Panasonic Viera TH-42PZ800U 42-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

I have been researching LCD's and Plasmas for two years now and finally pulled the trigger on this beauty. I own two Olevia's one 26 and one 32 and they have been great but I wanted one for the family room and it had to fit in our entertainment center. It was down to the Toshiba thin bexel 46" or this one and am I glad I went with the Panasonic. The sound is great, the picture unbelievably beautiful and the set looks so rich. Front hidden panel hook ups including the 4th HDMI and it swivels. Playing Blade Runner thru my Playstation 3 Blu-Ray and the picture takes your breath away. GET this TV you won't be sorry. Jeff

As other reviewers have stated this product is a top of the line plasma TV for its size. I've had absolutely no problems with the product and it never ceases to impress me with its sharp picture and accurate colors. I may opt to get it calibrated some time soon in order to get the perfect viewing experience but for now I am pleased with the picture quality. Also you can configure the TV to use any combination of video and audio sources. For instance, I am using a HDMI-DVI cable hooked to an HDMI port to obtain PC video and I have it matched with the PC audio input. I think this is a very thoughtful consideration on Panasonic's part for those consumers who may want to hook up non HDMI sources in a variety of wire configurations.

Shipping was fast; however, Amazon did not ask for a phone number and as a result a few days were lost since the shipping company could not get in touch even though I called Amazon customer support and supplied my contact number. Eventually, I had to contact the shipping company to arrange for the delivery. While I have no problems with the product I feel I did not get the white glove delivery that I was promised. The shipping agents just brought in the TV to my living room, obtained my signature and left. I was under the impression they were supposed to unpack the TV and give me the opportunity to inspect it. Instead, they were in a hurry to leave and left as soon as I signed the paperwork.

In any case the TV was in good condition and has provided me with breath-taking viewing of the Olympics. Looking forward to football season!

PS: The maximum resolution on the VGA PC input is less than the maximum resolution supported by the TV. This is not a big issue since at maximum resolution everything on screen may be too small for viewing (the icons, windows, etc). You can obtain maximum resolution using a HDMI-DVI cable.

I ordered this product through Amazon.com on the 18th of August. It was shipped on the 19th with an August 26th estimated delivery date. I was more than surprised to find that this product was actually to be delivered on the 23rd, and on a Saturday to boot.

First off-- the picture is beyond comparison for what I spent for this model. The unit does not give off much heat (as long as you are not in a closed room with no air circulation); as the addition of four low rpm exhaust fans on the top of the plasma keep it cool without additional noise.

Secondly-- I would highly recommend the use of blue ray discs through an additional PS3. The smooth scaling from the PlayStation to the plasma is just phenomenal! I did my research on many brands of plasma hd tvs, and I have to honestly say that this is a purchase I won't regret. In addition, with a unit running this cool, and with an estimated 11 year 24/7 365 days/yr running time until the TV loses half its brightness, I believe I won't have trouble finding a buyer for this unit if I ever choose to upgrade.

Lastly-- This unit can easily detect any HDMI device and conform to its specifications in short time. I find it easy to switch display and audio from my PS3 to my laptop and not lose a second in between.
I highly recommend this product, and duly urge any potential consumer to do their due diligence before any product purchase. If this model is your choice, utilize Amazon.com and not a local brick and mortar store. The free shipping saves you gas, and the 'white glove' service will both setup and verify your plasma's integrity.

Best of luck in your quest for an ideal plasma 1080P TV!

I purchased this Plasma on Amazon and am very pleased with it. The picture is wonderful even with regular cable. I also purchased the panasonic blue ray, and the picture is amazing. My only complaint is with the TV remote. It has no range!!! You must point it DIRECTLY at the TV for it to work, and cannot be more than 5-6 ft away. Otherwise the remote is fine. Will try new batteries since I used the ones that came with the set and they could be old or almost dead, but I have read other reviews that also complain about the remote....YOU MUST point it directly at the set for it to function.

Panasonic has done a fine job on this one. I was told that the LCD was better that plasma. I find it hard to believe that anything could look better that this.

I was impressed with the ease of putting it together when it arrived. I had it in the cabinet within 15 minutes after opening the carton.

The picture is good in standard mode and that is where most of our viewing takes place. Normal local channels on cable do not really show what the TV is capable of showing. HD channels start to bring our how good it really looks.

When I turn on my PS3 and bring up MotorStorm in Vivid mode, the Mountains look real. The picture is so real that it will take your breath away.

I have not run across anything that I would consider to be a negative other that the price. But, sometimes it costs a little more to go "First Class".