Panasonic TH-42PZ77U Review:

The Panasonic TH-42PZ77U 1080p capable plasmas match the most advanced pixel resolution and image-processing technology with an ability to beautifully reproduce fast-moving images. So every detail is rendered with amazing clarity, and all the action is delivered with unbelievable fluidity. 1080p also delivers amazing color reproduction resulting in impressive contrast and beautiful, natural colors. What you get is warm, accurate skin tones, deep blacks, gorgeous greens, breathtaking blues and vivid reds for color that’s as rich and bold as life itself. Panasonic TH-42PZ77U’s GalleryPlayer allows you to enjoy the world’s finest high definition art and photography on your Panasonic HD plasma TV. Use the free GalleryPlayer software to purchase and download the images you like, and then play them on your Panasonic HDTV right from your PC. Sign-up is easy and free. Plus, you get a free collection of high definition images to enjoy right away in your home or office. Share your JPEG photos taken with a Lumix or any SD-compatible digital-camera on your Panasonic plasma using the built-in SD card slot. Simply insert the SD card, which is about the size of a postage stamp, into the SD slot on the TV and enjoy a photo slideshow with Photo Viewer. For added convenience, EZ Sync HDAVI Control lets you operate all of your home theater components by pressing a single button on your TV’s remote control.

Panasonic has long been a leader in plasma technology and the new Panasonic TH-42PZ77U series is no exception. The new TH-42PZ77U has a full 1920×1080 (1080p) panel that is now rated @10,000:1 contrast ratio and 100,000hrs to half brightness. What really sets the Panasonic TH-42PZ77U series apart is the new “anti-glare” screen coating which differs from the “anti-reflection” coating on the other models. Some will say that the anti-glare degrades the picture quality versus the others…I say it doesn’t matter if the set is unwatchable during the day in a brightly lit room. The Panasonic TH-42PZ77U series is for people who can’t (or don’t want) to control ambient lighting and would normally choose an lcd because of this. Now you can have the superior black level and more natural colors of plasma in any room that you choose!

Pros:
1. Styling, gloss piano black around the bezel and thin speaker strips on the edges.
2.Outstanding picture quality for HD sources..especially Blu-ray/HD-DVD or even Xbox 360/PS3. Some will say that 1080p is overkill for 42″ but text (especially with 360,PS3) seems to be a little sharper vs my 720p set.
3. Decent speakers…there are better integrated speakers (for example on the more expensive 700U) but there are also much worse. Most people will use a surround reciever anyway.
4. Panasonic plasma Concierge, which is a hotline setup just for plasma owners. You can get setup/adjustment tips as well as technical support. I have not used Concierge but past experience with Panasonic support for a dvd recorder was surprisingly positive.
5. The price…shop around and you’ll see what I mean. Try to get a similar value with an lcd without going for an “off-brand”..it can’t be done.
6. Plasma doesn’t suffer from lcd “motion blur” during fast action sports. Watching football in HD is a wonder to behold

cons
1. Anti-glare coating takes away some of the picture “pop” or brightness. However that doesn’t mean that the PQ is bad…and it is a good tradeoff to be able to watch a football game on a sunny afternoon.
2. As already mentioned, the speakers are just average (not bad though) but won’t be an issue for most people
3. Not a set for tweakers…the adjustments for PQ are limited but should be enough for the average consumer. If you want to fine tune the picture you’ll have to delve into the service menu which can be a risky affair if you don’t know what you’re doing.

All in all..another fine plasma from Panasonic. I rate Panasonic just below the more expensive Pioneers, yet just above Samsung which seems to suffer from more quality control issues and quirks. If you can easily control ambient lighting and/or reflections don’t bother you…I recommend the 700U (or the more expensive Pioneer Kuro) over this Panasonic TH-42PZ77U. However if your situation is like mine, you’ll find that the Panasonic TH-42PZ77U is perfect as a way to avoid going lcd and save some money in the process.

—– By joemama

Panasonic TH-42PZ77U Features

• built-in QAM cable TV tuner receives unscrambled programs without a set-top box (cable service required)
• 1920 x 1080 pixels
• 10,000:1 contrast ratio
• 2 HDMI v1.3 (accepts signals up to 1080p)

Panasonic TH-42PZ77U Specifications

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