Panasonic TH-42PZ77U 42" 1080p Plasma HDTV

When it comes to color depth, the plasma screen offers the most vivid color and contrast than virtually any flat-panel TV. Panasonic 1080p capable plasmas match the most advanced pixel resolution and image-processing technology with an ability to beautifully reproduce fast-moving images. So every detail is rendered with amazing clarity, and all the action is delivered with unbelievable fluidity. 1080p also delivers amazing color reproduction resulting in impressive contrast and beautiful, natural colors. What you get is warm, accurate skin tones, deep blacks, gorgeous greens, breathtaking blues and vivid reds for color that's as rich and bold as life itself. GalleryPlayer allows you to enjoy the world's finest high definition art and photography on your Panasonic HD plasma TV. Use the free GalleryPlayer software to purchase and download the images you like, and then play them on your Panasonic HDTV right from your PC. Sign-up is easy and free. Plus, you get a free collection of high definition images to enjoy right away in your home or office. Share your JPEG photos taken with a Lumix or any SD-compatible digital-camera on your Panasonic plasma using the built-in SD card slot. Simply insert the SD card, which is about the size of a postage stamp, into the SD slot on the TV and enjoy a photo slideshow with Photo Viewer. For added convenience, EZ Sync HDAVI Control lets you operate all of your home theater components by pressing a single button on your TV's remote control. Pixel Pitch (H x V) 0.480 x 0.480 mm Panel Type G10 Progressive 1080p HD Plasma Display Panel Aspect Control for TV/AV Modes 4 - 3, Zoom, Full, Just Native Resolution (Number of Pixels) 1920 x 1080 Contrast Ratio Up to 10,000 - 1 ATSC - NTSC - QAM TV tuning 20-Watt Audio System Unit Dimensions (H x W x D) with pedestal stand 27.1 x 44.7 x 13; Weight with pedestal stand 92.6 lbs Current HDTV programming is at 720p a
Customer Review: Great picture, not so great quality
Like a few of the other reviewers, we enjoyed this television for only a few months before it refused to turn on and displayed the dreaded blinking red light. Panasonic is going to send someone to our house in a few days. I wish that I didn't have to worry about how long this set will last.
Customer Review: blank after a few months
I bought this TV from Sears with extended warranty . I loved it until couple months later, It went blank after I turned the power on . I called Sears and the tech came 5 times to fix and he finally couldn't fix it . The problem has been going on for two months now and the broken TV is still at my house ... Panasonic used to be a really good branch but not any more . I am very disappointed with the TV, Panasonic 1 year warranty service and specially Sears's 3 three years warranty service. Will not recommend to any one .

The new HDTV technology is amazing, and has vastly improved the appearance of our favorite TV shows and movies. But, there is still one small problem: much of the stuff that's on TV is still awful! A stupid sit-com will insult your intelligence in high-def just as easily as it will in standard def, if not more. This is where DVRs come in.

A DVR is a digital video recorder, and is also known as a personal video recorder, or PVR. Its basic function is the same as an old VCR, to record content from broadcast TV. But the DVR is much more than a VCR. Rather than a glorified tape recorder, it is a machine that can cut the fat from your media diet and add hours of free time to your busy week, a few minutes at a time, by making the TV watching experience more efficient. And the DVR is always recording what you are watching, so you'll be able to pause a live broadcast as if it were a recording, then come back to it later without missing a thing.

Regular DVRs have been around since about 1999, but in the past few years they have had to be modified to handle high-def content. A modern HD-DVR (High-Definition DVR) has a hard drive bigger than the one in your desktop computer and uses it to store up to 35 hours of HD content, or 300 hours of standard content. And the new HD-DVRs have improved in other areas, too. The TiVo Series 3, for example, can upscale standard definition content to give it better quality, and can record two channels at the same time while you watch a third.

The easiest way to get an HD-DVR is by leasing one from your cable company, for about $6-$10 a month. Most people who do this, though, complain about the small amount of storage (8-10 hours of HD content) and the user-unfriendliness of the typical hardware they get. The best solution to this problem right now is the TiVo Series 3 HD-DVR, which costs about $600 but is vastly superior to the typical cable company boxes in transmission quality, storage, and ease of use.

The positive effects of using a DVR are huge. They can easily be programmed to record shows of interest, even if you aren't aware that they exist: for example, the TiVo can be set to record any movie, on any channel, that has John Wayne in it. No more mindless channel-surfing. And of course, the DVR can be used to skip over commercials, which can eliminate several hours of wasted time per week.

This effect is so significant that 70 percent of TV advertisers, in a recent survey, said that DVR proliferation will "reduce or destroy" the effectiveness of 30 second spots. And about a quarter of advertisers said they would respond by reducing the amount of money spent on TV ads and focusing their energy elsewhere. With a Blu-Ray DVD player and an HD-DVR connected to your HDTV, you can finally fight the good fight against the tyranny of mindless TV ads.

About the Author

Tom Webster is a researcher and copywriter who writes for FlatHDTV.net, a guide to the HDTV revolution.

Panasonic Plasma TV 58 inch