Customer Reviews

Panasonic VIERA TX-P42S30B 42-inch Full HD 1080p 600Hz Plasma TV with Freeview HD

5 star:		(50)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The review below is based on our own opinions.

BACKGROUND:
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Wife adores sport, especially football, athletics and skiing.

Been using our well-made Sharp 26" CRT TV for a good number of years (and still going great) but too small now for our poorer eyesight vision.

CRITERIA:
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A new technology TV that HAD to provide crystal clear fast moving scenes without blurring or ghosting (for sport)

And one that was of a decent size for an affordable budget buying price.

In effect, a no frills, basic budget TV that meets our requirements.

RESEARCH:
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Done the obligatory research, like we all do, about the pros and cons of each technology, screen size, typical manufacturer selling prices, and actual retail prices both on the high street and on the web, into: Plasma, LCD and LED TVs.

Our choice of technology, after researching many hours, was a foregone conclusion at this point in time: it had to be Plasma Technology.

Some had said: "Oh no, not Plasma. It's not very good. They're not very bright and they don't last long and you get screen burn and image retention." Reading up all about it we'd have agreed more readily with the comments some 5-10 years ago, but not now. Plasma technology has advanced greatly over the years. Granted, treat a Plasma with neglect and you could invite some of those so-called problems into your lounge.

Plasma TVs ally themselves more closely to CRT TVs than LCD/LED TVs. Both Plasmas and CRTs use phosphor technology emitting light to form a TV image and so produce good images. Screen image burn-ins can occur on both CRT TVs and Plasma panels. In all the years you've had a CRT TV how often did you burn images into your CRT TV's screen? So, follow today's well founded basic guidelines and together with the use of Plasma's built-in "preventer" technologies a Plasma TV can last for years (provided all the component parts remain healthy, but this does apply to all TVs).

Average Plasma panels can have lifespans of up to 100,000 hours.

We've never had a Plasma so have no real experience to fall back on but based on the above criteria, the hours with the techno-specialist review sites and real-world user feedback sites we were more than satisfied that Plasma was the way to go for us.

PRODUCT:
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So, the manufacture, brand, model and price.

Well, here, it's all about personal choice - how big a screen is it going to be and how deep is your wallet? If you're not a fanatic when it comes to one's TV and how one is going to use it (e.g. home cinema surround sound theatre - here, Plasmas are a must have) then for the everyday consumer we read that one shouldn't be spending more than £500 - £600 (but this is a personal choice).

Also, pick a screen size that fits your intended environment. Bigger is not always better - a 60" TV in a box room isn't going to look too good, you'll pay through the roof, and it'll cost you more to run.

40-to-46" TVs seem to be the current sweet spot for consumers on size versus price today.

Settled on Panasonic as they are the major manufacturer that is continuing to invest heavily in Plasma technology (of course, alongside their growing range of LCD and LED TVs).

And, their Plasma technology is second-to-none, whilst other manufactures are moving out of the Plasma market and pushing more into the "cheaper" quicker ROI mass-market LCD arena.

This then moves one onto price - Plasma technology (with 3-chamber RGB pixels which are on or off) is more expensive than LCD technology (a full backlight always on + LCD pixels with RGB filters) whilst the newer LED technology (individual LED backlight pixels with colour filters) is pricier than LCD and can be easily at Plasma prices or more at this time. Today's TV mass-market is some 80% LCD/LED, 10% Plasma and 10% CRT because of manufacturing costs, pricing scales, revenue returns and marketing.

Since this was going to be our first Plasma TV we wanted a bigger TV than our 26" that would deliver quality at a budget price. We found this 42" TX-P42S30B Plasma TV, a consumer under-rated but well-received by reviewers, little gem at a fantastic price. On the web one can buy it today for around £428 (as we write). At Christmas 2011 it was selling for £399. It comes with quite a decent set of features for the price being paid for (but obviously less than its related upper models); however, the 2011 S30B model does come equipped with equally new technologies as its pricier models and its quality can be indistinguishable to its step-up G30B model when in use.

An extended guarantee is another point to consider. One well-known high street name retailer was (could still be) selling the TX-P42S30B at £499 with a free 5-year guarantee - not bad at all, but were all out of stock at the time. Buying a guarantee separately can easily cost an extra £100 to £200 - very pricey when considering buying a budget TV. We also read that with today's advancements in technology with noteworthy manufactures an extended guarantee are not really needed. However, this is where you ultimately take your chances and take pot luck that all the components work well for years to come. We decided not to get an extended guarantee and take our chances with the components. We also read some poor reviews about the extended guarantees associated with this TV on this site.

SPECIFICATION:
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There are many web reviews on this model's specification, how to set it up and how to fine tune settings. I'll not repeat them here as, if one is seriously considering buying a flat Plasma TV, one will no doubt do one's research into which type of technology, and hence advantages and disadvantages of owning one over the other, is the better for your specific needs based on what one's personal criteria and budget are going to be.

What we'll say though is:
(*) the TV has a built-in Freeview HD Tuner (the analogue channels are switched off in our region),
(*) it does NOT have 3D (we're not interested in this to-settle-down technology yet),
(*) it's a "Smart" TV and can connect - wired Ethernet or USB Wi-Fi - to Panasonic's cloud-based internet service (which is being eagerly expanded to catch up to its rivals' standards) but it's NOT an internet enabled web browser based TV (like "Google" TV + their pricey),
(*) it's Full HD @1080 (60p, 50p, 24p, 60i, 50i), HD @720 down to SD @480 (60p, 60i) with 600Hz motion technology frame rate and 0.001ms response time
(*) 3 HDMI connectors (not the 4 on the more expensive models),
(*) 1 AV in/out SCART connector (that also takes RGB in),
(*) 1 SDXC card slot for playback of photos, video and music
(*) 2 USB for attaching external HDD drives and Wi-Fi dongle (but it's not a DLNA-enabled home network TV),
(*) plus various other connection types for other devices,
(*) support for jpeg images and various video formats, and
(*) decent 2 x 10W speakers

OTHER:
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Avoid the calibration specialist reviews on the web as they can go into the minutiae of colour channels, gamuts, luminance and delta errors - well beyond the needs of general consumers like ourselves wishing to buy a TV at a budget price - reserve these reviews for the more expensive models (£700+) as one cannot fine-tune calibrate the TX-P42S30B out-of-the-box that easily from the consumer perspective.

The S30B competes directly with other LCD and LED TVs of its size at this bargain basement price level and picture quality/motion clarity is just superb over its rival technologies that just don't produce the same levels even with their fix-it shutter/flicker-free technologies today.

Its contrast is superb (2,000,000 : 1) and blacks are blacks and shadow details are great - not the fuzzy leaking greys for blacks of the other technologies. Keep the contrast around the mid-way setting for the first 100 hours or so to allow the phosphor to settle in (but experiment with the settings to get a nice feel for the first few weeks).

Colour is more natural than those dynamic vibrant punchy images you get on LCDs/LEDs.

Brightness can be muted in brightly-lit environments (that's why in retail shops LCD/LEDs look super stunning next to the more muted Plasmas); however, one can easily control the amount of ambient light in one's own home and this is where Plasma's clarity comes home to roost. In very bright well-lit rooms LCD/LEDs, perhaps, may be more suited but the more expensive Plasma TVs have better anti-reflective filters on the screen.

One can view Plasmas like one can view CRTs from all angles unlike LCDs/LEDs which are fussy.

Fast moving scenes are really captured faithfully with no blurring or ghosting.

Films in HD are just stunning too and even more so with the lights dimmed and the picture mode set to "True Cinema".

The basic mono-filter on the glass does its anti-reflective job really well for us in our lounge. When the TV is off and from the right angle one can see reflections but they are not highly reflective like on CRT TVs but a muted haze reflection which we are not aware of.

Plasmas have strong glass covers like CRT TVs as opposed to LCDs/LEDS which when you press look and feel feeble like a laptop display and pressure distortion can been seen. So, Plasmas are heavier than LCD/LEDS because of the glass.

The S30B is solid and sturdy and can probably take a bit more knocking from toddlers than LCDs/LEDs (just subjective though and so wouldn't recommend it).

Our CRT TV is rated 77W whilst this Plasma is rated top 255W, average consumption 121W with an average annual usage of 177KWh (£14-£18). This plasma power usage can be more or less on par with other LCD TVs of its size but LEDs are far more power efficient (50% LCD) and cheaper to run.

The pixels (2 million) on the Plasma panel can be vaguely viewed as tiny fluorescent bulbs and so generate heat - this is where your bill goes; however, watch a darkish Sci-fi film and the screen is cool but watch a film that is constantly bright and one can feel the warmth.

A nice feature is if one is listening to radio channels one can switch off the display - so refreshing than having it on constantly.

The stand does not swivel but is well-built and sturdy - 4 screws and the TV is fixed to the base.

The black glossy edging can be viewed as classic style and not your ultra-thin stylish edge TV; if you're looking for overall aesthetics then look at the newer models.

Although the TV panel is 42" (bottom left to top right) the overall full length on the diagonal is 47". The edging around the panel is around 1.75". The depth of the TV is quoted at 9cm (3.5") at it deepest - the edges start at 1.25" and slowly taper out to the back panel at its deepest. Look for the model on Google images to check out the back and width. The majority of the connection points are in the bottom right quadrant of the TV when looking at it from the back. From the front there are side connection points on the left vertical side edge and the on/off switch is at the botton left.

The TV informs you if new channels are found so one can re-tune should one wish to.

Out of the box it took 15-30 minutes to read the user guide, build it, switch on and auto tune terrestrial Freeview. A bit more time was then needed to get the other devices connected and TV configured a bit more.

We've read that the TV is also fantastic with gaming and one can attach all the current gaming machines, cameras, camcorders, etc. (but we haven't yet started using it with thede devices).

We cannot comment on wall mounting the TV - have a look at others' comments where they have done this.

The TV has been in place just less than a week and it's performing superbly.

It's early days yet. There are other aspects of the TV not used or set up yet like, use of SD card for photos, videos and music, USB for storage devices, Viera Connect to the cloud-based internet service and some others.

A quick note about Panasonic model names as they can be very confusing when comparing among the models and even more so when looking to other brands. TX-P42S30B can be roughly broken down to:

TX - generic UK
P - Plasma
42 - 42"
S30B - function and year indicator - if you see 20s then they are 2010 models (I think), 30s are 3rd generation 2011 models.

So, the G30B is the next model up (with more features) and the ST30B has 3D (I think). Check out the Panasonic UK website and compare models.

We believe that there's plenty here in our review for you to chew the cud and help you make your own balanced and informed choice on which technology to go for.

Remember, do write yourself a list of what you really want from your new TV (do you really need all those bells and whistles?) and how much are you prepared to pay, and the rest will (or should) all fall into place thereafter.

Happy hunting.

I recently bought this item to replace my 6yr old 32" Panasonic LCD telly.

I did alot of research before buying this TV and was a bit sceptical about how dark a plasma screen was. When the TV arrived setting up was easy for the two of us and the on screen settings are a breeze to go through.

The clarity of the pictures is fantastic on HD, SD wasn't too bad either, had a small problem with the sound but found it was hell better on the music setting with a little tweeking. I found a review that stated you can use the NETGEAR RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N USB Adapter WNDA3100v2 - Network adapter - Hi-Speed USB - 802.11b, 802.11a, 802.11g, 802.11n to connect to the internet and use the Viera Connect feature.

Viera Connect isn't that bad, it is a little slow to move about between the icons plus the forward and back screens. The clarity of some of the videos from Youtube and the BBC iPlayer is brilliant. I am really please with this telly and the service from Amazon as I used the super saver delivery and got it in two days.

OK, so it must be said that i am not a tech head but i susepct that will become obvious. I spent AGES looking at different tvs and trying to remember all the new technical features that would give me the TV of my dreams. To be honest at that stage it was quite a nightmare but I managed to whittle it down to this model and a Samsung 32 inch LED. It may seem like a disparate choice but with good reason. They both managed to tick all of my requirements but I was I was undecided about plasma vs LED and whether to go for a 32 or 42 inch screen. As I am a big movie lover and have a reasonable sized living room I plumped for this plasma (even though I was getting more recommendations for the Samsung LED).

Anyway, it arrived very quickly (next day only cost about £8 and I live way out in the sticks) and was easy to put together and very easy to set up. I only did a couple of steps before it took over and finished off the majority of the job but I've yet to sort the Viera feature as i need a longer internet cable (my oversight). Then, settled back to watch Blade Runner and spoilt the whole film by providing a running commentary on the quality of the on screen picture. I mean, it is mind blowingly good. As a quick test i jumped to a football match (groan) and there was none of that pixellating nonsense. Normal TV looked great as well though it was disturbing to see Kerry Katona's head that big in my living space (I don't want to seem rude, but I quickly moved on).

In short, this is a fantastic TV and an incredible price. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to anyone and am hoping for a very rainy bank holiday weekend to really get stuck into some great films. Even the size is not as over powering as i thought it might be (and my 12 year old nephew will be delighted that I went with his biggest is best recommendation).

This TV replaced my 32" Sony Trinitron CRT screen - an awesome TV with a great picture. When I went shopping for a new TV I went into the local specialist AV shop and they guys were brutally honest. For non HDTV programs NOTHING will be as good as the Trinitron. The single biggest reason to upgrade to a flatscreen is to play Blu Ray HDTV content or watch downloaded HDTV or broadcast HDTV. Furthermore if I wanted accurate colours and fluid movement similar to my Trinitron then Plasma is the way to go. LCD Tv's look great when they are switched off but at this price point they cannot compete with the picture quality of plasma.

So once I decided to buy a plasma I researched the brands. Check on the web, everyone says the same thing - go buy a Panasonic plasma - they are the best for the money. So I bought this one. I considered the Panasonic TX-P42U30B 42-inch Widescreen Full HD 1080p 600Hz Plasma TV with Freeview HD at £50 less but I considered this one to be a better buy because it has

a) A non reflective screen - very important with plasma apparently as the screen is glass
b) Ability to play DIVX and other downloaded tv content from SD card/USB

Setting it up was a doddle. 4 screws for the sturdy metal base and plug in and go. It has 2 HDMI sockets, a scart socket and lots of USB and an SD card port. Plenty of connections for my Cable box, blu ray player and media drive. The manual is large and easy to read and the remote control also large and tactile - a quality item.

Picture quality on normal TV is excellent and from Blu Ray nothing less than stunning. Playback from my media drive by USB is also great but better from the SD card.

I mounted it on this stand: Ovid TV Stand for LCD / Plasma's in Black and it looks amazing. Modern and clean and simple.

Is the picture quality better than my old Trinitron? For HD yes by a mile, for normal TV it is nearly as good but considering the size increase and that it has been upscaled to fit it is very very good.

Very highly recommended and Amazon delivered next day.

Fantastic display for which movie lovers and gamers will be blown away. Plasma has always been the best display type to date and even with LED technology coming to the foreground Plasma still remains the first choice for anyone looking for a home cinema TV. The built-in speakers are brilliant and well deserving and befitting of the quality images onscreen, added together you are getting a Awesome TV which is digital and has a built in freeview tuner. One thing that Panasonic does better than most companies is its software and user menus... all i can say is the software is easy, clear and fast to use and the TV basically automatically sets itself up when you first turn it on (it finds EVERY station available in your area) but you can add channels manually if you want to connect a sky box later. Other devices can be connected via the Scart sockets or HDMI ports of which there are 3. If you do connect a games console via HDMI then it is operated via specific HDMI channels through the AV button and will fully integrated to your TV....e.g. you can set it up so if you choose HDMI 1 using your remote and your games console is connected via that port the games console will automatically power up when you choose that station! Speaking of the remote, this is another area that Panasonic do well at. The remote is logically laid out, well made and comes with Panasonic Batteries which last ages. The TV itself is 600Hz and features a FULL 1080p High-Def display Meaning short of having 3d built in this TV is as good as it gets. (by the way on a side note i would avoid buying 3D TV's for now as the technology isn't quite there yet). As a Gamer who owns both and PS3 and Xbox360 the quality of the image onscreen if very very important so i wanted a display that did not disappoint, i have to say that the display is amazing and when using a HDMI cable it enable me to view the games the way they were meant to be viewed!

PROS: Fantastic Display, Black colours are black on screen not gray like some TV's, 1080p, 600Hz, Audio is really good, HDMI, Build Quality, Digital, Freeview

CONS: Gives off a lot of heat from the back and top of the TV, Screen burn can happen if an image is left on screen for a long time (screensaver does activate after a period but don't rely on this to protect the screen), weighs a lot and costs more than other TV's to operate day to day but you have to pay for quality i guess!

VERDICT: I could not be happier with this TV, it's everything you could wish for in a TV of this size, On a day to day basis the only thing that does grab you is the heat that it gives off but i guess that could be an added bonus in winter, in my room we literally turn the radiator off when the TV has been on for long periods. Without a doubt a 5***** product!!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!

I had bought a 40" Samsung led and had to send it back after 3 days of fiddling with the settings as i thought the picture and sound were pretty poor. I received this tv yesterday and as soon as i switched it on i was relieved.
Excellent picture, excellent sound(for this size of tv)and a easy to use menu to get everything just right.Films and games viewed through my Ps3 are simply stunning with a natural quality to the picture,not at all like the harsh colours displayed by the Samsung.
Do not hesitate to buy this tv,plasma is king.

Wow, what a tv. For the price this has to be head and shoulders above the competition. Fantastic hd picture, easy to set up, iplayer and stuff works perfectly with a wired network connection (needs special panasonic thingsy if you want wireless, but i didnt). Set up is dead easy and intuitive

i read pervious reviews on this product before i bought it all reviews were excelent,this made me go for it my pevious 42" was hitachi HD and the freeview tuner built in was on its last legs so i had to up grade. and the P42S30B panasonic fitted the bill.
The P42S30B is excelent picture quality 5* ease of use 5* menue 5* my wife even said ( i like this picture ) the HD is very good as when connected to a blue ray / normal dvd player which up scales the quality has to be seen
use of remote is wife proof i do not mean to be sexist but mrs loves it,it took a bit of time to work out pre record on menu that was because i was looking for some thing more difficuilt to set up this was realy easy in all functions for me ,do your self a favour and buy it, it also has a connection for 2 usb connections but you can only use 1 at a time, also internet connection.
Finally i ordreded this before xmas 16 dec from amazon and it arrived on 18th merry xmas amazon . could not fault
Finally to summrrise i have looked over numerious TVs and i cannot find better than this one go for it.

We are really thrilled with the television, really easy to set up and looks great! Like most people, we spent a lot of time in television shops, researching on the net before deciding on this television. The whole plasma/LED debate confused us for a while but as we watch a lot of sport and films we felt that a plasma would suit us better. Really pleased with the quality of picture, and it's great for watching sport on. Like many comments on here, I agree that the sound quality is not as good as I expected it to be but I think that that is common amongst most flat screen TV's. We'll just connect it up to our sound system to get surround sound.
Would really recommend Amazon, great price and the delivery was a lot quicker than we expected. Have not used internet features so can't comment on that but have connected the TV up to our computer so we watch programs on the net that way. Would recommend, great value and no complaints from the children either!

Before buying this TV, I was undecided. I'd looked at lots of reviews on the net and eventually decided to visit some local stores (Comet, Currys, specialist retailers) to get their opinions. When I explained what was important to me (watching sport, picture quality, build quality, etc) they all without fail said "Panasonic plasma TV". What can I say, they were right - this TV is (excuse American slang) AWESOME!