Panasonic TH42PHD8UK 42 inch Plasma TV Review, Basic Setup and Buying Guide

PROS

• Incredible black levels (see Cons as well!)

• Easy to use and set up

• Expandable input ports

• Best bang for the buck

CONS

• Blacks can easily become too black when over adjusted, reducing a lot of detail in the darker areas to an inky black

• Color can lack vibrancy compared to it’s direct competition (NEC and Pioneer)

• Don’t believe the contrast ratio claims. If you do, I have some land in Florida…

• Limited standard HD inputs

The Panasonic TH-42PHD8UK is Panasonic’s 8^th generation plasma display monitor. Panasonic’s reputation as industry leaders is well deserved, and the PHD8 is no exception. It offers outstanding picture quality without a high performance price tag. 

Designed originally as a display monitor, Panasonic’s PH line make great home theater pieces. You’ll need external audio, like a surround sound system, and an external HD tuner for the complete experience. We tested ours with an HD satellite box and a Panasonic progressive scan DVD player working through a Denon surround sound receiver with component video switching. Ours is mounted on the TY-ST07 table stand.

Initial connectivity is limited. We normally suggest using your HT receiver as a switcher, so this isn’t normally a problem, given the Panasonic’s pro level BNC component connection. You can also use the 15 pin D-sub input (computer connection) as an additional component input with the correct break-out cable.

HDMI and HDCP DVI cards, or “Blades” are also available, but we elected to test ours using a more standard component video installation.

On initial set-up, you may notice your HD picture is a lovely shade of green. Simply hit the “Setup” button on the remote and switch the “COMPONENT / RGB-IN” to “Component”.

One of the first things you’ll notice is how complete and well laid out the remote control is. Various features, sub-menus on other models, have their own buttons, allowing for quick changes to commonly adjusted settings. PIP is easy to use right off the remote and doesn’t require elaborate menu surfing to make it work.

Out of the box picture quality is acceptable, but with this piece it’s all about the tweaking. Being a professional grade unit, the PHD8 offers an impressive array of advanced picture controls, suitable for novice and power user alike. Just make sure the “Advanced Menu” option is turned on to see all of the advanced picture controls.

Using Digital Video Essentials by Joe Kane Productions, we calibrated the monitor using the test patterns provided. This easy procedure makes an immediate improvement in picture quality, so is well worth the time.

We established the following settings

Brightness  5
Picture  12
Color  1
Tint  2
Sharpness  4

The advanced controls are where the fun really begins. Panasonic features among the darkest black levels on any display of any kind. Caution should be taken when adjusting Black Extension, as over adjustment provides for a very dark flat looking picture.

Black Extension  1-4, depending on taste
Gamma  2.5

The on-screen interface is well designed and easy to use, and very powerful at the same time. For example, it’s possible to adjust the white balance, separately, of both the blue and red color channels.

The real strength of the Panasonic PHD8 is in the picture. With proper adjustments, skin tones are accurate and life-like, although color saturation lacks impact compared to other Tier One manufacturers, like NEC and Pioneer.  You’ll never notice it unless you happen to have them side by side. The real color test with any digital display is how they show gradients, like sunsets. Here too the Panasonic excelled, showing smooth color shifts without the edginess and noise associated with other displays.

The incredible value and quality represented by Panasonic plasma should have them right at the top of your list.

Summary:  RECOMMENDED BUY
Caveat :  Must have surround sound receiver and separate HDTV tuner

The Panasonic TH42PHD8UK is an excellent HD plasma for the money. The picture quality is extremely good (after calibrating with AVIA or Digital video Essentials). The thin flat black frame fits in any decor without overwhelming it, and the expandable card slots protect you from the inevitable new connections that come to market every few years.

NOTES: Make sure you have the RCA/BNC adapters tossed in by the store, they cost about a buck each but you cannot hook up the plasma tv without them.