Customer Reviews
Works extremely well with 1080i or 720p signals! 
2007-10-31
I've been pretty happy with the performance of the TH-42PWD8UK. I've had it for over a year now. Picture quality from DVD using component cable is very good, and has been what I am using it mostly for. I never feel the need for HD. DVDs looks awesome, as this unit is the native resolution of DVDs. I won't be far off to say that none of the HD sets in the store looks better than this one.
But the reason I am writing this review is my surprise finding of how well it scales 1080i or 720p image when fed such signals. I recently got a Samsung HD tuner, and naturally I set the output to 480p, my TV's resolution. I also tried a Panasonic DVD recorder with HD-tuner, and the picture quality was about the same as the Samsung, very good.
However, while tweaking some settings on the Samsung, I changed the output setting on the back of the unit to 720p and 1080i. I was expecting the TV not to display anything, but much to my surprise, a proper image is displayed. Even to my bigger surprise, the picture looks noticeably sharper and more detailed!! How can that be? The set is not HD! I pondered this for a while and came to the conclusion that the TV must have a much better scaling algorithm than the Samsung tuner.
With HD tuner sending a 1080i signal, picture quality looks astounding! My friend was looking to buy a Panasonic 50" plasma, and came by to take a look at my TV. Both he and his wife were stunned by the picture quality and how it looks better than all the HD units they've seen. Anyway, I am extremely happy with the performance of the scaling algorithm on the TV. If you have HD source, set it to 1080i output and enjoy! You will not be disappointed.
One thing that still puzzles me a bit is why HD materials look sharper and more detailed than DVDs, and I am talking about good quality DVDs here. Since this set is the native resolution of DVD, theoretically it's as good as it will get. HD material should look the same as DVDs, since the end result of what you see, IS 480p.
I wonder if I get an upconverting DVDs, and send the unit a 1080i signal, whether it will look better than the standard DVD. In theory it shouldn't, since scaling 480p to 1080i and scale back would not gain you much, but does it? I guess when my current DVD player dies I'll get a new one and find out.
Great Value - Best Buy - No brainer ;) 2006-10-12
This is an excellent plasma TV. I have it for little more than 6 months and I am happy that I bought this baby!
I did research for about 8 months before I bought Panasonic TH-42PWD8UK. First thing, look @ at consumer reports or any website for reviews on Plasmas - on top 10 list more than 50% will be from Panasonic. This company knows how to dig plasmas. Second part is you need to decide about your needs - what exactly you are looking for. In my case, I wanted a plasma that's slim & slick. I ddin't want any speakers associated with the plasma for two reasons - the OEM speakers are NEVER decent quality & I didn't want huge looking thing on my wall. This plasma is basically industrial/commercial display - no speakers, no stands. And that was perfect for me as I can just hang it on the wall (I had to buy seperate wall mount).
Another thing to keep in mind - this EDTV not HDTV. To be frank, I still can't understand the hype for HDTV. I don't have HDTV cable so for me it didn't matter. The quality I think equal to or better than HDTV (compared to HDTV plasmas what I had seen in retail stores).
This TV doesn't have any stand or mount so you need to buy something on day 1 - otherwise you won't be able to put it anywhere. I bought the mount from CostCo and happy with that.
For the connections - look @ the other review over here - there' all possible technical details on that one so I won't bore you with those.
In the end, I will say this is a great plasma with awesome picture quality. If you are buying plasma, get yourself decent home theatre system too. Your A/V receiver can handle all the connections to your cable box, DVD, VCR, CD player etc. And finally, get yourself one of the fancy Logitech/harmony universal remote too. I got harmony 880 and love it. Tip - Plasma on wall, nice slick speakers with high output and 1 universal remote to manage everything will impress anyone anytime - including yourself!
Great EDTV Plasma! 2006-07-11
This is a beautiful TV. I've had it for 6 months and I am very happy with it. For one, the minimalism of it. I just wanted a monitor. I didn't need a tuner since I have a HD cable box and I didn't need speakers since I have a great surround sound system. Also, I find it distracting that consumer versions of flat screens have all that stuff attached, as one reason people like flat screens are the aesthetics. I think the EDTV picture is excellent, and I feel comfortable I made the right decision to not jump on the HDTV bandwagon right now. I am constantly comparing my EDTV to friend's HDTVs and I think their picture is totally inferior, whether it's DVD or regular television or even an HD broadcast. It's a great buy and a great upgrade from a CRT. Very happy.
Great TV..that needs a few extras 
2006-07-09
Great TV. Much more affordable that HDTV and it looks pretty much the same. So much so, I bought this TV twice and may buy two more. Make sure you decide if you're going to mount it on the wall or put it on a stand and buy these accessories at the same time that you are buying this tv. You may also need some adapters BNC to RCA etc. All in All...I great buy.
Picture so good you'll forget about HD 2006-06-13
I bought the TH-42PWD8UK after exhaustive research and dozens of showroom screenings. To be blunt, these Panasonics have (both the HDs and EDs), by far, the best picture you can have in your home and I'm delirously happy with it. There are a bunch of caveats and issues, though. The flat screen TV decision cuts across a mess of issues:
1) Plasma versus LCD. LCDs look better in the average showroom because they have smaller pixels (finer grained picture) and brighter backlighting. Plasma's hidden strength is their rich blacks and more vivid colors. In real life you sit back 8 feet or so from the screen - so the pixel size issue disappears. The brightness issue disappears in real life too - where I, like most folks, do most of my viewing in evening or night hours in a partially lit room. Plasma's strengths in dense blacks and vivid colors equates to a greater image dynamics - more akin to film than regular television. Once you start to spot it, LCDs look a bit washed out by comparison. Plasma's vividness can be a dual edge sword. Sometimes flesh tones can look too pink. Panasonic gets this right - better than most other plasma screens. Rear projection and front projector units can't compete for vivid picture or image contrast (not to mention angle of view - the big drawback of rear projection BTW).
2) HDTV versus EDTV. HD has higher resolution - but only HD broadcasts can take advantage of it. All the rest of the content you throw at it (DVDs, regular TV broadcasts) must be upsampled. (EDTVs have to upsample regular broadcasts too BTW). Resampling can introduce artifacts (blocky shapes). The quality of resampled images varies quite a bit among different manufacturers and is the reason why you shouldn't necessarily go cheap. EDTV is designed to have the same resolution as DVD - and DVDs look amazing on the 42PWD8UK. HDTVs can actually look inferior to EDTVs on DVDs and regular broadcasts because of the upsampling issue. HD content looks pretty darned good on the 42PWD8UK too - even though it must be downsampled. I spent a good long time looking at an HD demo on the HD and ED models of this monitor and found the difference surprising subtle. I haven't regretted the decision so far. Obviously the only major reason to go with HD is that you have HD channels on cable or satellite, and plan to go to blue-ray or HD DVD soon. If these moves are not immenent for you - then don't pay extra for HD. By the time HD fully penetrates, prices will have dropped a lot and it will be close to time for a new TV anyway.
3) Consumer versus Commercial line. The 42PWD8UK is from Panasonic's commercial line. That's why it is sold without a stand, speakers, and without a tuner (and has such a low price). Stand or wall mount is your choice - but you must budget to buy one or the other. I found a Panasonic brand stand for $185 and it's great. Most folks have external cable or satellite boxes so the internal tuner you buy with the consumer line model is wasted money. The fact that HDMI interface is a cost added option is a non-issue with EDTV - since you will not benefit from the higher resolution of that interface. The 42PWD8UK comes with three inputs standard: BNC coax digital composite, Component Video (the three R-G-B cables), and computer SVGA. Trust me - Component Video is good enough. The inclusion of SVGA is awesome too - for those who have a computer in their home entertainment system. As for speakers - a big screen like this screams out for a good surround receiver and 5.1 (or 6.1 or 7.1) channel audio speakers. If you don't invest the extra $500-$1000 that a decent 5.1-7.1 audio setup will run you you are really cheating yourself. Immersive audio is hugely important in home theater and will really augment the great picture you'll get with the 42PWD8UK. Given that you own your own home theater audio setup - or will be derelict if you don't get one - the issue of the 42PWD8UK not including speakers is irrelevent.
4) Panasonic versus the other guys. Short and sweet - there's no better picture at anywhere near the price. At the high end only Hitachi and Pioneer compete. Interesting offerings like HP end up just being rebranded Panasonics. Cheaper units like Philips (much as I normally like their stuff) look too pink on flesh tones and have inferior black detail. Don't get a cheaper HDTV just because it's HD! The resolution difference is negligible compared to overall image quality. Image quality is where the 42PWD8UK rules - and isn't that really the bottom line here?
Expect to add extras 2006-03-21
Panasonic's Plasma represents a major leap forward in plasma display technology. The thin, flat, large-screen plasma display delivers the world's highest levels of brightness and contrast. Its sharp pictures and natural, true-to-life colors make for an extremely impressive viewing experience. These units come equipped for ready connection to today's advanced video sources, including HDTV, DVD, and personal computers.
Best EDTV Out There ! 2006-03-05
The price of this tv is 500-800 dollars less than the nearest true HD 42" plasma tv. The picture is awesome in progressive DVD. Sattelite tv is good to very good. If you watch DVD movies often, you will love this tv. The only bad thing I can say about this tv is that it should come with a HDMI connection, but for 130-150 dollars you can install one in the empty input. I am glad Panasonic builds a great EDTV for those of us who can't afford a HDTV.
PLASMA TV 2006-02-02
After you replaced the first one because of breakage, I found the replacement to be wonderful. I hooked it up and found the plasma display to be all that you claimed.
HD resolution is perfectly fine on this EDTV as long as you watch it from at least 8 feet away from the screen.
The multiple connections make it easy for a person to hook up all the peripherals.
It doesn't make sense to spend the extra money on a true HD set when this one produces such a clear, crisp picture.
Recommended for those sticking with standard-def TV. 2006-01-11
If you subscribe to Consumer Reports--as I do (5 year subscription)--see my review on this magazine--note that the Panasonic plasmas are rated not just a little, but much higher than any other brand name within the comparable price range. Panasonic has plasma down. You must pay thousands more to get a better picture. This is the bottom line at this time. Perhaps things may change in time, but not quite yet. I am not affiliated with Panasonic and am merely summarizing my extensive and thorough research into plasma and lcd televisions.
Now, as to the question of lcd versus plasma, it is also a given at this time that plasma offers a superior picture which must be the primary concern of a videophile. Enough said on this account. If television picture is less important to you than ... whatever (?) --power consumption perhaps?, then you may consider lcd. I considered lcd tv's long and hard, and really wanted to believe in lcd technology, but in the end concluded the larger screen lcd tv's are drastically overpriced while offering poor performance. Perhaps technology will change this scenario one day, but I doubt it.
Now, if you accept my position that Panasonic plasma is the way to go for high def, the next question is, which Panasonic plasma to choose?
Mainly it depends on how much you wish to spend. The more money, the higher definition and the bigger screen you can afford. I found that the best price/performance ratio was to be had with this humble EDTV model. I do not wish to sign up for HDTV at this time due to the higher cable costs, so my motive in buying a higher def TV is mainly for watching DVD movies in their native resolution. I can personally attest that this EDTV is excellent (and is rated excellent by Consumer Reports) for DVD movies of all stripes.
Prior to purchasing, I researched the th-42pwd8uk so much online that I knew its name by heart. Daily I entered this name in Google to read reviews, and observed that it was widely acclaimed for an excellent picture at a reasonable price. At its current price, there is only one serious competitor to the th-42pwduk, and it is the retail version of the Panasonic 42", which has a silver case rather than a black one. The other brand names, Sony, Samsung, Phillips et al, have not at this time received comparable ratings for those units in the same price range (below $3000). A consensus has emerged placing the crown of achievement upon Panasonic's head.
This is the professional version of the 42" Panasonic plasma EDTV; not to be confused with the higher-resolution, and correspondingly higher price HDTV. Also, not to be confused with the ugly silver version of the 42" EDTV being sold at the retail chains. Panasonic has a wide array of models and it gets quickly confusing sorting them all out. I studied them all and settled on this one being the best for my purpose (combined PC / TV use).
The most important difference to keep in mind is that, unlike the retail version, the th-42pwd8uk boasts a VGA connection and is readily connected to any PC, a point many reviewers have sadly overlooked, bedazzled as they are by its amazing TV picture. It also has what many consider to be a more attractive appearance with its neutral black case that does not detract from the decor of a sophisticated home. The price is slightly lower than the silver version, though if you buy the Panasonic stand (TY-ST08K) you pay an extra $200 (including shipping). With the stand, the prices become about the same.
The advantages of the silver-colored retail version of the 42" Panasonic plasma EDTV are that it can be obtained locally at the big chain stores, and already has everything you need built in: speakers, tuner, and stand. I submit, however, that the speakers are of limited value since most people paying big bucks for higher def will connect their sound to an existing surround-sound system. I also find the tuner of limited value to folks who are not subscribed to high-def. The stand is just ugly. And then you calculate the not-inconsiderable addition of sales tax.
What decided the issue for me is that th-42pwd8uk has a VGA connection and simply looks more attractive. I really did not want the silver retail monstrosity in my living room. The stand feet make it look like a robot from a bad 1950s sci-fi movie.
Naturally, you should be nervous buying this unit online--which is why I did my research--but if you buy from a highly reputable dealer, I think you may be very pleased, as I was. I watched "Lord of the Rings" on this monitor and the picture was simply outstanding. If you play many DVD movies, this is definitely the choice for you.
Recommendations:
-if you intend to set the unit on a table, rather than mounting on the wall, buy the TY-ST08K. It is a heavy metal method of securing your plasma TV and keeping it from falling down. I own and recommend it. I want to be very clear that this unit does not come equipped with any kind of stand or feet and *cannot* remain vertical on its own! I had to prop the unit up against a wall for eight days, waiting for the stand to arrive. Decide prior to purchase whether to wall-mount or use a stand. One of the things that really tick me off about certain retailers is they often picture it as having the stand, when it DOES NOT include any such thing!
-You will need female-RCA-to-male-BNC adaptors to connect your RCA cables for the component and composite connections. You definitely should connect your DVD player via the component connection. S-video is a less desirable alternative. Composite is the worst choice and should only be used as a last resort.
-Now comes the favorite part of my review, the VGA connection. According to the manual, you can achieve 852 x 480 resolution on your PC. Going any further risks loss of clarity. I went further, to 800 x 600, and sacrificed some clarity, but don't really mind. The connection to the computer is effortless and plug-n-play. Don't worry, your PC will connect just fine to this television. The only thing you will need to do is go to Control Panel | Display and adjust your resolution to fit this monitor. I do not recommend using 1024 x 768 on this EDTV model. Perhaps on its HDTV cousin, but that's another story.
-I used to recommend buying high-priced, high quality component cables. But since then, I have discovered that you can get a good picture from lower priced, less fancy cables. I have a feeling the "Monster" brand may be a good bit overpriced. I bought 6' Monster component cables, gold-plated, for about $65 from Radio Shack. I connected using gold-plated female-RCA-to-male-BNC adaptors. Remember, this unit requires such adaptors--but they are cheap and easily obtained online, at Ebay for instance, or locally at Radio Shack. But when I bought a Panasonic DVD player, the Monster cables would not fit in its component hookups. So I wound up using the cheap-looking cables Panasonic provided with the DVD player. It doesn't seem to be a big difference.
-try to avoid using the composite video connection. If you are staying with SDTV, like me, try to go with S-video if at all possible. The lack of an HDMI input, unless you have special requirements, is irrelevant; component cables provide quite comparable reception as that newer, "copy-protected" option, which was devised by and is being promoted by the movie industry. Do the research; component input is all you need. It is being phased out of newer models--unfortunately.
-read the manual and take the time to learn the many features of your intelligent monitor. In particular, learn how to switch between the viewing modes.
-I think you should turn the brightness down from day 1 when you receive your monitor. I have this theory they jack the brightness UP as a factory default just so it will look good on a showroom floor and make a good first impression. But the television's longevity matters to me; and I didn't really need the ultra-high brightness.
-another recommendation is to turn the screen saver function ON, just as a precaution, to help avoid burn-in.
-on your DVD player, make sure to change the output signal to "Widescreen" (i.e. 16:9) and "Progressive scan" either 525p or 480p. This, combined with a component cable connection, will get you an excellent picture. If your DVD player doesn't support these options, buy a new DVD player! It's well-worth it. If you're strapped for cash, a new progressive scan player from Samsung only runs about $60 - $70 or so.
-Lastly, let me reiterate that this is a monitor, and has no tuner. To get television reception, you must hook your coaxial cable to a vcr, cable box, or dvd player that does have a tuner. I was doing this anyway for my previous tv, so it was not a big deal to me.
Forget about HD... with this, you'll never know the difference 2005-12-15
This is our first plasma/flat screen tv. It's a big move up from our 27" tube. We have a basic set up... Tivo hooked up via s-video and a progressive scan DVD via component video. This product is a display only. It doesn't have a built in tv tuner and so we use our Tivo for that. The picture quality of the Tivo on this display is marginal, but still better than what we used to have... and from 12'-15' back, you probably won't notice the difference from an HD display. The DVD output, on the other hand, is excellent. The detail, color, and realism is amazing. Save yourself up to $1000 and go with the EDTV... I think it's just as good as HD for most people.
