Panasonic Viera TH46PZ85U 46Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

5 stars
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The product is great. I am very pleased. This is my second panasonic plasma. The first was a 42inch 720p. The service was great from Amazon.com also. I would use the site again in a second.

Not bad, but expenisve
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this a few months ago and don’t think it was worth the money. It looks great, but definately expensive.

Great TV
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
My husband did a lot of research before buying this TV, and it payed off. The picture and sound quality are excellent. We thought we wanted an LCD TV, but then saw this online, and decided after weeks of looking at LCD’s to get this Panasonic Plasma. The reason it took so long to find a TV is because we wanted to make sure we didn’t get one that either looked bad on standard TV channels or was too pixelated when watching sports with fast motion. This Panasonic was the answer. It looks great regardless of what we’re watching.

Great TV
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve had this for about 6 months. While regular TV may not be quite as sharp as LCD, overall this is great TV especially with blu-ray movies.

Knew what to expect and still amazed!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is a fantastic television, hands down. I already knew what to expect out of it since my parents have the same one in a 50″, yet as soon as I switched my Playstation 3 to output in 1080p my mind was blown. I haven’t watched a BluRay on it yet, but I’m certain it’s going to look amazing. The delivery guy was great, he opened the box and put it together and even helped me move my 140lb picture tube TV off of the stand and placed the new one in its place. Also don’t be discouraged by the negative feedback about the sound output. I didn’t get around to hooking my surround up to it yet, but we watched hdtv that we had recorded on the dvr and it looked and sounded great, I didn’t even have to turn it up as loud as my old TV (which is only about 3 years old anyway). So I highly recommend this TV to anyone looking for something of this size at a good price.

Price too good…..Order Cancelled by Seller
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
Amazon truly disappointed me in this case. Abt Electronics advertised the TH-46PZ85U at a price of $1095 with free shipping, which seemed pretty good to me. I cashed in 19 Amazon credit card reward certificates and made plans to re-arrange the TV room. The following day, I get a cancellation notice from Amazon that offers no explanation and refers me to Abt electronics if I want additional info. Strange, no one wants to tell me what happened to the $475 in credit card rewards.

So, no TV and, potentially, $475 in the hole. This was great.

panasonic Plasma 46inch Virea 85u
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Delivery and set up was excellent. Great picture, particularly in HD.

Very pleased with my purchase.

GREAT
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This product has been great. I am still learning how to use the full potential of the HD but otherwise the picture quality is great and the sound as well. I wish i would have known what a HDMI cable was and what it is used.

Panasonic Viera TH-46PZ85U 46-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The TV arrived on time this all worked great. Thanks Amazon for the great job!!!

Panasonic Viera TH-46PZ85U 46-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

Great new offering from Panasonic
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
If you are anything like me when trying to decide on which flat screen TV to buy, let me just say that you will not go wrong by choosing this 46″ Panasonic plasma TV. I spent several days and multiple trips to electronic stores before getting this one. I have had the TV for nearly a month now and here’s what I think:

Pros:

1. Fantastic contrast ratio – sometimes can even get too dark for my liking! (level of contrast can be adjusted via menu options)

2. Very handy 15 pin PC connection (I use this very often to view online movies and documentaries)

3. Very good color rendering. False contouring is minimal and typically only with weaker/lower res. signals

4. Sound is awesome! There appears to be 3 channels/speakers at the bottom of the piece. You have the ability to have surround capability (I do not have a home theater sound system connected).

5. Pixelation during fast motion very minimal (typical for the plasma)

6. Very good inbuilt tuner. I use it to get the off-the-air HD channels, great quality

7. Very good form factor – looks that will please most

8. Wide sturdy base

There are a lot of other features that I have not used as yet but overall, I am really very pleased with what I have seen so far. Note that I have not tried a blu-ray disc with the TV but seeing the quality with the 1080-i quality NCAA games this month has been phenomenal.

Cons:

1. It is my belief that the anti-reflective screen not quite as good as compared to the anti-glare coating the 2007 models had. My experience is based on comparison of bright warehouse lighting reflecting from the 2007 screens and the bright living room I currently have place the 2008 model in. With the anti-reflective screen on the 2008 model, I can see a reflection of myself when the picture is dark or dull and background lighting is moderate. For e.g. even in the nights, when I have a small average intensity lamp burning, I can see a reflection of myself in the screen.

Hard to think of other cons.

I definitely do not regret the PC input option for the $90 extra it cost me! Will add more as the weeks go by but overall a fantastic choice.

Excellent tv
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I had spent many months searching for a tv for my great room. After doing a significant amount of research I decided to go with the 46″ Viera TH-46PZ85U. I’m impressed by the overall quality of this product as I have been a fan of Panasonic tv’s for a while but the picture on this is amazing. I have mounted it on the wall paired with a polk audio 5.1 home theater setup and I feel as though I’m at the theater. Very deep blacks and watching the NFL on Fios TV is like being at the game. i would recommend this tv to anyone.

Great TV
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This TV is better than I ever expected. The picture is almost infinately ajustable. I am very fussy about picture quality, especially skin tones. With all the ajustments available it is possible to get that perfect picture. After about 3 days of watching and fine tuning I got it. Don’t get the cheaper model. They don’t have as many ajustments. The picture is just fine during the day without having to close blinds, shades or curtains. Reflectivity of the screen is not a problem. The sound is fine, no need for a sound system. The only minor thing is, the auto volume leveler,[quiets loud commercials], it doesn’t seem to work. I’ll call panisonic tech one of these days. Maybe there’s something that has to be turned on or something, no biggie. I,ve heard that you have to change formats every time when going from HD to regular. In HD, I set the format at full. In regular [non HD] I set the format at 4:3 and the TV remembers those settings so you don’t have to keep changing them. Sure hope they have the exact same model available when this one wears out, ’cause I’ll buy it again. If you can’t get a perfect picture with this TV, you’re doing something wrong. Another big plus; no sales tax and free delivery and set up.

Excellent quality!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Skeptical about plasma after I owned a LCD. Great color depth, picture, sound, stylish. Highly recommend.

Watch Amazon’s Price Policy, but a Great TV
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
First I would like to say how pleased I am with this TV. I did a lot of research before purchasing this model and could not be more happy with my decision to go with the Panasonic. In my opinion plasmas are still the way to go. Even though LCDs are getting much better I think the plasma still has a superior picture. I do not have a problem with glare as it is in a room without much sunlight, and the glare issue is the only reason I can see to go with LCD.

Now as for Amazon, I am not nearly as happy with them. I purchased this TV for $1299.00 on 1/16/09 through amazon directly, not through the marketplace or one of their vendors. Two weeks later I saw they had lowered the price to $1099.00. I contacted them to ask for a refund or credit since it was within the 30 day return window. I was notified at that time their price protection policy had been revoked in september of 2008, 4 months before I purchased this TV. I have been an Amazon customer for nearly 10 years and was never notified this policy had been revoked. Also, the customer service reps I was dealing with were in India and would not pay attention to my complaint. It was obvious to me they were told to blow off any such request. I know there are other companies who still have price protection polies. The bottom line is that although I highly recommend this TV, I also highly suggest you find a dealer with price protection and customer service in the USA, not a third world country.

best deal on a th46pz85u 46″ panny plasma
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I love the TV…I got is for the cheapest price there was on the net and it got delivered earlier than I had expected…the TV itself adds a lot of style to my apartment living room…the anti reflective does a great job on cutting out any reflection considering that there is a huge window on the left hand wall from where the TV sits that inundates the apartment with sunlight…sound quality is good,but there is scope for improvement…1 drawback however, is that the pedestal and the frame of the Tv attract a lot of dust which stands out since its a glossy black finish, but thats no big deal…i tried the sd card slot and the pics look really good too..some ppl complain about getting dead pixels when they pop in the SD card, I could’t find any in my case…n I gues if you’re not OCD about it, you wont find em…overall, it’s a very good TV for the price and performance that it has…Very good value for the buck!…

Great size at 46 inches; shipping no problem
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I ordered this Panasonic Viera Plasma HDTV late on Sunday, and it was delivered on the next Friday: 5 days for shipping. I read reviews about the shipping service, so I called the shipper to keep updated on the package location. The final, local shipping driver (Minnesota) was helpful to set this on its bracket and check to see if the TV worked — I asked him to help.

I compared 42, 46, and 50 inch Vieras at the nearest store, 60 miles from me, and when I saw a 46 inch next to a 50 inch, I knew this was the size for me.

Works beautifully, evident on the digital channels we do get, and with a DVD playing. The bracket/stand is easy to mount: have a large, secure, padded surface to lay the TV on; you need a Phillips screwdriver, and two (three is better) people to turn/hold/attach bracket the HDTV.

Happy and impressed, a good combination
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
After over a month of researching flat panels, I settled on the Panasonic Viera TH-46PZ85U. I am more interested in watching movies and sports than playing games, so I opted for a plasma. This TV seemed to be the third-best plasma on the market (behind the Pioneer Kuro and the Panasonic 800-series), and considering price, seemed to offer the greatest value. I’ve had this TV for about a week and am very happy with my purchase so far. Here are my observations:

- The CEVA white-glove delivery was excellent. Ordered on a Saturday night and received in 8 days (6th business day). I was hoping for slightly quicker delivery but the service was excellent. Two delivery guys arrived within the pre-scheduled 2-hour window, carried in the TV, removed it from the packaging, installed the base/stand, placed it on my TV stand, asked me to hookup my satellite cable, and turned it on to verify picture and sound. After I checked it over for any damage, I signed the sheet and they were on their way.

- Standard-definition satellite programming is a disappointment on this TV, and from what I’ve heard, on all large HDTVs. I opted to upgrade to HD programming for an additional $10 per month. That will be installed tomorrow.

- Local over-the-air digital/HD channels look great.

- Standard-definition DVDs, played on a standard DVD player, look MUCH better than expected. I purchased an inexpensive component video cable from Amazon, and it delivers a better picture than on my old CRT TV. These movies look so good I may delay purchase of a blu-ray player for a while.

- The sound from the TV seems good to me. I was happy to find bass and treble adjustments in the setup menu. Increasing the bass greatly improved the sound out of the box and may be the solution to a previous reviewer’s complaint about “tinny” sound. The downward-firing speakers certainly provide much more indirect sound than my old CRT, but I don’t find it offensive.

- The picture is excellent and needed very little adjustment out of the box. I chose the “cinema” mode, which was just a little warmer than “standard” mode.

- The remote design seems acceptable but will take a little getting used to. My only complaint so far is the “last” button, used to jump back to the last channel you watched, is too far from the channel up/down buttons.

- The stand does not swivel but I had no need for that in my room anyway.

- The printed instructions are helpful and Panasonic included batteries for the remote and 2 cable ties for your connections.

- The TV runs warm, as with all plasmas, but is not offensive. It seems professional calibration will help this.

I hope to follow-up with an update in a month or two after I experience HD programming and perhaps blu-ray movies with this TV. But until then, I’d give this experience a full 5 stars.

Exactly what I sought.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
It’s just as most of the other reviews have said. It’s a fantastic tv, well worth the price in my opinion, and I’d buy another, if I could go back in time and do it over.

Panasonic HDTV
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
We have hooked up our new Panasonic Viera 46″ TV and we love it. Great picture and it seems to work well with the components we purchased at the same time.

Awesome TV!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Just recently purchased this tv (unfortunately, not on Amazon) and I completely love it! Made all the connections and tested all the inputs and it looks fantastic. The black levels are completely outstanding! I did a lot of research before buying this TV and I do not regret it. I was in a bind between LCD and Plasma and after comparing picture quality and reading many reviews and opinions, I believe the Plasma is the better choice. I have seen the differences and LCD just doesn’t compare, especially when it comes to name brands like Panasonic.

The picture quality of the set looks amazing! Even an upscaled dvd at 1080p looks closely, but of course nto quite, like blu-ray. I tested the Transformers 2007 Movie upscaled and the detail looked really nice! Blu-ray movies look sweet as well! For the test, I played Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer and I was impressed. Sound quality is also very good. I am using this tv for my bedroom (which is pretty large) so I don’t have a home theater setup but even then, the TV set still sounds sweet. Unfortunately, you cant tweak with the picture settings as much as other sets, but the tv already looks good with tweaking (but I tweaked it anyway).

I would recommend this TV for anyone who is in the market for tvs at this size. However, 1080p shouldn’t be a deciding factor if you are looking for something smaller than 46 inches. I would also recommend going Plasma over LCD when it comes to TVs this size and larger. LCD just doesn’t cut it. Overall, this TV is simply AWESOME! You will not be disappointed!

Pros:

-Black levels are outstanding!

-Picture quality is top-knotch!; game, DVD, blu-ray, etc…

-Nice sound!

-Multitude of inputs!

-Screen barely shows any reflection

-Handy remote control

Cons:

-Weight (which is expected from a plasma)

-PC input doesn’t support 1080p resolution (downconverts to 720p res) *have to connect thru dvi->hdmi to get 1080p res.

-Side buttons w/ SD card input in an inconvenient location

Great TV…For 3 weeks
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Great looking picture quality but my television messed up after 3 weeks. For all the darker sections of shows or movies, it gave this red tint. Amazon refunded me the money, but its a hassle going through this. When the TV was working though, it looked amazing.

Excellent Plasma
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Excellent picture. Seems to be a quality product, so far.

“White Glove delivery” not really white glove. Just a truck driver who’s paid a little more I guess to bring it it & set it up, but he’d done quite a few and knew what he was doing. I had to help him with everything and bring out my tool box (just a screwdriver). Other than that I’m happy with the purchase.

GREAT TV for the money!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Considering I paid under 1250 for the TV, (tax and shipping included) this was a great purchase. I’ve bought many LCD flat panels and DLP projection TVs in the past and thought I’d try my luck with Plasma since it is losing popularity among manufacturers and as a result has been decreasing in price.

What I care most about my TV is picture and this TV delivers. Great colors, deep blacks, high quality brightness and crisp edges that never blur. Panasonic’s extra features aren’t the absolute greatest but their blu-ray player (Pan-BD35K) was the 2008 CNET pick of the year and when you use Panasonic’s Viera link, you get a very easy and interfaced set-up. I definitely think some of Samsung and Sony’s high end LCDs are a better overall TV but you better be willing to pay at least twice or three times as much (in the case of the new XBR8 series). This TV has 2 HDMI (all you need), lacks the internet enabled features of some of the newer models and is not THX certified, but again, the full 1080p picture competes with the best. Strongly recommend for anyone looking for the best TV they can find for the money…

Great Picture – Great Deal
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I ordered the TH-46PZ85U 46 inch and it was delivered via Amazon’s White Glove Crew (Pilot). They delivered the TV and made sure that it was in working order before they left my home. The quality of the TV in HD is awesome and the non-HD channels look pretty good as well. I have a Panasonic blu-ray DVD player that I ordered from Amazon. The remotes for the DVD player and the TV work together, which is cool.

Enjoying it very much
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
It is everything I expected. Found the best price here. Wonderful images. Had it a month now. HDMI cable is best way to go with a blu ray player.

I have compared/researched other models. The 46 is the smallest home theater system I recomend. Panasonic has great track record and quality. These are heavy mothers/ If you plan to wall mount, get some help.

Disappointment – Order Canceled from Abt Electronics
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
After spending weeks researching what TV to buy, I ordered the Panasonic TH 46PZ85U Plasma 46″ through Amazon from Abt Electronics. In addition, I purchased a wall mount, two cables, and a Blue Ray DVD player. The next day I get notices that the accessories had been shipped and then another notice that the Plasma TV order was canceled, with no explanation. I tried calling and emailing Abt and Amazon, but in this digital world, there is no personal contact and, of course, very impersonal service. I would be very wary of ordering from Ebt, in fact I would never order from them again.

Plasma vs LCD
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve owned the Panasonic Viera TH-46PZ85U 46″ 1080P PLASMA HDTV for a little over a month now and it is awesome.The picture is even better than I expected and is worlds away from the old 32″ Sony WEGA CRT television I had been watching for years. You really don’t appreciate what you had been missing before the plasma flat screen.Broadcasts in 480i almost make you shy away from watching once you get spoiled by high def. We have only been to see one movie since buying the TV. I’d rather just rent movies at home since I added the Bose 321 system (which is not a must).The TV speaker quality is very good-much better than most, but now it’s like a miny theatre at home.

Everything on the TV is very user friendly and I have no problems whatsoever with glare, burn-in, or heat that some people claim is associated with a plasma. You can’t go wrong with this HDTV. I researched a lot and spend several trips comparing TV picture quality and features.I was leaning toward it or the Samsung LCD. I’ve seen the picture quality of my freinds Samsung 550 LCD and it’s good too, but for the money ….I’ll take my plasma.Panasonic claims 100,000 hours before the plasma screen begins to loose half brightness where all the others are rated at 60,000hrs.Amazons white glove service and Panasonic’s Viera plasma get an A rating from me. I am very happy with my purchase and will gladly do it again in the future.Overall…very pleased.

I finally made the right choice
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
So, after being completely dissapointed, and overcharged with a 42″ Dell plasma (Phillips tv packaged in a Dell skin) that suddenly stopped working after a mere 3 years, I finally got the Panasonic plasma that I had wanted in the first place. The 46″ Panasonic Viera is a great plasma, period! The colors are sharp, the blacks are deep, the packaging (skin) is pleasing, and the setup and remote are completely intuitive. I did have one little glitch with the way non-HD channels were displaying, but one call to Panasonic and their customer service representative understood the problem, passed it on to the techs, who then spent time to recreate the problem, and then called me within 48 hours (can you believe it, they called me!) with a very quick and easy solution. Needless to say I am not only very impressed with the plasma, but with Panasonic customer service as well. I highly recommend the 46″ Panasonic Viera Plasma television.

Dead pixels – AGAIN
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I’m a little upset that this set came with some dead pixels. On a green, white, or grey screen – there’s a pixel dead center that appears either black or pink depending on the image color. There’s another pixel that appears black right of center.

If it weren’t for this I’d probably have rated 5 stars. 46″ is much larger that you’d expect. It’s like a movie theater screen in your face.

The appearance of the set is very pleasing. The “gray” lip you see on almost all pictures isn’t gray at all, it’s black.

The picture is fabulous, no overscan whatsoever, blah blah blah but that’s hard to appreciate when your $1K plus item that arrived just yesterday has dead pixels. Amazon is taking care of me, but I’m not holding my breath for the replacement to have 100% pixels working either. I’ve done a lot of reading, and from my unscientific results, it appears 50% of these sets suffer from pixel issues. Whether you’ll notice is up to you. Want to be worry free? Just watch TV. Want to be disappointed? Pop in an SD card with solid color images and count the dead pixels.

Edit: I understand some, or maybe even most of you would find a few dead pixels out of a million acceptable. Maybe I should accept this I don’t know. I’m running a “pixel fixer” DVD right now and if the fast color changing images pop these back into life, I’ll surely change my review.

So far none of the dead pixels have changed, and I’ve actually spotted some more in addition to that. Instead of racing to make TVs flatter than practically necessary, why not work on quality control? Yikes.

Final update: None of the stuck or dead pixels have removed themselves. I am swapping this set out with a new one on Monday. Again, this set would have easily received 5 stars from me if it weren’t for this problem. As it stands, my level of satisfaction will remain a “2″

-COUNT THIS AS 2 BAD REVIEWS, I’ve now gone through 2 sets, AND HERE’S REVIEW #2

Yeah, it’s me again. I’m 0 for 2. Can you believe this? Yeah, my second one has problems too. Dead pixels, again! Listen to my first review, don’t check for dead pixels, you will absolutely be disappointed. I’m now batting .000 for a TV that’s brand new to be right.

I will probably wait before getting another HDTV. There’s no way I want to see the delivery guy AGAIN. Don’t want my wife seeing another one go, but hey, $1300 is too much money to get something that’s not terrific.

My 2005 widescreen, CRT HDTV made by Panasonic has overscan (as do all tubes) but it doesn’t have any dead pixels. It also doesn’t look out of focus. I swear, although there’s no “blooming” on a plasma (as there is on a CRT when turning up contrast) it looks like there’s a reflection trapped inside the 2 layers of glass on this plasma. It’s very distracting and my first set did not suffer from this problem. The best way to describe it is to say that it appears that there’s dust beneath the glass. Even HD text looks blurred. Has my wife and I questioning if we need glasses. If only the first set didn’t have dead pixels, it did not exhibit this problem.

I’m not blindly just going to buy an LCD, or a Samsung plasma – I’ll wait for god knows how long for the quality control to be advanced.

Who needs a 12mm thin TV? I’ll take no distracting flaws please. Quality control! Anybody home?!

PS: This whole X.V. color thing eliminating “banding” (scroll up to the ad) is BS. I see banding that looks exactly like that on 50% of HD commercials.

Great Picture and terrific value
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I spoke with Panasonic and they explained this TV was a 2008 model and they were making way for the new 2009 soon to be released. So I was able to buy a plasma TV for the same price as a LCD. The picture quality is great (Verizon FIOS sure helps) and the set up is very easy. I was also impressed with Pilot, the shipping company. Two nice guys carried it into the family room, un-boxed it, set it up on the stand and tested for a blue screen. Very good service.

Awesome TV – love it!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I love this TV! Reading these other reviews helped, as I was in the ever-lost world of looking at so many TVs. Also had the LCD vs. Plasma concern. My living room is small, so the 42″ is too small, 50″ too large. Just like Goldilocks, this one is just right! The black bezel finish looks great. The sound is pretty good, would prob be better with a home-audio system, but for movies, it is incredible as is. The HD channels are good. I don’t see the reflection problem other Plasmas have. Can’t wait to watch football on this, it is like sitting on the bench! Got mine at Best Buy and it was worth the $59 delivery fee. This is one great TV for the money! Of the models I researched, Panasonic, Pioneer, and Samsung seemed to be the top 3. My friend has the 50″ and likes it as well.

Hard to find faults…
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Like most everyone else I didn’t take buying a new tv lightly, after all you’re not talking about going to the local department store and grabbing something off the shelf for $300-$500 any more. Spending up to two grand on a tv makes you really want to get what you’re paying for, and there are so many options in screen sizes, options, features and even the most basic decisons such as LDC or plasma that you’d better do some research to know what you’re getting into.

I had been looking to replace our old 32″ tv for a couple of months, but didn’t find the perfect screen size until Panasonic came out with this particular 46″ model. I knew I wanted plasma, I knew I wanted a good brand name and I knew I wanted to be able to take advantage of the features like HDMI outputs, optical outputs and various other controls so that I could easily add a home theater system later. Amazon had the best deal going at the time so I bought it, and the white glove delivery was just fine. I was happy to get it all for under $1,700 when it would have cost me at least $300+ more at any local retailer.

I haven’t experienced any problems at all with the tv, it was in perfect shape right out of the box and instantly confirmed that I made a good decision with the 46″. The picture on an HD channel is stunning in either 1080 or 720, and regular shows in 480 don’t look as bad as I was lead to believe they’d be. The remote is very intuitive and easy to use. The sound from the tv speakers is fine, if a little flat and tinny, but I don’t plan to use them much anyway. I’ve already received my Panasonic SC-PT960 Home Theater system and that should handle any complaints I have with the tv’s speakers when I find the time to set it up. It’s very easy to do, and with both the tv and the theater system having digital optical capability I’ll be able to get the best sound possible from a HTiB.

If you’re looking for a really good buy on a plasma, you want something bigger than a 42″ and smaller than a 50″, and you want a smooth transaction and professional delivery this set deserves your attention. I really don’t think I could be any happier with something else.

Great Experience
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I ordered this TV after doing a lot of online research and a little in-store research (to look at the picture quality in person). I basically followed the advice of many different reviews and decided to buy a Samsung LCD or a Panasonic Plasma. I finally picked a plasma because of the black colouration advantage of Panasonic as well as the fast action. My room is about normal in terms of lighting.

After doing price research, Amazon had the best price as it included white glove delivery. I found you need to be careful with the delivery issue as you can find lower price TV’s online, but then the delivery services are very different in terms of service level and price.

The delivery was great. However, the TV comes with a stand (it slides into the back of the TV) but the delivery guys won’t put the TV on the stand for you. Attaching the stand to the TV was easy and then subsequent set up to my DVD and cable boxes was very easy.

The picture quality is awesome. With digital HD cable service, it blows me away. (Even the service guy from the cable company was impressed the TV – so that must be a good sign!) I have had it for about a month, and everything is working fine.

The one thing that is disappointing is the remote. My whole set up is JVC, and the Panasonic remote will not control any of my components. The Owner’s Manual lists a ton of codes to try, but none of them work, and unfortunately my JVC remotes won’t work the Panasonic TV. However, my Tivo remote does control the TV so the multiple-remote issue only comes into play with my DVD player.

Make sure you buy the right cables. The HDMI is by far the best picture (for my Tivo). I use the component cables (Y, Pb, Pr) for my DVD – and they perform better than the other audio/video/S video option. You can get cables cheap here at Amazon, so buy them with the TV, then you won’t need to run around and pay through the nose at your local store when the TV shows up!

I hope this helps someone. This is a great TV. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

Great Product
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I am glad that I purchase this Plasma TV, Very Nice product, good quality

Very cinematic images, with terrific black levels and Screen is less reflective than most….

one bad things is Noise reduction is not as effective as it could be..

and Fewer picture controls than many other HDTVs

Rest all wonderful…my family is enjoying now..

Raj Makwana

Panasonic Viera 46 inch Plasma TV
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Delivery was prompt, right into the living room and opened to show it was perfect. Plays great, no problems at all. And we saved a lot of money compared to retail stores.

So very happy
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This hdtv is well worth the incredible price offered. It met every hope I when purchasing a tv. After comparing many styles from many manufacturers, this seemed to be the best combination of price and quality. I am very satisfied and recommend it to my friends.

Panasonic 46″ plasma
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Great TV. Delivery was as advertised and accommodated our schedule. Setup was easy and picture is outstanding. We have it in a room that is sometimes fairly bright and there has been no noticeable glare on the TV and picture stays bright. Took a bit to get the screen from our laptop to display correctly but may have had more to do with the laptop. Would buy this again in a heartbeat.

Awsome
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought after reading reviews from Amazon and CNET. It lived upto my expectation. I am having it for about 2 weeks now.

PANASONIC HDTV REVIEW
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
THIS IS A WONDERFUL TV. GOOD QUALITY AND SERVICE. PERFECT HD PICTURE. NO PROBLEMS. GREAT OF AMAZON.COM TO DELIVER IT FREE AND SET IT UP FREE.

THANKS A LOT.

rkw

One fine picture
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Probably the best picture on any television under $8,000. Not overly feature rich but lots of guts.

panasonic viera plasma
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This television is all that I hoped it would be. I did my homework before buying and it paid off. All the reviews I had read while trying to decide on which t v to buy said how clear the picture was etc… I really am happy with the price I paid through Amazon $700.00 cheaper than BestBuy and the quality of the television is great.

Great Picture
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
One of the best pictures I have ever seen, the blacks and colors were almost unreal, images were close to 3D…. unfortunitly I had to return the plasma due to window light reflection. Should have thought of that before ordering, exchanged it for a LCD 47″ LG… no reflection but you can’t compare to a plasma.

WOW!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Panasonic Viera TH-46PZ85U 46-inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

The first day I set this TV up, I watched Dream Girls in HD on HBO from my cable company. I saw Dream Girls before – just after it was released on DVD, but I never experienced Dream Girls like I did the first night I watched it on the Panasonic Viera TH-46PZ85U 46-inch 1080p Plasma HDTV . The colors (especially reds) popped. The subtle shades of blacks and browns were (are) incredible. The picture was the clearest, brightest, most amazing I’ve ever seen on a TV. Since then, I continue to be blown away at the visible subtleties in the colors and crispness of the picture. Standard def DVD’s upconverted to 1080i are very good (although a bit soft on the edges-not a fault of the TV). Regular TV (via Cable) is excellent. A video conference unit connected to the PC input on the TV displays a picture that is better than any I’ve experienced on other monitors.

I have an Apple TV connected to the 3rd HDMI port on the TV. This past week-end I rented the HD version of Sweeney Todd from the iTunes store. The picture was every bit as beautiful as Dream Girls HD, and seemed better, if that’s even possible. The pairing of Apple TV with the Panasonic plasma is an unbeatable combination. However, I’m anxious for the next generation of Panasonic Blu-Ray DVD player so that I can see how this TV displays a true 1080p picture.

For sound, I have the TV connected to a Sony Home Theater System via optical cable from the TV to the Theater system and HDMI cable from the Theater system to the TV (for DVD playback). Interestingly, these two systems communicate with each other. Apparently Panasonic’s Viera and Sony’s Bravia systems of component communications are the same, or at least similar enough that they are compatible. Using the Panasonic remote control to turn on the Panasonic TV also turns on the Sony sound system. Setting the TV to TV mode, or DVD mode, or Cable/Sat mode causes the Sony to follow suit and set itself for correct playback. Volume on the Sony is controlled through the Panasonic TV remote. Turning off the TV also turns off the sound system.

Nice Job, Panasonic, Apple, and Sony!

Great TV, well-delivered by Amazon
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Great price, great product, great shipping.

To be honest, we bought this particular TV because we trusted Amazon to deliver… literally. As the owner of a tiny car, I was pretty interested in how I was going to get a new TV home without paying a lot for shipping. Amazon offered free, APPOINTMENT-BASED delivery; no worrying that a giant TV would be sitting on our snow-covered front step all day. It went as advertised; that is, the carrier called us to establish a good time for delivery, they brought it into the room where we would set it up, and they unpacked it to inspect it for damage. It was too cold here to start it up right away so we weren’t able to have the carrier do that final test. No problem. To be clear, this service does NOT provide for complete set-up. The carrier won’t program the TV or even attach the table-top stand. It was all as I expected, though. (Note: this delivery option is only available if Amazon is the source of this TV model; other shippers use other methods so pay attention to the actual seller if this service is something that would matter to you.)

The TV itself has been great. Some reviewers have been disappointed by a lack of customer-accessible color tuning adjustments. If you’re like me, that’s a feature. The picture is great right out-of-the-box. If you want a TV you don’t have to spend hours setting up, this is a good one.

Other things I like: all of the inputs that I need. I have a TiVo, a computer, a home-theater receiver, and a DVD player hooked up. I appreciate the SD card reader, but usually use the connected computer for photos. I haven’t used the internal speakers since it’s connected to a receiver.

Two wishes: I was surprised that there was only one antenna input. I still use analog cable TV as my primary input, but I also have an old amplified rabbit-ear antenna nearby for over-the-air HD (this is working great, by the way). I was stumped as to how to use both my cable coax and the rabbit-ears for a while, but ended up plugging the rabbit ears into the antenna input, and running the cable to the TiVo, and THEN to the TV. I think that’s probably how it’s supposed to go, but if you don’t have a cable box or other intermediary device, you might have some figuring out to do.

No picture-in-picture. No big deal for me, but I’d probably play with it if I had it.

The TV has several aspect controls, more than most, but I still wish for total control of the zoom function. Because 4:3 content doesn’t fit the 16:9 screen correctly, you have the choice to leave the side areas of the screen unused, to stretch the picture (that is distort it) to fill the width, or to zoom the 4:3 image until it fills the screen (which cuts off some content from the top and bottom of the screen. This TV DOES allow some customization of the zoom feature by allowing for vertical picture position adjustments and for vertical squeeze (how much of the top and bottom to cut off). While this is MORE control than most HDTVs offer, it would still be an improvement if the user could adjust BOTH the vertical and horizontal squeeze. That way a user could decide exactly how much distortion in the image he/she could tolerate by, say, leaving just one or two inches of unused space on the sides instead of the default horizontal squeeze setting. (My computer allows this flexibility in my DVD player app, so I expect that it would be possible in a TV too.)

Those two caveats aside, I am a big fan of the beautiful image, the attractive case, the quite effective anti-glare coating on the screen, the remarkable black-levels in the image (don’t crank up the brightness too much!), the compatibility with my other devices (TiVo, Apple laptop, Apple TV, SD cards, XBox, etc) and Amazon’s nice free delivery option.

great visuals for my new system
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I never had a flat screen anything until a year ago, when I replaced an old CRT monitor with a basic 19″ LCD, so when we needed to replace a 1988-vintage 32″ tube TV, we spent some time looking at and reading about HDTVs. Undecided about LCD vs plasma,we ultimately went for a great value in the Panasonic Viera TH-46PZ85U.

I realize we have just begun to explore it’s capabilities, but an up-converted signal from our new receiver (Onkyo TX-SR706) or a feed from the Playstation3’s Blu-Ray player is simply wonderful to behold. Bright, crisp, and utterly clean visuals. The old CRT TV didn’t die, just retired to our bedroom, and I can hardly watch the fuzzy old thing anymore, and in our opinion, nothing compares to the 46″ plasma we now enjoy so much in the living room.

Outstanding value
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This TV was as advertised. Excellent quality, easy to set-up and use, great value at Amazon price. It was in my home 24 hours after I ordered it (it helps that I am an hour’s drive from an Amazon warehouse) What other reviewers have said about the set is true. It is easy to set up and adjust. The picture can be as subtle or brilliant as you wish with on screen adjustments. No sense in repeating what other reviewers have said, I’ll just agree. With the Peerless ST650P Tilting Wall Mount my teenage son and I were able to mount it on the wall in an hour, in a “potrait box” no less. It was easy to center and keep level, and tilt so that it aims slightly down for easier viewing. My only complaint is that 4 weeks after I purchased it, Amazon is now oferring a free Panasonic Blue ray player if you purchase this TV at the same time. Jump on the deal, it’s like an 800 dollar savings over retail.

Awesome TV and great deal on Amazon
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
After weeks of research online and in stores, we finally purchased this TV. I was a little apprehensive about buying it online, but all the other reviews about Amazon’s delivery were right on. I would have had it less than 7 days after purchase, but the delivery people were actually too fast as I was trying to time their delivery with the TV technician’s appointment to upgrade to HD.

We researched plasma vs LCD and finally picked plasma. The “drawbacks” of plasma (screen glare, not bright enough, burn in” arent a factor. We have our TV in a room with a large bay window; we dont notice any more glare than with our old tube TV and it is quite bright enough. Also, the Panasonic has multiple features to prevent and eliminate “burn in”. I really wanted plasma for the fast motion and dark blacks, movies, etc. So far I have been more than satisfied. We watched some LCDs in the store and some of the shows just looked “fake” because the picture was so bright (though that could have been the store’s settings).

If this TV is even on your short list, dont feel bad about getting it. The price on Amazon was the cheapest we saw. It has some great features and is a great size (dont even bother with 42″ – you will be sorry.) We could have gone up to 50″ but the trade off for size vs price was right for this TV. I was a little apprehensive after reading the reviews on Cnet regarding the colors and some of the controls, but I havent even adjusted anything yet and the colors look fine to me right out of the box. I will probably work on tweaking it later, but am very happy with it right now. To the normal, average viewer it looks great.

I highly recommend this TV and am very pleased after weeks of research!!

Great for the price!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have had this TV for about 3 weeks, and I have been up and down about it. Right at first I wasn’t that impressed. Even on DishHD the picture just wasn’t what I was expecting, but the more I watched, the more I liked it. I don’t know if my expectations were just too high? The black levels are amazing on this TV and standard def, I think, is as good as or even a little better than my parents Samsung 46a750.

Many people have complained about the speakers, but I don’t think they are that bad, but I do plan on getting a surround system.

Panasonic says this TV “expands the available range of colors” so you don’t get banding, but I have noticed quite a bit of banding, worse than my parents Samsung.

I use the TV as my computer monitor, and have had no problems with burn-in. When I first hooked the computer to the TV I couldn’t get the settings right. On text, it was dropping vertical lines which made it difficult to read, but I changed the setting from XGA to WXGA and that fixed it.

I do not like the design of the remote. Most of the buttons are shaped the same and arranged in rows which make it hard to distinguish sometimes. I have memorized their placement, and can find the button I want without looking, but it is just not as easy as the Dish remote.

It is nice having an SD slot on the side, but I would rather have a USB port.

While this TV isn’t perfect, it is incredible for the money, and Amazon has been great. The price dropped almost $100 by the time it had shipped, and they refunded me the money. The delivery was quick and better yet FREE.

StdDeff Source Nice
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
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.

The best plasma tv with this price
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Simply the best plasma tv. [...] Today plasma tv will last 8-10 years under normal use. Why bother lcd tv. It will cost more and picture are not as goog as plasma tv.

Very happy with purchase
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I did a fair amount of Internet-based research as well as traveling to brick-and-mortar stores when shopping for a television to replace our 1080i 32inch Sony Trinitron CRT. I have always been a big fan of Sony televisions and started this process by looking into Sony’s current flat-panel LCD models. However, my mind was changed during the decision between LCD versus plasma (Sony does not make plasma displays.) You’ll find advocates on both sides of the plasma vs. LCD argument, but for me the decision was easy. Both in stores and in expert online reviews, plasma demonstrates more accurate color reproduction and better handling of motion than current-generation LCDs at similar price point (I did not look at the new 120Hz LCDs since they were above my price range.) I saw this TV in person in a brick and mortar store and also found good reviews of it here on Amazon and elsewhere. The Amazon white glove shipping is dependent on local carriers who fulfill the contract for delivery–my experience was a good one. I have had the TV for a little over a month now, and continue to be impressed with its clarity and color. I would wholeheartedly recommend this purchase and will be looking closely at Panasonic products when I eventually purchase a Blu-Ray player as well.

Nice TV – Amazon Delivery Excellent
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I waited a LONG time to get an HDTV to let the crazy prices get more reasonable. After researching recently, I decided on a plasma and the Panasonic Viera TH-46PZ85U seemed to be the plasma to beat at the $1500 price point. I had some reservations about buying over Intenet. However, I’ve had nothing but good experiences with Amazon and when they ran a 0% interest special with free shipping and a price that was only about 5% more than the “too good to be true” NY/NJ schmucks, I decided to buy. I’m glad I did. The delivery fellowrought the unit in the house, unboxed it and made sure it was perfect. He then showed by how to install the base and offered to do it for me, which I gratefully declned. The picture on this TV is fantastic, it’s got 3 x HDMI (all used) and it’s not overburdened with whiz-bang features that run up the cost for no good reason. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! THANKS AMAZON!

Awesome Plasma!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
If you are looking for a very realistic, detailed, and three dimensional picture, then this plasma is for you. With a native contrast ration of 30,000 to 1 and processing speed of 480 Hz, even the most advanced LCD’s can only dream! For sizes 46″ and above, it is also about half the cost of an LCD. You will not be disappointed with this TV.

very nice!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I love it! I hooked up a HD DVR from direct Tv and it works very nice! The picture is beautiful. with regular cable though I noticed a line of static across the top of it. It was a problem, but I have not noticed it since I switched to Hd! Overall very nice, my sister is jealous, she wants the model # because she wants one just like it!

Stop all your research and buy this TV
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
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.

More than expected
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought a plasma over an LCD for the following 2 reasons;

1) Plasma technology is still better than the best LCD. All this LCD 120Hz, and everything else they throw in is to try to get to the plasma level. Also plasma contrast ratio vs LCD is not even close, where LCD loses.

2) The price difference was about $400 less when compared to an LCD that I would buy only if forced to do so.

This Panasonic is crisp, great colors, great blacks and the right number of inputs for all the components I will hook to it.

I was worried about the heat, and it turns out my computers 30inch Dell LCD monitor puts out more heat than this thing. It is surprisingly cool.

I need one more flat panel, and no question would buy this or its close cousins again.

I am very happy.

Couldn’t be happier with this purchase!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Extremely happy with my purchase of this tv from Amazon both service / delivery and the performance of the TV are excellent.

I was one of those people that had been watching prices of this Panasonic Viera TH-46PZ85 and the Samsung LN46A650 for a long time.

I DO NOT REGRET in the least bit choosing the Panasonic over the Samsung.

Don’t believe all the negative marketing LCD fans, Samsung and Sony are shoving out there about Plasma TVs. Do the research, Burn-in is a thing of the past and even the recommended ‘break-in’ isnt even necessary.

The white glove service was great, my TV showed up THREE DAYS after I ordered it! That was 4 days earlier than expected, the driver unboxed everything, turned it on and let me check to make sure everything was to my satisfaction and it was. No bad pixels or anything.

If you watch sports or play video games at all the Plasma looks great. I havent seen any lag or pixelized images like I’ve noticed on my brothers LCD which cost twice as much.

Great looking TV with amazing picture
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have waited about a month and a half after receiving the TV before reviewing it to get a good read on it’s quality and features. To summarize, I am very pleased with it and would not hesitate to purchase again. The colors are rich and and the excellent contrast ratio on this model allows super-deep blacks and the whitest or whites. I have watched many blu-rays on it and have been overly satisfied with the picture.

If you are thinking about purchasing a plasma, nearly everyone will tell you that Panasonic is the way to go, and I can completely agree after comparing this TV with other brands I have seen. As for the plasma vs. lcd debate, that is much more of a personal decision. For the best picture quality, while ignoring other aspects such as size, price, power consumption, screen glare, and image retention, plasma seemed like the better choice to me, and without wanting to spend several thousand more on a Pioneer plasma, the Panasonic seemed like a great choice. Now, I am extremely happy I made that choice.

The only downside I have come across so far is that the screen can be fairly reflective if a strong light is on in the background. This model really shines in a darker room though. Image retention on it has not been a problem, as technology on plasma’s have improved to the point where it really isn’t much of an issue anymore. Regardless, I did use a break-in regime where I kept the contrast levels low and avoided any stagnant pictures for the first 100 hours. This also might be a concern for anyone planning on using the TV for heavy gaming, even though it does have a “game mode”, which is designed to prevent image retention and burn in.

The TV itself is a nice piano black color and isn’t nearly as heavy or thick as I expected it to be. Without reiterating the statistics of the TV, it has plenty of connections, including an SD card slot for pictures, and a PC connection.

The PC connection, an increased contrast ratio, and the C.A.T.S. system (adjusts the brightness and gradation to optimize contrast) are really the only differences between this model and the TH-46PZ80U model. For that reason, I would suggest also examining the price difference between the 2 models and decide how much more those features are worth to you.

Excellent value, great TV
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I spent almost a year searching for an HDTV and this is the one that I ultimately went with. First off, the picture is phenomenal. You may read about “slight color inaccuracy” issues with this set on websites like Cnet, but my personal experience with it proves these to be correctable with a few quick tweaks and are very minor. In any case, the highly impressive black levels more than make up for any of these alleged shortcomings. If you are a Roku Netflix box user like myself, you’ll be glad to know that the 85U does a very nice job at displaying standard-def material as well. Before connecting the set to my Onkyo receiver, I previewed the on-board speakers and was very impressed by how full the sound was. Many sets suffer from tinny-sounding speakers, but I think most people would be very satisfied with the on-board sound. For those interested in using a surround sound receiver with the set, you’ll be happy to know that the included pedestal makes the tv sit high enough to clear most center channel speakers (important if you care about aesthetics like me). Buy this set with confidence, you won’t be disappointed.

Excellent Plasma TV
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I am very pleased with this purchase. The picture quality is amazing! It looks good from multiple viewing angles and in multiple lighting conditions. I use the feature that changes the picture brightness based on the amount of light in the room. Also, the sound is surprisingly good from TV speakers. I selected free shipping and the TV arrived in 2 days and was hand delivered inside my house. The delivery guys even offered to unload it from the box.

Fabulous set
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
There are close to a hundred other reviews of this TV, so it’s hard to avoid being redundant. But basic truths: 1. The picture on this thing is fabulous, OTA reception is like a good blu-ray, 2. With a decent up-scaling DVD player it’s like my entire DVD collection has been dramatically upgraded. I have ZERO desire to replace my DVDswith blu-ray except for a few classics 3. Sound quality is very good, have no idea what the negative reviewers are listening to. If sound is critical of course you want to get a separate audio system 4.Check any of the consumer electronic reviews suggested by other posts-this is a top-rated choice and Panasonic’s reliability record is unmatched 5. This set is going to blow away anyone with a older TV, it’s like going to a good theater, but the reality is all TVs are improving and many people are happy with Samsung, Sonys whatever. We’re getting close to perfect picture quality with any number of sets. So two determinants should be price and at $1099 this set is top value, and plasma vs. LCD? From all I’ve read plasma still has the edge in B&W contrast by a wide margain and pixel “speed” to a smaller degree. Buy with confidence-there is no better choice for the money and unless you spend thousand(s) more you will not get an appreciably better HDTV.

Fantastic Purchase
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I did quite a bit of research before purchasing this tv. The bottom line is I could not be more satisfied. The picture and sound quality is excellent. I am especially pleased with the fact that the standard definition channels look much better then on my lcd projection set. The glare for me is minimal. I was also very pleased with the delivery service.

Panasonic 46″ Plasma TV
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
We are very pleased with the television & the picture is just great on it in HD. We are happy with Amazon.com which is a very good dealer & we feel safe with it & it’s guarantee. Very good television & would recommend it to anyone!!! The only thing that we don’t like about it that much is that it has a shiny black frame around the screen which shows every little fingerprint, dust spot etc., maybe it should be made with a flat black finish.

Good, not spectacular
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I found the Amazon delivery service to be a bit of a hassle – as you have to be at home for 4 hours and wait for the shipment. They told me that they will not call in advance and that you just have to be at home – kinda hard if you work during regular business hours. I also had to track them down myself – they had a wrong phone number that they called to schedule the delivery. So, I waited a couple of extra days to receive the TV.

On to subject at hand: I still watch a lot of SD programming – and this TV does not shine there. I watch a lot of hockey – fast paced content, and on the SD channels it’s worse than on a regular CRT TV. I don’t know if it is because broadcasters (Comcast cable in SF Bay Area in my case) compress the hell out of the SD signal, but hockey in SD looks bad. On the HD, however, things are much much better, but I still see some artifacts when the camera pans quickly which happens a lot in fast sports. Regular movies and shows look ok in SD and very good in HD.

Overall, I think I am satisfied with my purchase. I don’t think there is anything better out there for watching fast action sports. LCD will give you a worse lag. So, another plasma (possibly a Pioneer) could be a good a competition to this TV, but, of course, it’s more $$$.

Awesome TV – Awesome Price – Awesome Amazon
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Thanks to all who’s reviews made my purchase of TH-46PZ85U an easy decision. I finally pulled the trigger after reading all the reviews on Amazon and Consumer Reports. This is a phenomenal TV and the delivery was on time. I did not receive the full white glove delivery as the TV pedestal required assembly and also the delivery Company (Pilot) would not test the TV as it is not included in White Glove. The amazon website has a different description of white glove delivery. But Amazon was awesome with customer service when I had inquiries/questions.

The TV colors are brilliant and the picture is awesome. The TV speakers also have a lot of juice and it has been a great experience with the TV in the first 48 hours. I am playing it in standard mode with the brightness/contrast/picture settings under 50… inspite of this the picture is awesome. I checked the cinema/movie mode and the picture is spectacular. I am just taking the precaution of not using all the picture settings in first 100 hours. The standard def picture is great as well. I love the remote that came with this TV as now I have all my gadgets on one device (TV, Cable, DVD player, VCR).

The set up of the TV is easy and I think it is a good TV for experts and beginners at the same time.

Great TV!!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I decided to get a new TV for the family room and my son’s bedroom, so I did a ton of research, studying, reading reviews and looking at the displays at the various stores in my area. I came to the conclusion that… the Pioneer Kudos plasmas were the best, but too pricey. The Panasonic plasma and Sony XBR LCD were my next two choices. I finally decided on the Sony, but was disappointed to learn that the size I wanted wouldn’t fit in my entertainment center. So I bought a Panasonic Viera TH-46PZ85U for the family room and Sony Bravia KDL-32XBR6 for my son. Both are beautiful TVs with excellent picture quality. You can’t truly appreciate them until you connect a high definition source like HD-TV or Blu-ray. I love the Sony, because it weighs less, has a less reflective screen, a more user friendly menu and sharp bright colorful picture. The Panasonic’s picture on the other hand is warm and natural with life like flesh tones, deep blacks and excellent colors. Neither TV has very good sound, but that’s easily remedied with a home theater system or a less expensive sound bar (I’d recommend the Sony HT-CT100). I’d go with the Sony if your TV will be in a brightly lit room or a room that receives daylight from windows. Go with the Panasonic if your TV will be in a dimly lit room and you’re looking for a more theater like experience. Either way, you can’t go wrong; both TVs are a fine choice.

Great TV, great Amazon shipping!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
There are many well written reviews for this tv but I’d like to mention Amazon shipping via Ceva in addition to adding a few notes about the set itself.

Shipping by Amazon (Ceva) – Awesome! Although the delivery team did not unbox the set they did carry it from the street up two flights of stairs to my apartment. I ordered on a Sunday and 6 days later the truck arrived on a Saturday morning. Tracking info provided details on its journey from the warehouse and they called on Thursday to arrange and confirm a 4 hour window on Saturday. The only complaint I have is that the 4 hour window was 8a-12p. When do you think the truck showed? That’s right, 11:58a! Still, shipping for me was free (~$62 savings) so how can I complain, it was still whithin 4 hours right? Other shops charge between $150-$200 for similar service!

The Panasonic TH-46PZ85U – I owned a 50″ Toshiba CRT-based rear-projection tv for about 6 years before I bought the Panasonic. I never watched much video on LCD or plasma sets before my unit arrived so my first impression of this set was that the colors were all off. Based on other information found online, it seems that it is common for these technologies to skew colors to a far greater degree than CRT sets. Particularly the reds on the Panasonic were oversaturated and overpowered other colors. After some time reading forums I was able to tweak the colors to my satisfaction. Now it looks great! Deep black and balanced hues. Don’t hesitate to nab this set because of color issues. The pricier PZ800U has a no-fuss THX setting so if ease of setup is worth a few more c-notes then go ahead and get that model, but the PZ85U won’t disappoint as long as you don’t mind twiddling the color settings. In fact I took a look at the PZ85 and PZ800 side by side in a shop. With a little work, the PZ85 was adjusted to almost exactly match the look of the THX setting on the PZ800.

The very real and significant drawback of this tv is the sound. 2 wimpy speakers provide adequate sound for watching the evening news in stereo but nothing more. Bass is absent (even with the bass “boost”) and sound skews to the highs. With such a large and flawless picture it is hard to settle for the tinny music and dialog the Panasonic produces. If the home theatre experience is your endgoal there is no doubt that you will have to buy a separate speaker set to realize the full potential of this beautiful panel.

Great TV
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
A great TV. Strong Blacks, bright colors, you can ask for no more than this TV. Love it, love it, love it!

Perfectly happy with this TV
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve had this TV for about six months now, and it has been everything I’ve expected. Absolutely great color and contrast, probably the best you can get at this price. Delivery from Amazon was top-notch and quick. Whatever you watch – movies, sports, video games, even using it as a pc – the picture is just supurb.

Only complaints might be: definitely gets hot (what do you expect, it’s a plasma), adjusting the picture takes some time, it’s easy to get too contrasty and over-saturated, and more noise shows up than on some other sets. Also, standard def. looks horrible on this set, I think the upconversion creates more artifacts than normal. But, I didn’t buy this thing to watch standard def, so it’s not a big concern.

Overall, given a do-over I would buy this exact tv again. Couldn’t be happier.

Amazing tv
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have been researching tv’s for the past 6 months, and finally decided on the 46PZ85U. Prior to purchasing this tv, I bought a Samsung 5084 on clearance. I returned it as it did not perform as I expected, and decided to go with my original choice.

First, the 46 inch screen is perfect. When I began shopping for a tv I was planning to go with a 46 inch lcd because of the size and where I planned to put it, but further research led me to the plasma technology. The 50 inch was a little larger than I wanted and the 42 was too small.

I am extremely satisfied with my purchase as this tv has a picture second to none. I too was concerned about the reflections, but I have this tv in my family room with a lot of windows and it is not an issue.

I have only had it for two days now, so I will list the things I’ve noticed and will post an update after a while.

1. As stated before, the picture quality is amazing. It even looks good on sd channels…but HD channels blow me away. I can’t wait to watch the Masters this weekend.

2. The sound quality is excellent. One of the reasons I returned the Samsung is because its sound quality was horrible. While I have a stereo with surround sound set up, I do not want to turn on the stereo for day to day viewing…only when watching movies.

3. The additional inputs are hidden on the sides…but easily accessable. One reason I opted for the 85U instead of the 80U is the location of these inputs. They are behind a hidden door on the 80U in the front of the tv…I have two small children and imagined this door being broken off within a week.

4. The layout and the clean looking bezel make this a very attractive tv. My wife liked that since it is in our family room.

I will post an update to this review once I enjoy the tv a little longer. For now, I am completely satisfied with my purchase.

Update (6/1/08)…after owning this tv for a few months, I am completely happy with this purchase. The picture is amazing, sounds great, and it is everything I expected.

Panasonic plasma television
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Though we are not the most tech savy people we did do quite a bit of research before buying a new television. This Panasonic had all that we needed, has a terrific picture and we found a great price on Amazon. The retail stores near us would not match any web prices. Delivery went smoothly;there was no damage in transit. The delivery person was very courteous and professional.

Awesome television – great price!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
After reviewing LCD’s and Plasmas in the 40-50″ size range from Sony, Samsung and then Panasonic for over a month, I ordered this product from Amazon. I went with the Plasma after looking at LCD’s in Best Buy. I did not like the motion judder from the LCD’s, even on the 120Hz models. I have a friend who has Plasma and another who has LCD. The Plasma blows away the LCD. The price could not be beat anywhere – at least anywhere I would consider respectable. Ordering a large item like this on-line is a bit unnerving, but Amazon makes you feel right at home. The Pilot delivery service was a bit late, but product arrived in perfect condition. The Pilot driver stated he delivered about 10 of these already that day. Simple to hook up, easy to assemble stand, watched the BCS title game that night – perfect. Some reviews have stated inaccurate colors, but if you are breaking out the art supplies to check your tv accuracy… well. Good enough sound as I plan to hook up to a fully updated home theater sound system in the next year. We have no complaints from watching SDTV, HDTV, or DVD’s. This Panasonic handles them all really well. We are about 1/2 way through the break in process with the picture settings turned down. Reflection is a bit of an issue, but nothing blinds or turning down the lights will not solve. Still looks amazing. I am looking forward to fully calibrating. I HIGHLY reccomend this TV to those looking for a great size, but not too large, at a great price.

A pleasure doing business with Amazon
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Was first reluctant to purchase such an expensive and fragile item from Amazon but because the price was so good and the white glove delivery terms were reinsuring I thought Id give it a shot. Well Amazon pulled it of without a hitch, I had the product in three working days, it was in perfect condition and the white glove delivery was great. They helped set it up and made sure there was no damage and that it worked before they left. The Panasonic is a great TV as advertized, I bought it mainly for the 46″ size but the picture quality is great, you will have to fine tune the picture a bit but thats normal. Bottom line, dont be afraid to purchase from Amazon, you always have the option to refuse delivery if theres a problem.

Great TV
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I was looking for the Pioneer which is currently the gold standard for plasma screens but could only accommodate a 46 inch screen (Pioneer does not make screens less than 50 inches now).

For a lot less money, this TV is very close to the much more expensive Pioneer plasmas. I am very happy with this purchase and highly recommend it, especially for the price (I got it for $1049 delivered).

Furthermore, the included delivery was great as the delivery guy took the old tube TV (very heavy) out of the cabinet and installed the plasma in its place.

So far, I really have nothing bad to say about this TV.

Love it
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Great TV, great monitor for the computer, picture is great from the kitchen; heck looks good from outside looking in from the patio.

Remote is easy to use. Delivery was fantastic, Excellent price for this TV.

Better than LCD by far
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve owned nothing but LCD’s since the CRT days and thought the rear-projection models were pretty good, but found the flat panel versions lacking. After much research and this purchase, I can definitively say that Plasmas just look a lot better…. no screen blur, no pixelation during motion, good contrast and dark blacks – great look with computer display through HDMI. I highly recommend this TV specifically and would urge everyone to take a good look at Plasma and don’t assume that LCD is better. I have seen no screen burn in issues at all – even leaving static computer desktop images for hours and hours days on end.

excellent!!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Love the TV – color is great. Even before getting digital service it was a vast improvement over old set. Picture is clear and sharp; screen is non-reflective. Just love it!

Totally Amazing TV
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I just received this TV several days ago and have had all weekend to watch it. I can say it is by far the best TV I have ever seen. I went and looked at it at a retail chain before purchasing and I am glad I didn’t let that get me down. The feeds that they have running to their TV’s don’t do it justice at all!! Also, if you were slightly turned off by the half steller reviews that this TV has received don’t listen to them to much either. Review sights look for something wrong with everything they review, cause if they don’t say something bad about a TV then they will be seen as bias.

This PQ on this TV is hands down amazing. The black levels are deeper than anything any other TV I have ever seen. I have mine hooked up to a antenna that pulls down the local off air HD channels. The tuner in this TV is very good and actually allows me to get two new channels that my last tv’s tuner wouldn’t receive. In addition to that a Sony PS3 provides Blu-ray support which is really where you will see this TV shine!!!

Physically this TV looks very nice. However, it does gather some dust due to the glossy black finish. The weight has been reduced since last years model which makes setup slightly more manageable for two people.

To the people that say the anti reflective cover isn’t good you obviously haven’t owned a plasma TV before, or for that matter even a rear projection TV. It really is quite good compared to most other plasma TV’s.

Pros: Awesome PQ

Decent sound

Elegant look

Plenty of HDMI ports

Great digital tuner

Well layed out remote

Cons: Not a great deal of setting adjustments available

To be perfectly honoest there is really hardly anything that should deture anyone from buying this TV.

As good as I hoped.
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I was a little concerned ordering an item like this online but am happy to say that the quality of the picture was better than I could have expected. Additionally the company we ordered it from filled and delivered the order sooner than anticipated! All in all a great experience overall!

Product and Shipping
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The product is excellent. However, it didn’t come until November 20th. This was very frustrating.

Awesome!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I researched both plasma and lcd tvs. The picture quality on this Panasonic plasma tv is unmatched. I hooked it up in my living room and whether I am watching my local channels through an antenna or cable the quality is wonderful.

85u
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
i cant say much more than anyone else, the hype is true, this tv, for the price, cannot be beat….check out the AVS forum for the right settings, break in, ect, and you wont be disappointed

Perfect once it warms up!!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
There’s not a lot to add to what others have said except I will emphasize that the picture looked A LOT better after about two days. I thought the “warm up” period was a bunch of made up stuff but it’s not. I say this because I was a little disappointed with the picture initially but boy did it pop after a day and it really looked good after two days. I also want to add that the original remote makes you cycle through the inputs as you go from hdmi1 to hdmi2 to hdmi3 and so on. However, I’m using my logitech harmony 890 remote and, once programmed, opened up direct tuning ability for every input except the tv tuner. This is huge for me because I hate having to skip over the inputs I don’t want just to go from watching a dvd to watching tv.

Great look, great price
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve had this TV for a week and the picture quality is even more stunning than I anticipated. This set produces colors with a richness and depth I haven’t seen in LCD units in this price range. Unlike plasmas from just a couple of years ago, the screen is plenty bright. Screen reflectivity isn’t really an issue for me, although as with any plasma it could bother someone in a room with especially bright lighting. The 46″ size provides a nice, immersive effect for watching movies; the only caveat I’d offer is that standard-definition TV doesn’t look great on a screen this big if you’re sitting too close — you want to be at least 7 feet from this one if you’re watching a lot of non-HDTV. DVDs on our 4-year old progressive-scan DVD player look quite good, although I am biding my time for Blu-ray to become more affordable and ubiquitous, because that’s where this TV will really shine. That said, HD TV over cable really does look spectacular. Delivery from Amazon was flawless and the set arrived 2 days before the estimated shipping date, with excellent communication from the shipper.

BUY IT!!!!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought mine through Amazon and had a great deleivery experience. It was at my house within a week, they waited while I tested all HDMI ports, etc. As far as TV goes, for $1,100 things thing just ROCKS anything within reach of that prize, – the picture is unreal. Throw in one of the 2009 Panasonic Blu Rays that were just released and you will be delighted. I do recommend you own a surround set-up as I am not thrilled with the sets sound but for just normal viewing it is sufficent.

Well Worth The Wait !!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Like many in this forum, I spent months doing research before deciding on this TV. I studied several professional review sites, read scores of user reviews, consulted with two audio/visual pros, and of course made the requisite visits to BB & CC. I won’t bore you with the reasons why I chose this particular set, as there are some other good contenders. At this point, with so many reviews have already been written, perhaps it would be more helpful to address this TV’s supposed negative points, as identified by other reviewers:

AESTHETICS – Others have said this set has a bezel/frame that is too shiny & “plasticy”, and that the speakers along the bottom of the set are ugly. I was very concerned about this, and wasn’t happy with the pics I saw online. Even in the store, I thought these criticisms might be justified. All I can say is, I’m glad I went ahead and bought this set anyway. Mounted on my dark olive wall (Sherman Williams calls it “manatee”), this TV looks absolutely stunning. And the bezel that showed so many reflections in the store does no such thing in my living room, day or night.

GLARE – Absolutely no problem at all, and I have two large windows on the left side of the room with only blinds and a sheer curtain blocking the sun.

COLOR ACCURACY (red tint on faces) – I did notice this at first, but a little tweaking took care of it, except for rare re-appearances (a guest on Oprah, for example). Even then, my wife doesn’t notice it at all, even when I point it out to her. But then, maybe she’s just ignoring me.

COLOR ACCURACY (greens look flat) – This was pronounced at first, but again a little tweaking took care of it and now the green rendering is actually a strength, with realistic-looking, lush trees and grass.

SOUND (“tinny”) – Absolute nonsense. I have a great surround sound system, but I only use it for movies and sports. All other programming sounds great through the built-in speakers.

NO PIP – Picture-in-Picture would be a nice feature, but I’ve gotten pretty good at timing the length of commercials when I switch back and forth between two programs. Besides, if you really don’t want to miss anything, you can simply use your DVR (what – you don’t have one???) to record one or both programs.

ONE TIP BEFORE YOU DECIDE ON THE SIZE OF YOUR SCREEN: Note the dimensions of the set, and simulate them on the spot where you will locate the TV. I stuck four post-it notes on the wall to indicate the location of the four corners of the set. This made me realize that a 50″ screen would dominate the wall even though the room was deep enough to sit over 6′ away. So I switched to the 46″ and saved a few hundred $$$.

Excellent TV
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This tv graced our family room the moment we set it up. It has great colors and is very sturdy even just on the stand it came with on top of a console. The picture quality is great.

Aweseme Television!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I researched quite a bit before going for the “big t.v.,” and learned that Panasonic is the best plasma television out there. I purchased this t.v., and hoped for the best. It is an exceptional television. The picture is awesome. Hooking up my dvd, Wii, etc., is a snap [for the first time ever, I must add]. I would recommend this television to anyone interested in stepping up their television viewing.

Beware “White Glove Delivery”
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I am sure this television will look beautiful once it is set up and configured, and I acknowledge that I should probably not give this item one star due to service related to the purchase of this item. That being said, DO NOT ORDER THIS TV FROM AMAZON.COM based on the promised “White Glove Delivery”.

I made the mistake of believing a premium in retail price over other stores would be worth the added delivery service. Essentially what the service entailed was a man knocking on my door and asking me to help him carry my new TV into my apartment, where he put it down on the floor, had me sign a release, and left. There was no damage inspection, no unboxing of the item, removal of trash, or placement of the TV, as promised. I called Amazon and they apologized, offered to call the freight company back, and offered a $30 refund. I have yet to decide whether to return the TV so I can get a better price somewhere else, seeing as it’s clear there is no such thing as a white glove delivery.

great
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
It was easy to set up. but very heavy.We have Dish net. and they told me how to make the Dish remote work with the T.V.

I would give it 4 1/2 if I could…..
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
For the price, this TV is all most perfect! After MONTHS of researching I bought this puppy last weekend and the picture is just amazing. I have friends that have spent $2,500+ on HDTV’s last year and this one blows them away.

Don’t let people tell you this is a great “entry level” or “mid-level” T.V., because I have seen Pioneer’s elite brand and I can tell you that most people will not be able to tell the difference.

Sure if you are a videophile (or work for cnet) you will be able to tell the SLIGHT difference in picture quality and response (oh! Look for that millisecond in the corner of Star Wars, you can actually see the rendering of the ship, wow! That is worth the extra $2k!).

To me, spending double (or sometimes even triple) for a picture quality that I *might* be able to tell the difference on *some* movies seems to be a waste to me…I rather spend it on my audio system where I can tell a REAL difference.

So why only 4 1/2 stars out of 5? Read on:

Pros: Price is awesome (bought mine at ABT for $1199 and got a free Bluray player). Picture is just awesome, it blows away “mid-range” Sony, Samsung, Sharp HDTV’s. Unless you are planning on paying 3k+ for an HDTV, you will be wasting your money to buy something more expensive.

Cons: Here is where I take half a star off, sound. The sound is not terrible and it doesn’t ruin the T.V. however, it just isn’t up to par with other sets I have listened to. I am not sure how to describe it but it sounds “thin” if that makes any sense. Some people might not like the fact that it only has 3 HDMI ports but that seems plenty for my setup.

So you should buy this TV if:

-You do not mind that it only has 3 HDMI ports

-You will be hooking it up to an AV receiver or external speakers of some sort

-If you do not plan to hook it up to an external sound source, you do not mind that the speakers are lacking (they don’t have that “full sound” to them).

-Looking for the “best bang for your buck”

Again, I do not see the reason to spend any more money UNLESS you need a bigger screen or need the 800 Panasonic series because you need 4 HDMI ports or need to connect your TV to the internet to get the latest weather and stock reports.

Just my 2c

Excellent HDTV
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
After waiting out for quite sometime, finally decided to get a Plasma/LCD TV. Had narrowed down my choice to Panasonic (Plasma) TH-46PZ85U and Samsung (LCD) LN46A650, and decided in favor of the Plasma because of the deep blacks and excellent contrast ratio. The reviews at CNet and Amazon were also very helpful.

The TV was promptly delivered in 6 days by Amazon’s White Glove delivery service. Initially the delivery team indicated that they only unpack the TV, and couldn’t wait while I assembled the pedestal, that comes with it (this is needed to place it on the TV stand). When I asked them to leave the TV in the box, they changed their tone, and waited while I assembled the pedestal and then placed the TV on the TV stand. This hardly too 5 minutes to do.

The 46″ size turned out to be perfect for the room, as 42″ would have been too small and 50″ too big. By default the Picture Color is Standard mode, and this looks a bit dull to me, so changed it to Game mode to increase the brightness and it now looks great. HD Channels look excellent. SD channels look okay, not sure if there is anything to tweak to improve them.

Had it for 1 month now, and over all very happy with the purchase.

Great TV, and fantastic service from Amazon
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I’ve had the Panasonic TH46PZU for about three weeks, and I love it. The initial set up and programming was simple, the picture is clear and crisp, and the sound quality from the in unit speakers is a lot better that I had hoped for. When I have time to watch TV I just want to turn the set on, plop down on the sofa and enjoy myself. I’m not a video-phile who’s going to spend a lot of time fiddling with a TV to get the ultimate experience, so I don’t miss the extra fine tuning capabilities that others have mentioned. The Panasonic delivers everything that I want from a TV.

Also, I just want to mention that I was REALLY impressed with Amazon during this purchase. I was a bit concerned ordering such a large electronic item and having it shipped, but the delivery company got the TV to my home four days ahead of schedule and in perfect shape. There was a price reduction on the set just after I ordered it, and I had no trouble at all getting through to Amazon’s customer service center on the phone. They made an adjustment on my account right away, no hassles, no transfers, no excuses, no problem at all. Very, very professional service.

Absolutely Delighted!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I chose this over a larger LCD and don’t regret it one bit because the TV is amazing in all respects. There are no issues with image retention/burn-in despite leaving static images on screen for an hour or more during the first 100 hours. The motion scenes are absolutely fluid and there are no distortions in the image. Glare is not an issue either. 123 hours of watched content so far and I couldn’t be happier about the TV! The installers from Pilot were very good as well!

Great buy
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
TV is great. Great pic and sound, easy set up and looks good. Also received great support from Panasonic and Amazon. Would highly recommend.

Very good HDTV
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Pro:

I settled on this HDTV after much research.

If you want an HDTV that can be used as a monitor, this is a good one because there is a setting for overscan. Overscan is the amount of picture your digital TV will cut off. Then it resizes the image, then displays it. If you have a true 1080p source, you want to eliminate overscan so you are displaying every pixel of input (for actual 1080p Blu-Ray or computer input). The problem is that this setting is buried in the menus, and is not easily accessed. An improvement would be to put this as a button on the remote.

You DON’T want this setting activated when watching normal TV because there is garbage at the top and bottom of most TV signals. Having this setting on displays the garbage!

Another reason I picked this HDTV was for sports viewing. I’m a sports junkie, and watching 720p input from ESPN or ABC looks great. The TV scales this input very well. I can even zoom in and the 720p signal zoomed looks good.

A word on blur: There is no blur on a plasma. LCD screens can make a tiny amount of blur. Great. But when I watch the sports shows I normally watch, the broadcast has a slight amount of blur from camera motion and perhaps poor image processing.

The only thing you might want to consider if you’re considering this TV is getting the next models up, which are the Panasonic TH-46PZ800 or TH-46PZ800 models. Both will display 24Hz, which is what Blu-Ray movies come in. This is only needed with Blu-Ray – HDTV is in 60Hz. The 24Hz display mode will result in smoother Blu-Ray viewing. If you don’t get this, the Blu-Ray player must be set to 60Hz output, and the change from 24Hz to 60Hz can be a bit choppy, and result in “judder” during some panning scenes. Ask a Circuit City or Best Buy employee to show you, and you’ll see. Or don’t, and you’ll probably never ever notice.

Also, the sides of the TV are a little larger than I think they need to be. There is a good 2.5″ border of “frame” around the picture; I’d prefer 1″ or less. Go check it out at a big box store, and see for yourself – this is simply a question of taste.

Other models I considered: Sony’s 120 Hz LCD 46 inch, Samsung’s LCD TVs, Toshiba’s 120 Hz 46 inch LCD. All had slight blurs, so I went with plasma.

If you’re worried about plasma screen burn in, do some research. This TV will shift the picture up and down to avoid that effect, and will also turn OFF if the picture is from the same channel for too long. From what I’ve read, that almost totally eliminates burn-in issues.

GREAT TV!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I BOUGHT THE PZ-46-85U JUST BEFORE CHRISTMAS. IT TOOK JUST 3 WORKING DAYS TO GET. THE FREE WHITE GLOVE DELIVERY WORKED GREAT. IT IS A GREAT SIZE FOR THE ROOM AND A GREAT PRICE FROM AMAZON. IT DOES NOT SAY ANYTHING ABOUT A BREAK IN PERIOD IN THE INFORMATION RECIEVED WITH THE TV, BUT CALLED PANASONIC AND WAS TOLD THERE IS A 100 HR BREAK IN. USE LOWER LIGHT SETTING AND REMOVE BLACK BARS WHEN POSSIBLE WITH REMOTE. SO FAR, LOVE THE TV. NO ISSUES A THIS TIME.

Kudos to Panasonic, Amazon, Delivery
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
First off, I got it for $[...] from Amazon. Which is a great price for 46 inch plasma from a quality brand like Panasonic. If you can find a better one, good luck; I’d been constantly checking all websites daily for months, and this deal was too good to pass up.

Second, let’s just be clear about Plasma vs. LCD: better picture quality than LCD (I don’t think that’s up for debate). Less motion blur than LCD, even though some LCD are improving (again, not really up for debate). Wider viewing angle than LCD, even though some LCD are improving (again, not up for debate). And finally, BURN IN: do a quick google search and you’ll find this is a relatively RARE issue nowadays– especially if you warm up your tv pixels as recommended! I think you only want an LCD if you have a bright viewing room, or are going for a smaller size, since Plasma generally doesn’t go lower than 40 inches.

Delivery was on-time, as scheduled, from their carrier, CEVA. I got the free “enhanced delivery” as per TVs over 40 inches from Amazon, and it was great. The guy brought it into my house, configured the accompanying Panasonic TV stand, and together we lifted it up on the stand, on top of my TV cabinet. Then the guy plugged everything in, and made sure it all worked. Even offered to take the box & packaging away. Great service, and worth ordering online if for this very reason, as Plasmas can be fickle in shipping/moving, so it’s best to have a pro do it, especially so you can return it if THEY mess it up (if you mess it up… good luck).

TV is beautiful, nicely designed; especially sleek & shiny. My GF initially thought 46 inches would be too big for our apartment, but once she saw it she said it actually made our place look classier (a big improvement over our deep tube box 36 inch).

Only had the TV for a couple days now, and am using (as advised) Cinema setting with Picture & Brightness under 50 for the first 100 hours to warm up the pixels. Even at these lower settings, the picture is amazing. Got my Blu-Ray (Panasonic DMP-35K 1080p) hooked up, watched Planet Earth Blu-Ray, and almost fell off my seat, the picture was so clear. Can’t imagine what it’s like once the pixels warm up, and I can calibrate the settings. It is simply stunning.

And C-net gave it a “very good” rating, which is pretty much an amazing review from C-net: see how many better ratings they have (not many)! The only thing they criticize is it has minimal color controls, and the picture has “blue tendencies” which makes skin tones slightly ‘unrealistic,’ — but as far as I can tell, that is not really discernable unless you’re a videophile. I think picture quality is awesome.

Other notes:

- Remote and menu navigation are a breeze to use. Didn’t really need to consult the manual because all the settings were conveniently placed.

- Has automatic pixel-shifter to help avoid “burn in” (check TV ‘advanced settings’; default is “on”)– even though burn-in is rare these days.

-Even has a white-scrolling bar, in case you do have pixel damage. This is a great feature for the “just-in-case”– lots of other TVs don’t have this, and you’d have to buy/make a dvd/vhs clear your burn-in.

-anti-reflective glare works pretty well. Way less reflection than my old tube TV, for sure. Even with the lights on, it looks good.

-SD (standard) cable is pretty mediocre looking (though, I hear it’s better than most HD tv’s this size). Essentially, for SD cable, you’re taking a 480 input, and spreading it over 1080 & over a larger area. Essentially you’re blowing it up like you would a picture on your computer, and as you know the quality decreases. Luckily I’m installing HD cable next week; otherwise, I would mostly try to avoid SD cable. But maybe I need to read the manual and adjust the SD settings, or cable input settings.

-one-button switch for super ease of use between different TV formats (4:3, full, zoom, just, etc.). Even has option for gray bars for 4:3 to further eliminate burn-in.

- Sound from built-in speakers is great. Heard mixed things about it, but I think they’re great. Big improvement over my old TV; maybe if you had a huge living room, or you simply enjoy surround sound, you might want speakers…… but I’m very happy with the sound.

Will update as I near 100 hours and am able to adjust settings. Otherwise, I’m completely in love with it; will be watching many a blu-ray and HD stations in the future!

Awesome TV, despite some minor flaws
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I received this TV as a gift around the holidays, and I couldn’t be happier with my experience. I’m basically writing this review to go over a few gripes that have been noted regarding this TV, and my experience with them:

1. Ineffective Noise Reduction – A point some reviews have made is that the 46pz85u can’t seem to take care of background noise, even when noise reduction is turned on. If you want to really get rid of noise on the TV, use the “Cinema” picture mode, which seems to do a pretty good job on its own. However, this mode also creates a pretty dark picture that may turn off a few viewers (myself included). I use “Custom” mode, and some self-tweaked settings, but don’t find the noise objectionable. If there’s a good source picture, IE the camera filming the material didn’t introduce a lot of noise into the picture, then there’s no need to reduce it because it won’t be there. To put it simply, the 46pz85u won’t introduce noise into clean sources, it just has a tough time getting rid of it from dirty ones.

2. Green Trails on Fast Moving Objects – I’ve heard plasma’s have this little annoyance in general, but I don’t really object to much to it on my 46pz85u. Can you see it? Yeah. But it’s really no more than a tiny pixel wide, so it’s not like there’s some green ghost following Kobe around if I’m watching basketball. Also, you tend to only see if if there’s fast motion against dark backgrounds, which limits its presence even further. I would say that the far majority of viewers won’t even notice it, and even videophiles will more than likely be okay with it due to its incredibly small impact on the picture.

3. Inaccurate Primary Color of Green – Whatever you do, I highly recommend against turning on “Color Management” in the 46pz85u’s menu. Some people find the greens to be slightly yellow, and without the same “umph” they should have. This may be slightly true, but all turning on “Color Management” will do is make them terribly bluish and oversaturated. This is probably the biggest gripe I would have with this TV, but, again, it’s not a major problem. Greens still appear green, not some other color, but they may not look quite as deep as the source material would like. Haven’t really compared head-to-head with another set though, so it’s kinda tough to really gauge how major it is.

Overall, this is really an awesome set. Beyond the issues I’ve stated above, there’s really nothing to complain about, and the value on this TV is what puts it over the top.

Panasonic TH46PZ85U w/pedestal, on a TV stand: Video fabulous. Audio distorts.
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
The stereo pair of down-firing speakers built into this plasma TV may work fine if the TV is wall-mounted, and there is carpeting on the floor between the set and the viewer. But when the set is placed on a television stand like mine is, high frequency treble sounds distort.

There are two problems with the speakers.

1) They have a limited frequency range on both ends. (I don’t expect much from built-in speakers, but better speakers should come with an expensive plasma set.)

2) These speakers fire downward at about 45 deg. The sound they emit bounces (a) off the pedestal and stand, (b) up to the ceiling, then (c) down to the viewer. Speaker Acoustics 101 teaches that bass sound from a speaker (or woofer) is omnidirectional. Conversely, treble from a speaker (or tweeter) follows a narrow path.

Factors 1 and 2 combine to cause clipping in the higher tones of some voices–on some cable, network and HD channels. At the same time, the overall sound quality of speech (music and background music) on other channels comes through with flying colors.

Several female voices on CNNHD, for example, sound scratchy or metallic. On CBSHD, half of Katy Couric’s speech sounds metallic. It’s most noticeable (and aggravating) when i and e sounds roll off the top of her mouth (like they should).

This TV speakers’ flaws are exposed by making a simple test. While a high-pitched scratchy voice is speaking, place your hands against your head just in front of your ears, palms facing backward. When you do, the scratchiness is minimized and overall speech smoothes out.

Based on what I know about acoustics, I doubled a 28″ wide terry cloth face towel and placed it on the pedestal and stand, below and forward of the speakers. It worked! The towel absorbed or attenuated enough of the metallic high tones to create more accurate and pleasant sound reproduction.

It took three months for me to arrive at the moderately successful fix. Neither Panasonic nor the seller nor the cable guy could make the faulty speakers sound better.

Great TV!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I have to give this TV a great rating. I’ve only had it for a few weeks but so far so good! Excellent picture quality, image tracking, etc.

Excellent TV
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I did a lot of research for both LCD and plasma. At the end I had two strong candidates, the Sony Bravia and the Panasonic Viera. After a side by side comparison at a local store I decided to go with the Viera. I purchased the unit a month ago and I’m very happy with my choice of the TV and purchasing from Amazon. Delivery company delivered on the date and time promised. Performance so far has been flawless. Colors are rich, warm and the image quality is awesome. Watching NBA games in high definition takes TV watching to a new level with this plasma TV. Just turn your lights off at nightime and watch your favorite sport and you’ll see what I mean. Highly recommended.

Excellent TV in price & picture
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
As in most of the reviews this is a great TV. I too researched tv’s for awhile online and at the local stores, at first I was looking for an LCD which I own a 37″ model and was looking to purchase a larger one for our living room. Upon doing some research I was sold on a plasma after learning the pros and cons of both and the plasma seemed better suited to my tastes especially after a side by side comparison of the two. When you own an LCD and then place a plasma in it’s place you will notice the difference between the two, you will be glad you switched to plasma so get one before they are gone!

Next was what model of plasma, it came down to the Pioneer 5020 (of course), Samsung 550 & 650 series then the Panny 800U & 85U series. After checking out the AVS forums for what settings work well on these TV’s I went to the local stores and checked them out side by side (with the recommended settings). In my opinion the Pioneer is the best set, yes the blacks are the blackest and color was the same as the Samsung 650 & Panny 800U series. The Pannys were noticeably blacker then the Samsungs and only slightly lighter than the Pioneer, you can only tell in a side by side comparison with the Pioneer (blacks between the 800U & 85U are the same). The color of the 85U is very good but not as good as the Samsung 650 series or Panny 800U, again only noticable in side by side tests and very, very slight. Now if it weren’t for the fact I was on a limited budget of $2K I think I may have bought the Pioneer, but since I’m on a budget and wanted a PS3 with BlueRay to compliment my new Plasma TV the Pioneer, Samsung 650 and Panny 800U series were eliminated. That left the Panny 85U and Samsung 550, color was very close on both and I would give a slight edge to the Samsung but the selling point for me was the black level. It makes the colors really POP out and more than made up for the slight deficiency in the color. To be honest, after all the exhaustive research I did I don’t know if it would have really been worth the extra money for the higher priced sets, on the same token you can’t go wrong with none of the sets mentioned either.

Delivery from CEVA was three days sooner than the delivery date given. It went just as stated in Amazon, they brought it into the house, unpacked it, inspected for damage, plugged it in and made sure it worked properly then removed the extra contents and box. Great delivery

I highly recommend visiting the AVS forums if you purchase this TV and follow their guidelines for break-in and picture settings. I’m not sure if the break-in procedures have helped my tv look as good as it does but I didn’t want to take a chance either. I have zero image retention and again the set looks amazing. They also have some other good tips, knowledge and advice particular to your set.

I have owned this TV for around a month and can’t be more happy, friends and family have been amazed by this tv and they even own LCD’s as well as a few older plasmas, when I tell them the price I picked it up for they fall over and have been asking for the model number. I’ve been having movie nights and sporting events every weekend because they love watching this thing so much.

I would like to mention a few other helpful thoughts and tips when looking to purchase this TV.

To start with when I fired this set up for the first time I was a little unsure about the picture quality, it didn’t seem as good as I thought it should be but I did read that it would get better after you break it in for around a 100 hours. Well after about 50 hours this thing really started to come to life and once it hit over a 100 hours and I cranked up the picture and brightness I knew I had picked the right TV.

Second, I love the SD card slot on the Panasonics over the USB port on most other brands of TV’s because most digital cameras and phones use SD cards so it is a nice feature when I have friends and family come over and just pop the SD card in right from my camera or theirs and check out pictures. You will be amazed how great your digital pictures look on this tv. Just an extra feature to think about.

Third, I have not witnessed the so called green shadow in fast action, I watch a lot of sports on this set and earlier someone mentioned something to the effect of “only a pixel of green shadowing”, well if you can see a pixel from even 5 feet you must be an eagle, I’m at a 10 foot sitting distance with no hint of this greening, I even watched at one foot away to find any green shadowing to no avail.

Fourth, noise reduction. Your picture is only as good as the source, the end. Yes, standard def channels are a little grainy, noisy, whatever you want to call it, but this will hold true on any High Def LCD or plasma, it’s just part of owning a higher quality tv that shows every bit of detail. I do not use the noise reduction option and it has a better picture on standard def channels than my LCD and was just the same as the other TV’s during comparison, all of which were using the same source. You don’t buy a 1080P LCD or plasma to watch SD programs anyway.

Finally, glare, glare-reduction was second to the Pioneer, I have it mounted in a corner 6 feet high with a downward tilt and it still has some glare, I would not recommend having a bright window or light directly in your viewing angle. It is not as good as a matte screen on an LCD but then again many of the LCD’s I looked at had a glossy screen, defeating a major reason to buy LCD. Take a flash light to the store and shine it on the screen to really see how good the anti-glare works if that is a big concern or be mindful of where you are going to place your TV.

I hope this review was helpful, I know I spent alot of time reviewing tv’s myself and it was a difficult task to make a decision on such a pricey item along with being my first time ordering a very expensive electronics item over the internet. Amazon has my business for all my future needs, highly recommended.

white dust
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Bought this tv about a month agao and love everything about it EXCEPT the white dust that accumulates on the screen everyday.It goes from a nice shiny black frame to a white one that looks like someone threw powder all over it.Does anyone know what causes this and how I can get rid of it.We have other TV’s in the house that this does not happen to

Panasonic Viera Plasma TV
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I researched this purchase at length before buying. I read all of the rules, checked our budget then consulted with a family member who owned one. I couldn’t be more happy with our purchase. It was exactly what I needed. The seller was great and the product was exactly as advertised. Super easy to hook up, even for a novice like me. Would highly recommend this product.

Outstanding
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The purchase and delivery went great. Setup took 30min. to hook up all my componets and to call the cable company to sync HD cable box. I can’t say enough about how postive my experience has been from start to finish. The picture is outstanding, controls are simple, the cabinet looks great. When it comes to color and blacks they are outstanding/excellent. You will absolutely love this set!!

Expert gives reasons why this plasma was chosen over LCD
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I consider myself to be somewhat of an expert in being able to pick and choose television displays. I run a Home Theater website, have gone to numerous consumer electronic shows, and have been very critical in the type of display I choose for myself, family and friends.

For the past few years I have owned a 1080p DLP display.

This year my brothers and I wanted to buy our Mother her very first flat panel display. It was a very difficult choice as to what we should pick. Her living room is surrounded by windows and for that reason, I felt that an LCD display would be the better choice. LCD screens do not reflect light in the manner that plasma does.

So, we went out and bought the Sony KDL-40V4100 40″ LCD television (see my review on Amazon). Unfortunately, the display was defective out of the box and it had to be returned. I did have the opportunity to do a bit of viewing with the LCD and I was not particularly happy with what I saw. The LCD picture exhibited jagged motion and decreased quality when viewing from an angle. These are all problems inherent with LCD technology.

We knew we had to exchange the defective set, and made the choice to go plasma instead, despite knowing there were a few drawbacks with that technology.

It was my decision to go with Panasonic. Having attended consumer electronic shows year after year, I have had the opportunity to measure Panasonic plasma quality against other manufacturers. The best plasma displays come from Pioneer, Panasonic and Samsung. If you factor in price, Panasonic gives you best bang for the buck. Their plasma displays offer superior quality at a price that will not break your pocketbook.

We went with a 46″ this time around, and picked up the TH46PZ85U.

Setup of the the display took the efforts of two people. Weighing in at about 82 pounds, it’s nearly impossible for one person to assemble the stand, slide it into the bottom of the display and then place it on a stand or wall.

The display is very attractive with its black piano finish. Within a day we noticed that this baby is a dust magnet. It will be necessary to continually clean it in order for it to keep its sheen. A small cleaning cloth is included in the box.

The TH46PZ85U offers 3 HDMI inputs which is more than enough to hook up a cable box, DVD/Blu-ray player and whatever else you wish to add.

By far, plasma displays are the best choice for overall picture quality. They offer better color reproduction and saturation as well as deep blacks, which give the picture texture. LCD displays don’t come quite as close. If this purchase was for me, I would have immediately picked a plasma. The big reason we decided not to pick plasma as our choice of display for our Mother, was the fact that plasma displays have to babied. You need to take careful steps in order to prevent any long-term damage.

For the first 100 hours of use you need to bring down the picture and brightness levels considerably. Put the display in CINEMA MODE with PICTURE and BRIGHTNESS at 50 or less. You also need to mix up your television watching not letting the display sit for hours on material with black bars on the top and bottom or sides. Doing this will prevent any possibility of “burn-in.” After the initial 100 hour break-in you can bring up your picture levels again.

Television manufacturers claim that “burn-in” is no longer a problem with plasmas, but it does pay to stay on the side of caution. You can do a GOOGLE search to learn more about plasma “burn-in.”

So, let me get to the meat of this review and talk about the picture quality of the TH46PZ85U.

In a word, the picture is REMARKABLE. We are breaking in the television at the moment so its settings are turned down below normal. Though I was not viewing the Panasonic in optimal calibrated settings, I was still impressed with the improved picture quality over LCD. The image was morefilm-like, with natural and relaxed colors. Though I was surprised by the quality of the black levels on the LCD display, they were noticeably better on this plasma. Looking at a picture on a plasma is very much looking at a deeply

detailed painting. I never got that feeling watching LCD.

Since we were not hooking the TH46PZ85U to a surround system, we relied on the built-in speakers which offered remarkably full audio. The advanced sound settings allows you to tweak the treble and bass levels, with an optional bass booster setting. Sound was quite good, though as I applied more bass the audio became distorted at louder levels.

Reflection on a plasma display can be a problem. I did find when watching the Panasonic at night that all lights in the living room needed to be off if we didn’t want to catch a distracting reflection. During the day, sitting in a room surrounded by windows, we did get get lines on the television from sunlight creeping in through open blinds.

These are factors you should consider when picking plasma over LCD. The Panasonic display does have an anti-reflective screen which works fairly well for daytime viewing. Honestly, I suppose the reflections we saw could have been far worse. We were easily able to watch television during the day without being distracted.

Having the ability to view LCD and PLASMA in my home was a huge learning experience. I learned that LCD is perfect for those that don’t want the hassle of having to baby their display, and having a hugely bright picture in their sunny room without the fear of reflection. The only downsides to LCD is its ability to handle fast moving motion and decreased quality at certain viewing angles.

If you want the very best quality that these type of flat panel displays offer, you want to go PLASMA. Hands down, they offer rich, natural colors with deep black levels. The only downsides are reflection and the fact that caution must be taken in the way you watch television.

The Panasonic TH46PZ85U exhibits picture quality that is nothing short of nirvana. You will be amazed by its ability to deliver uncompromising picture quality to your home.

Defective unit
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
The Panasonic didnt work, but the customer service was great, and I wound up getting a Samsung instead.

46inch Panasonic Plasma
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Decided on this unit over the Samsung and Sony LCDs. The 40 – 50 inch TV range is all a matter of personal preference in the LCD vs. Plasma battle. Under 40 – go LCD, over 50 – go plasma. The Plasmas are better for regular TV/movie watching, and the LCDs are better for gaming. My local Best Buy used this TV as the “sample” home theatre setup which sealed the deal. It’s been a week and I’ve watched a lot of football and movies on HD, and I must say the picture is great. My viewing position is about 8 feet from the panel, and it’s very clear. SD programming looks good, but this TV is a waste without HD. I’ll go for the blu-ray soon to truly see what it can do. Be careful with the wall mount, I bought the Sanus tilt mount, and the TV barely fit (the box says up to 50 inch), leaving only a half inch to slide the unit in an attempt to center it on my room. And, it did not leave enough room to use the bottom locking clips.

Plasma TV
Rating:5 out of 5 stars

The TV arrived 5 days late (not a problem)but to the shippers credit it was in good condition. The TV was extremely well packaged and easy to install. The picture and sound quality is exstremely excellent. The TV was a very good bargin and we are well pleased.

A Great HDTV
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I purchased this TV after seeing the same one purchased by my son in law who had done extensive research. It is really a great TV. Took it out of the box, plugged it in, plugged in my Tivo and DVD and everything works great. You won’t go wrong buying this TV. The White Glove delivery from Amazon was fast and easy. The sound system is very good…I don’t need separate speakers, I think the sound is fine, as is, for me at least.

My only mild critisism is that, for best picture, you need to change the screen “format” setting when you switch between HD channels vrs. digital/non HD channels.

If I every buy a second set for the house, I’ll buy the Panasonic model again. (now my second set is a LCD Samsung).

Great Plasma!!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I just received my Panasonic Plasma a few days ago and I could not be happier. A fantasic TV for the price ($1099.00 for a 46″!). Set up was a breeze. The picture is amazing. I did a lot of research before purchasing and I’m so glad I decided to go with the Plasma. The blacks are deep and the colors are rich. I also purchased a blu-ray player and The Picture and sound blows me away. I plan on eventually buying a 5.1 surround sound system, but after hearing the great sound from the simulated surround sound on this TV I’m not in any hurry. If you’re on the fence about buying an LCD or a Plasma go with this TV. You won’t be disapointed.