The Panasonic TH-42PX50U is a 42" plasma TV and one of Panasonics newest additions to its plasma range. The realism of a TV pictures has never been better with the technology of plasma TVs getting better and this plasma TV is one that is leading the way. It has a contrast ratio of 3000:1 which means whites are whiter and blacks are blacker and a display of 8.58 billion colors, giving you better quality of viewing.

Aesthetics

Let's start with the border of the screen. Around the outside of the plasma screen Panasonic have made the border color a sleek black, along with the excellent contrast ratio the black border enhances the picture quality making the picture more defined and legit. The plasma sits on a simple silver stand with the speakers of the plasma mounted at the bottom under the screen. This plasma is of a smooth elegant design that would go well in any room.

Picture Quality

Before we talk about how good the Panasonic TH-42PX50U's picture quality is, there are a few settings that need to be changed before watching something on it. First off the contrast needs to be set a -10, the sharpness at -5, the brightness at +5 and the tint and colors at 0. These setting will give you a natural cinema like picture which really is the optimal setting for viewing. Now let's talk about how good the picture quality is.

Mostly all plasma TVs of today have great bright and dark colors; however the ultimate test to see if a plasma TV has great picture quality is to how bright colors show up when there is a dark background in the background. To see how good the Panasonic TH-42PX50U performed we tested out The Matrix and Aerosmith live in concert DVDs. Both these DVDs contain lots of scenes where there is a dark or black background and blight sharp colors in the foreground. An average plasma would have trouble displaying these picture where by a glow on the screen would be visible around the edges of the bright objects. In the Panasonic's TH-42PX50U case it has no trouble dealing with dark backgrounds and blight foregrounds, I was amazed at how well it performed - the picture was nice and crisp with a great natural look.

Sound Quality

The sound quality of this plasma was also very impressive. The 16 watt speakers mounted at the bottom drive out a clean full sound with no anomalies or static. You will find that even when you turn the volume right up the quality and cleanliness of the sound still remains the same. Adding more bass will give you a fuller sound and in contrast adding more treble will give you a crisper sound, again without taking away sound quality.

Overall this is a great plasma TV that not only has great picture and sound quality but great features too, like a tuner that gracefully degrades - meaning when a signal is weak or interfered with the tuner can still display the picture and not just drop out like some other plasmas do. This plasma also features a simple user friendly menu which is easy to navigate through and the ability to have 6 inputs connected to it.

Set backs

- Inputs only on the back, no inputs on front or side for easy access

- Does not support picture in picture display

- No computer input or camera card reader

Specs

- 31 inches tall
- About 42 inches wide
- 4 inches deep
- 76 lbs
- Stand 13 inches deep
- Power consumption listed at 399 watts