Panasonic VIERA U1 Series TC-P42U1 42-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

Review by Ryan for Panasonic VIERA U1 Series TC-P42U1 42-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV
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I previously owned a bulky 46″ DLP but decided I needed a new and smaller TV due to moving into a smaller place. I researched for a while and decided on this television, the deciding factors being 1080p, contrast, and refresh rate. I have to say, I’m very pleased.

This is the first full HD television I’ve ever owned. After tweaking with the picture I stuck in Wall-E on Blu-Ray and was amazed by the clarity. I realized just how much I’d been missing out on HD with my other TV.

I wish it has a PC input, but you can get HDMI adapters for that. The picture quality of an HDMI connected device looks awesome, but I’ve noticed it’s a little dark with component devices like game consoles as well as cable and HD signal channels. Games look good though, even the Wii looks pretty good. I wish I could have tested out my XBox360 more on this set but it unfortunately broke two days after getting the TV. Figures…

I bought this TV with hopes of getting the best Blu-Ray picture at this price range and I think I got it. At under $900 this TV is a steal.

Review by Keith Thompson for Panasonic VIERA U1 Series TC-P42U1 42-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV
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Loved the TV for the first 90 days. Beautiful picture, decent sound, plenty of connectivity options. Today it wouldn’t turn on; the power LED blinked 7 times, then paused, then blinked 7 times repeatedly.

I called Panasonic Customer Service, the guy had me unplug it, wait 2 minutes, plug it back in. Same result. He had me remove it from AC line conditioner and plug directly into wall socket, still dead. He tried to transfer our call to another department but no one answered. He said someone will return our call within 24 hours. Still waiting.

Searching the Internet leads me to believe this problem is fairly common, and that Panasonic Customer Service is not terribly responsive.

Considering my previous Panasonic Viera LCD only lasted about 3 years before developing cloudy gray areas (also common according to my Internet research), I should have thought twice about buying another Panasonic.

Review by Gjenevieve Desaulniers for Panasonic VIERA U1 Series TC-P42U1 42-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV
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We looked at all kinds of TVs and priced them at several different locations. After carefully reviewing and looking into all the different TVs, we liked this one and were really thrilled to find it at such a low cost in comparison to all the other places we had looked. The TV arrived in perfect condition and it was easy to set up. We love the picture quality. We are really thrilled with this purchase and would recommend it to everyone looking to buy a plasma TV. One of the main reasons we wanted a TV like this was for the 1080p so we could play video games at that high resolution. Our games look awesome on this TV!

Review by Jeffrey Goins for Panasonic VIERA U1 Series TC-P42U1 42-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV
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This was my first HD tv, going from a 20 inch CRT. I expected the picture to be better, but I was not prepared for the sharpness, beauty and detail I got from this television!! Set up with my cable box and DVR (blu ray is coming soon) was quite simple. As it happened, the first thing I found when I turned on the tv was the Erroll Flynn Robin Hood movie on TCMHD. Every color (and there are a lot in the movie) popped so brilliantly it took my breath away. I can not say enough about how gorgeous movies look on this set.

This particular set does not have the anit-glare screen, and that it the only negative I have found. It reflects a great deal of light, and it probably doesn’t help that the tv is opposite a southern facing window. I have purchased light reducing drapes which help some, and in the evening, I turn on the room light beside the tv, rather than in front of it. The unit also has a cinema mode which makes the picture brighter. On those occasions when I have turned off all the lights however…it’s heaven!

I’d recommend this to anyone looking for an excellent tv at a good price. I specifially bought the U1 (2009 model) for the cost savings over the U2 and I’m glad I did.

Review by D. Snyder for Panasonic VIERA U1 Series TC-P42U1 42-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV
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Overall very happy after a month with the appearance, ease of setup and picture quality. I knew I wanted a plasma for under $1000 because I will use it only for TV and DVD/Blue Ray. Did extensive research beforehand with Consumer Reports and online reviews. My one concern based on the reviews was the frequency of the power supply blowing and service issues, so I did buy a service contract along with the set. I don’t have it wall mounted and was pleased with how sturdy and easy to assemble the TV on the stand turned out to be (unlike my Sony of 5 years ago). I did have to call tech support once for setup help…was on hold for about 10 minutes but the person who came on the line was friendly and quickly guided me to one step that I had omitted (manual not crystal clear on everything).