Panasonic TH-46PZ85U

Although tons of LCD HDTVs are taking the spotlight in home electronics stores, Plasma TVs aren’t counted out just yet. The Panasonic TH46PZ85U is proof that plasma displays are still highly competitive and get pitted against LCD TVs and other plasma TVs coming from different manufacturers.

Look and Feel

In terms of design, the Panasonic TH-46PZ85U is undeniably sleek in its own right with its lack of tips and attractive pedestal that supports the panel. It isn’t the finest looking TV around though and it lacks a swivel functionality which would have been nice.

The remote on the other hand remains the same as the older models, but that’s a good thing since the buttons were nicely arranged in the first place. It would have scored more points if the remote had backlighting, but the right-size buttons were easy enough to feel.

The TV interface isn’t anything out of the ordinary, but it is quite intuitive and various settings can easily be set without any frustration or confusion.

Sights and Sounds

The picture quality of the Panasonic TH-46PZ85U is unfortunately under par and many other plasma displays handle noise reduction and color accuracy a lot better. However, the feature that really shines in terms of visuals is the amazing black-level performance. Really deep shades of blacks can be witnessed in dark scenes giving some added detail to the lighter shade ones and not many displays can handle this feat. It doesn’t handle shadows with perfection, but the deep blacks are just about enough to overlap the weaknesses of the Panasonic TH-46PZ85U. The anti-reflective screen makes it even more reliable for watching scenes with dark elements even in bright environments.

The audio quality doesn’t ring any bells, but there is generally nothing wrong with it in terms of audio experience. For a TV of this size and quality it is better to couple it with a full home theater setup for a more involving movie experience.

Actual user review:
“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.” – R.Crichton (FL,USA)

 

Good and Bad

One of the welcoming features of the Panasonic TH-46PZ85U is the option of setting up to 5 aspect ratio controls for HD sources which is considerably more than most HDTVs out there. Although these 5 modes are also available for SD sources, standard-definition doesn’t perform very well with soft displays and noise issues. The power consumption isn’t the best out there either and the lack of an energy-saver feature doesn’t make the recommendation for people hoping to save on electricity. The “Surf Mode” feature gently adds some essence by allowing users to restrict some of the TV tuning options.

Cost and Value

The Panasonic TH-46PZ85U is fairly priced at street prices under $1300 which is okay for a large 46” display giving around 20% more screen size than the 42” ones. There are some better displays out there that can better reduce the noise and display colors in a more accurate fashion, but the handling of black levels in unequal and the Panasonic TH-46PZ85U remains as one of the best. There’s nothing too stylish about the TV itself, but is sleek enough to match any standard home media center setup. Most users will be fairly impressed with the deep blacks.

• “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. 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.” – A.Marco (PA,USA)
• “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.” - Philip (USA)

Average User Rating:

 

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