Review of Panasonic TH42Px80U

Quote:	Can it get any better!? Unfortunately yes, but why
Rating:
Reviewed By:	H. Word @ Amazon.com

After two months of comparing models & prices, reading internet reviews, and visiting stores for hours of free viewing, I finally decided on purchasing the Samsung 42″ plasma, due to the family’s budget.
Sadly my bedroom’s 32″ Olevia LCD died in about 15 months, so I really did my homework this time. Unfortunately, my decision to buy was during the no-tax weekend, and the local BB was like a human feeding frenzy.
However this particular day turned out to be advantageous. So anyway, I’m standing in front of the Panasonic 42″ Viera and absolutely loving the picture quality! The Samsung and the LG both looked great also, but the Panasonic was noticeably better. The store clerk interrupts me and asks if I’m ready to purchase. I said yes, but informed him that since my “out-the-door” budget was under $1K, I wanted the $897 Samsung. The Panasonic’s price tag was $998 + 9.9% state tax.

After checking for availability, he returned and sadly said they were out of the Samsung 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. TV turns itself off, in case you fall asleep while watching.
16. Picture quality gets better after initial 100 hr break-in.
17. 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.

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Panasonic TH-42Px80U Review

Quote:	TH-42PX80U a good tv for gaming? YES!
Rating:
Reviewed By:	Akanbe @ Amazon.com

I spent a lot of time bouncing between tech forums trying to decide which TV to purchase and I finally chose this one, and I can say I’m very happy with the purchase.

For Gaming – I hooked up my current gen game console to this TV with a HDMI cable and things look great. In the past with old plasma TVs, burn-in or image retention was a problem, but on this TV, I have had VERY LITTLE image retention on this TV (if there ever is any, it is only visible on a blank input screen. Never while there is a game, movie, or tv show on). Many people shy away from plasmas for gaming but that is not a problem on this TV set. If you are really paranoid about it, cycle TV watching with your gaming for the first month or two. On a less stellar note, I was disappointed with the picture quality of the PS2 while playing it on this plasma. Even with quality component cables, the picture quality was a little fuzzy at times, depending on the game. However, this problem is not unique to this plasma but occurs on other HDTVs as well. Just something to take note of.

Other notes: The vibrant colors and the deep, beautiful black colors on this TV are amazing. The TV is quiet, even while muted (no buzzing or humming sounds). I’m quite satisfied with the picture quality on standard definition TV (SDTV). Even with no cable box, the picture quality on channels is better than most other HDTVs I’ve seen in standard definition. Personally I can’t wait to get Hi-definition on it.

Time of ownership: 3-4 months.

Panasonic Viera TH-42Px80U Review

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Quote:	love everything about the viera th-42px80u
Rating:
Reviewed By:	chris @ Amazon.com

plasma or lcd..the question everyone has to ask and review..i agonized, researched on line and then took a leap of faith…love the plasma…

panasonic or samsung…price had me at these two manufactures..agonized, researched on line then took a leap of faith….love the panasonic…

should i buy now or wait for price to drop: i agonized, i researched, i took a leap of faith and bought now,,,price dropped 3 times so far, BUT if bought from amazon, you have a 30 day price quarentee, i emailed them each time the price dropped and they refunded the difference each time.
delivery was quick, two guys brought it in, set it up and asked to take the box away…

my t.v. worked the first time it was plugged in, looks great and i havent even messed with the settings yet. glare a problem,,,not at all, much better than the 26 inch t.v. we replaced. we have a room with lots of lites, overhead, lamps, outside lite….tried to remember to notice if this was a problem after we turned it on, here we are one month later and i can not tell you if there is a reflection problem…there probably is reflection, but obviously not a problem. why did we have to research this so much..

sound is great, and i havent hooked this up to my surround system yet..love the hdmi, one cable hook up to cable and my upscaling dvd player.
yep, i love everything about this hdtv.
chris

Panasonic TH42Px80U Review

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Quote:	Excellent TV and quick delivery
Rating:
Reviewed By:	M. Laibe @ Amazon.com

I have had this TV for two days now and after hooking it up I am very satisfied. I had shopped for a long time, and had decided to buy a 50″ 1080p plasma. In the end I am glad I opted for 720p rather than 1080p, and I’m really glad my wife talked me down from 50″. This unit looks huge in our 12×24 viewing room. Ignore the sites that tell you you have to have at least 50″ if you view from 15′ away – it is not true. Sports on this size HD screen is a fantastic new experience.

I have this hooked up via HDMI cables to a new upconvert DVD (Phillips, $80, also from amazon)and the HD cable box. Sound is excellent though I’m sure surround sound is a lot better. However I am satisfied with the tv speakers.

I got this from Amazon for a little over $800 (how much cheaper can they get??), which is a steal compared to what I planned on buying. Even the pros say 1080p doesn’t gain you any viewing pleasure over 720p at sizes under 50″, and I cannot say for sure whether I really need the enhanced contrast (whatever that really means) of the more expensive Panasonic models.

White-glove delivery was excellent – it arrived in about 4 days (the estimate was much longer) the guy set it up, showed me it was working, and took all of the packaging away, all in under 10 minutes. I advise keeping an eye on your package tracking, and as soon as indicates that it’s near your town get in touch with the shipper directly to ensure that you are contacted promptly.

Hooking up the TV was really easy – just plugged in 2 HDMI cables and away we went. A far preferable approach to the old way. One thing I do not understand is now that you can buy an adequate HDMI cable for under $2 at amazon, why don’t the TV companies provide them? Order a few with your tv. They do give you some audio and video cables in the box, which you can throw away.

If you are interested in an economical HD setup, this is really the way to go. We don’t rent a lot of movies, let alone Blu-ray movies, so this setup is perfect for us. Count us as happy customers.

Panasonic Viera TH42PX80U Review

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Quote:	Very Satisfied with my first big-screen HD
Rating:
Reviewed By:	Kevin C. Wadlow @ Amazon.com

Even the “blue shirt” TV guys tell you: If you’re going plasma, Panasonic is the best.

I spent a lot of time researching my first big-screen HD purchase and settled on the Panasonic 42-inch plasma (720p), by virtue of reviews and affordable price.

This set TV does everything I expected. Have you heard horror stories about how difficult it is to get your big-screen hooked up correctly? With this one, forget it. If you can hook up a DVD player, you can be watching this set in a matter of minutes (using the included base; not hanging it on a wall. Myself, I prefer having my nearly $1K set NOT dangling off the wall).

The picture is superb, and the built-in speakers are fine. The 720p suits me.

I got a 42-inch, which actually may be a little big for my compact living room; I could have gone smaller.

Note: You may be surprised at how crappy regular television signals look on the big screen; I was. Plan on upgrading to HD service in the near future.

My set came via the special Amazon delivery service for big-ticket items, and was a little wary after reading other reviews. The service I received was helpful, timely and excellent, but these are franchise-type operations so your mileage may vary.