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

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Pros: Sharp picture. Excellent price!
Cons: Not 1080p. Could use more inputs on the rear. Not enough picture adjustment options for the hardcore hdtv lover (enough for me though!).

I purchased the TH42PX80U for a few reasons: #1. Panasonic quality. They have been an industry leader in plasmas for a few years now. I have 3 friends with Panasonic plasmas (each purchased 3 years ago) and the displays look great, no problems ever reported. #2. Customer service. I have heard good things about Panasonic's customer service and their "Plasma Concierge Service" that is included really top notch. If you should ever have a problem they are promptly at your doorstep and will repair or replace asap. #3. Price. I could not believe a Panasonic 42" plasma was/is going for under $700!

Since receiving the TV yesterday, I have been pleased with the HD picture as well as the SD picture. Some channels are better than others with their HD content (NBC is notoriously bad) and some of the local cable commercials seemed a bit fuzzy but the tv programs themselves have looked great. The sound is good. I do not have a surround sound system (much to my dismay) but am content (being on a student budget) with the sound produced by the speakers on this television. I had no problems setting up the remote with my Comcast cable box although I cannot figure out how to change the aspect ratio using my Comcast remote.

I have been using Nintendo Wii and the tv does an admirable job of handling all colors and motion. Some people fear plasmas and video game use due to the potential for burn-in. With this model tv that is not really an issue. There are settings in the menu to help prevent burn-in as well as a white screen wipe that gets rid of any burn-in that may occur from having static images on screen for too long. Also, for video game players, there is a GAME setting that helps further prevent burn in. It's a nice "set it and forget it" kinda option. Very user friendly.

On the downside, I feel adding an HDMI port to the front of the tv is almost pointless. Using inputs in the front of the tv are typically, at least for me, done as a quick and dirty way to watch something. Typically I use it to attach a video camera or maybe if a friend brings a video game system over we may use the front inputs. There are only 2 HDMI ports in the rear so once you attach your cable box and Blu Ray or upconverting DVD player, you are tapped out of HDMI ports in the rear. There is a third port in the front but using that at all times looks rather tacky in my opinion. But, for the price, this is an extremely minor complaint. I guess if someone were to be using 3 HDMI ports at all times, they probably would be getting a higher end TV anyway thus making my point moot.

Also there are just a small handful of picture adjustment options. For the average user, this is just fine and the picture looks quite good right out of the box. I am content with the amount of adjustments available. Of course, a hardcore hdtv lover may not feel that the adjustments are enough for his/her liking. But, for those of us looking for a great picture with minimal tweaking, the adjustment options on this tv are fine.

Thus far I am enjoying the tv. Granted, this review has been written after only 1 day of use so take it for what it is worth. One last tip for all you new HDTV buyers, make sure that you use HDMI cables as much as possible. Using those old red-white-yellow a/v cables give you a rather junky picture. You will definitely notice a big difference in picture quality by upgrading to some inexpensive HDMI cables (don't pay for the big name HDMI cables, a $6 cable will work just as well).

Enjoy!

The Panasonic Viera Plasma HDTV has been an outstanding purchase for us. The picture quality is great. The set-up was easy. From Amazon, we received our TV in less than 5 business days.

Upgrading from a 4-year-old JVC 37" CRT SDTV, I was blown away by this Panasonic Plasma. Watching my local channels in 720p/1080i is like looking at a piece of heaven. And don't even get me started on Open Season 1080p Bluray :)

This isn't my first time buying an HDTV, but the other one was a 27" Olevia LCD (average), so I did a LOT of research. I went everywhere from AVSForum to Dishnetwork forums looking for good reviews and recommendations for a nice HDTV under $800. To make a long journey short, I found a deal for this TV and grabbed it.

Absolutely not disappointed, at all. No buyer's remorse here. I'm still in the process of breaking in my Plasma to avoid burn-in so I have the color and contrast down to low. But even that can't hide the beautiful and sharp picture. On the occasions that I do set it to Game/Vivid mode, the HD movies pop out so much that I'm afraid they'll break my new TV. Black levels are amazing. Black is black. I do see some noise, but seriously, doesn't make a difference.

Audio leaves a lot to be desired as expected. It's tolerable though and I am using it until I can find a nice speaker set up.

The only two (minor) gripes I have is: 1) No headphone jack. Seriously Panasonic. You give us an HDMI input in front panel, but no headphone? 2) I'd prefer 3 Component inputs instead of 2 S-Videos.

I think I'm in love.

I ordered this TV and it only took only 5 days to have it delivered right to my door. Setup was a no brainer and I was up and viewing HD channels from DISH in under 30 minutes. The picture is bright and clear and HD channels are superb. For the price, this is a awesome deal.