Technical Details
- 42-inch plasma flatscreen HDTV with full 1080p HD resolution
- Enjoy online content like Amazon Video On Demand, YouTube videos, Picasa Web Albums, stock information, weather and more through an easy-to-use Web interface built right into your TV
- Share your digital photos and AVCHD camcorder videos on the big screen using VIERA Image Viewer
- Three HDMI inputs and a wealth of additional connectivity options
- THX-certified for faithful movie image reproduction
Product Description
42" Plasma, 1080p, THX, Viera Cast, H.264, IP Camera Ready, PC Input, NEO PDP Panel which is brighter, Full-time 1080p TV lines of moving picture resolution, 3 HDMI, Native contrast ratio 40,000:1, Dynamic contrast infinite black 2,000,000:1, Game Mode, Anti Reflective Filter, 600 Hz Subfield Drive
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Customer Reviews
"No longer a top rated television" 2010-02-10By
TeamReveal (California)
Over the past month people have been discovering that their 2008 and 2009 Panasonic televisions are no longer performing how they were meant to perform. One of the major reasons why the Panasonic plasmas are (actually now "were") considered so fantastic is because they had excellent black levels, meaning the blacks look really black.
Well that's no longer the case because after a few hundred hours the black levels double and triple to a point where even a mid-range LCD beats it. Panasonic issued a statement that they knew the issue existed and that they were investigating it. Well today they issued a statement that the issue has been reviewed and that there will be NO FIX.
Now to be fair, black levels do rise slightly over time, but they do not double and triple. In fact the Panasonic Plasmas from 2007 do not have this problem. To further prove this, a 2007 Panasonic Plasma after a couple thousand hours of use has BETTER blacks than a 2009 Panasonic Plasma after a couple thousand hours of use.
When Panasonic was asked about this, they said they were constantly "updating" their products. That's good, but basically they are doing a bait and switch on you. They brought down the black levels so they could sell you the television and hope that you don't realize that their newer sets will look worse than their older sets after less than a year of use.
The 2009 Panasonic sets look fantastic till this happens, but once it happens they look worse than 2007 models.
As a side note, the THX on these sets came broken for over half a year. The newer sets have the firmware that corrects the color decoding issues, but if your set doesn't have firmware 1.28A then you have to call Panasonic to have them send someone to your house to update the firmware. Panasonic won't deny you the repair but they sure will try and keep it a secret because they have to pay for the technician to come to your home.
At this point, you're going to see a lot of review cites like [...] mention this issue because it is a serious quality issue. Currently [...] is conducting its own study with the sets it has in house. It'll be about two months before they get done because they have to let the television set run for several hundred hours in order to take measurements.
Please note that this isn't an issue you'll see when you buy the television, it'll be something that comes up later in its life, possibly after the 1 year warranty is up.
"I love this TV" 2010-02-10By
Nicholas Spencer (Austin, TX USA)
I spent forever researching TVs a few months ago and this is the one I finally arrived at. It fits my budget and provides excellent picture quality.
I have the misfortune of being a videophile with insufficient funds to buy very expensive TVs, but I was able to satisfy myself with this one. The blacks are great, the THX mode function is awesome for watching blu-ray movies. My roommates and I play a lot of videogames and this TV has been great for that as well. Remember, BURN IN IS NOT AN ISSUE IN NEWER PLASMA TVS. I don't use the TV's sound much since we have a speaker system, but it sounds fine. The online functionality is cool, especially since you can rent movies from Amazon directly from your TV.
Originally I wanted to get a Panasonic S1, which has the same screen, just less features. At first I was hesitant to spend a little more, but now I'm glad I did. As I said earlier, the THX mode is great and the online functionality makes it totally worth it. Plus that silver on the bezel looks sexy.
The only drawback I would say is having only 3 HDMI ports instead of 4, but I can make do.
Oh, and just a random heads-up, never clean your screen with Windex or any similar solution. It damages the chemical treatment on the glass. Instead, use the microfiber cloth the TV comes with.
"Buyer Beware!!!!!" 2010-02-05By
A. Rosenberger (Cali)
After doing much research and finally pulling the trigger and buying Panasonic's V10 plasma model, I was shocked to recently find many widespread reputable reports that black levels on Panasonic 2008 and 2009 model plasmas may double or in some cases triple after approximately 1000 hours of use.
At this point I can only wish I had found this information before I made my purchase, so I'm passing it on to anyone else who may be considering any of these models.
My V10 picture is fantastic at the moment, but I can only wait in fear that I may have spent $2K dollars on something that will lose one of it's best qualities after only months of normal use.
The issue is described and commented in detail here:
[...]
[...]
Good Luck!!!!
"great tv but seems dim indoor scenes, horrible stand" 2010-02-03By
A. Arya (san mateo, CA United States)
I had a LCD before, but we upgraded to this to fill up the living room. We choose plasma because we heard the pic is more accurate and it's faster for fast moving objects. This model was highly rated, and we got it for $950 total. Did the break in, and watched it in the dim mode for the 100+ hrs. After that we upped the calibrated the tv using the DVE calibration disk. The picture is great, and incredible in HD. Outdoor scenes really pop!
For some reason the video is what I'd describe as a sheet of film over the video. Then we turned off the CATs feature and it brightened up (just turn off all those video enhancements). Now the only other picture comments I have is: 1. I notice when watching certain commercials, you can see shades of the same color...I don't know if it's an effect used in these commercials, because it doesn't happen when watching regular tv. 2. bright parts (like when watching outdoor scenes) almost look shiny...like there are ice crystals shining on the screen...but the contrast is set at 60, and if it's lessened it's still there. i'll play with the calibration disk again.
The other grip i have is the tv stand. our entertainment system has a front speaker that has to be offset on the tv stand because the IR for the tv is right behind it. Basically, the tv is too low to have anything in front of it. if the stand put the tv 5" higher, the speaker would be aesthetically placed well. if you wall mount, or dont have a front speaker, then don't worry about it.
"Best TV I've Ever Owned" 2010-01-13By
Mr. K (Atlanta, GA)
Picture quality is awesome! Out-of-the box is very good and even better with DIY calibration. If PQ is your highest priority in a TV, look no further at this price point. SD cable programming looks fine but 1080i HD cable is fantastic and 1080p BluRay is unbelievable. I've always had a few nitpick issues with my previous TV's. Each subsequent set was an improvement (with commensurate cost increase) over the previous set but still had flaws. I have no complaints whatsoever with this one (and it was cheaper than my last set!).
Black levels are outstanding, by far the best I've ever had in a TV, and colors are vibrant without being oversaturated. CRT is supposedly the gold standard but I've owned a few decent tubes and they are not even close. Forget about LCD's (better BL than before, but can't touch plasma).
User controls are straightforward. The THX setting is good for some movies if you're watching in the dark, but I usually tweak it a bit from there. Sound quality is good (for a TV) and it is plenty loud for everyday viewing. But a good HT setup is indispensable. Extra features (YouTube and Picassa viewers, stock ticker, weather channel, Amazon Video) are a bonus but were a non-factor in my choice.
I ordered from Amazon. It arrived in a few days and the TV was well packaged and had no damage whatsoever.
If you are looking for a 42" TV at this price point, you would be hard pressed to find a better one.
All Reviews
