Panasonic TH-46PZ85U

Thought I would comment on Standard Definition (480i) source feeds. Had myself in a tizzy thinking the whole house audio/visual distribution system I designed in 1998 would have to be… overhauled. Composite (Yellow video, R/W audio RCA plugs) 480i feeds are upconverted by this unit nicely and produce a much richer picture compared to the 2003 Panasonic 42" SDTV plasma it replaced. While the "right" way to do the setup would be HDMI cables from the DVD players to the TV, I am very satisfied with the picture and saved myself a pile of work. While of little interest to most, I am disappointed by Panasonic's lack of discrete IR codes for ON and FORMAT (ASPECT) in this unit. The Panasonic 42" has codes for Full, Just and Zoom I use in the Pronto universal remotes. Having to toggle my way to Zoom is a bother. OK, not important but this unit doesn't do something the old one does and that is not progress. Minus 1 Star. If you have HD sources, do the HDMI work. If you don't, let the TV do the work and just enjoy your DVDs. BTW - I bought this from TigerDirect, their customer service and shipping to Hawaii was terrible.

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I'm a research freak, especially when it comes to electronic items. By now most of you should have already decided on LCD or Plasma. For me picture quality (black levels etc) was the most important factor… I was looking for in a TV. If this TV fits in your price range, then go ahead and buy it, you will definitely not regret it. Since it is a plasma, this TV does use up a higher wattage number compared to the LCD's and after 3-4 hours of viewing the TV screen does start to get hot and you can feel the heat coming off it when you stand near it. Surprisingly the fans inside the TV do a great job because you dont feel too much hot air coming from the back of the tv. After the first 100 - 200 hrs break in period this TV will definitely keep you satisfied for the life of it. JUST BUY IT ALREADY.

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