Entered CNET Catalog: 07/01/2003
SKU: TH-42PA20U/P
Manufacturer: Panasonic
Manufacturer description
Panasonic's Plasma represents a major leap forward in plasma display technology. The thin, flat, large-screen plasma display delivers the world's highest levels of brightness and contrast. Its sharp pictures and natural, true-to-life colors make for an extremely impressive viewing experience. PRODUCT FEATURES: Lightweight, Ultra-Thin Design; 42" Diagonal Screen Size; Built-in NTSC Tuner and Speaker System; 2-Tuner Picture-in-Picture with Split-Screen Display, Scalable P-I-P Image Size; Motion-Adaptive 3D Y/C Digital Comb Filter; BBE ViVA High-Definition 3D Sound; Artificial Intelligence Picture and Sound; DVI Interface; EDTV (480p) Display Capability; 408, 960 (852 x 480) Pixel Display; 16: 9 Widescreen Aspect Ratio; Anti-Reflective Screen Coating; Wide Viewing Angle (160º); Progressive Processing; 1, 070 Million Display Colors; 4000: 1 Contrast Ratio; 16W (8W x 2) Audio Output; Component Video Inputs, S Video Input; Remote Control Included; Pedestal Stand Included.Product summary
The good: Excellent black-level performance; great video processing with 2:3 pull-down; sleek design; numerous inputs, including a DVI jack.
The bad: Somewhat expensive; minor false-contouring artifacts; inaccurate color decoding with standard sources.
The bottom line: Delivering true blacks and splendid shadow detail, this EDTV plasma is the king of the home-theater hill.
CNET editors' review
- Editors' Choice: Yes
- Reviewed on: 12/17/2003
Editor's note: We have changed the rating in this review to reflect recent changes in our rating scale. Click here to find out more.
Panasonic really revamped the PD3-P's exterior to design the PA20U. The earlier model's plain, black body has been replaced by a fashionable silver finish and a pair of speakers to either side of the glass. The thin, black screen border and the subtle logo look quite classy, but we actually prefer the minimalist, unobtrusive style of the old set.
At 3.9 inches deep, the PA20U will fit nicely on the wall in the optional bracket; aftermarket versions start at around $200. And for more-conventional installations, Panasonic includes a matching swivel stand.
The set comes with a seriously beefy remote that can command other components. It has a big, well-placed cursor control and illuminated buttons. We found it easy to use, but smaller-handed people will have to stretch.
If, like us, you prefer the speaker-free, black look, investigate this set's PWD6UY version, also known as the TH-42PW6. This "industrial" model removes its high-end incarnation's speakers and has its own cosmetics, a lower price, a skimpier input selection, and a different menu configuration. Image quality should be identical.
This is an EDTV with 852x480 resolution, which means that the set has enough pixels to display 1080i and 720p HDTV material but not its full detail. Like all plasmas, the PA20U scales computer, HDTV, VHS, cable, and all other incoming video to fit the available pixels. Panasonic also sells a higher-resolution version, the TH-42PX20U.
This plasma has all the bells and whistles you'd expect in a high-end set. You basically get the works: picture-in-picture with side-by-side display of two sources, a pair of standard NTSC tuners, zoom, closed captioning, and sleep timers. On the audio side, the 16 watts of onboard power won't rattle your windows but is convenient if you don't want to fire up your full system. Rounding out your sound options are a simulated-surround circuit and the ability to even out sudden volume increases.
You'll also find a decent array of ways to tweak performance, including 2:3 pull-down; four picture modes; three color-temperature presets; and four selectable aspect ratios, which fit non-wide-screen material to the display. In 4:3 mode, you can adjust the color of the letterbox bars from black to gray, and the Just mode keeps the image's center somewhat normal-looking while still filling the screen. Your aspect options lose the Just setting with 480p material and disappear completely with HD sources.
The jack pack, which is bottom-mounted for wall-mounting ease, brings to bear an impressive connectivity selection. An HDCP-equipped DVI hookup enables digital transmission from DVD players and HDTV receivers. The two A/V inputs have S-Video, as does their front-panel duplicate, which hides beneath a flip-down door. Rounding out the ins are two for wideband component video and one for RF cable and satellite signals. You also get a monitor A/V output.
The PA20U produces some of the best pictures we've ever seen on a plasma display. Unlike many sets of its kind, this Panasonic can produce a deep, inky black and render subtle shadow detail. The panel's exemplary performance on darker scenes was nearly equal to that of tube-based TVs.
At the Warm color temperature, the PA20U's precalibration grayscale measured 8,000K at the high end and 7,600K at the low end. After a struggle, we were able to wrestle the respective numbers to 6,700K and 6,550K, which are much closer to the 6,500K ideal. And the grayscale's consistency at different light levels resulted in smoother, more-accurate color in all material.
We fed the TV our standard gamut of test scenes, and our only complaint was with the color decoder's tendency to accentuate red and suppress green. But then we discovered the HD color matrix, which greatly improved accuracy to give us rich, well-saturated colors on a par with the best we've seen from a plasma. However, the HD matrix works with only the component-video input.
Since the panel's native resolution exactly matches that of DVD, we weren't surprised that DVD material had plenty of detail. The PA20U flawlessly detected 2:3 pull-down cadence in Star Trek: Insurrection, with rock-solid lines during camera pans. Between our DVD player's interlaced and progressive-scan modes, the latter produced an ever so slightly sharper picture.
To test the PA20U with a variety of material, we checked out some sequences from Digital Video Essentials on DVD. The second montage's opening shot, a time-lapse view of day passing into night and back again over a mountain range, immediately impressed us. Unlike with the Samsung SPN4235, for example, the darkness of the evening shadows was rich and true, and we could make out the sagebrush in the twilight. In one scene from The Professional, we inspected Leon's overcoat. It came out black instead of deep gray, and there was a full range of darker colors among the folds of wool. Gradations between different light levels also looked clean, with only minor banding and false contours.
Despite its relatively low resolution, the PA20U also did a remarkably good job with HDTV. We watched some baseball highlights from the past year on ESPN HD, and colors were a bit richer than with DVD, although the grass wasn't resolved quite as sharply as we would have liked. Again, darker parts of the picture looked terrific.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 User Rating: 
9/10
EDTV vs HDTV - Why spend more?
Pros: Great picture on high-def. Stylish, sturdy on stand, inputs galore
Cons: speakers not great, but who uses them. Home Theater the way to go.
User Rating: 
8/10
Value for the money
Pros: Impressive Black levels great with DVD and Xbox games up to 480p lots of inputs elegant design
Cons: pixelation with poor video signals no function to spress the tuner input of TV
User Rating: 9/10
Great Just Out of the Box, Blacks are Super Clear
Pros: Just pulled it out of the box this week. Set-up 45 min. Real Plug-N-Play. Great Picture, Easy to use Onscreen Settings. Best Buy.
Cons: It's pretty heavy, nearly 100lbs. Base doesn't swivel but when you see it you don't need to turn it with 160 degree viewing. Not enough hours in a day to view it.
User Rating: 
6/10
TH-37PD25
Pros: Great picture. Lotsa inputs. Relatively light weight
Cons: After two weeks, unit emitted a high pitched whine (like the other guy reported) then the next day, after it had been off all day, it wouldn't turn back on. Had to unplug it to get it back on, now all the inputs are garbled (except for the PC one, oddly e
User Rating: 
7/10
Hi end video display
Pros: If you input good cable or dvd signal, you get excellent visual display
Cons: If you input bad signals, old vcr tape, you can see the flaws magnified!
User Rating: 
5/10
EDTV for thousands?
Pros: Nice picture quality to an extent. Lot's of inputs, Cheaper than most Plasma's
Cons: It isn't HDTV and the sound quality is horrible. Buy a Sony if you want awesome features look and design, that is what I upgraded to.
User Rating: 9/10
Simply awesome !
Pros: Just purchased one last week from a local electrical shop in downtown Johor Bahru city in southern Malaysia. Did lots of theoretical & physical comparisons for several months. Wanna really make sure it's a right plasma model choice. Relatively, plasma
Cons:
User Rating: 8/10
2003 Bad 2004 Good
Pros: This is a great product and I've done more research on this whole ED vs HD than one person should do in a life time. My reaon for going ED...there simply isn't enough HD specific programming available to justify HD prices. Yes, major networks like NBC o
Cons: Here's a con...I won't get any kick backs for the great review I gave this product and selling Circuit City. Just felt I should give back to the CNET web site having used it so much myself.
User Rating: 6/10
Caveat emptor (translation: DO NOT PURCHASE THIS PLASMA)
Pros: Aesthetically pleasing, well laid out, excellent picture quality & features (when it actually works)
Cons: KNOWN problems with the power regulator of this device render it prone to crashing. I purchased it (the first one) in December 2003. After 1 day of use the TV began emitting a high pitched whistling noise (similar to old battery powered camera flashes)
User Rating: 
1/10
love it...
Pros: i have had this edtv since november 2003 and it has worked flawlessly since then. i have it hooked up to a HDTV box through Cablevision and i enjoy HDTV programming. The picture clarity and color is amazing. i suppose i might see a better pix with the H
Cons: i bought the panasonic wall mount. at 500 dollars, that was steep. the holes on the back of the bracket did not match up with the 16 inch on center studs in my wall which was bizarre. but after improvising and using wall bolts i have the panasonic on m
User Rating: 9/10
best value plasma
Pros: (1) # of Inputs (2) Best DVD picture independent of platform. This beats them all: other plasmas, LCDs, CRTs(albeit a close call), front projection, rear projection, DLPs. If this is your main platform to view, this is a no brainer. Much better DVD qualit
Cons: Not as good HDTV quality as higher end more expensive displays.
User Rating: 7/10
Good TV- but buyer beware
Pros: Better than expected picture.
Cons: As another person noted on this site, this TV will fry out on you after a few months. You'll hear a high pitch ting and then the TV shuts down. The only way to get it back on is to cut the power (unplug or throw the breaker) This will start to happen ev
User Rating: 7/10
Is it just me...
Pros: a good friend of mine just picked one up and us guys were all called over to check it out and get blown away while watching 'The Matrix Reloaded' on it. Very cool. Smooth and rich detail, he hooked it up to his A/V system for audio and that added a lot to
Cons: Is it just me or does the ease with which people seem to be spending ungodly thousands of dollars on a tv set seem amazing to you too. I'm neither a pauper or a tight-wad but $4000 for a 'tv' is still hard for me to get my head around. I must confess thou
User Rating: 8/10
great tv !!! more that enough!!!
Pros: this is a better model to buy ! dont hdtv not much diff.
Cons: so far so good!!! that ever
User Rating: 8/10
the best 37" model you can find
Pros: The 37" has the same pretty much the same specs as the 42". The quality with HDTV signal using DVI input is incredible and DVD viewing with component inputs as well. Speakers are good quality this is a very good design. I did a lot of research before purc
Cons: so far none, of course it's expensive but you won't regret it.
User Rating: 9/10
Absolutely the best for the money
Pros: Extremely excellent image quality, I see no artifacts on DVDs and TV programs, easy to use, excellent overall quality
Cons: More expensive than Gateway
User Rating: 8/10
Sweet TV!
Pros: Nice design, great picture, computer compatibility, lots of inputs
Cons: Universal remote is worthless.
User Rating: 7/10
Outstanding Plasma... BUT...
Pros: Tremendous picture, sleek design, amazing number of inputs, built-in tuner
Cons: Built-in speakers are pretty much useless, and... this television WILL fritz out on you in a month or two. Panasonic has had a problem with this model's power supply, which they have acknowledged. Here's what will happen: You'll be watching the televis
User Rating: 
10/10
Great EDTV Plasma...But Could It Be Better?
Pros: Bought this TV from online retailer for a great price, recieved it in three days and placed it on the wall. Have hughes DirecTV/HD reciever plugged to it as well as other various AV equipment. Was dissapointed to see that I could not run component cable
Cons: Just that component video cables from HD reciever looks like crap! All other cables look great!
User Rating: 8/10
Doesn't get better than this.
Pros: Lord of the Rings from a progressive DVD player looks amazing. Sony Playstation 2 in S-Video looks great. Can find on internet for $1,000 less than retail price. Looks beautiful mounted on wall.
Cons: No direct selection of video modes. Must scroll through all modes to change from one to another. Because of this, can't program high-end remote to automatically set TV and receiver to same settings. Takes time to get used to stretched regular TV broadcas
User Rating: 8/10
Great picture and easy to set up!
Pros: Easy to set-up, excellent black level reproduction, excellent color reproduction. Great features on the remote. Plenty of inputs. On board speakers, price is much lower retail than list. No Buzz or noise at all even at 7000ft. Colorado altitude!! Only had
Cons: Speakers are good but not excellent. Manual could be more descriptive.
User Rating: 7/10
Shy or stellar
Pros: Lower cost; great colors, complete with stand, speakers, and tuner
Cons: Lacks resolution I was hoping for. I'd recommend Panasonic's HD counterparts
User Rating: 10/10
I just got it and It rocks!!!
Pros: This Plasma is worth buying (I got it for $3280)!!!! The salesmen told me that the price of those so call HD plasma tv will drop very soon because they juts have a HD tuner build in it. HD tuners today cost around 500 ? 1200. What you are really paying t
Cons:
User Rating: 8/10
Excellent out-of-the-box TV
Pros: Sleek design, easy to use lit remote and lots of inputs.
Cons: Speakers. Contrary to the old Panasonic models, this can ONLY show NTSC. I have a ton of PAL DVDs, which this display can't show. I used my DVD player to convert the signal to NTSC, but the result was really poor.
User Rating: 8/10
Same Panasonic Quality
Pros: I just purchased this product on Saturday. After reading about it and alomst purchasing its predecessor, the monitor only version, I started calling around. I finally found it at the local Tweeter store. They did not even have it on the floor yet so I
Cons: Sound - It stinks in the factory speakers. I did not plan on using them and it is a good thing. Buy a surround system as this thing sounds like your old Walkman from the 80's.
