Home > Consumer Reviews > Panasonic TH 42PX600U - 42" VIERA plasma TV - widescreen - 720p - HDTV

I recently purchased the Samsung 46 inch LCD (LN-S4692D). I bought this TV because I loved the style and the no glare aspect of an LCD was appealing to me. When I got it home, I was very dissapointed with the picture quality. The analog channels were unwatchable and I think buying a $3000 TV for a handful of HDTV channels is crazy. I then switched to this plasma because when I asked Best Buy associates to turn the channel to an analog channel, I was very pleased with the picture. I purchased it, took it out of the box and I didn't even have to make any changes! The difference between this plasma and my old LCD was astonishing. Almost every channel is crystal clear and the blacks are deeper than any other TV on the market (even the Pioneer). It's also brighter than the Pioneer, if that is an issue for you. If you are serious about picture quality, purchase this Panasonic. The 600U has a cooler design than the 60U and a cable card which are very important to me. The digital camera slot is pretty cool too.
So, if you are in the buying stage and still wondering if you should go LCD or plasma, here is my take:

Only go LCD if you play video games, have an extremely bright room and watch TV a lot during the daylight hours, or plan on using your monitor as a computer (LCD's are immune to burn in.) If you want a clear picture with eye popping color, buy a Plasma but not a cheap one, buy this Panasonic. Good luck shopping!

This plasma set is one of the best rated in the 42" category by most of the plasma sites.
Love the twin HDMI connectors, which I use to connect an HDMI Panasonic DVD player, only one cable is required per connection for video/audio. Cable is inpervious to EMI (Electro Magnetic Interference) and Crosstalk, since it's digital and all it does is transfer ones and zeroes :) (Note, for this reason, there is NO need to spend $60 and up for the high end cables like Monster. I've bought the $4 cables from Amazon and they work great).

Unit also has a cable card slot (which I don't use), PC port, and SD card slot for watching photos on your TV.
The sound is very good, unit is rated at 31 W Output Power, and has four speakers (including two woofers), very good channel separation, and sound that is very nice and crisp, which should be more than enough for anyone except an audiophile in my opinion.

Colors are vivid, and the images are ultra sharp.
I've only had mine for about 10 days, so I have not calibrated mine yet until it's broken in. Also, I don't have HD service through my cable provider, since Time Warner is transitioning to Comcast in our area, and they're have been out of HD converters & DVRs for weeks now - Thanks Warner Cable...)

The remote control is intuitive and well laid out, with big buttons, and a size that feels just right for even smaller hands. Keys are not backlit, but that's about the only fault I could find with it.

A word of advice for folks that have bought plasmas and prospective buyers, is to take the set out of "torch" mode (very high picture setting, intended for showing the TV in brightly lit store showrooms, which increases wear on the screen phosphors) and lower this setting as when your unit is new to minimize burn in (see Panny's instructions below). After the first 100 hours, the unit should give you around ~60,000 hours of trouble free viewing, which translates to around 20 years of 8 hours/day viewing.
Keep in mind that this phenomenon is not unique to plasma technology, CRT (Cathode Ray Tube), can and do suffer from burn-in if not used properly).

Here's what you need to do per Panasonic instructions (should be applied to all brands, not just Panasonic).

When your plasma TV is initially installed, the first 100 hours of use is known as the "break-in period." During this time, to minimize any risk of image retention, you should:

1. Make sure the plasma TV is in a viewing mode (aspect ratio) that completely fills the screen. The panel is shipped in this condition, in what is called the "Just" mode.
2. Turn down the Picture setting (in the Picture menu) to +0.
3. Briefly engage the 4:3 mode and confirm the side bars are set to "Mid", or "Bright". This can be adjusted in the Set Up menu.
4. Always return the display mode that fills the screen (such as Just, Zoom, Full, or H-FILL).
5. Try not to view channels with stationary backgrounds or logos for extended periods of time.
6. Avoid extended display of static images (video games, computer images, DVD title screens, etc.).

After following the brake in period, you should buy a calibration DVD like Avia or Digital Video Essentials (~$40), to calibrate the unit and get the best picture possible.

Mounting the unit on a wall is pretty straight forward. I've bought the
EasyMount EZLCDP-02 (see my review on it, along with step-by-step install instructions), so overall I am very happy with our purchase.

Pros: Awesome picture, sound, plenty of connectors, built-in HD tunner,PC port, sleek and sexy looking set, value

Cons: Remote control's keys not lit

I was on the HDTV hunt for our family room for close to a year and my issue was that we had a cabinet built some time ago for a 36" giant tube TV, so I had size restrictions. I did my homework both online and in the stores and this is the TV we bought based on best picture for the dollar. We have this TV for about a month now...our source is Comcast HD Cable connected via Component Cables, and the picture is awesome! We also have an Oppo upconverting DVD player connected via HDMI and it too is unbelievably clear with near HD quality....plus a Sony 5 DVD player connected via Component input and that is very clear for a 480p picture.

I too was going to go 42" Samsung DLP or Sony 3 LCD (they fit) but with the off axis viewing being somewhat tricky as to get that nice clear HD picture from anywhere in the room with them, the plasma was the way to go. You can sit ANYWHERE in the family room and get a perfect picture, period!..center, left, right, standing (watching football) and even the kids laying on the floor right in front get a great picture. We had a 8yo Sony 41" rear projection (standard definition TV that fit) and I guess you can imagine how much better this is. We also have 23" HD LCD in the kitchen and 32" HD LCD in our bedroom, so we are no strangers to the HD experience...but this TV is so bright and crystal clear, I can't tell put in words how fantastic the picture is. Like a lot of others, we looked at the model down, the 60U, but this model has an anti-glare screen, faster processing of the signal, MUCH better sound system, Cable Card capabilities (we don't use it), and the SD card input in the front so we can view our pictures from our digital cameras, which by the way, is a very cool feature!....and all this for around $100 to $150 more, which I think is really worth it. Plus, it has a little nicer look with the silver mixed with the black edge around the screen versus the all silver 60U model. The sound is so good, we find ourselves not using the surround sound system as much...the bass is very prominent and the voices are very clear, way better than your normal TV sound system.

The onscreen interface for all the internal controls is very easy to use and if you look on some of the High Definition forums for this model on the Internet, some people have posted the settings they use to get an even better picture. We went with the Panasonic for another reason as well because it was the only model that had the controls on the FRONT of the TV for the Volume, Channel, etc....and the Auxiliary Inputs too (if I can't find the remotes, teenagers!). Most 42" plasmas we looked at...Samsung, LG, and Hitachi had all the controls on the sides of the screen and Auxiliary Inputs on the sides behind the screen so if you want to plug in the video camera or a video game, it's a bit of a hassle, especially in our cabinet. As for playing video games and being concerned about "burn in" issues, this TV has an anti-burn-in technology to prevent this from happening in terms of a counter scanning line input onto the screen and a screen saver that senses the still image. The Panasonic has the best screen, 9th Generation technology, with a 60,000 hour HALF LIFE....double the other brands! Now that this TV is in the $1.400.00 price point, it's a no brainer to purchase if you are in this price range. I bought from a brick & motar store in NJ that matched J&R's (NY) price at the time ($1,450) but I have 3 friends that have bought from Amazon...a 56" Samsung DLP, a Sharp 32" LCD, and a Sony XBR 60" rear projection LCD...each sale went flawlessly and delivery was great with all the TVs arriving in perfect condition (I installed all 3 TVs so I know). Buy this TV, you will be thrilled, and from Amazon with the utmost confidence!

I have had my new plasma TV for over a month now and I am very pleased with my new Panasonic TH-42PX600U that replaced my old Sony CRT.....let the CRT now rest in peace....a friend of mine likes it so well that he ordered him one just like it......I am 58 years old so I'm still looking for knobs instead of buttons. I had never bought a TV thru the internet before so I was really biting my nails while waiting for the delivery....turns out it was a piece of cake....AMAZON did a great job....the TV was ordered thru Amazon and came from a company named One Call...and on time too......no damage to the crate....and the shock watch indicators were clear.....indicating that the TV had not been excessively dropped too hard at any time during shipment....it was very easy to uncrate once I figured out how to do it....I should have read the directions I guess.......I especially like the six built-in speakers....two woofers, two mid-range, and two tweeters.....exceptionally great sound...sounds better than my old surround sound did...and the built-in SC Card slot that allowed me to get rid of that ugly cable company's top box....your cable company will have to install the SC Card because it has to be synchronized with their signal...it is about the size of a credit card and is easily inserted in the back of the television....and only takes a couple of minutes....and also the HDMI cable that allowed me to get rid of those many cables back there that always needed dusting....Just one HDMI cable to connect your DVD/VHS Player to the TV.....but be sure that your DVD Player etc. has the HDMI capability....mine does have it...and mine is a new Panasonic DMR-ES45VS which not only plays my old VHS tapes and my new DVDs, but also plays my favorite music CDs...and right thru my new TV speakers.....very cool.....an HDMI cable does not come with the TV.....I bought mine, a Panasonic 4.9 ft. HDMI cable, from Amazon, and I saved a lot of money....was under $30......I also was able to get rid of all of those many remotes laying around....I now only need to use one remote to control everything....this television has a very good picture too....SHARP & CRISP...I researched, for weeks, the various brands and types, etc...LCD, Rear Projection, Plasma, etc, before I finally decided on this one....and glad that I did....the plasma uses a little bit more wattage power but the colors seem to be so much better than LCD or Rear Projection.....I can not think of any negatives but it does take two adults to gently sit the television on the base stand. It was easy to hook up too...plug and play as the kids call it....I love my Panasonic TH-42PX600U.....but a word of good advice to you here.....I researched all of the various brands and types for several weeks and I learned that the sales people on the phone, at the brick & mortar stores, and the various websites can be full of it....I am 58 years old so I was just old enough to be wise enough to call Panasonic's 1-800 number and talk to the tech people in customer service before buying.....I am glad that I did because I almost bought the 60U model because some of the sales people assured me that the 60U has the SC Card slot....one of the websites also indicted that the 60U has the SC Card slot....there is a big difference between an SD and a SC slot...I called Panasonic and they assured me that the 60U does not have the SC slot...that's the slot you need to get rid of your cable company's top box.....lucky for me that I called Panasonic before buying....he was very friendly and very helpful.....and he gave me the straight answers to all of my questions.....so I bought the 600U which has the extra goodies...SC Card slot and extra speakers, etc....and is well worth the little extra expense.....I was also concerned about all of the bad things, that I had heard, that can happen if you don't properly break-in your new plasma in the first 100 hours. Panasonic's manual does not talk about it but after talking to Panasonic, I have learned that it was of great importance on all of the older generation of plasma TVs in order to prevent screen burn-in........I have since learned, from Panasonic, that it is not a big issue anymore with these newer generation plasmas.....however the TV does come with the picture set at +30......that is the setting for a bright showroom floor in the brick & mortar stores....and you should set it down to 0 or +1 for darker areas such as home use....bottom line is.......when you are researching the various specifications that you want on your TV....call Panasonic's 1-800 number and talk to the people who build it and know what they are talking about...it's a free phone call...I'm glad that I did.....happy hunting.....I highly recommend this TV

When you make a decision after exhaustive research and that decision is right, what a great feeling. It's been just over one week and my Panasonic TH-42PX600U 42" Plasma is absolutely fantastic & perfect for our bedroom. We had a 37" HD tube set but knew that I had to go flat screen to get the best picture in 1080i. While the picture is clear and crisp right out of the box, callibrating the set after the initial 100 hours is recommended. I use the Video Essentials DVD which, when done correctly, will enhance black and white images as well as color and sharpness. I strongly suggest the standard setting for normal viewing as the vivid setting that you see in the stores will fatigue your eyes in a normally lit room. The dual HDMI is great (don't bother purchasing those expensive HDMI cables. I bought mine from Amazon for under $40 which included overnight shipping and they work perfectly). I'm glad I chose the 600U over the 60U; the surroundsound setting with 2 base-reflex subwoofers and 4 tweeters is superior to the 60U, the full black frame is better looking and I also enjoy viewing photos using the SC Card Slot. This plasma is awesome and an incredible buy at $1,288.99 on Amazon through Vann's including shipping. It was delivered by Yellow Transport and the driver carted it into my home and allowed me to check the condition of the set before he left. Welcome to Plasma Heaven; by far the best plasma set/features for the money.