Can't go wrong with a Panasonic!
Written: Jul 20 '09 (Updated Jul 20 '09)
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Pros: Deep black levels, Accurate color, Pristine image
Cons: Overall design won't work well in every home.
The Bottom Line: Panasonic's quality is second to none and this plasma is one of the best 42" capable of 1080p HD, both reasons you should buy it!
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| danalmasy's Full Review: Panasonic TH-42PZ85E 42 in. TV |
Intro
Buying a plasma is something I had been dreaming about ever since they hit the market over 10 years ago, and after many years of waiting, I made my first plasma purchase, and I can say I made a really good choice.
After doing A LOT of homework over the years, I came to understand that there are basically two companies to consider when buying a plasma, Panasonic and Pioneer. I had initially been looking at 50" models, but after a budget reality check, and also factoring in the size of my living room, I decided that a 42" would suit my needs.
The problem with 42" plasma models is that until very recently, they were all 1024 x 768 resolution. Why is that important? Because 1024 x 768 is NOT a 16x9 aspect ratio, meaning that somewhere along the line the TV stretches and scales the picture to fit a 16x9 area, which really bothered me. The only other option was to either get a 50" with a proper 1366 x 768, or to get an LCD set, and neither of those were really an option for me.
For 2007-2008, Panasonic created a series of 42" models with 1920 x 1080 resolution (1080p) which means that not only do they display the picture in the proper 16x9 format, but they are capable of displaying the highest of high-definition sources, such as those found on Blu-ray, HD-DVD, PS3 and XBOX 360. This was important to me because we already have Comcast HD cable, as well as all of the new gaming consoles.
After hunting around online and visiting many stores in person to see if I could get a deal on a floor model, I ended up at Brandsmart USA where I explained to an associate that I was looking to by a floor model on sale. He told me that they didn't have last years model that I was looking for (TH-42PZ700U) but that instead, he could sell me the new version of that set. I didn't know much about the 42PZ85, so I went home and did the research. It turns out that this set had even better specs, and deeper black levels than last year, with a few extra features, and he was offering to give me what amounted to a $600 discount! So I back the next day and purchased the 42PZ85, at a greatly discounted price.
*Now, I've had this TV for 1 year, and I can say without hesitation that this is the best television I've ever owned or used.
Picture
I chose plasma because of the deep level of black it can produce, and the 42PZ85 definitely delivers. With the lights dimmed, the black areas of the picture just fade into the background of my room, making it seem more like a theater. The colors and detail are equally amazing, especially when watching a Blu-ray movie. The 1080p resolution brings out every line of detail, and colors just "pop" right off the screen.
A problem with LCD sets is that they can't handle fast-moving scenes, but this 42PZ85 handles fast-paced actions scenes without skipping a beat. We've watched many different movies, with action films like 300, all the way to animated films like Cars and Meet the Robinsons. This TV just never fails to produce and excellent picture, no matter what.
With all of that said, if you're going to view a lot of standard definition content, I can't express the same level of enthusiasm. Don't get me wrong, the 42PZ85 does a really good job of handling the content, but it only looks "good" not great. Regular DVD is decent, but nowhere near the quality of HD. Standard cable is the same, it looks decent most of the time, but you have to remember that it's scaling the content quite a bit in order to fill up that 1920 x 1080 screen, and you're going to experience some quality loss.
The 42PZ85 is great for gaming though. I have both XBOX 360 and PS3 hooked up via HDMI cables, and my games have never looked better! The motion is fast and responsive, and the graphics are crisp and detailed.
Sound
Sound quality is another area where this TV stands out. Most flat-panels include two, cheap, forward-firing speakers that don't get very loud. Panasonic has upped the ante with 2-full range, 20watt speakers. The menu settings let you choose a "surround", "bass boost" and "AI" preset, all of which enhance the audio a great deal. For normal TV watching this is some of the best sound I've heard from any plasma. I do prefer and recommend however that for movies you use some kind of surround sound - not that the Panasonic's speakers are unacceptable, but surround is just a lot better.
Features
A great feature of the 42PZ85 is the built-in SD card reader. This lets you take the SD card from your digital camera, and display your photos right on the set without any hassles. Just pop it in, and a menu comes up allowing you to navigate your photos. The pictures look great, and as long you have a camera that's above 2-3 megapixels, your photos are basically already in "HD".
Viera Link is another thing that Panasonic has included that seems pretty cool. Basically if you own other Panasonic equipment (surround sound, DVD, etc) that is Viera-Link capable, it means that you can control everything from the TV remote, or within the TV menu itself. I personally don't have any other Panasonic gear connected, so I can't say too much on this one.
Pixel Shift is what Panasonic sets up to help tame "Image Retention". Image Rentention, or "IR" is not the same as "burn-in" which you might be familiar with. The difference is simple, IR is temporary, whereas burn-in is more permanent. Both can have effects over time, so Panasonic includes a feature that automatically shifts the pixels back and forth to make sure that no single pixel is left on the display for too long. Kind of like the screen-saves of the CRT days, when we actually needed them to save our screens.
Remote
Panasonic's remote is very basic, but I found it easy to use, and comfortable to hold. The buttons are somewhat large, but it makes it really intuitive to use. The TV's menu system is also really good. It's fast, and easy to navigate. There are several shortcut buttons which garner easy access to different menu commands, like page-up/down in the channel manager section. The "info" button also shows the current program information and broadcast resolution when using the tuner. The remote is solid enough that it doesn't feel too cheap, but it's lightweight too.
Connectivity & Inputs
The 42PZ85 is also great because it will allow you to connect a PC. I've tried using both the VGA input and the HDMI inputs, and I have to say that HDMI is a much better solution. With VGA you're limited to 1280 x 1024, so you don't get to make full use of the TV's highest resolution. However if your computer has DVI, you can get a DVI-to-HDMI adapter, which will let you connect to the HDMI port and connect your computer to the full 1920 x 1080 resolution. The final caveat of this setup is that your PC's video card must support that resolution in order to use it, so be sure to check your computer.
As far as other connectivity goes, this set has 3 HDMI inputs (2 rear, 1 side) as well as 2 component, 1 PC, and a few RCA + S-video inputs. I wish that it had maybe just one more HDMI, but it's not a deal breaker. This set also makes use of a QAM tuner, which basically means you can bypass using a cable box to get digital channels. This is not the same as CableCard, but it's the same principle. Also included is a standard coaxial connection for an over-the-air tuner.You get one digital optical output, and it's important to note that for HDMI this only works as a pass-through - meaning you can't get 5.1 surround out of this output. The only way to get 5.1 out is when using the over-the-air tuner.
Conclusion
So that's it. I couldn't be happier with this TV. If you're looking to buy your first plasma, or simply upgrade to a new 1080p set you really can't go wrong with the 42PZ85. It has a ton of features, plenty of inputs, and the picture quality is truly something to behold when connected to HD sources. Good luck!
***Here's a tip: If you're going to buy HDMI cables, get them from Monoprice.com - and ABSOLUTELY do not let the big box retailers sell you $100+ Monster cables. CNET and many other reviewers have stated that a $10 HDMI cable produces the same level of quality as the $100 ones. Do not be fooled. I personally have 3 HDMI cables from Monoprice that I bought for about $6 each - that's right $6 - and they work flawlessly.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 1200.00
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Epinions.com ID:
danalmasy
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Member: Dan Almasy
Location: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Reviews written: 13
Trusted by: 0 members
About Me:
Tech Nerd. Gadget Freak. Consumer Loyalist. - Since 1979
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