The Panasonic Viera TX-P42V10

If you are looking for a TV that really delivers what it promises, then consider the Panasonic TX-P42V10. It’s one of the few plasma TVs which really provides an authentic movie viewing experience, thanks to Panasonic’s Digital Camera Processing, which reproduces digital cinema projection requirements. The THX certification means that the TV has been passed as providing movie quality viewing, and the THX preset contains all the optimum movie watching settings. If you’re interested in learning more about a great TV, then we recommend you reading the paragraphs that we have written below…

The black is really black, leading to a native contrast ratio of 40,000:1 and a dynamic one of 2,000,000:1. And with 6,144 shades of gradation, a moving picture resolution of 1080 lines, its 600Hz intelligent frame creation, and Panasonic’s own image-analysis technology, HD TV has never looked better, ideal since the TV comes with an integrated freesat tuner, as well as standard freeview and analogue tuners.

Admittedly, as with many integrated speakers, the sound quality does not quite match cinema standards, but with no background hum or distortion, it is still above average, and external speakers can always be connected.

The Viera Image Viewer lets you look at your digital photos and videos simply by inserting a memory card into the SD card slot, and you can also set up slideshows, with a choice of background music and display effects. Viera Link allows you to control any AV devices you have connected using the four HDMI inputs with only the Viera remote control, and Viera Tools provides a simple user interface for navigating through the options.

DNLA allows easy home networking, so you can display or watch anything stored on computers or hard disc recorders anywhere in the house on a large screen. There are 2 Q-Link enabled scarts too, so you can pre-set your recorders. And the rapid response speed and superb display means any gamers in the house will be happy. With the THX certification, the TV provides an excellent home cinema experience, but the audio system, whilst being good in the mid-range does lack something in the treble and bass frequencies. Of course, it is easy to add external speakers if you want something more, but the sound generally behaves well, with no background hum, and no distortion, even at high volumes.

The ethernet connection allows simple internet access with Viera Cast, to news, finance and weather sites, as well as to Google’s Picaso, an online digital photo viewer. You can also watch videos on YouTube and Eurosport. Home networking is made easy with DNLA, so you can stream anything from your computers to the big screen.

In-built freesat comes as standard, together with the usual freeview and analogue tuners, and, unusually, two Q-Link enabled scart connections are provided, so you can preset your recorders and never miss your favorite show. Plus, not only is the NeoPDP more efficient than its predecessors, eco-options also allow the TV to reduce the brightness level according to the surroundings, without affecting the picture quality, as well as ensuring that all unused peripheral devices are powered down automatically.

For anyone looking to buy a new plasma TV, the Panasonic TX-P42V10 is an excellent choice, outperforming other plasma screens in the same price range, and providing extra features that will help you entertain friends and family without costing the Earth.

Cheapest Prices and Reviews for the TX-P42V10 in the UK at TX-P42V10 and TX-P42V10 Cheapest Prices

Posted on 18 February '10, under Gadgets.