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| Date Reviewed: 01/25/2006 |
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Strengths: Picture quality, lots of imputs, price, easy to use.
Weaknesses: No aspect ratio control on HD signals.
Summary: Finally after over six months of research it’s my turn to write a review of this TV. Like many of you I started by trying to decide between LCD, Plasma, or DLP. For me LCD was the first to go because of price mainly but also the black levels just weren’t up to snuff enough for me. DLP though more affordable and had a great picture lamp life was an issue. I know someone with a 50” Samsung DLP less than two years old and the chip the lamp shines through has already been replaced once. That left plasma, but which one.
It didn’t take long on the internet checking reviews and articles to find some names kept coming up when talking about quality plasmas; Panasonic, Pioneer, Hitachi, and Samsung. Long story short I decided on the Panasonic EDTV based on side by side comparisons, price, viewing intentions (mostly DVD’s) and reputation.
Now on to the TV. Though this only an EDTV you could hardly tell by the picture. DVD’s look awesome but give this set an HD signal and you’ll shake your head in amazement. I just watched the AFC Championship game in HD with an over the air antenna and I could not believe the picture quality. I was not sure if I would like the look of the TV itself since it’s completely silver and all my components are black but it actually looks pretty good. The built in speakers are more than adequate for watching normal TV but of course the Home Theater system comes on when it’s movie or game time. This TV has more than enough inputs for me and I would assume for most people as well. I’ve read that since this is Panasonics 8th generation plasma panel the burn in issue has been greatly reduced. Still I’m mindful of leaving paused or static images on the screen for any length of time. Not having the brightness and other settings way high also helps. Some of the preset picture settings could blind your neighbors next door. The remote control is simple and easy to use. I haven’t programmed any other components in yet. The built in tuners are great. I live in suburban Atlanta 30 miles from downtown and I can get at least 8 HD channels with an over the air antenna including ABC, CBS, TBS, WB, UPN, plus others.
Basically for the price to size to quality ratio you can’t beat this TV. I could not justify spending another $1,000 for the HD model just to get a 20% improvement on HD channels. Remember DVD’s are a 480p signal which is right at this sets native resolution, so if DVD’s and the occasional HD TV show or ball game is your viewing choice you cannot go wrong with this set. I purchased mine from a local retailer for right at 2K including tax, delivery and a 3 year warranty.
The only negatives I can think of is not being able to adjust the aspect ratio on HD signals and the button on the remote to switch inputs should be called “Input/s” not “TV/Video”. Overall I’m very pleased with this TV. Good job Panasonic on making an entry level plasma the average Joe can afford and be proud of.
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| Date Reviewed: 06/29/2005 |
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Strengths: completely natural skin tones, minimal gradation effect, bright picture, high contrast while maintaining detail in blacks and whites, built in HDTV tuner, best price/performance.
Weaknesses: rear facing patch panel can be a bit tricky if you are wall mountng this TV. A down or side facing terminal would have been a better design.
Summary: After spending about 2 months researching both ED and HD plasma TV's, it became clear that the Panasonic TH-42PD50U was the way to go, especially from a price/performance ratio. It also became clear that it is not practical to make a purchase like this based strictly on manufacturer's specifications. If you are fortunate enough to see several displays together under the same conditions, playing the same source material, your decision will be easy. This display compares favorably to many higher priced units, in almost all areas of picture quality.
You might expect an EDTV to outperform it's high def cousins in areas such as contrast and excel in displaying traditional cable broadcasts and DVD's, due to it's less complex upscaling requirements. But I was amazed at watching true HD material through this set. No jaggies, no solarization or poor gray scale issues... nothing but an amazing picture despite the lower pixel count and larger dot pitch.
Add to this the built in traditional and high-def tuners, HDMI input, 2 sets of component video inputs, the clean lines and center mounted speakers and quality stand, and Panasonic has really hit one out of the ball park!
96% of People (196/205) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 11/28/2005 |
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Strengths: The best picture I have seen in all of the flat panel TV's i've looked at. Extremely vivid colors and very bright pictures. I am very pleased with this tv and would recommend it.
Weaknesses: No PIP
Summary: I would recommend this tv to anyone and have been pleased with the quality of the picture and features. And it looks great on my wall too. I cannot say more about it. Go to a CCity near you and see for yourself the picture comparison.
94% of People (16/17) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 09/17/2005 |
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Strengths: Price ($1500)
Picture (good on all sources,nice black levels,good angle viewing,good adjustability)
Sound (only use attached HT system for some movies, otherwise built-in speakers are fine)
Stan
Weaknesses: Choosing source on remote (reqs at least 2 button presses)
No PIP (but our HD cablebox has it, so no problem).
Couple secs delay going from SD -> HD or HD -> SD channels but maybe all sets do this)
Summary: Was waiting for a name-brand 42" plasma w/good picture & features for $1500 or less w/ built in speakers & stand.
Saw this at PCRichards (whom I normally avoid) for a weekend special at $1500... Having looked at CC & BB for 42s from $1300 -> $2300 or so, was very impressed with this Panasonic.
Having used it for a month, has great performance & picture across all my sources (8300HD Cablebox (HDMI), Tivo, PS/2, DVD player, VHS & direct cable).
Moved from a 27" Sony Flat CRT set to this, could not be happier. Looks good & built-in speakers are fine most all the time (only powerup our HT system for some movies). Only complaint is that it take 2 or 3 remote button presses to change sources on the plasma (but have a Harmony 680 remote coming that should address this).
Agree with others here that this plasma is probably *the* choice right now for under $2000 (or even under $2300). Can't see how anyone would be disappointed with this plasma (esp. if moving from 32" or less 4:3 set).
91% of People (43/47) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 06/26/2005 |
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Strengths: 42" Plasma, great clarity and contrast, HDMI connection, 8th-gen Panasonic plasma, built-in speaker, stand included
Weaknesses: no PIP, magnifies imperfections in cable/broadcast signal, no front inputs, takes 1 second+ to change channels/input selection
Summary: This is probably the best 42" EDTV plasma on the market. This is probably the best 42" Plasma considering price, period. I was not willing to spend an extra $1k+ for an HDTV when there is currently such a limited number of HD broadcasts. The clarity and contrast rival and even surpass many HDTVs. There is no PIP capability but I guess that's a good thing because that function, which I've never had before, would probably add a large amount to the price. If you have a weak incoming cable signal, the imperfections are magnified more so than they are on a CRT, but this is probably the case with any Plasma and/or large TV. This effect can be minimized by the 'Video NV' function as well as decreasing the brightness. There is a second or more lag between switching inputs or channels. I can't speak of the built-in speakers since I use a stereo receiver, but they work and sound decent. Overall phenomenal clarity and contrast..recommended.
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| Date Reviewed: 08/23/2005 |
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Strengths: Did lots of research - decided on this because when compared with numerous HDTV side by side, this still came up way clearer and color more realistic with great contour lines. Easy set up too.
Weaknesses: Wish it had PIP and front/side jacks for audio/video hookups.
Summary: 2005-08-23 18:01:52 Would be the "perfect" set if had Picture in Picture as well as side/front jacks for video hookup option. Almost did not buy this because of above missing features...but at the end of the day - color and clarity most important and we went for Panasonic, which is HANDS DOWN, better than all that we've seen out there for the price....
88% of People (15/17) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 11/14/2005 |
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Strengths: Beautiful picture, good price, this is what I imagined TV could be.
I am very happy everytime I turn it on.
Weaknesses: The remote is not great, but I don't use it anyway.
PIP would be nice, but I don't need that.
Summary: I'm really pleased with this TV.
I agonized for months about the perfect purchase before buying this.
I finally realized that if I kept waiting for the perfect solution, I would never buy anything.
It's the same with computers... you have to jump in at some point.
Bottom line, I'm glad I jumped.
This TV is very inspiring and fun to watch.
88% of People (7/8) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 05/02/2005 |
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Strengths: 8th Generation Plasma Panel, perfect image quality. High black level(High Shades of Gradation and Contrast Ratio), lower price than previous model
Weaknesses: Plain design, unattractive frame,ugly stand.
Summary: Pretty nice image --- black level, high brightness much better than its HD cousin. Resolution is good for SD cable and 480p DVD movies. For HD signal, from certain distance, no much difference compared with PX50U HD model. Only weakness is its unattractive design --- hard to believe it is the newest model of 2005.
87% of People (41/47) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 06/22/2005 |
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Strengths: Crystal clear picture
Weaknesses: The speaker in TV is poor, only good for regular listening.
Summary: This Plasma Tv is the best EDTV I have seen. The 4000:1 panel contrast ratio give me the truly vivid colors.
With the Built-in ATSC/QAM/NTSC tuners and the regular antenna I have, It can receive HDTV and SDTV signal in the air. It's using 1080i resolution for HDTV, the picture is just amazing.
87% of People (20/23) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 10/25/2005 |
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Strengths: Crisp clear picture. Ture 3D effect like looking out my window.
Weaknesses: Sound quality is ok; but much better when ran thourgh my audio component. Slow power up and change of channels
Summary: This is my first Plasma Screen. I waited a long time and look at most Plasmas on the market. When compared side by side the PD50U for the price was very superior. I could not justify spending more to receive less. My last TV was just that a TV, This set up is entertainment at theater quality. Thank you Panasonic for letting the little people into the Plasma market.
82% of People (14/17) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 06/02/2005 |
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Strengths: Fantastic picture, quiet, easy to use, advertised to have one of the longest "half lifes" on the market
Weaknesses: Time to power up and time between station changes
Summary: This was my first purchase of anything other than a regular "tube" TV. I've been wanting to make the leap for a while but was concerned about some negative things I've heard about how long Plasmas last. In researching, the Panasonic product universally regarded as having one of the longest "half lifes". I have DirecTV and the picture on this TV is fantastic, even up close. Since I don't have much HD content yet, the EDTV price was much more attractive and it is easily upgraded to HD. Sound is great and having the built in speakers on the bottom is a nice space saver. Extremely quiet and very easy to set up and use for a "plasma novice". The price was excellent for such a high quality product. No question--this TV has met or exceeded all expectations. Top notch!
82% of People (14/17) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 08/31/2005 |
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Strengths: Wonderful image quality. Remote control is VERY simple to program!
Weaknesses: Sound quality could be better, picture quality depends on input source.
Summary: I've been searching for a plasma TV for over a year. It came down to the Panasonic industrial model or a similar Samsung. Finally the price came down and the included moun ting pedistal swayed my decision to the 50U. So far, I'm not dissapointed, but there are a few things you should be aware of.
1. The sound quality is really poor. The simulated surround sound adds a lot of artifacts and is very annoying. But then again, I don't think anybody would buy this TV if they weren't alreaddy planning to use a separate receiver and speakers. I use an Onkyo amp with PSB surround speakers with amazing results.
2. If you are going to invest this much money on a TV, do yourself a favor and buy a good callibration DVD such as "Video Essentials" . The preset default mode was not optimum for my viewing room.
3. The quality of the picture will only be as good as the input. The quality from my DVD player using component cables is stunning! However, the picture quality from my Dish Network satelite dish is only so-so. There is a ton of artifacting which has an overall negative impact on my viewing pleasure.
4. If you are used to watching a TV smaller than 30", you are in for an amazing experience. My TV is about 9' from where I sit and the 42" screen is almost too big! It takes some getting used to. You will be amazed at the amount of detail you have been missing watching a smaller set. I've been watching the US Open tennis and it's like you are in the stadium! I actually ducked when I thought a tennis ball was coming for my head!
ENJOY!
79% of People (23/29) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 06/04/2005 |
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Strengths: Critically acclaimed picture quality
Weaknesses: Limited zoom function
Summary: This ED unit does some things better than the more expensive HD models. Blacks are better. Colors are slightly richer. The picture on this ED set is slightly less detailed than on the HD model, but the difference is subtle and not worth $1500 to me. High quality image: should be the best of all TVs (plasma, LCD, projection). Acceptable price.
The only weekness is the very limited zoom function. When you watch the CNN or ESPN, can not adjust the zoom function to completely reduce the logo or the fixed score box of the NBA game. Always worry about the 'burn in' effect and have to chang the channel frequently. In addition, for some DVD, even with the completely zoom, the black letter box is still there. I am not sure there is any 'burn in' if watch this kind of DVD. Someone can point it out?
79% of People (15/19) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 05/10/2005 |
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Strengths: Probably the best picture from an EDTV. Menu and settings are better than previous model. Even for $1,000.00 more, there isn't a better unit out there.
Weaknesses: Plain but clean design. Sound quality is below average. Menu allows ample adjustmnents, but is limited.
Summary: For the price, up to $1,000.00 more, this is the best overall 42" plasma you can buy. For those who don't even get HD programming, the ED is the way to go.
74% of People (23/31) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 10/11/2005 |
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Strengths: The price is far more reasonable than the other leading brands; has great image clarity and easy set-up. I like the simple design,too!
Weaknesses: No PIP and front inputs.
Summary: I am very impressed with this plasma TV. Having used it for almost 3 months, we haven't had any problem. My family loves it, my husband in particular. Our friends who have seen it are now thinking of getting one,too! Definitely the best buy in the market.
73% of People (11/15) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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