Panasonic TH-42PZ77U

The Panasonic TH-42PZ77U 1080p 42" plasma TV ($1799.95) was announced on September 6th, 2007 along with the 50" version, TH-50PZ77U ($2799.95), expanding their lineup of Full HD plasmas to 8. These models were released relatively soon after the release of their predecessors, the TH-42PZ700U and TH-50PZ700U. The most notable differences are an increase in contrast ratio to 10,000:1 because of an effective anti-glare coating on the screen and a price drop of $200.

Panasonic TH-42PZ77U
MSRP $1,800.00
Release date September, 2007
Brand Panasonic
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Pros & Cons

ProSCORE
8 reviews
62
negative
mixed
positive
5 positive
1 mixed
2 negative

[i] How is the ProSCORE calculated?

show me!

Pros:
Do you agree?
•
Excellent anti-glare coating on screen
+7agreedisagree

•
High 10,000:1 contrast ratio
+4agreedisagree

•
$200 cheaper than previous model
+4agreedisagree

Cons:
Do you agree?
•
No PC input
+5agreedisagree

•
Only 2 HDMI inputs compared to 3 on the PZ700U
+4agreedisagree


8 people added to this review by submitting or voting on pros and cons. Add your say!
See individual votes »

Details

Features

  • 42" 1080p plasma; 1920 x 1080 resolution
  • 10,000:1 contrast ratio (up from 5000:1 in TH-42PZ700U)
  • 2 x HDMI, 2 x component, 3 x S-Video (1 on the sie)
  • Anti-glare screen for removing glare from in-room light sources
  • EZ-Sync HDAVI control of all home theater devices over HDMI interface
  • SD memory card slot
  • weight: 92.6 lbs
  • $1799.95 ($200 cheaper than TH-42PZ700U)

The TH-42PZ77U features what Panasonic calls "EZ-Sync" HDAVI control allowing you to control other home theater components from single remote by leveraging the new HDMI standard with control signals sent over the HDMI cable.

The TH-42PZ77U is now available in stores begining mid-September and retails for $1799.95. There is a cheaper model, the Panasonic TH-42PX77U ($1499.95), that features similar specifications and features except, that although it support 1080p, its native resolution is only 1024 x 768.

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This report was started September 25, 2007 at 1:19 pm by Erik
with the last edit occurring April 6, 2008 at 4:00 pm by Steve R Langlois
This page has been viewed 9560 times, with 55 edits by 11 contributors.
See the full report history »

Competitors

Panasonic TH-42PZ77U is ranked 3rd among it's competitors.  See the top picks in Televisions »
Sony KDL-40W3000

Sony KDL-40W3000

MSRP  $2,499.00    Released  July, 2007
Pros
  • 24p
Cons
  • Green glow on dark(black) objects on screen.
ProSCORE
1 review
50
Vote! (1 vote)
vote Panasonic TH-42PZ77U 0% vs. vote Sony KDL-40W3000 100%
Toshiba REGZA 42HL167

Toshiba REGZA 42HL167

MSRP  $1,800.00    Released  March, 2007
Pros
  • Decent price (few hundred $ cheaper than Sony)
  • Wide color gamut (90+%)
  • Easy to use interface/menus
  • Stable sound keeps commercials from blaring
Cons
  • No DVI input
  • Only one Antenna jack. So you can't hook up an antenna and cable at the same time.
ProSCORE
7 reviews
72
Vote! (0 votes)
vote Panasonic TH-42PZ77U   vs. vote Toshiba REGZA 42HL167  

Suggest a new competitor to add to the list of competing products.
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Comments

5 taps
1.  avatar Erik said:

It's tough to wrap your mind around all of the Panasonic plasma offerings because of their ridiculous numbering conventions. TH-42PX77U looks a lot like the TH-42PZ77U looks a lot like the TH-42PZ700U. Gizmodo has an interesting post about confusing product spam.
Sep 25, 2007 2:50pm
2.  avatar jmoffatt said:

Manual is not fully populated with auxillary product codes. I was unable to program the remote to operate my Pioneer receiver (that operates my Bose surround system). No code available.
Oct 07, 2007 7:44pm
3.  avatar meNNis said:

The internet may be able to help you out there... there are code sites that can usually help you, if you search well enough.... www.google.com would be my recommendation
Oct 08, 2007 1:45pm
4.  avatar Omar said:

No need to be snide now :P www.avsforum.com is also another great site to find detailed information, or you could just ask it here!
Oct 08, 2007 5:49pm
5.  avatar jmoffatt said:

I found what I needed at www.hifi-remote.com.
Thanks
Oct 18, 2007 5:15pm
6.  avatar jmoffatt said:

By the way, I love my TV. The picture is great. Very clear and sharp. Once you get used to the menu it is easy to use. Not perfect, but certainly do-able.
Oct 27, 2007 11:08am
7.  avatar Omar said:

That's great to hear. And might I say that I'm supremely jealous
Oct 27, 2007 11:24am
8.  avatar sublimeswinger said:

I got a Great deal on this TV at Best Buy. I had to wait a week for Direct TV to come set up my new HD receiver, but once they did, OH MY! Football on this TV looks better then being there! Sports Look Awsome! The HD channels are intense! The picture is so clear it looks like your there! I'm a big Sony guy,(thats an Understatement) and was going to get the 46" LCD. It took alot of selling on there part for me not to get a Sony, But im glad i went with this unit! Not only did i save $800, but it looks beter then my friends Sony. He came over and was amazed. I have been looking at HD TV's for over a year and for the cost, This is by far the best deal i have found. I am not dissapointed in my purchase!
Nov 26, 2007 5:57pm
9.  avatar neilson23 said:

Just got my new panny! Got an unbelievable deat at Sears. Only problem was that I had to wait 2.5 weeks for the product to actually be available for pick up. So glad that it is finally here though. This is my first HD tv. Does anybody have any good tips on caliberating this set? Have you found any specific caliberating settings that work best to your liking? Any guideance would be greatly appreciated.
Dec 05, 2007 8:00pm
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Reviews

Sort by: Most helpful  •  Newest  •  Most positive

Erik

avatar
October 26, 2007
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
60
negative
mixed
positive
3 pros
2 cons

Pros

  • Excellent anti-glare coating on screen
  • High 10,000:1 contrast ratio
  • $200 cheaper than previous model

Cons

  • No PC input
  • Only 2 HDMI inputs compared to 3 on the PZ700U

Comments

"It's tough to wrap your mind around all of the Panasonic plasma offerings because of their ridiculous numbering conventions. TH-42PX77U looks a lot like the TH-42PZ77U looks a lot like the TH-42PZ700U. Gizmodo has an interesting post about confusing product spam."
Did you find this review helpful? Yes  /  No

fultod

avatar
January 2, 2008
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
50
negative
mixed
positive
2 pros
2 cons
have ithave it
love itlove it

Pros

  • Excellent anti-glare coating on screen
  • High 10,000:1 contrast ratio

Cons

  • No PC input
  • Only 2 HDMI inputs compared to 3 on the PZ700U

Did you find this review helpful? Yes  /  No

mkrumm99

avatar
October 26, 2007
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
75
negative
mixed
positive
3 pros
1 con
love itlove it
have ithave it

Pros

  • Excellent anti-glare coating on screen
  • High 10,000:1 contrast ratio
  • $200 cheaper than previous model

Cons

  • Only 2 HDMI inputs compared to 3 on the PZ700U

Did you find this review helpful? Yes  /  No

jmoffatt

avatar
October 7, 2007
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
75
negative
mixed
positive
3 pros
1 con
have ithave it
love itlove it

Pros

  • Excellent anti-glare coating on screen
  • High 10,000:1 contrast ratio
  • $200 cheaper than previous model

Cons

  • No PC input

Comments

"Manual is not fully populated with auxillary product codes. I was unable to program the remote to operate my Pioneer receiver (that operates my Bose surround system). No code available."
"I found what I needed at www.hifi-remote.com.
Thanks"
"By the way, I love my TV. The picture is great. Very clear and sharp. Once you get used to the menu it is easy to use. Not perfect, but certainly do-able."
Did you find this review helpful? Yes  /  No

DeadDuck

avatar
February 11, 2008
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
33
negative
mixed
positive
1 pro
2 cons
have ithave it
love itlove it

Pros

  • Excellent anti-glare coating on screen

Cons

  • No PC input
  • Only 2 HDMI inputs compared to 3 on the PZ700U

Did you find this review helpful? Yes  /  No

jacho

avatar
October 12, 2007
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
67
negative
mixed
positive
2 pros
1 con

Pros

  • Excellent anti-glare coating on screen
  • $200 cheaper than previous model

Cons

  • No PC input

Did you find this review helpful? Yes  /  No

sublimeswinger

avatar
November 26, 2007
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
100
negative
mixed
positive
2 pros
0 cons

Pros

  • Excellent anti-glare coating on screen
  • High 10,000:1 contrast ratio

Cons

Did not agree with any cons

Comments

"I got a Great deal on this TV at Best Buy. I had to wait a week for Direct TV to come set up my new HD receiver, but once they did, OH MY! Football on this TV looks better then being there! Sports Look Awsome! The HD channels are intense! The picture is so clear it looks like your there! I'm a big Sony guy,(thats an Understatement) and was going to get the 46" LCD. It took alot of selling on there part for me not to get a Sony, But im glad i went with this unit! Not only did i save $800, but it looks beter then my friends Sony. He came over and was amazed. I have been looking at HD TV's for over a year and for the cost, This is by far the best deal i have found. I am not dissapointed in my purchase!"
Did you find this review helpful? Yes  /  No

Steve R Langlois

avatar
April 6, 2008
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
0
negative
mixed
positive
0 pros
1 con

Pros

Did not agree with any pros

Cons

  • No PC input

Did you find this review helpful? Yes  /  No

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This product is also known as:

TH, 42, PZ, 77, U, TH42, 42PZ, PZ77, 77U, TH42PZ, 42PZ77, PZ77U, TH42PZ77, 42PZ77U, TH42PZ77U