096
TH-50PZ85U	50 inches		30,000:1				2	3			4,096
TH-42PZ800U	42 inches		30,000:1				4	4			4,096
TH-46PZ800U	46 inches		30,000:1				4	4			4,096
TH-50PZ800U	50 inches		30,000:1				4	4			4,096
TH-58PZ800U	58 inches		30,000:1				4	4			4,096
TH-46PZ850U	46 inches		30,000:1				4	4			5,120
TH-50PZ850U	50 inches		30,000:1				4	4			5,120
TH-58PZ850U	58 inches		30,000:1				4	4			5,120
TH-65PZ850U	65 inches		30,000:1				4	4			5,120

Product Description
When it comes to Color depth, the Plasma screen offers the most vivid color and contrast than virtually any flat-panel TV. Panasonic 1080p capable plasmas match the most advanced Pixel Resolution and image-processing technology with an ability to beautifully reproduce fast-moving images. So every detail is rendered with amazing clarity, and all the action is delivered with unbelievable fluidity. 1080p also delivers amazing color reproduction resulting in impressive contrast and beautiful, natural colors. What you get is warm, accurate skin tones, deep blacks, gorgeous greens, breathtaking blues and vivid reds for color that's as rich and bold as life itself. GalleryPlayer allows you to enjoy the world's finest High Definition art and photography on your Panasonic HD plasma TV. Use the free GalleryPlayer Software to purchase and Download the images you like, and then play them on your Panasonic HDTV right from your PC. Sign-up is easy and free. Plus, you get a free collection of high definition images to enjoy right away in your home or office. Share your JPEG photos taken with a Lumix or any SD-compatible Digital-Camera on your Panasonic plasma using the built-in SD card slot. Simply insert the SD card, which is about the size of a postage stamp, into the SD slot on the TV and enjoy a photo slideshow with Photo Viewer. For added convenience, EZ Sync HDAVI Control lets you operate all of your Home Theater components by pressing a single button on your TV's remote control. 16 - 9 (Widescreen) Aspect Ratio G11 Progressive 1080p HD Plasma Display Panel Type Motion Adaptive 3D-Y/C Digital Comb Filter Two Full-range (L,R) Speakers, 20Watt (10% THD)(8ohms, 70Hz-17kHz) Integrated ATSC Tuners ATSC / QAM / NTSC Receiving System SD Card Slot, Photo Viewer Input Ports - 3 x HDMI (1 Front), Analog 2 x Audio Input (for HDMI), 3x Composite Video (1 Front), 2 x S-Video (1 Front), Audio Input (1 Front) (for Video), 1

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning HDTV, great value, low power consumption, June 14, 2008

By	M. Hadeishi "synthetic zero" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great tv so far, July 7, 2008

By	al (petersburg va) - See all my reviews

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!!

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This is a great plasma , April 23, 2008

By	Himalayan Mommy (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

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--