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Flat-panel plasma TVs are all the rage these days. The fact that these sets are nearly flat and can be mounted on a wall probably has something to do with their almost universal appeal. Panasonic's PT-42PD3-P 42-inch, 16:9 aspect-ratio panel is the best that we've seen yet in terms of picture quality, earning it CNET's Editors' Choice award. The PT-42PD3-P's street pricing is thankfully far less than its list price, but this set is still very expensive when compared to nonplasma TVs at the same screen size. The PT-42PD3-P is as flat and slim as it gets--just 3.5 inches deep and 64 pounds--so you should be able to hang it anywhere you want. A thin, dark-gray border surrounds the screen. No speakers are built in to this plasma panel, so you'll have to provide a separate audio source. This Panasonic's overall look is quite minimalist, with only the company's logo to interrupt the border.
Panasonic's menu system is straightforward and intuitive in its navigation. We found the simple remote to be well laid out and easy to use. The unit comes with a pedestal for tabletop placement and includes handles for easier toting. An optional wall mount is available.
Panasonic's panel has a fixed pixel resolution of 852x480, which means that it scales all incoming video to that resolution. Standard TV is scaled up to fit the pixels, and HDTV is scaled down. The result is that the PT-42PD3-P cannot display the full resolution of 720p or 1080i high-definition programming. Of course, higher-resolution plasma panels cost quite a bit more.
A few performance-related features are worth mentioning. In addition to three color-temperature presets, the set sports three different picture modes--Standard, Dynamic, and Cinema--each of which have their own preset levels for contrast, brightness, and so on. Happily, when you adjust those levels, the changes are saved specifically for each input. This allows you, or a professional calibrator, to adjust the TV for optimal picture quality with various input sources. Panasonic also includes the all-important 3:2 pull-down circuitry in the video processing, but it must be manually selected in the Setup section of the menu.
To combat the issue of burn-in--see Performance for more details--Panasonic includes a screensaver that activates when the screen is left static for too long. Also, the window-box bars, displayed to either side of the 4:3 image, can be set to off (a.k.a. black, which we don't recommend), dark, medium, or bright. Horizontal and vertical size and position controls allow you to adjust the parameters of the picture, much like you can do with a computer monitor.
Connectivity options on this panel are somewhat limited. Only one component-video input is provided, so you can't connect both a progressive-scan DVD player and an HDTV set-top box directly to the panel. Other jacks include a single, 15-pin, VGA-style RGB computer input; one S-Video input; one composite-video input with stereo audio ins; and one 9-pin Serial RS-232 control port. There are also left and right stereo speaker outputs for connecting external speakers. An optional module that adds a Digital Visual Interface (DVI) connector for digital connection to computers--but not for copy-protected DVI HDTV set-top boxes--is available for $299. The PT-42PD3-P comes from the factory with its contrast set at maximum, which is not only blindingly bright but also potentially harmful to the panel. Plasma TVs are capable of extremely high light output, and since they're phosphor-based displays, they are prone to burn-in. Stationary logos or 4:3 picture lines can burn into the panel at factory-preset contrast levels very quickly. Therefore, we immediately adjusted the Picture (contrast) level down to the midpoint and still got an amply bright picture.
Grayscale in the warm color-temperature setting was reasonable but still in need of calibration. We were pleased to find that this Panasonic's color decoder is excellent, with little or no visible red push; the result was deep, richly saturated color on DVD and HDTV sources. The PT-42PD3-P does exhibit fairly serious edge enhancement that we couldn't fully eliminate--even with the Sharpness control turned all the way down.
A plasma display's biggest challenge is reproducing black, and the PT-42PD3-P has the best black-level performance of any plasma that we've tested to date. After calibrating the panel, we sat back and watched some scenes from Insomnia on DVD. Chapter 5, where Pacino and Martin Donovan are eating in a dimly lit room, is a good test for plasma's ability to render dark material. Blacks and shadows were well detailed with very few false-contouring (a.k.a. solarization) artifacts, which appear as smearing in dark areas. The original Austin Powers disc showed off the PT-42PD3-P's awesome color reproduction.
HDTV from Cablevision's HBOHD channel also looked quite good, especially when viewing bright scenes. Even though this set's native resolution of 852x480 cannot display the full detail of a high-definition image, HDTV does look significantly better than DVD on this panel.
Compared to the competition, this Panasonic absolutely smokes both the Sony KZ-42TS1 and the aforementioned Gateway GTW-P42M102 in virtually all performance characteristics. Unmatched black-level performance, good video processing with 3:2 pull-down, and excellent color decoding make the PT-42PD3-P the top dog among 42-inch plasma panels--and deserving of our Editors' Choice award.
Panasonic's menu system is straightforward and intuitive in its navigation. We found the simple remote to be well laid out and easy to use. The unit comes with a pedestal for tabletop placement and includes handles for easier toting. An optional wall mount is available.
Editors' note:
According to Panasonic, the model number PT-42PD3-P denotes a package including the stand; the panel itself actually has model number TH-42PW5 printed on it, which sometimes appears as TH-42PW5UZ. In addition, the professional version of this panel appears under model number TH-42PWD5UY and includes BNC-type connectors for RGBHV or component video instead of the three RCA connectors, which accept only component video, found on this model.
The PT-42PD3-P is strictly a monitor and is pretty light on convenience features when compared to most consumer TVs. Don't expect extras such as speakers, a tuner, or a picture-in-picture mode, which can be found on competing panels such as the Gateway GTW-P42M102.
According to Panasonic, the model number PT-42PD3-P denotes a package including the stand; the panel itself actually has model number TH-42PW5 printed on it, which sometimes appears as TH-42PW5UZ. In addition, the professional version of this panel appears under model number TH-42PWD5UY and includes BNC-type connectors for RGBHV or component video instead of the three RCA connectors, which accept only component video, found on this model.
Panasonic's panel has a fixed pixel resolution of 852x480, which means that it scales all incoming video to that resolution. Standard TV is scaled up to fit the pixels, and HDTV is scaled down. The result is that the PT-42PD3-P cannot display the full resolution of 720p or 1080i high-definition programming. Of course, higher-resolution plasma panels cost quite a bit more.
A few performance-related features are worth mentioning. In addition to three color-temperature presets, the set sports three different picture modes--Standard, Dynamic, and Cinema--each of which have their own preset levels for contrast, brightness, and so on. Happily, when you adjust those levels, the changes are saved specifically for each input. This allows you, or a professional calibrator, to adjust the TV for optimal picture quality with various input sources. Panasonic also includes the all-important 3:2 pull-down circuitry in the video processing, but it must be manually selected in the Setup section of the menu.
To combat the issue of burn-in--see Performance for more details--Panasonic includes a screensaver that activates when the screen is left static for too long. Also, the window-box bars, displayed to either side of the 4:3 image, can be set to off (a.k.a. black, which we don't recommend), dark, medium, or bright. Horizontal and vertical size and position controls allow you to adjust the parameters of the picture, much like you can do with a computer monitor.
Connectivity options on this panel are somewhat limited. Only one component-video input is provided, so you can't connect both a progressive-scan DVD player and an HDTV set-top box directly to the panel. Other jacks include a single, 15-pin, VGA-style RGB computer input; one S-Video input; one composite-video input with stereo audio ins; and one 9-pin Serial RS-232 control port. There are also left and right stereo speaker outputs for connecting external speakers. An optional module that adds a Digital Visual Interface (DVI) connector for digital connection to computers--but not for copy-protected DVI HDTV set-top boxes--is available for $299. The PT-42PD3-P comes from the factory with its contrast set at maximum, which is not only blindingly bright but also potentially harmful to the panel. Plasma TVs are capable of extremely high light output, and since they're phosphor-based displays, they are prone to burn-in. Stationary logos or 4:3 picture lines can burn into the panel at factory-preset contrast levels very quickly. Therefore, we immediately adjusted the Picture (contrast) level down to the midpoint and still got an amply bright picture.
Grayscale in the warm color-temperature setting was reasonable but still in need of calibration. We were pleased to find that this Panasonic's color decoder is excellent, with little or no visible red push; the result was deep, richly saturated color on DVD and HDTV sources. The PT-42PD3-P does exhibit fairly serious edge enhancement that we couldn't fully eliminate--even with the Sharpness control turned all the way down.
A plasma display's biggest challenge is reproducing black, and the PT-42PD3-P has the best black-level performance of any plasma that we've tested to date. After calibrating the panel, we sat back and watched some scenes from Insomnia on DVD. Chapter 5, where Pacino and Martin Donovan are eating in a dimly lit room, is a good test for plasma's ability to render dark material. Blacks and shadows were well detailed with very few false-contouring (a.k.a. solarization) artifacts, which appear as smearing in dark areas. The original Austin Powers disc showed off the PT-42PD3-P's awesome color reproduction.
HDTV from Cablevision's HBOHD channel also looked quite good, especially when viewing bright scenes. Even though this set's native resolution of 852x480 cannot display the full detail of a high-definition image, HDTV does look significantly better than DVD on this panel.
Compared to the competition, this Panasonic absolutely smokes both the Sony KZ-42TS1 and the aforementioned Gateway GTW-P42M102 in virtually all performance characteristics. Unmatched black-level performance, good video processing with 3:2 pull-down, and excellent color decoding make the PT-42PD3-P the top dog among 42-inch plasma panels--and deserving of our Editors' Choice award.
