Panasonic Viera TH 42PZ800U 42 Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

The PZ800 series meets the THX Certified Display specifications, signifying the highest standards of performance and quality. The PZ800 Plasma televisions feature an improved native contrast ratio of 30,000:1; Game Mode; VIERA Link; a PC Input, four HDMI connections and an all new one sheet of glass design concept.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Nice TV - Good Picture
This TV is sharp. So far I only have HD through Comcast. Make sure you use an HDMI calbe; it does not have to be an expensive one - try Belkin.

The THX makes me feel like watching TV through polarized sunglasess; in otherwords, too dark - I have yet to watch a Blu Ray movie on the THX mode. So far, I have been watching this TV on the Custom Mode.

The TV is stylish and stands out from the pack. I have not had a burning image and not sure if that's a problem anymore.

If you do not have HD service from your Cable or Dish and do not plan on getting a Blu Ray don't bother getting this TV - stick to your old tube.

The size, 42-Inch is big enough for my 12 feet away viewing experience. Another plus is that this tv has an excellent sound and more than likely you will not need a surround system; other HD TVs have very poor sound systems.

5 Stars Panasonic Plasma TV Great; White Glove Delivery Not so Great
We purchased the Panasonic HD Plasma TV from Amazon and requested extra-fee white glove delivery. This is our first hd tv and so we have no basis for comparison with prior sets. The TV is wonderful with sharp, clear picture and user-friendly controls. The white glove delivery was a different matter. Amazon uses an outside logistics service which in turn utilizes a series of independent contractors and, at least in the Bay Area, the logistics service uses one independent contractor per delivery truck. The initial delivery was prompt and the crew courteous, but the crew showed us that the packing (and the tv)were damaged. They nevertheless moved it into the house to see if it fit our existing tv stand. It did and they took the damaged tv with them and promised a prompt replacement. That was the last we heard. After we made many phone calls, and with the help of an Amazon supervisor, we learned that Amazon had provided an incorrect tracking number. A call to the logistics company revealed that the replacement tv was just sitting on their loading dock. The next day a new contractor delivered the tv. The crew was rude and unhelpful, and they even had to borrow a screwdriver to make the installation. When I went down to the driveway to ask them a question, they jumped into the their truck and sped off. So much for white glove delivery.

5 Stars Movie experience at home
As an older widow I prefer to watch movies etc. in my own home. My new 42 inch Pnasonic HD TV is perfect for that and also my favorite programs on TV. The delivery service in my area was also very well managed.

5 Stars A great buy!
This is the second Panasonic plasma HDTV that I have bought. I bought my first one back in 2006. That one is great and the picture and quality are fantasitc. But my new Panasonic Viera TH42PZ800U 42" plasma 1080p blows my old one out of the water. Granted my new plasma is 2 years newer than my first, but the picture and colors are great. I also bought a Blue-Ray player (Panasonic of course) and the DVD's play great on the plasma. For the money, you can not go wrong with this Panasonic model.

So in short, if you are in the market for a new plasma HDTV, you should definitely consider buying this plasma (or another Panasonic plasma).

5 Stars Quality blows me away
I decided to spend a little more on this model. In addition to the improved picture quality, card reader and extra HDMI input I chose this because it was crafted from a single sheet of glass and had a swivel stand (the tv sits in a corner and allow us to swivel to face the kitchen if we need).

I did a lot of research on TVs and knew I wanted a Panasonic plasma from the outset. The picture quality is excellent (colors and blacks are extremely well defined), menu's easy to navigate and the THX certification was noticeable when you switched - particularly on DVDs. All in all a great price for this TV and a solid, good looking performer.

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Pioneer KURO PDP 5020FD 50 Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

Enter the next generation of Pioneer KURO, where a picture is worth more than a thousand words. Awake your senses and discover there is more to this television than meets the eye. Deeper black levels that pave the way to breathtaking detail, added dimension and more vibrant color are just the beginning. Optimum Mode automatically analyzes and adjusts audio and video settings according to specific room light conditions and type of light and color. Program content is also monitored and finely adjusted so movies, sports and news are all faithfully reproduced. Smooth Film mode eliminates motion jitter in 3:2 Pulldown (60Hz), providing natural even playback of film content. Detachable bottom speaker with fully integrated digital amplifier for pristine clarity and accuracy of sound 4 Independent HDMI 1.3 inputs with HDMI-CEC control and the ability to accept 1080p 24/60Hz signal Room Light Sensor for automatic picture adjustment Standard 3 - 2 (60Hz) and Advanced PureCinema with 3 - 3 Pulldown (72Hz) for accurate playback of film content Fully Integrated ATSC and NTSC Tuner with Clear QAM Supported Formats - Video - WMV9, MPEG1, MPEG2-PS, MPEG2-TS, MPEG4 (SP/ASP), and MPEG4 (H.264/AVC) Audio - WMA9, MP3, Linear PCM (WAV), HE-AAC, and MPEG-4 AAC Photos - JPG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, and BMP 4 Independent HDMI 1.3 (1 side, 3 rear) with PC support, 2 with analog audio, 1 Component, 3x Composite, 1 S-Video Antenna, USB (Mass Storage Class), LAN (10/100 Base-T --Ethernet), and PC input Optical Digital Audio (Dolby Digital/PCM), Audio LR, Subwoofer, SR, and Headphone output Dimensions - Width 48-17/32 x Height 28-15/32 x Depth 3-21/32 / 48-17/32 x 31-5/8 x 3-21/32 with speaker Weight - 74 pounds 1 ounces / 86 pounds with speaker and stand

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Awesome PIcture
The Pioneer Kuro PDP-5020FD has the best picture I've seen. I was at Bestbuy and it came down to the PDP-5020 and the panasonic PZ800U. It also had a great picture and was $800 less. However the Pioneer picture was better and I did get to compare them side by side. So that's the one I went with. I replaced a Sony XBR3 46"LCD. There is no comparison! Both the Pioneer and the Panasonic plasma where way better. The next thing I was worried about was do I need a extended contract on my new TV. After reading some review's and checking Consumers Report I found that would be a big waste of money. As far as having Tech come in and adjust the colors well I think right now anyways that would be a waste of money with this TV. I think the Pioneer Kuro PDP-5020FD was well worth the price. My second choice would have been the Panasonic PZ800U that to is a awsome TV.

5 Stars I've started watching too much TV
The quality of this Pioneer plasma is so astounding that I find myself watching too much television - if for nothing else than to gaze at the glorious images produced by this HD plasma. Even though I work in the television industry and spend my days staring at a TV, I find myself watching even more at night.

The images are clean, the colors are true, and motion replicates that pleasant blur found in film. And it seems to smooth out that crunchy "video feel" one can find on many LED or lower end plasmas.

If you can stomach the price, it's well worth the money. Then beware of your free time ...

1 Star blinking blue light
watch out for blinking blue light. My set has a blinking blue even when tv is off.

5 Stars Super tv
This tv is great! I am so happy with it I don't even look at tv's when I am shopping any more. I already have "the top of the line". The picture is perfect. My son recommended this tv and I am so thankful that he "Knows his stuff". I would advise anyone to purchase it.

5 Stars Great choice for videophiles that aren't video-nuts!
I looked for around 6 months for a new HDTV to replace a Sony XBR1 40" I've had for several years. After spending way to much time reading CNETs reviews, I settled upon this TV.

The performance is excellent. It certainly has better image quality than my Sony LCD, both when watching movies (due to the excellent contrast), and when watching fast moving basketball, in which my sony LCD would occasionally have motion artifacts. I think much of the LCD motion artifact thing has gone away with high end LCDs these days.

If you are a video nut that wants to change every aspect of the settings, you need to get the elite model, which is basically the same TV, but with all the settings opened up. You only get basic settings with this model. However, it has a mode that I personally like called "Optimum", where the TVs sensors detect what type of picture is being displayed along with the ambient room conditions and adjust accordingly. So far I've left it on that and it has been great. I have also played with "Movie" mode, in which you get about 50% of the controls on the picture that a typical high end TV might have.

Aesthetically, this TV looks perfect. The plain back bezel that is very small for this size of TV is exactly what I was looking for. Some of the Sony's for the past 4 years and most of the LGs and Samsungs have just got too much going on. I want a perfect picture and a minimal "TV". In addition, this TV is very thin for a 50" plasma, it is only 3.7" thick. My 40" LCD was 5.5" and the new sony XBR8 LED backlit LCD is almost 6" I believe.

In a store I compared this TV to the Samsung A950 series (LED backlit LCD) and the Sony XBR6, both 46" models. The Pioneer was cheaper and just looked better hands down. I went back on 3 occasions to confirm this was the case.

Some people will discuss buzzing with this particular unit. From what I have found out, all plasmas buzz. On this unit, if you put your head behind the tv, you can hear some electronic buzz. If you put your head in front of the TV, you can not hear anything, even with the TV muted. If you move your head about 5' back from the TV and have the TV muted, a slight buzzing becomes audible. If you turn on any volume whatsoever, you can not detect the buzzing. Actually, the fans and hard disk in my DirecTV HR21 DVR are louder than the buzzing!

I have been using power save mode 2 (the highest power save mode), which makes it meet the energy star requirements of the future, and it has plenty of brightness! We'll see how this holds up as we move through the break in period.

The big question many of you are probably asking is should I order from amazon and save almost $1000 over best buy or other big box store? My first HDTV I purchased from a locally owned specialty retailer. It gave me the confidence I needed since I knew little about HDTVs at that time. They offered a 15 day no questions asked return policy. For this Pioneer purchase, I went with amazon.com and saved $1000. Shipping was free. Amazon will contract this to CEVA, who will contract the delivery to your home by another local delivery agent. My TV arrived within 3 business days. It went from Ohio to Chicago in the first day I ordered it, and then was in Milwaukee to be delivered the next day and an appointment was set up. However, when the delivery guys showed up, I asked them to remove it from the packaging so I could plug it in and make sure it worked before I accepted delivery. The bezel was cracked and the screen damaged before we even got it out of the box. So I easily refused shipment and the delivery guys took it back. I contacted amazon and once you get beyond the india help desk and to a real agent who specializes in electronics returns I was all set. A new unit was sent 3 days later (with a total of about 1 week delay) for no charge. I think in the future I would order online from amazon.com again for the cost savings they provide. Although it was a hassle to be at home twice to have the TV delivered twice it was worth the savings for me. I believe you can also return to amazon within 30 days as well if you change your mind, but shipping cost is yours to pay.

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Panasonic Viera TH 46PZ800U 46 Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

Marketing description is not available.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Great picture for 1080p and for up-converted non HD signal.
I bought the Panasonic Viera TH-46PZ800U 46" 1080p Plasma HDTV because of the THX certification and the reviews on cnet, I was not disappointed. The picture is highly adjustable, but the four preset options are very good for watching different inputs. For example when you select the game input it automatically increases the brightness and color, for watching BR movies it gives you a warmer setting. The only disappointing part was the delivery. The delivery guys were dirty, leaving marks on the floor and walls. They didn't know if they were supposed to attach the stand, and when they decided it was necessary they did not seem to take great care with the TV. In the end everything worked great.

5 Stars Awesome Plasma!
I looked at HDTVs for almost a year and this is the one that caught my attention.I seriously considered Samsung LCDs and Pioneer Plasma and found this Panasonic delivers the best performance for the money. I have it hooked up to HD satellite and love it. Movies look great and HD football is amazing. Individual grass blades and clean motion contribute to my enjoyment of a terrific picture. The blacks are black and contrast is vivid, I couldn't be happier with my purchase. I am looking forward to purchasing a Blue-Ray player to add to the fun. thanks

5 Stars Wonderful TV excellent service.
The 46PZ800U is everything I was hoping for in a HDTV. Beautiful picture, easy to hook things up to, and a great looking addition to my living room. The size was perfect for a long narrow room (17x11.5). The CEVA delivery people assembled the stand and then placed it in its permanent location, had me connect my HD cable box to it. (yes I was excited about getting the TV. Got the HD cable box 2 days ahead of time, Blu-ray player and HD dvd player were sitting here waiting along with the cables to hook them up)We tested the TV and then when everything was working they asked for my signature. Overall the whole experience was great and I would reccomend Amazon as a Wonderful way to get a new Panasonic TV. PS price on Amazon was over $300. better than any other price I saw for this model.either in store circulars or on-line. Last, I chose this model mainly because of the over 5000 gradients of color, the single sheet of glass construction, and the THX certification.

5 Stars Brilliant
This TV is superb. HD images are amazingly clear, and the color is awesome!

When I was looking to buy an HDTV, I was worried about how bad standard def images would look. SD images looked pretty bad on a lot of the HDTVs I had seen. However, this TV does a fine job cleaning up SD images, and I don't notice any artifacting unless I'm only 3 or 4 feet from the TV. This is pretty important, because a lot of programming is still only available in standard definition.

This TV also has great sound. I know that's not something you normally look for in a TV. However, I live in an apartment, and I don't plan on getting a kickin' sound system anytime soon, because I don't want to disturb my neighbors. The speakers on this TV perform nicely instead, and the bass is pretty dang good.

Overall: highly recommended.

5 Stars Fantastically Realistic Looking Picture
I purchased this TV about a month ago and I was holding off on my review because I wanted to break in the set first (yes, you should still break in plasmas in spite of what the manufacturers say). I am at about 250 hours on the set, and I have to say that it is the most realistic looking picture that I have seen in a flat panel. I would even put it right up there with the Pioneer Kuros. Fleshtones are incredible and there is no oversaturation of colors. I simply used the THX mode and made basic adjustments using the DVE calibration disk on Blu Ray.

I had initially purchased a Samsung LN46A650 LCD. I liked the set but I just felt that it wasn't quite as sharp as my Samsung 42 inch 720p plasma. Also the colors were a touch too oversaturated. Amazon returned the set with no hassle and delivered the Panasonic in its place.

Initially the Panasonic also did not look quite as sharp as my 42 inch Samsung although the picture was less noisy. However, right around 200 hours or so, the picture really sharpened up. Now that the set has some hours on it, the picture is just amazing! The only other set that I have seen with a better picture (and not by much)is a 60 inch Kuro. The only thing that the Kuros have over this Panasonic is that they are a touch sharper.

This Panasonic is a phenominal buy if color decoding and a realistic picture is most important to you. If you're looking for a panel that has a bright, punchy picture with colors that are slightly cartoonish but that pop, go with the Samsung LN46A650 lcd.

PROS: Phenominal color decoding, incredibly realistic looking picture, fantastic price

CONS: Picture could be just a touch sharper, speakers are mediocre

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Panasonic Viera TH 50PZ800U 50 Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

The PZ800 series meets the THX Certified Display specifications, signifying the highest standards of performance and quality. The PZ800 Plasma televisions feature an improved native contrast ratio of 30,000:1; Game Mode; VIERA Link; a PC Input, four HDMI connections and an all new one sheet of glass design concept.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Panasonic 50- Inch Plasma
Panasonic Viera TH-50PZ800U 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

I have always enjoyed Panasonic products. Now I know that they also make a really impressive plasma TV. I thought my 46 Inch Samsung LCD was great until I recently bought this Panasonic 50 Inch plasma. The picture on this TV is crisp and the sound is great! It was well worth the money. Hats-off to Panasonic. I think Samsung really has some serious competition from Panasonic.

3 Stars TV is Good, AntOnline is not.
I am very happy with this TV. Features are exactly what is advertised. However, I am not happy with AntOnline's delivery service. They attempted delivery using a 48 ft semi and were unable to even approach my house. The shipper called me and said they couldn't stop on my road b/c their truck was too big. I was forced to drive 50 miles to pick up the TV from their warehouse, as AntOnline did nothing to help resolve the issue. I've asked for shipping charge back and have received nothing. I don't recommend buying from them if you live in a residential area.

5 Stars Best TV for the money!
I'll keep it simple. Good price. Great Delivery. Outstanding TV. Beautiful picture. Impressive sound! This is the one you want.

5 Stars no problems with shipping
Cannot say anything about the TV yet, we just got it today. Wanted to let people know that my shipping experience with CEVA, about which many people complained, was excellent. I placed an order on Monday, the TV arrived on Friday, and the shippers even took it out of the box, assembled the base, and put it on my media center.

3 Stars Not terrible, but not great.
Perhaps I purchased this monitor expecting too much, but I am disappointed with my selection.

First of all, the Viera with the picture off looks very good. This bad boy has a sleek design and it's shiny frame looks very impressive. It's definitely a high end hdtv...until you turn it on. I don't know where to begin with my disappointment. I got a good deal on it, so the price is not what left me less then satisfied. The display itself is very overrated. It is difficult to get a crisp picture on this unit, and the THX mode that critics praise seems to leave a lot of pictures hazy and cloudy. I'm sure replicating "true blacks" is what a lot of video-philes loved about this set, but even the blacks seem more gray then truly black.

I also read that the sound the set produces is above average. However, when I actually do use the sound that my Panasonic delivers, it sounds painful to my ears. I am not one that buys a television for it's audio qualities, but I am sending out a warning to those that might.

Beyond the less-than-satisfactory qualities that I have mentioned above, my biggest qualm is with the reflective screen attached to the unit. My two biggest concerns while purchasing a plasma were burn-in (which to it's marketing department's credit, Panasonic has convinced me is not a big deal) and reflectivity. The reflection off the front of the tv does not seem to be a huge deal. It's a bit distracting, but overall it is not a deal breaker. HOWEVER, the reflection from INSIDE the tv is what I find incomprehensible for a modern-day television. From most angles (anything not directly in front of the tv), I notice a double image, or reflection, of the original picture. Maybe this is my fault because it's normal for plasma displays, but I find it utterly ridiculous that a modern day television that prides itself on viewing angles considers this to be par for the course. How can a tv actually deliver a "crisp" picture when everything it displays has a "ghost" behind it? Once again, I find this insulting to my intelligence.

I'm sure my review will be ripped to shreds by all of those that consider this unit to be a work of art. I don't have any credentials to back up my opinions. I'm just an ordinary guy on his third hdtv, and I find it fairly disappointing for all the hype this Panny has received. It's not the worse set in the world, but it's far from delivering on the hype that it has received.

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Panasonic Viera TH 42PZ85U 42 Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

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

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars What A Picture!!!
We have a 42-inch Panasonic plasma TV that we bought about 7 years ago for $4,000. My how times have changed! The new TH-42PZ85U from Panasonic is currently selling for about ? the price we paid and is a vastly better television.

For starters, the outward appearance is elegant. It features a very slim cross-section and smooth, seductive lines. The screen has an anti-reflective filter which cuts way down on glare and, you guessed it, reflections. This, coupled with the TV's high contrast ratio of 1 million to 1, gives you a very sharp, realistic picture. On top of that, this TV can handle a 1080p signal, producing the highest quality image currently available. This is ideal for Blu-Ray viewing. Content providers such as DirecTV are promising 1080p programming "real soon now."

A little more of the specs, then I'll talk about the good stuff. On the back of the TV, there are more ports and plugs than you'll know what to do with. If you're considering this TV, then you probably have a high-definition source such as an HD cable or satellite box and maybe Blu-Ray. Most modern HD devices can use an HDMI cable, which can carry the HD video signal along with the Dolby 5.1 audio information. This TV has 3 HDMI ports which make for a very uncluttered back plane.

Okay. So we ordered one of these for my in-laws to replace a gigantic tube television they had. That one weighed 180 pounds. This one weighs 70 pounds. When it arrived, it took about 20 minutes for us to unbox it and screw in the base plate. We took our time. 10 minutes later, it was upright, plugged in, and showing us that we had made the right choice. The picture is gorgeous! With DirecTV as the source, on any of the HD channels, you really can't help but stop and stare. That effect is magnified when you watch a Blu-Ray or HD-DVD. It's almost unsettling! Watching HD versions of the old Star Trek episodes, for example, shows you things Mr. Spock never wanted you to see! Make-up lines, costume glitches, etc. that were invisible in the 1960s are now stunningly obvious. But I digress.

There are plenty of settings available but we changed very few. I'm sure a videophile would be in there tweaking everything, but were very happy with the image. Skin tones, blacks, saturation, were all to our liking once we told the unit it was not in demo mode (the mode used to attract people in a store. Usually, it is oversaturated.) We've watched movies, football games, and even video sent over from the PC. It is all wonderful.

As I said at the top of this review, we've had a Panasonic 42-inch plasma TV for about 7 years, as well as a 52-inch for about 5 years, and both are still in great condition. No dead pixels, no color fading, no problems at all. That gives me hope that this new entry will fare at least as well.

4 Stars Very good TV
This TV has great color and action reproduction. I definitely prefer plasma over LCD for both of those reasons and Panasaonic does it as well as anybody in my opinion. My main concern has to do with the frame. It is wider than I would prefer which makes the outer dimension wider than it needs to be. The frame is also shiny so I get more reflection from the frame than I get from the screen, which is usually the concern about plasma TVs. Both of these are minor compared to the stellar picture quality.

5 Stars Great TV.
looked at alot of reviews, haved had panni for about a month. just change settings, awesome picture. Underworld was incredible, using stanard DVD's with inexpensive upconvert player. no motion blur. very happy with purchase, shipping was fast no problem with shipping. TV was double box. great price but price has dropped even a little more since purchase.

1 Star Great TV, horrible delivery
let me say, this TV is great. picture, etc are all fantastic.

I will never buy anything from amazon again that requires shipping via freight. To put it mildly, the shipping was a nightmare. I was stood up on 3 occasions by CEVA. Their only accommodation was to offer for me to drive to their warehouse to pick up the tv. When they finally did "deliver" the tv, they brought it to the wrong address. I spent about 14 hours total waiting for this delivery at home, and then they delivered it to my work address. Totally unacceptable. Even worse, and very disappointing, was Amazons response. I contacted them regarding my experience and they sent me a form email back without a real apology, Certainly not what I expected. I understand mistakes happen, and most people have had good experiences so far, but its very alarming that amazons response to their shippers mistake was basically "too bad".

5 Stars jim
I did alot of research on tvs before buying this panasonic and so far am very happy with it. The picture is terriffic as others have said the sound system could be better, but not a reason to not buy this product. As of now i believe I have received a great product at a great price!!!!

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