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Panasonic Viera TH-42PX80U Review
Panasonic Viera TH-42PX80U - An excellent entry-level plasma HDTV!
If you’re looking for a nice entry-level plasma HDTV, the Viera TH-42PX80U could just be the product for you. It is a step below the higher-end Panasonic plasmas and sports fewer features, but with its affordable price tag and reasonably good picture quality, it certainly gives bang for the buck.
Design
The TH-42PX80U presents a plain but pleasant-looking design that is just perfect for first-time plasma owners. The uniformly-thick glossy black bezel borders the screen, with the lower part subtly curved downward to form its accent. Below the curved lower frame is a matte strip that conceals the speakers and a flip-up latch that hides some controls and input slots. Like other Panasonic products, this set lacks a pedestal and instead, a low non-swivelling stand is provided.
The remote shipped with the TH-42PX80U is sort of utilitarian, too, with no backlighting and no capability to control peripheral devices. But it does have large buttons and logical groupings that make differentiation by touch somewhat easy. Moreover, the remote goes well with the yellow-on-blue menu system of Panasonic that is reliable as ever. Finding one’s way through the logically arranged sub-menus and selections is indeed a breeze.
Screen/picture clarity
For an entry-level HDTV, the black levels delivered by the TH-42PX80U are quite remarkable, but this is to be expected from Panasonic products. The deep shade of black is comparably better than some costlier plasmas and LCDs, resulting in pictures that are richer and more realistic. However, colour accuracy is a little bit askew, particularly for reds and greens, and shadow details aren’t as impressive as the costlier plasmas. But the deep blacks nonetheless kept the overall picture quality above average.
The TH-42PX80U is an HD-ready TV with a 1024 x 768 native resolution. There are some problems in deinterlacing 1080i video sources and 720p processing looks a bit soft, but standard-def processing on this plasma is quite excellent. Like other Panasonic TVs, noise reduction needs to be improved on this set, as distracting ‘snow’ appears in dark areas. To its credit, the antireflective screen works exceptionally well in absorbing reflections, perhaps even better than some pricier Panasonic plasma products.
Features
With its cheap price, you should expect limited options in the TH-42PX80U. Four adjustable picture presets plus a Custom setting that can be adjusted independently per input, and controls for color temperature and management, noise reduction and aspect ratio are available on this set. It also has burn-in protection mechanisms and a nice “Surf Mode” control that restricts tuning options, but it lacks power-saving modes and picture and picture capability. Connectivity is also limited, with three HDMI ports, SD card slot and a collection of component input/output jacks, though no PC connector slot is offered.
Those looking for full-feature HDTVs with impeccable performance should look beyond the TH-42PX80U, as it is primarily targeted for newbies who may want to experience high definition at the least cost. This Viera is certainly a prime entry-level plasma for budget conscious buyers.
<< Click HERE to Read The Latest Panasonic Viera TH-46PZ85U User Reviews >>
Panasonic plasma - I recently purchased this TV for my parents after owning one myself for about 3 months. The picture is fantastic and the sound is great. I highly recommend the Panasonic plasma series from 2008.
Bought this TV in December 2008 and I LOVE IT. Excellent picture, sound and very easy to set up. This was my first foray into the HDTV world and I have to admit that I like this TV even more than I expected! I have had good experiences with Panasonic products.
I have had this tv for close to a year now. I purchased it with amazon’s white glove delivery included. The delivery company called to schedule a time, and they actually came out on a Sunday to accommodate my work schedule. The tv is beautiful and has great resolution. The customer service is outstanding. I was a bit challenged hooking up older models of DVD player and VCR and the customer service guy patiently talked me through the connection. There is a very easy to use function to switch to dvd or vcr play. Set up is easy. The only problem I’ve had (and it’s probably that I don’t have the connection quite right) is that I have to turn up the volume from the normal 15-20 to 45-55 for dvd play. I am very happy with this tv and highly recommend it.
Not always the first one to jump on the bandwagon, I was definitely leery about spending a bundle of cash on an HD set when my tube TV seemed just fine. This is, of course, until Amazon and other retailers had this baby available earlier this year at a fantastic…unbeatable, really, price.
Now, I warmed to the idea, but again, I need to know what exactly I’m doing with my hard earned cash. I spent countless hours not only deciding the LCD -vs- Plasma -vs- DLP debate (I settled on plasma), but which brand/size/etc I definitely wanted to stick with until the next “latest and greatest” technology craze bites.
I concluded the Panasonic 42″ TH-42PX80U was the way to go. Not only do multiple professional reviews give Panasonic props for displaying the truest blacks, but they also produce a plasma which should have the capacity to run approximately 8 hours a day for the next 20 years. For the price compared ot LCD, at the time, it was a no-brainer for me.
So, while I’m not much for opening new credit cards, I did accept Amazons offer to create a credit line for no interest over a period of six months. To sweeten the deal, I also received Amazon’s ‘White Glove Delivery’ service. A1 absolutely fantastic.
Four months with the new TV, and I’m smitten. It looks great and connected nicely with my Denon AV surround receiver. Blue Ray’s look great, as do the new episodes of Lost, and as I’m sure it will when the Cubs win the series this year ;-). Can’t believe it took me so long to come around and I have absolutely ZERO regrets trusting Panasonic with my television needs.
I should say, I do not use the TV’s audio. this is NOT because the sound is poor; its actually outstanding. I just prefer to put my full audio system to use.
Great picture, good sound. Actually, the picture is better than most of the plasma’s I have seen for 720p, and I viewed almost everything I could find. All in all, does exactly what I had expected for a good price.
I purchased this product about a year ago. It was easy to set up (the most difficult part was attaching the base to the TV).
I have a Playstation 3 and an Apple TV and everything looks great on this TV.
I’ve had friends over who own Samsung LCD’s and they love the picture of the screen, the black contrast is amazing (I would go online to get the best color settings).
Why go to the movies anymore.
I bought this a couple months ago for under $700. THREE times the price now-what the &!@#%$ gives?
I bought this tv for xmas for myself over a year ago, and It has been really a great tv. good for movies, games, and regular old TV. I would recommend it to anyone
Between work, home and for my parents I have purchased four of these Panasonics. They have a good quality image and easy to use and connect. The SD card player is super slow so don’t buy it for that (we rarely use it) and the iPod connector seems cool but we’ve never used it. Remote control is good and easy, my 70’s parents can easily navigate. It get’s surprisingly great reception of free broadcast HD Television signal from an antenna, DVD’s and Blu-rays look great also. It’s a simple 720 HD TV for reasonable price and gives superior image to others out there.
Buyer beware! I bought the Panasonic TH-42PX80U in October 2008. The picture was great and I loved it. Nineteen months later, the set died. Just like that, dead as a rock. Apparently the power supply has gone out and the estimates to fix are more than the cost of a new one. Panasonic has been NO help whatsoever. The manufacturer’s warranty expired after one year and they made it clear they will not allow any leeway. Buy one if you feel like gambling, otherwise stay away from Panasonic and their horrible product support.