UPDATE.A couple links dedicated to this set:
Owners forum: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1000479
Break-in FAQ: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=14472276#post14472276
Just a short review as there are so many already.
I spent approximately 3 years researching displays.No it didn't take me that long to figure things out, I was basically waiting for the technology to meet my expectations at a given price point.
After exhaustive research I narrowed things down to Plasma and then further down to either this set or the Samsung A550.The reason I picked the Panny over the Samsung, to be succinct:
- better black levels
- reliability (reportedly a bit more stable than the Samsung's, though they have gotten better)
- anti-reflective coating (the Panasonic has the Samsung thoroughly beat)
- IR (image retention) resistance, Panasonic is supposedly on the cutting edge for this
That said, I'll comment a bit on the Panasonic image specifically; it is stunning.First, the scaler (the hardware that handles different source material like standard definition broadcast, etc.) in this thing is top notch.I am truly impressed with what it has done with standard cable (and of course HD cable looks great).I was under the impression that few if any modern displays could handle SD well, frankly because I hadn't seen evidence of it.I was wrong, there have been a few times that I had to look hard to tell I was watching Standard Def (CNN puts out an especially clean broadcast in my area).Secondly, HD content; doubly stunning!I'm running both HD Cable and a PS3 Blu-ray.I figured I'd be buying many of my movies again in Blu-ray....wrong.Certainly true HD content has the edge but the upscaler combined with this set is jaw dropping, Pixar DVDs are quite amazing.
Now a few comments about Plasma vs LCD:
No doubt LCD has it's place, some people simply want a very "punchy" and extremely bright display.This is especially useful for daytime/bright room viewing.However, the drawbacks are considerable:
- motion lag/bur: if you see it (and I do) it's VERY distracting
- black levels clearly not up to par, which greatly affects the overall picture quality
On the other hand Plasma pluses:
- no motion lag
- industry standard black levels
- extremely realistic/film like experience
A few words on Image Retention & Burn in:
These are not the same thing though the terms are often used interchangeably.Image Retention is the result of a static image (any image that doesn't change for extended periods; video game displays, station identification, etc) to remain on the screen even after you've changed images.This is a temporary problem and one that is easily erased by viewing full screen for short periods where all the pixel locations on the screen will get some activity.Frankly I've not seen even one instance on my set.Burn-in is the extreme, unfixable version of this, leaving a static image on the screen for many hours (all day) or always watching all your content letterboxed will certainly lead to burn in.It's easy to avoid.The Panasonic is especially immune to this and even has many safety features built in to prevent it (pixel shifting and auto off if a screen remains unchanged for an extended period).
Finally a few quick tips for new owners, gleaned mostly from the AVS forums and partly directly from Panasonic's own website:
- Keep the Picture (contrast) and Brightness levels under 50 for the first 100 hrs.This helps the phosphors become "tempered" and in turn not so easily susceptible to bun-in and image retention.As I said, I've yet to experience either.
- Watch everything in Just mode (full screen) for the first 100 hrs for the same reasons listed above
- After the first 100 hrs you can turn things up & start watching things in letterbox, here are some recommended levels:
Picture: +70
Brightness: +48
Color: +44
Tint: -3
Sharpness: 0
Color temp: Warm
Color mgmt: Off
x.v.Color: Off
C.A.T.S.: Off
One final note for those on the fence:Don't go by what you see in the stores, what is displayed in no way exemplifies what these sets (any brand really) are capable of.My picture is light years better than anything I ever saw at Best Buy (including this very set).Delivery from Amazon/CEVA was a breeze by the way, took one week from ordering to door.
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Panasonic Viera TH-42PZ85U 42 Inch 1080p Plasma HDTVProduct Description: PRODUCT FEATURES:42" class (41.6" diagonal) widescreen VIERA Plasma 1080p HDTV with increased native contrast ratioPC inputAnti-reflective filterDeep color technologyGame modeBuilt-in SD card slotGalleryPlayer ready to view3 HDMI inputsVIERA Link HDAVI control
Buy cheap Panasonic Viera TH-42PZ85U 42 Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV now
Price was a significant contributor to my decision to buy this TV.Conversations with tv-guys made me think that I needed to pony up for a 1080, but I just could not justify the premium over the 720p.Now that I have it, I am glad I saved my money.The picture quality is great, both in high def and for normal (low def?) viewing.Whenever I have guests and the TV is on, they are blown away by the quality and ask my questions about it.
