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Panasonic Viera TH-42PX25U/P 42" HDTV Plasma TVFlat-panel, big-screen luxury is yours with Panasonic's 42-inch VIERA series TH-42PX25U/P. This 1,024 x 768-pixel gas-plasma TV offers...
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Flat-panel, big-screen luxury is yours with Panasonic's 42-inch VIERA series TH-42PX25U/P. This 1,024 x 768-pixel gas-plasma TV offers a 16:9 widescreen dimension, photo-viewing SD and PC Card slots, and an HDMI input for direct-digital connection with high-definition sources. Its ATSC tuner pulls HD signals (480p/1080i) right out of the airwaves, however, and its QAM tuner is fully compatible with unscrambled HDTV cable reception. A standard analog NTSC tuner receives standard-definition (SD) programming, and 2-tuner/split-screen picture-in-picture gives you unparalleled viewing convenience with scalable image sizes.
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6 Reviews from Shopping.com
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One of the best plasma TVs, simply gorgeous
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Pros: GREAT picture quality, GREAT durability, very attractive styling, true HDTV, built-in HDTV tuner, sexy
Cons: None
The Bottom Line:
One of the best plasma HDTVs on the market today, this Panasonic is built to last and is priced to please anyone looking for a high-quality plasma.
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.
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