Tagged Products - plasma+42in

PN42A450 42" 720p Plasma TV, HDMI x 3, Integrated NTSC/ATSC/QAM Tuner, PC Input, Sports, Cinema, Game Modes

...

but when you factor in free shipping and no sales tax, Amazon had the better deal by about $70. I've had the TV for about 6 weeks now, and I love it. Baseball games and movies look great on this TV.

A few words of caution about my experience with the free shipping: you do get what you pay for. In my area at least, the company that Amazon contracted to do the delivery did not seem to have a particular specialization in electronics or TVs. The guy who delivered my tv was courteous and helpful, but did not have a high degree of knowledge about plasma TVs. First of all, it was only this one fellow win an unmarked white panel van full of boxes. He was pulling the TV out and was going to bring it into my house by himself and he was kind of awkwardly carrying it (it really is a two man job to keep it level) so I helped him carry it in. Also this TV comes in a special box that lifts off of the TV so that you don't have to lift the TV out of if. The delivery guy didn't understand this (and neither did I initially). First he was going to lay the box on its side to slide the TV out which from what I understand is not the best thing to do with a plasma TV (laying it on its side can possibly damage the huge piece of glass that makes up the screen). I didn't know much about plasmas but knew enough to stop him from doing that. Finally we cut the box apart to get to the TV, after which point I found out that the box can lift apart by itself. So I ruined the box which I could have saved to safely transport the TV if I ever need to move. Not a huge deal, but it would have been nice to keep the box.

So in summary I am happy with this purchase. The only caution is that I would advise you to be home when the TV comes in order to make sure it is taken into your house and unpacked correctly.

Panasonic 42" 720p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV

...

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. 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.

Panasonic 42" 720p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV

...

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. 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.

Panasonic 42" 720p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV

...

ugly but it works. Don't waste your money paying the store $300 to "callibrate" your tv. It looks just fine from the store and you can either use preset picture modes or play around with the 'custom' until you're satisfied. Plasma is the best choice! At the store, brighter isn't always better - when comparing plasma vs LCD. Plasma has deeper blacks and more natural colors. Great value - got mine at Best Buy for $999.

Panasonic 42" 1080p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV

...

(and of course HD cable looks great). I was under the impression that few if any modern displays could handle SD well, frankly because I hadn't seen evidence of it. I was wrong, there have been a few times that I had to look hard to tell I was watching Standard Def (CNN puts out an especially clean broadcast in my area). Secondly, HD content; doubly stunning! I'm running both HD Cable and a PS3 Blu-ray. I figured I'd be buying many of my movies again in Blu-ray....wrong. Certainly true HD content has the edge but the upscaler combined with this set is jaw dropping, Pixar DVDs are quite amazing.

Now a few comments about Plasma vs LCD:

No doubt LCD has it's place, some people simply want a very "punchy" and extremely bright display. This is especially useful for daytime/bright room viewing. However, the drawbacks are considerable:

- motion lag/bur: if you see it (and I do) it's VERY distracting
- black levels clearly not up to par, which greatly affects the overall picture quality

On the other hand Plasma pluses:

- no motion lag
- industry standard black levels
- extremely realistic/film like experience

A few words on Image Retention & Burn in:

These are not the same thing though the terms are often used interchangeably. Image Retention is the result of a static image (any image that doesn't change for extended periods; video game displays, station identification, etc) to remain on the screen even after you've changed images. This is a temporary problem and one that is easily erased by viewing full screen for short periods where all the pixel locations on the screen will get some activity. Frankly I've not seen even one instance on my set. Burn-in is the extreme, unfixable version of this, leaving a static image on the screen for many hours (all day) or always watching all your content letterboxed will certainly lead to burn in. It's easy to avoid. The Panasonic is especially immune to this and even has many safety features built in to prevent it (pixel shifting and auto off if a screen remains unchanged for an extended period).

Finally a few quick tips for new owners, gleaned mostly from the AVS forums and partly directly from Panasonic's own website:

- 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:
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

One final note for those on the fence: Don't go by what you see in the stores, what is displayed in no way exemplifies what these sets (any brand really) are capable of. My picture is light years better than anything I ever saw at Best Buy (including this very set). Delivery from Amazon/CEVA was a breeze by the way, took one week from ordering to door.

PN42A450 42" 720p Plasma TV, HDMI x 3, Integrated NTSC/ATSC/QAM Tuner, PC Input, Sports, Cinema, Game Modes

...

glad I made the plunge into Hi Def with this tv.

Panasonic 42" 1080p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV

...

blue for fast moving objects and sports, but you pay up for it. I saw a little Wimbledon while at best buy and the ball did see fuzzy at times. Well, a Plasma is at 480 mhz image refresh rate, so you don't have to worry about 120 vs. 60. ALso check out the contrast ratios. They are significantly higher on a Plasma. I'm not a huge spec person because they don't mean everything. But there is a difference between 1,000,000:1 vs. 10,000:1 on an LCD. So go with the plasma.

I did have some issues with Butterfly photo. The mispriced the extended warranty i also purchased and had to call back to correct it. When the warranty showed up in the mail, it was for an LCD, not plasma. SO I had to call back. Then since I had the item in my Amazon cart, I saw they had lowered the price and Butterfly would not honor their own price reduction just 24 hours after purchasing it. It had not even been shipped yet and they claimed they could not cancel the order and resell it at the lower price. BS. However, I purchased the item over the phone from butterfly, not online. Their phone price was lower than the AMZN price and the extended warranty was on special, which I would not have know about. So I saved about $150 just by calling, so I'm not too upset by the $50 price reduction. They will try to sell you other things, like cables or power units, just say you'll think about it.

As for as some small issues with the TV. The channel change button are on the side of the TV, but still tucked several inches behind it. There are a little difficult to see if the TV is in a cabinet, which mine is. Plus my 3-year old can no longer change the channels. She used to be able to switch between the DVD or Leapfrog games, but cannot do it without help now. Also, adding components to the TV requires several different cables. The TV accepts many inputs, but only two or each. I had been connection my with the same blue, red, green, white, and red cables. But after the DVD and PVR, I have to buy different cables to connect the cable box, VRC or game consol.

Other than that. A great TV. Definately go with the Plasma. The old burn-in issues of old have been solved and its so much brighter, crisper, and worth the money compared to an LCD.

Panasonic TH-42PZ800U Viera 42" Class Plasma Widescreen Television HDTV

...

blue for fast moving objects and sports, but you pay up for it. I saw a little Wimbledon while at best buy and the ball did see fuzzy at times. Well, a Plasma is at 480 mhz image refresh rate, so you don't have to worry about 120 vs. 60. ALso check out the contrast ratios. They are significantly higher on a Plasma. I'm not a huge spec person because they don't mean everything. But there is a difference between 1,000,000:1 vs. 10,000:1 on an LCD. So go with the plasma.



I did have some issues with Butterfly photo. The mispriced the extended warranty i also purchased and had to call back to correct it. When the warranty showed up in the mail, it was for an LCD, not plasma. SO I had to call back. Then since I had the item in my Amazon cart, I saw they had lowered the price and Butterfly would not honor their own price reduction just 24 hours after purchasing it. It had not even been shipped yet and they claimed they could not cancel the order and resell it at the lower price. BS. However, I purchased the item over the phone from butterfly, not online. Their phone price was lower than the AMZN price and the extended warranty was on special, which I would not have know about. So I saved about $150 just by calling, so I'm not too upset by the $50 price reduction. They will try to sell you other things, like cables or power units, just say you'll think about it.



As for as some small issues with the TV. The channel change button are on the side of the TV, but still tucked several inches behind it. There are a little difficult to see if the TV is in a cabinet, which mine is. Plus my 3-year old can no longer change the channels. She used to be able to switch between the DVD or Leapfrog games, but cannot do it without help now. Also, adding components to the TV requires several different cables. The TV accepts many inputs, but only two or each. I had been connection my with the same blue, red, green, white, and red cables. But after the DVD and PVR, I have to buy different cables to connect the cable box, VRC or game consol.



Other than that. A great TV. Definately go with the Plasma. The old burn-in issues of old have been solved and its so much brighter, crisper, and worth the money compared to an LCD.

Panasonic 42" Class 1080p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV

...

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 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. Best buy 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. 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!!

Panasonic TH-42PZ800U Viera 42" Class Plasma Widescreen Television HDTV

...

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 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. Best buy 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. 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!!

PN42A450 42" 720p Plasma TV, HDMI x 3, Integrated NTSC/ATSC/QAM Tuner, PC Input, Sports, Cinema, Game Modes

...

prompt, polite, and professional. I was very impressed with their service, and if I buy another TV again I definitely will use Amazon again

I tried watching standard definition, some high definition channels in my area through the antenna, played a few DVDs, and a VHS tape. Each one looked very good, and I have no complaints about this TV. I am looking forward to trying out some more HD programming when I exchanged my cable box for an HD one. I am planning to buy a Blu-Ray DVD player once the prices have come down a bit, and I am sure it will look great on this TV.

The manual is kind of confusing, but I figured it out in the end. There is an ample amount of connections on the back and on the side for anything you may have.

If you are looking for a TV with a fantastic picture, then do not look any further because you will love this TV.

PN42A450 42" 720p Plasma TV, HDMI x 3, Integrated NTSC/ATSC/QAM Tuner, PC Input, Sports, Cinema, Game Modes

...

hundred extra, I suggest you look at this one instead. How in the world will your eyes notice the 1080p vs 720p?

I'll tell you, the HD channels on this TV appear better than what you would see in real life. It's that good.

I haven't tried any upconverting DVD players or Blue-Ray inputs, but with HD input from my silver comcast cable box, the picture is unbelievable.

Having said that, I don't think these TVs will get any cheaper. This is as cheap as they get. Everything from this point on will be more expensive, because of the rising fuel costs, weaker dollar, and bunch of other reasons. So, if you feel, you need the best possible resolution to insure against improving technology in the future, then 1080p for couple hundred extra might be a good bet.

Now I just wish they had all my favorite channels in HD. Watching HD programming is very addictive. The price of this TV I paid is worth every penny, especially if you look at my cable bill.

PN42A450 42" 720p Plasma TV, HDMI x 3, Integrated NTSC/ATSC/QAM Tuner, PC Input, Sports, Cinema, Game Modes

...

tv's i would say this TV is bang for bug. This TV has all the required connections. Almost the same i couldnt believe it. I wanted to take a step back and decide, we left the store. Came back and read the review on this. Next couple of days i was quite convinced that this is the TV. Finally bought it in Best buy. If you want best value for money and not comprimise on picture quality look no further.

Panasonic 42" 720p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV

...

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.

Panasonic 42" 1080p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV

...

the side to get the right jack. A swivel base would be nice. They provide it on the higher end models why not this one too?

Overall, I am very pleased with my set and my purchase through Amazon. It exceeded my expectations. Delivery through Amazon purchase was great. The unit arrived promptly and delivery person took the time to unpack and inspect the unit. Terrific product, terrific service. No complaints.

PN42A450 42" 720p Plasma TV, HDMI x 3, Integrated NTSC/ATSC/QAM Tuner, PC Input, Sports, Cinema, Game Modes

...

Received set from Amazon, white-glove delivery sub-par, but acceptable, and Quick!. Set is 7 days old as I write this, run 24/7 on OTA PBS excepting ~12 hours off-time this last Father's Day. Used movie-cont60-brite40, all dynamics off for burn-in.

heat: non issue, a/c at 80deg F, decent ventilation, but Yamaha 2500 -can- overheat if we play LOTR too loud (i.e., 0 to +3 db). set is barely warm on top, cool on back. No buzzing/ringing that my questionable hearing can detect.

sound: all I can say is that my expectations here were somewhat lower than other reviewers, I think the speakers for crap TV broadcasts are very good, and would go so far to say that piano and concert footage on OTA PBS, my only real source, was nearly ok. I have had 5.1 on Infinitys since I purchased the Yamaha, so I'd have settled for Not AWEful - and they are better than not awful to my abused ears. I disagree with the people that say "who cares?"about internal speakers, as turning on the 5.1 is a pain and Loud for casual crap-tv watching.

Remote: keep it to teach my ancient but trusty sony universal, heheh, but no complaints.

Color: I have used every built-in setting and can give high marks to movie AND dynamic, though I turn off the DNIe, so it may only be 'torch' when all enhancing circuitry is re-disabled. That is -not- my experience, as it still pops more than "movie" turned up to the same settings. IMHO, choose dynamic for HD OTA sports and have insta-pop for the upcoming Olympics (wish it weren't NBC ).

Posterization: I haven't spent a great deal of time actually Looking for it, and the kids viewing positions of 8' are the closest that I examine from, but I have not seen it on my set.

pixel conversion: my 16:9 setting seems to be worse than some here, I use just scan for all ota, only get the garbage at the top when they switch to 4:3 transmitted at 16:9 (tell by black bars). I switch by remote to 16:9 if I have to watch it, as in local news. I find the real tell is from the Oppo. As suggested here, I tried 1080p as the output from DVD and saw no improvement from 480p. 720p on 16:9 gobbles 5 pixels per side, so 720p justscan for DVD here. Again, Oppo and OTA are the Only sources here. I think that properly mastered/compressed 1500MB (two CDs) movies written to flash-drive and played on the USB 2.0 of the Oppo look pretty good, pixelation in high motion action, but no worse than SD CRT (36" Toshiba is what I am graduating from. My First Plasma TV, our 24" LCDs on our computers dint-impress-me-much, larger sizes same opinion, only more-so, lol )

Problems: I am experiencing the brightness shift that I have read about. It is consistent as follows: talking head on grey-sky background, I believe the sky slow-wwly increases so that my eyes cannot perceive, then drops a brightness click down all at once. Gray background seems to be the environment when it will occur repeatably - think news show, outdoors, "so how did you feel as the flood carried away your house with your mother-in-law in it, Mr. Nurrgerrtz?" - it happens elsewhere but hard to define and harder to demonstrate and describe.
UPDATE: setting dynamic contrast to 'low' seems to solve the brightness-shift / flicker. This Will require changing other settings to return to the brightness/contrast that you had, recommend making this setting before any fine-tuning.

The gray screen-burn protection scroll screen has definite colors (magenta and yellow) appearing in the gray behind the darkest or starting bar. bands are semi-moire` shaped, 1-2 inches behind the start bar, 2-4 occurrences total.

I'm not real excited about either issue - I will call samsung and complain - but hope that a firmware is already being written as I type this - NOT a deal breaker.

recommendation: screw the burn-in dvd, just play OTA PBS with volume turned down for fast burn-in. The mild Image Retention disappeared completely after 50 hours and the colors lost their neonesque in about 24. fwiw. NO STEWPID LOGO on ota PBS! Furthermore, I believe there is no better comparison source for depth and color than PBS, assuming a strong ota signal. Puts NBC to shame (self-evident) and what minimal amount of sports PBS does show, beats CBS (no abc HD signal here, lol... Fox is at least Trying HD, but haven't worked the kinks out yet.) No I am not employed or compensated by PBS for this biased review of ota signals, lol.

I feel absolutely GREAT about this purchase, prefer this set to best friend's panny 80u - what I had planned to buy - and really appreciate the three hun dred savings (I sold the free tivo).

carpe` cervesi
knf

PN42A450 42" 720p Plasma TV, HDMI x 3, Integrated NTSC/ATSC/QAM Tuner, PC Input, Sports, Cinema, Game Modes

...

is only one aspect to look at. Others include black levels, contrast, ect. The PN50A450 handles all of these wonderfully.

Bottomline...if you are having to watch your budget and you are sitting 7 - 12 feet away from your TV...then THIS is the TV to get. Shipping on the product was great. We received this from CEVA shipping and they were great. They called ahead of time and were very prompt, courteous, and they even took the TV out and hooked it up for us.

Panasonic 42" Class 1080p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV

...

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.

Panasonic 42" Class 1080p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV

...

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.

Panasonic TH-42PZ800U Viera 42" Class Plasma Widescreen Television HDTV

...

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.