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Panasonic TC-L42U25 Viera 42 LCD HDTV Review

According to Panasonic, if you use their TC-L42U25 Viera 42 LCD HDTV, you can be "always ready for action". Does this mid-price range model really offer that great of a 1080p experience?

Overall Thoughts & Points From Misc. Customer Reviews:

One of the biggest complaints people have with other types of TVs is that the picture only looks good if you are directly in front of the TV itself. Panasonic tries to combat that in their TC-L42U25 model with their "In Plane Switching" (IPS). Panasonic claims this gives a super-wide viewing angle (up to 178-degrees both vertically and horizontally), and the wide transmission aperture from the panel's backlight improves color contrast.

You can view all your HD JPEG photos on this Viera 42 model through the Viera Image Viewer by just inserting the SD card into the slot on the TV. Viera Link also lets you control your Blu-Ray player, home theater, cameras, and more all with just your Viera remote. However, all these devices have to be inter-connected via HDMI cable, so if you want to do this, be sure to budget for purchsing a few extras.

Customer reviews at Pansonic.com, Best Buy.com, and Amazon.com were very positive for the most part – the vast majority where 4 out of 5 or higher.

Most customers really liked the picture quality, and thought it looked very crisp and clear. Many were also impressed with the contrast, and the fact that picture wasn't distorted at all when viewing from an angle.

Some customers noted that the picture wasn't perfect out of the box, but with adjusting settings to your liking, or even simply turning filters off, things improved drastically very quickly. Most also noted that setup was quick and easy.

By and large, most customers found that this was a TV that you might have to ‘tinker' with just a bit to get exactly how you wanted it, but once you did, the quality was superb. A few noted that there were differences between this and some of the higher-end models, but none were significant enough to warrant the major difference in price.

All in all, the majority of customers thought it was a great value for the money.

The Panasonic TC-L42U25 Viera 42 LCD HDTV comes with the TV itself, removable stand, Viera remote (including batteries), and assorted paperwork/instructions.

TC-PL42U25 Details and Specifications:

Misc. Details:

• Panasonic IPS Panel for uncompromising picture quality
• 120 Hz Motion Picture Pro 4
• Viera Image Viewer for Picture viewing
• ENERGY STAR Qualified

Product Specific Specs:

• Series: U25
• Screen type: LCD (EEFL backlight)
• Screen size: 42 inches
• Filter: Fine Black Panel
• Native resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels
• Contrast ratio: 20,000:1
• Viewing angle: 178 degrees
• Receiving system: ATSC/QAM/NTSC
• HDTV display capability: 1080p, 1080i, 720p
• EDTV display capability: 480p
• Speakers: 2 full range, 20W total power; surround sound capabilities
• Image viewer: JPEG compatibility
• Aspect control: 480i/p — Full, Just, 4:3, Zoom; 1080ip — Full, H-Fill, Just, 4:3, Zoom
• Optional wall-mounting bracket: TY-WK3L2RW
• Multi-lingual menu: English/Spanish/French
• Energy Star qualified: Yes

Connections:

• HDMI: 3 (1 side)
• Component (Y, PB, PR): 1 with audio input
• Composite A/V: 2 (1 side); each with audio input
• PC input (15-pin, D-Sub): 1
• Digital audio output: 1

Dimensions:

• TV with stand: 40.2 x 26.8 x 12.2 inches (WxHxD); 45.2 pounds
• TV without stand: 40.2 x 25.1 x 4.2 inches (WxHxD); 39.7 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 58 pounds

 

About the Author

Click here for looks at other Panasonic Viera 42 HDTVs, including the TC-L42U22 and TC-P42U2.

Can work with ATSC-tuner for cable TV without QAM?

If your television has an ATSC tuner, but no QAM tuner, you'll be able to receive DTV over the air, but not from cable unless you have a cable tuner.

QAM is a cable form of ATSC, and you need a QAM tuner to receive digital TV on cable.

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