Panasonic TH-42PX50U HDTV Plasma Television - Picture Perfect
Written: Oct 30 '05
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Pros: Excellent picture, especially HDTV and DVD viewing. Handles blacks better than any plasma I've seen
Cons: No PIP, Slight saturation of greens, Speakers could be better.
The Bottom Line: The Panasonic TH-42PX50U 42" HDTV Plasma Television delivers an amazing picture especially with HDTV and DVD viewing. At under $2300, selecting this model with Panasonic's solid reputation was a no-brainer.
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| michiman1's Full Review: Panasonic TH-42PX50U 42 in. HDTV Plasma TV |
There we were on a Sunday evening just before the local ABC Warehouse was about to close, drooling over the Panasonic TH-42PX50U HDTV Plasma Television and up saunters Adam. Yes, the same slippery tongued salesman that sold me the Sanus Tiltling Flat Panel TV Wall Mount.
Adam: Look, it's late Sunday, I see you're interested in this Panasonic would you buy it if I could give it to you $50.00 over our cost?
Michiman1: I guess that would depend on your cost.
I expected a price $50.00 under the best I had been offered at the other 5 places I had been. It was going to be easy to say I'd think about it and slip quietly out of the store as a favor to Adam so he could get home.
Adam: $2299.00, if I told you $2299.00 would you take it tonight?
My wife just gave me the look. Guys, you know it, the: "It's up to you pal but don't tell your buddies I stopped you" look. The testosterone kicked into overdrive and my face must have gone flush.
Michiman1: You have delivery? How much is it?
I had him now, I knew there was a reason I wasn't going to buy this thing today, I guess I'll have to check out a few more places next week.
Adam: Delivery to your area? Thirty bucks extra.
Michiman1: OK, Lets wrap it up.
Sorry Adam but I had to drive a hard bargain, if you said forty bucks I was walking out of the store.
The TH-42PX50U is Panasonic's 42" 8th generation flat panel plasma television capable of delivering digital HDTV with it's integrated HDTV receiver. The set is impressively large where it counts and yet the numbers are equally markedly small when it comes to it's depth and weight specifications. The body of the television measures 42.05" in length x 27.61" in height. The cabinet is an unbelievable 3.8" deep and weighs just over 76 lbs. which makes this television the perfect candidate for mounting directly onto your wall. The cabinet of the set comes in a nice looking silver matte finish. The screen is black with a black border which makes this set aesthetically pleasing, even when not in use.
For those of you that prefer looking at technical specifications and included features to make a fair purchase decision, I've taken a few of the more important numbers off Panasonic's web page. Included in this information are a few features you may find missing in this model as noted with the word no following the feature.
VIDEO:
Diagonal Screen Size (inches) 42
Aspect Ratio 16:9 (Widescreen)
HDTV Compatibility 480p/720p/1080i
Displayable Colors 8.58 Billion
Shades of Gradation 2,048
Pixel Pitch (H x V) 0.90 x 0.67 mm
Aspect Control for TV/AV Modes 4:3, Zoom, Full, Just
Native Resolution (Number of Pixels) 1024 x 768
Contrast Ratio Up to 3000:1
Progressive Scan Yes
Video Noise Reduction Yes
Digital Comb Filter Motion Adaptive 3D-Y/C
Mach Band Effect Enhancer Yes
Color Purity Optimizer (3D Color Management) Yes
Sub-Pixel Controller Yes
Motion Pattern Noise Reduction Yes
AUDIO:
Speakers 2 (16W, 6 ohms, 105Hz - 20kHz, 10% THD)
Surround Sound Yes
INPUT/OUTPUT: Yes
Tuners NTSC (Standard analog broadcasts)
ATSC/QAM (SDTV and HDTV broadcasts)
Photo Viewer No
SD Card Slot No
PC Card Slot No
CableCARD Ready Yes
HDMI-HDCP Interface Yes
Analog Audio Input (for HDMI) 1 rear
Composite Video Input 2 rear
S-Video Input 2 rear
Audio Input (for Video) 2 rear
PC Input (RGB-VGA) No
Audio Input (for PC) No
Component Video Input [Y, PB(CB), PR(CR)] 2 rear
Audio Input (for Component Video) 2 rear
Composite Video Output 1 rear
Audio Output 1 rear
CONVENIENCE:
TV Guide® On-Screen Program Guide No
On-Screen Display Languages English/Spanish/French
Picture-In-Picture No
V-Chip Program Lockout Yes
Built-In Closed Caption Decoder Yes
Timers - Sleep/On/Off Yes
Video Input Labeling Yes
Out of the box, the standard pre-set settings will please all but the most exacting viewers. The manual's First time setup procedure is simple to follow and completed in just a minute or two. The on-screen menu navigation is well thought out and easy to operate. Panasonic has made things easier with three pre-set picture modes to start you out. Viewers are able to select between vivid, standard or cinema picture modes. I honestly can't remember how the set was when I began tinkering but the manual states that the default is vivid. I found the vivid selection, designed for well lit rooms, was a bit too bright and less life-like for my tastes. I also found the cinema selection, suggested for low light conditions, softens the picture too much for regular viewing although I have used this picture selection while viewing DVD's on occasion with excellent results. I started out in the standard picture mode for the first several weeks on most occasions and made minor adjustments as time went on.
This particular TV's image is enhanced by the high contrast ratio of up to 3000:1. Ratios with such a wide range from black to white as this bring out good depth of picture with a more life-like result. This plasma set can display an incredible 8.58 billion colors offering superb vibrant colors. One of the main reasons I ended up making this Panasonic my choice stemmed from the fact it provides deep blacks for superior shadow detail during dark scenes. As I was comparing choices on the market, I was paying keen attention to how each set handled dark scenes or blacks in general. I discerned a noticeable difference in some of the competitors in my price range which did not appear to handle blacks as well, an important aspect for me with an ever growing movie collection. No doubt, this set delivers. On the other side of the spectrum, the TH-42PX50U is equally apt to display bright scenes in vivid color and detail. The Panasonic TH-42PX50U HDTV Plasma Television displays a wide spectrum of color... reds rich in color yet still lifelike... greens sharp with only a slight bit of saturation I notice in many plasma sets. Most of the saturation of greens can and should be toned down with minor adjustments to your preference.
Panasonic has been unable to put any points on the board for Steve Mariucci and the Detroit Lions but I have been able to watch the Lions get beat with the crisp, clean image delivered by HDTV broadcasts through my regular cable service. With this set, you are able to view both broadcast HDTV and widescreen DVD's just as you would have in theaters. The cinema style view is brought home with the width-to-height ratio delivered by Panasonic and the TH-42PX50U. Several visitors to our home have gone out of their way to comment on the clean picture delivered by both HD broadcasts and DVD's.
My set is mounted on a wall where the room dimension are nearly 24' x 35' in length. The set is a clear less than 6 feet from the screen all the way out to the entire 35' length of my finished downstairs recreation room. Unlike previous generation plasmas, viewers are treated to a clear picture for nearly a full 180° viewing angle.
Panasonic allows consumers to view digital programming through their provider without the need of a cable box. This Panasonic is equipped with a CableCARD slot which can accept a card that allows you to receive standard definition and high definition digital broadcasts. I have not gone this route, I believe you should check with your provider and verify use of the cable card as it's my understanding this may affect your digital cable provider's on-screen channel selection.
The Panasonic TH-42PX50U HDTV Plasma Television has a HDMI connector located on the rear of this TV which accepts high-quality digital video and audio along a single thin cable. The new HDMI standard ends the need for separate audio and video cables between your home theater or DVD player and the rear of your new plasma. To interface your new set via the HDMI connection you will most likely also have to be the owner of a fairly recent model home theater or DVD player with a similar connector.
The TH-42PX50U has 2 speakers rated at 8 watts. At first I was admittedly quite concerned the speakers would be less than satisfactory but after using this set for some time I have found they perform adequately for day to day television viewing. I'm sure many would say adequate is simply not good enough, yet those same folks most likely have home theater set-ups similar or better than I do for DVD and movie viewing.
Panasonic also included a TV stand and an illuminated remote control and batteries. I opted to use the Sanus Tiltling Flat Panel TV Wall Mount and wall mount my set but the manufacturer does include a TV stand for those that choose the stand-up configuration. The matching silver TV base can be set up with a screwdriver and what looks to be just a few minutes of your time. The remote that comes with the set is fairly intuitive and each function is well described in the instruction manual. I like the fact it is illuminated with a one button touch for low-light room conditions.
You may notice several options missing from this model such as Picture in picture, PC and SD card slots for the ability for PC and photo viewing. These were not features which I had a real interest in however, should this be a must, I suggest checking out the TH-42PX500U model. The TH-42PX500U is nearly identical except it will offer these features at an additional cost of nearly $500.
Panasonic now makes the claim that their 8th generation plasma televisions now boast an improved life span of to 60,000 hours. If the folks at Panasonic are even relatively close on their estimate, I'll feel well justified in my purchase. The latest round of price cuts brought the price down to a level I finally felt comfortable with. Adding up Panasonic's solid reputation with their plasma sets, the clear picture display and Adam's unbeatable price... the answer was simple. Stop looking and purchase the Panasonic TH-42PX50U HDTV Plasma Television, it's really picture perfect
To contact Panasonic via phone or USPS:
1-800-211-PANA (7262)
Panasonic Corporation of North America
Consumer Affairs Division, Panazip 2F-3
One Panasonic Way
Secaucus, NJ 07094
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 2299.00
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