May 6, 2008

Panasonic Viera TH-42PX80 42-Inch Plasma TV Reviewed

Panasonic's Viera TH-42PX80 42-inch plasma TV is considered to be an absolute bargain dollar-wise, but feature-wise the Viera is definitely not a low-end model. Yes, it only features 720p resolution, but given it's a plasma with 15000:1 native contrast ratio, excellent color response and motion handling, don't read to far into the resolution number.

The real concern with the TH-42PX80 is whether performance had to be sacrificed in order to achieve such a low pricing level. Turns out that Panasonic has done an excellent job maintaining quality in this Viera, with natural looking black levels, subtle details in screen corners and sharpness impressive enough to see a single human hair. The V-Real 3 engine is Panasonic's proprietary technology behind the Viera's picture quality, and its success is proven further by the the sets ability to upscale standard-def images via the built-in digital tuner to 1368x720 pixels. And by upscaling, we mean better than the majority of the TH-42PX80's rival flat panel sets.

Any motion issues, such as slight judder, from previous models have been resolved and the picture remains smooth even from 1080p/24 sources. The only real concerns are the uninspired sheer black design and the HDMI input's incompatibility with Deep Color--pretty mild considering all of the TH-42PX80's pros. Ultimate verdict: best Panasonic plasma performance yet for the lowest price available.

The Panasonic Viera TH-42PX80 42-inch plasma TV is available from Amazon.

Via TrustedReviews