Customer Reviews
JPEG image viewing is very Dodgy 
2005-02-26
I bought this Plasma TV and it it Great, EXCEPT that I cannot view any JPEG images. What a hassle I went through buying dirrerent memory cards and PC card adapters only to find out that it will not display standard jpeg images and only specific images straight out of certain cameras. I have an older Minolta Digital Camera and these images do not conform, hog-wash. If you want to change the images in ANY way before showing them, red-eye, color balance, contrast, etc., it will not display them either.
I have found the same issue is true for their DVD Recorders as well; no jpegs except from specific cameras.
42PX25 is VERY nice 
2005-02-01
OK, the Panasonic 42PX25 is truely an HD unit (not EDTV). It has all of the same tech specs (plus more) as the main competitors. It is bright and crisp. Normal TV signals (via a cable for instance) look lousy since the display is capable of so much more, and kinda amplifying the poor standard TV signals. BUT, throw a DVD, HD or even DIGITAL cable signals at it and be prepared to fall off your chair! Amazing!
This unit has LOTS of signal inputs, and the built-in ATSC HD tuner even finds HD channels my cable provider (comast) says don't exist on my wire!
The unit suffers from the same power supply noise that nearly all plasmas do. Almost non-existant, but if you put your ear up to it with no other sound in the room, it IS there.
The embedded operating system is a bit sluggish, and switching between video feeds is a bit slow, but usable. Also, it is quite particular in which types of image files it will display. I have found ONLY images that have been recorded on a camera work. Nothing that has been EDITTED first displays.
Last note: The unit is plasma... which means it's USEABLE half-lifespan is something like 50,000 hours. What is a half-life span you ask? It is the number of hours that the set is operating before the BRIGHTNESS degrades to HALF of the original brightness. So, in 50,000 hours, the picture will be 50% darker than it is today. This figure of 50,000 hours appears to be higher than other sets. Good for Panasonic!
One of the best plasma TVs, simply gorgeous 
2004-12-30
I usually recommend LCD TVs (esp. Sharp Aquos) over plasmas, mainly because the LCD screen lasts longer, is brighter, consumes far less electricity, and does not suffer the burn-in problem as plasmas.
But if you are set on getting a plasma, this Panasonic "Veira" 42" is one of the best plasmas on the market today. This HDTV set (with built-in HDTV tuner) is fully 720p and 480p native, and can scale 1080i content gracefully. (BTW there's very little 1080i content available right now.) The picture quality is simply gorgeous, with brightness and details that rival LCDs. Color reproduction is excellent, making watching Nature on PBS such a wonderful experience. The screen's response time has improved over earlier models, so fast-action sports looks good instead of ghostly. The Veira also has a Cable Card slot and although I haven't tried it, a recent New York Times review says it works seamlessly with Cable Cards. (Cable Cards can replace set-top cable boxes; check with your cable provider for details.)
To get the most out of DVD movies, get a digital-output (HDMI) DVD player from Panasonic, Sony or Denon. These players can "upsample" DVD's standard-NTSC resolution and provide somewhat better video quality when you play DVDs on an HDTV like this one. The Panasonic player in particular is a great value and a perfect match for the Veira.
While I still think LCD TVs are a better value for the long term, the Panasonic, along with plasmas from Fujitsu and Pioneer, does give you the best possible picture out of today's state-of-the-art plasma technology. I have friends who own Panasonic and they are all very happy, even the ones with the EDTV (instead of HDTV) sets.
When you buy a big screen TV, you are making a serious investment (unless you just won the Mega Millions or Powerball), and I highly recommend you buy the best you can afford. Sub-$2000 plasma TVs have poor image quality and are likely to break down quickly, plus they are very noisy. Just go for the best after you get over the SAF (spouse approval factor) hurdle! The Panasonic Veira is a great value considering its top-notch image quality, gorgeous styling and built-in HDTV support.
BEWARE OF LOW PRICED PLASMAS!!! 2004-12-20
I do not fall for scams. But I almost fell for this one. A seller had the TV listed for $990. She even had 69 positive ratings next to her name, 'torrter77'. When I emailed to ask why the item was priced so low, 'she' said that her ex-husband had cheated on her and she was trying to get rid of anything that reminded her of him. She sent us to a 'secure' website to make sure our transaction was guaranteed. If you are ever sent to 'www.escrow-sc.com', know that you are being scammed! Luckily, my husband did some research on the site and realized the whole thing was bogus. She even tried to have us go to Western Union to send money to Paris. It was all too much and too many red flags were sent up. Take heed to your mother's advice...'if something seems too good to be true, it is!'
BUYER BEWARE!!!!! 2004-12-10
Watch out for those new or used plasma TV being advertised for less than $1500.00. Those sellers have a rating of "just launched" it seems that the same person or group of person used several different email address and they ask you to contact them first. Be very careful, all they need is to have you wire the money to them, you won't be covered by Amazon if you do that.
Great TV 2008-07-27
Bought this TV about 3 months ago and love it. Super HD quality. No problems with setup. Image and sound are great, nice and crisp in both regards. Photos from SD camera cards are easily viewable. Overall very happy with the purchase.
Great Picture, Great Bargain! 2005-08-24
I have had my set for about 2 weeks now, and I am blown away by it's contrast and resolution.
This is my second set...the first set arrived and when I plugged it in, all I received was a blinking power light---turns out it has something to do with the power supply---according to Panansonic.
I use Radio Shack 'rabbit' ears for my reception and receive all four of the major networks and OPB in HD---Monday Night Football in HD is amazing! With the 'rabbit ears' I also receive all four major networks in SD---but why go back?
DVD's seem to look better on the Plasma than on my last Mitsubishi tube set---even thugh there is only 480 lines of resolution. I haven't tried the HDMI input yet, but others seem to be impressed by it.
I am using component video for my DVD and run the sound through Yamaha Audio/Video controller, Adcom amplifiers, and Polk Audio speakers.
The only bummer is that when the speakers on the Plasma are turned off, you can't adjust the 'volume level' using the Plasma remote---you just get a message saying 'speakers off'---you should be able to turn off the speakers and then have the audio out from your Plasma become a 'line out' so to speak---so you can control the audio levels of your surround system, when watching TV by using the volume on the Plasma remote control---why should I have to 'select' receiver and then adjust the volume?---heck that was available on my first Mitsubishi set 16 years ago.
Anway, minor complaint....all in all a fantastic set, that I would recommend to anyone---and a great bargain too!
Underwhelmed 2005-07-19
Plasma buyers beware. Before you plunk down the BIG bucks for a plasma TV, look for other ways to spend $ around your house or take a vacation instead. Plasma TVs are underwhelming when all is said and done. Wide-screen programming is virtually non-existent, and resolutions are awful when you try to watch converted analog signals or stretched screens, also very dissapointing to view the dead-zone sidebars when you can't fill the screen. I spent 4Gs on this Panasonic and two months later the entire image skewed off the frame, needed a technician to reprogramme the bios (on site), ughhh, after hours of wasted support calls to both Panasonic and to my cable TV provider (both apparently ignorant about the issue). Wide screen TVs look best in the store.
Great TV 2005-04-18
I am thrilled with this TV. I have a small apartment and the screen size is just right. Even the non HD picture is fantastic which is important because there are not that many HD broadcasts yet. My only complaint is that the sound is somewhat muffled on HD broadcasts. I plan on purchasing a separate amp, etc. I have purchased a Panasonic HDMI dvd player and dvd's are fantastic. I also have the cable company's HD DVR service. Once I get the sound system it should be perfect.
Glitch in the TV 2005-03-16
I purchased this plasma TV through Amazon 4 months ago. The transaction and shipping went very smoothly. I also purchased the wall mounting bracket through Amazon (an excellent value for only $150).
The TV is great -- excellent picture and great audio for those of you who do not use their surround sound system every time the set is on. However, a problem recently surfaced a few days ago: When playing DVDs on the Component 1 channel, the picture on the screen is no longer centered -- it is offset by about 20% to the left side. After trying to remedy the problem myself, I contacted Panasonic Customer Service (be prepared to wait at least 20-30 minutes on the phone before being connected to a representative). After explaining the problem, the rep indicated it would warrant a service call by a repair person (as of this writing, the appointment is scheduled within the next few days) Luckily, the warranty covers in-house repairs for one year, but you do have to remove the TV from the wall mount yourself so it is accessible to the repair person.
I'll admit I'm a bit skeptical about the reliabilty of the TV now, especially since it developed this problem within 4 months. I'm not a fan of extended warranties (very expensive for this TV, considering an extra year of coverage through Panasonic costs around $400), but I may have to purchase one if any additional problems surface.
Hopefully, the problem with my Panasonic is a rarity. I expected better performance from this expensive purchase. Time will tell.
