Most Popular Products
Top-Rated Products
Customer Reviews for Panasonic 42" Class / Plasma / 1080p / 600Hz /HDTV
This product is no longer available. Continue shopping at Best Buy.
Panasonic 42" Class / Plasma / 1080p / 600Hz /HDTV
Model: TC-P42S30
SKU: 2120195
UPC: 885170043572
This plasma HDTV is Internet Connectable for access to Instant Content like CinemaNow, Netflix, Facebook and more and supports stunning images up to 1080p and features 3 HDMI inputs for flexible connectivity. Smart TV Get a world of instant entertainment on this smart TV. Connect to the Internet and stream movies, listen to music and access a wide variety of other content on your HDTV. Learn more about smart products. CinemaNow Netflix Pandora Facebook Learn more about Panasonic VIERA Connect.
Average Customer Rating:
4.5
out of 5
(100 Reviews) 100
Rating Snapshot 100 reviews
5 stars
70
4 stars
19
3 stars
4
2 stars
4
1 star
3
89% of reviewers would recommend this product to a friend
(
89 out of
100)
Customer Reviews for Panasonic 42" Class / Plasma / 1080p / 600Hz /HDTV
Review 1 for Panasonic 42" Class / Plasma / 1080p / 600Hz /HDTV
Picture Quality
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0
Features
5.0
What's great about it: Beautiful, high-resolution display, overall nice appearnce, quality construction
What's not so great: Nothing - for this price, it has everything I could want
This is a beautiful TV. For $700 on sale, it cannot be beat. This is the least expensive name-brand 1080p plasma available at the time of purchase (April, 2011). And my research shows the display quality of a good plasma set is as good or better than the more expensive LED-backlit LCD sets, while just being a tad heavier and consuming a little more energy. As for being heavy, I don't plan to carry this around with me once I set it up. As for energy consumption, it is Energy Star qualified, so it can't be that bad. It is almost as thin as the LED models I was considering, too.
Picture quality is excellent. Whoever wrote that the TV is too dark probably did not know how to change the settings. Note that there are at least three (3) different pre-defined display settings, including Cinema and Vivid, or you can create a custom display setting. The standard setting out of the box is a little dark, but it is only THAT setting. I am currently trying out Vivid, and it is just that - vivid.
Sound quality is also surprisingly good. My last TV was a thicker DLP model, which had more room for larger speakers. I was worried that the sound might be too tinny, since my girlfriend's inexpensive 32" LCD TV sounded very tinny and dialog was hard to hear. However, THIS Panasonic has a very full, nice sound, which is actually pretty impressive considering how thin it is. I have no problem hearing all sound, including dialog/speech, even at about half volume. An external speaker system could be purchased if you want theater-style sound, but I have no desire or need for that.
The overall appearance of the TV is tasteful and appealing - having a nice glossy, dark bezel without being too shiny. It blends really nicely with my glossy black entertainment rack. The construction appears to be very solid, as well. I don't know how other sets are, but the stand for this set has a thick, cast-aluminum body that solidly joins the upper TV panel to the horizontal base using a total of 8 screws. It's very stable and does not budge.
This set is Internet compatible. I am not sure if that is a feature I will use, but it is nice to know it has it. Not all sets have this feature, especially under $1000.
Best Uses: Sports, Casual User (mostly watch TV shows), Movies
I would recommend this to a friend!
Internet Connectable?Yes
Connected to the Internet:No
Internet content most enjoyed: I haven't used Internet yet
+124points
162out of 200found this review helpful.
Share this review:
Review 2 for Panasonic 42" Class / Plasma / 1080p / 600Hz /HDTV
great tv for movies, mixed media
Customer Rating
5.0
What's great about it: good price for great features and functionality
What's not so great: none
This is a great tv for that rich film experience thanks to the plasma. I also use it to connect to the internet and as a second monitor to stream web from my macbook pro via thunderbolt to hdmi. I really enjoy being able to preview photos with the camera flash card slot as well. There are lots of options and ways to use this, which is great. We no longer subscribe to cable service, only the internet.
This product has... Useful Internet-enabled features, Easy to set up, Great value and features for the price, Right number of connections, Easy to use remote control
About me... Sports enthusiast, Technically savvy viewer, Love to stream movies
I would recommend this to a friend!
Internet Connectable?Yes
Connected to the Internet:Yes
Internet content most enjoyed: netfix, yahoo, used as second monitor
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Share this review:
Review 3 for Panasonic 42" Class / Plasma / 1080p / 600Hz /HDTV
Great TV for the Money
Customer Rating
5.0
Picture Quality
5.0
Sound Quality
4.0
Features
4.0
What's great about it: Great picture after custom adjustments, good sound, easy setup.
What's not so great: Terrible pic presets, No video port . No analog audio out, could use another set of composite jacks
I had a 42" Samsung Plasma which I just loved, but developed a defect, so I used the warranty and got an LG 42LV4400 LED. Took it home and hated it immediately. Terrible picture and sound. After doing some research, I realized I was a plasma fan and returned it for the Viera TC-P42S30. It has a great picture which is maintained at the sharp angles of our couch to the TV, fast motion or games is not a problem as in some LCD, and the sound is much better then the thin LCD flat screens which do not have room for decent speakers. This TV has an anti-glare coating with helps some, but we have the TV facing away from the windows and our lamps positioned such that glare is not a problem. The biggest downside were the picture pre-sets which were terrible, unlike the Samsung which I used right out of the box. It took me quite a bit of adjusting and experimenting, but I did get a picture I'm a happy with. I did a search and found some recommended settings which worked pretty well. Here they are if this helps anyone else:
Picture Mode: Custom
Contrast: 69
Brightness: 59
Color: 47
Tint: 0
Sharpness: 12
Color Temp: Warm2
Everything else: defaults
Contrast: 69
Brightness: 59
Color: 47
Tint: 0
Sharpness: 12
Color Temp: Warm2
Everything else: defaults
This product has... Easy to set up, Great value and features for the price, Easy to use remote control
About me... Casual viewer
I would recommend this to a friend!
Internet Connectable?Yes
Connected to the Internet:No
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Share this review:
Review 4 for Panasonic 42" Class / Plasma / 1080p / 600Hz /HDTV
great tv. color and picture is amazing.
Customer Rating
5.0
Picture Quality
5.0
Sound Quality
4.0
Features
5.0
What's great about it: the picture quality and color
the picture quality is excellent. We use it for gaming and there is no lag time in the picture. the response is great. once I figured out how to adjust the speakers the sound is pretty go as well. would recommend to anyone
This product has... Useful Internet-enabled features, Easy to set up, Great value and features for the price, Right number of connections, Easy to use remote control
About me... Casual viewer, Gamer
I would recommend this to a friend!
Internet Connectable?Yes
Connected to the Internet:No
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Share this review:
Review 5 for Panasonic 42" Class / Plasma / 1080p / 600Hz /HDTV
Simply Can't Beat Plasma Picture Quality
Customer Rating
5.0
Picture Quality
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0
Features
5.0
Deepest blacks, 1080p resolution, 600hz refresh rates, and competitive pricing. Plasma's are the sweet spot, and Panasonic is the leader in the segment. I have a 58" and a 42". Will not use an LCD or LED at 120hz or 240hz on movies, the soap opera effect is ridiculous. Plasma won't dissapoint. Don't worry about those who state that burn in is an issue. It isn't.
This product has... Useful Internet-enabled features, Easy to set up, Great value and features for the price, Right number of connections, Easy to use remote control
About me... Technically savvy viewer
I would recommend this to a friend!
Internet Connectable?Yes
Internet content most enjoyed: Netflix
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Share this review:
Review 6 for Panasonic 42" Class / Plasma / 1080p / 600Hz /HDTV
Great TV, great sound, great picture
Customer Rating
5.0
What's great about it: Picture
What's not so great: no cons
I love this TV. Picture quality is great and the sound is much better than my 40" Sony TV. I love, love, love this TV.
This product has... Great value and features for the price, Right number of connections, Easy to use remote control
About me... Casual viewer, retired
I would recommend this to a friend!
Internet Connectable?No
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Share this review:
Review 7 for Panasonic 42" Class / Plasma / 1080p / 600Hz /HDTV
Wonderful T.V. for gaming, shows, and movies!
Customer Rating
5.0
Picture Quality
5.0
Sound Quality
4.0
Features
5.0
What's great about it: Great quality, lots of picture options
What's not so great: pours heat out like nobody's business
I got this product as an open item. I brought it home thinking it was the same size as my old t.v. but it turns out it was bigger! Bigger is better in this case. It is wonderful! I love to game on it and the multiple HDMI ports are great!
This product has... Useful Internet-enabled features, Easy to set up, Great value and features for the price, Right number of connections, Easy to use remote control
About me... Technically savvy viewer, Gamer, Love to stream movies
I would recommend this to a friend!
Other Best Buy Products I Recommend
Sony - PlayStation 3 (160GB)
(183)
Roku - 2 XS Wireless Digital Media Player
(517)
Nintendo - Nintendo Wii Console (Black) with New Super Mario Bros. Wii Game and Music CD
(129)Internet Connectable?Yes
Internet content most enjoyed: Amazon Prime Instant Streaming
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Share this review:
Review 8 for Panasonic 42" Class / Plasma / 1080p / 600Hz /HDTV
Sorry I purchased it
Customer Rating
3.0
Posted by: 48Billy
from New York
on 02/15/2012
Picture Quality
2.0
Sound Quality
3.0
Features
3.0
What's great about it: price
What's not so great: picture
The picture cannot compare to my previous Samsung Plasma TV. The Samsung was 6yrs old and had a great picture. Sharp, clear, distinct quality. This tv does not rotate even though the salesperson said it did. The remote is a little more complicated then the Samsung. I must admit, I did purchase a new Samsung prior to this Panasonic and it's picture was terrible. I took it back and purchased the Panasonic. Maybe I should have looked into LCD or LED.
This product has... Easy to set up, poor picture quality
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Internet Connectable?Yes
Connected to the Internet:No
-3points
0out of 3found this review helpful.
Share this review:
Review 9 for Panasonic 42" Class / Plasma / 1080p / 600Hz /HDTV
An excellent purchase.
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: payitforward
from Ohio
on 02/12/2012
Picture Quality
5.0
Sound Quality
4.0
Features
5.0
What's great about it: Fair price for reliable product that delivers excellent quality.
What's not so great: No issues.
This TV has performed well for us for over a year now. The picture quality is excellent and the sound quality is fine. It was our first flat-screen TV and the 42" screen was a sight to behold. We continue to enjoy this purchase and the quality of the product is everything we hoped it would be.
This product has... Easy to set up, Great value and features for the price, Right number of connections, Easy to use remote control
About me... Casual viewer
I would recommend this to a friend!
Internet Connectable?Yes
Connected to the Internet:Yes
Internet content most enjoyed: No content downloads at this time.
+4points
4out of 4found this review helpful.
Share this review:
Review 10 for Panasonic 42" Class / Plasma / 1080p / 600Hz /HDTV
Great tv for the money
Customer Rating
5.0
Picture Quality
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0
Features
5.0
What's great about it: easy setup
Purchased this tv to replace 42 inch plasa we had before.the picture is much cleaner and brighter then the last one we had many more options. also bought a sound bar to go with it very happy with both purchases.
This product has... Easy to set up, Great value and features for the price, Right number of connections, Easy to use remote control
About me... Sports enthusiast, Casual viewer
I would recommend this to a friend!
Internet Connectable?Yes
Connected to the Internet:No
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Share this review:
Review 11 for Panasonic 42" Class / Plasma / 1080p / 600Hz /HDTV
The best I have ever seen and owned!!!
Customer Rating
5.0
Picture Quality
5.0
Sound Quality
4.0
Features
5.0
What's great about it: The 600 hz framerate, beautiful colors!
What's not so great: The sound. Could use a little more high end.
This tv absolutely ROCKS!! Absolutely no blurring at all, gorgeous colors and the refresh rate is downright killer!! An absolute buy!!! I just exchanged an LG LED tv with trumotion 120hz (which that tv sucked!) for this and it was the best decision i have ever made for a tv. The sound is good but could use a little more treble but that's ok. I can deal with that. And yes, I did adjust the sound to have the treble maxed out. Awesome features like netflix and pandora come on this tv but I don't know if I will ever use that. Maybe when I can afford a subscription. But by far, this tv ranks as the best above all. I'm very pleased with my purchase and will be until it breaks.
This product has... Useful Internet-enabled features, Easy to set up, Great value and features for the price, Right number of connections, Easy to use remote control
About me... Technically savvy viewer, Gamer
I would recommend this to a friend!
Internet Connectable?Yes
Connected to the Internet:No
Internet content most enjoyed: Haven't tried those yet. Just got it today.
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
Share this review:
Review 12 for Panasonic 42" Class / Plasma / 1080p / 600Hz /HDTV
Few options to set up
Customer Rating
3.0
Posted by: TorgHS
from Hot Springs
on 02/10/2012
Sound Quality
1.0
Features
1.0
What's great about it: nothing
What's not so great: set up
If I had to do over I would not purchase this TV. They only give you 2 ways to hook up external sound. Best Buy does not even carry the parts need to 1 of the 2 hookups. Their design makes for poor sound.
This product has... hard to set up
About me... Technically savvy viewer
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Internet Connectable?Yes
Connected to the Internet:Yes
Internet content most enjoyed: Apple TV
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Share this review:
Review 13 for Panasonic 42" Class / Plasma / 1080p / 600Hz /HDTV
Hardly state of the art but c'mon, it's $600!!
Customer Rating
5.0
Picture Quality
4.0
Sound Quality
3.0
Features
3.0
What's great about it: Cheap cheap cheap cheap cheap
What's not so great: Less than state of the art but it's cheap!!!!!
I bought this set for casual viewing in my study, I don't think you can beat it for the money. It was tough to beat at the original over $1000 retail. However, it is dim compared with almost any LCD (the nature of the plasma beast), the screen is slightly reflective (if your room has windows, you may see daylight), the sound is not very good (true of ANY flat screen), and the notion that the picture rivals the best is just poppycock. It does not come close to my Sony XBR 8, but that set (local dimming LED) retailed for about $7000 two years ago (I paid much less, of course). It seems close to my other mid-level Sony LCD of similar size, but as one would expect it is dimmer, washes out less off axis, and has similarly crummy sound. That said, if your budget is under $1000 and you want plasma, go buy one now.
This product has... Useful Internet-enabled features, Easy to set up, Great value and features for the price, Right number of connections, Easy to use remote control, unbeatable bang for buck
About me... Sports enthusiast, Technically savvy viewer, high end enthusiast, bargain hunter
I would recommend this to a friend!
Internet Connectable?Yes
Connected to the Internet:Yes
Internet content most enjoyed: Have not used yet
-2points
1out of 4found this review helpful.
Share this review:
Review 14 for Panasonic 42" Class / Plasma / 1080p / 600Hz /HDTV
Great TV
Customer Rating
5.0
Picture Quality
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0
Features
5.0
This was a gift to my Son and his bride. They love the TV.
This product has... Useful Internet-enabled features, Easy to set up, Great value and features for the price, Right number of connections, Easy to use remote control
I would recommend this to a friend!
Internet Connectable?Don't Know
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Share this review:
Review 15 for Panasonic 42" Class / Plasma / 1080p / 600Hz /HDTV
AWESOME TV!!!
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: usffan
from Tampa, Fl.
on 02/06/2012
Picture Quality
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0
Features
5.0
What's great about it: Everything
What's not so great: Nothing
I bought this TV about a month ago and I love it. I wanted to wait awhile before leaving a review to get a good idea of how I felt about it and 1 month later, everything is great. I did a lot of research and I don't care what anyone says, Plasma is the absolute best given the right conditions and Panasonic is the leader in Plasma if not tied with Samsung. This TV was extremely affordable for what you get and the picture quality is incredible. Even the speakers are good which is rare for a flat TV given its dimensions (the speakers needing to be very thing and mounted on the back usually).
I use this TV for everything from gaming to movies to using it as a computer screen and it works flawlessly on all accounts. Get this TV, you wont regret it.
This product has... Useful Internet-enabled features, Easy to set up, Great value and features for the price, Right number of connections, Easy to use remote control
About me... Sports enthusiast, Technically savvy viewer, Casual viewer, Gamer, Love to stream movies
I would recommend this to a friend!
Internet Connectable?Yes
Connected to the Internet:No
Internet content most enjoyed: Netflix
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
Share this review:
Review 16 for Panasonic 42" Class / Plasma / 1080p / 600Hz /HDTV
Perfect for our needs
Customer Rating
5.0
Picture Quality
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0
Features
4.0
What's great about it: Great picture
We replaced our older LCD with this this model and it has worked out great. The default picture quality is not the best, but after searching some of the other presets we found the right match.
This product has... Easy to set up, Great value and features for the price, Right number of connections
About me... Technically savvy viewer
I would recommend this to a friend!
Internet Connectable?Yes
Connected to the Internet:No
Internet content most enjoyed: Netflix
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Share this review:
Review 17 for Panasonic 42" Class / Plasma / 1080p / 600Hz /HDTV
Great TV, No Problems
Customer Rating
5.0
I am very happy with this TV. I didn't have any sound or buzz noise written by previous reviewers. BestBuy employee tried to up-sell me a sound bar in the store saying the speakers were bad, but I disagree. In store employees couldnt help with connection to internet services, but a call to the Panasonic help line got me just the help I needed. I couldn't be happier with this TV and the free set up help from Panasonic.
This product has... Useful Internet-enabled features, Easy to set up, Great value and features for the price, Right number of connections, Easy to use remote control
I would recommend this to a friend!
Internet Connectable?Yes
Connected to the Internet:Yes
Internet content most enjoyed: Netflix Pandora
+2points
2out of 2found this review helpful.
Share this review:
Review 18 for Panasonic 42" Class / Plasma / 1080p / 600Hz /HDTV
Fantastic - LED Killer!
Customer Rating
5.0
Picture Quality
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0
Features
5.0
What's great about it: Picture quality!
What's not so great: Not a DARN thing!
Don't buy a LCD or LED-LCD without checking out this TV. I did a lot of (nearly) side-by-side comparisons and this picture KILLED LED every time. ESPECIALLY if you like movies. Moives on LED are HORRIBLE! Get a plasma, get this plasma. Fantastic picture.
This product has... Useful Internet-enabled features, Easy to set up, Great value and features for the price, Right number of connections, Easy to use remote control
About me... Sports enthusiast, Technically savvy viewer, blue-ray and dvd fanatic
I would recommend this to a friend!
Internet Connectable?Yes
Connected to the Internet:No
Internet content most enjoyed: n/a
+3points
3out of 3found this review helpful.
Share this review:
Review 19 for Panasonic 42" Class / Plasma / 1080p / 600Hz /HDTV
great
Customer Rating
5.0
Picture Quality
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0
Features
5.0
What's great about it: good pic
great good color very clear easy to set up fits in area perfectly
This product has... Easy to set up, Great value and features for the price, Right number of connections, Easy to use remote control
About me... Casual viewer
I would recommend this to a friend!
Internet Connectable?Don't Know
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Share this review:
Review 20 for Panasonic 42" Class / Plasma / 1080p / 600Hz /HDTV
Solid TV, but go for the upgrade to ST30 model
Customer Rating
4.0
Posted by: brcbrc
from San Francisco, CA
on 01/25/2012
Picture Quality
4.0
Sound Quality
3.0
Features
4.0
What's great about it: Price, picture quality compared to others in same range
What's not so great: Blue tint for screen
I purchased this for $629 after replacing a less than satisfactory LED model. It has a great viewing angle, thing, you can connect it to the wifi by buying the $79 adapter which I didn't buy because I got a PS3 instead.
I opted to upgrading to the ST30 model for two reasons. It comes with the adapter therefore the sale price of $799 is now about $720. So for $120 more you are getting 3D, the panasonic adapter, better picture quality, and better anti glare, among some other random specs. But I will say this S30 model had a pretty good anti glare quality already. Neither is glassy like other plasmas. The second reason was for the deep blacks. The S30 had a weird kind of blue tint when off and therefore when black was in a scene, it was more like black/dark blue. So for those 2 main reasons (several tech) I traded it in.
But both the s30 and st30 are great plasmas. also, I saw that the st30 was rated highly in several websites, including this one...thewirecutter. com Check out the review.
This product has... Useful Internet-enabled features, Easy to set up, Great value and features for the price, Right number of connections, Easy to use remote control
About me... Sports enthusiast, Casual viewer, Love to stream movies
I would recommend this to a friend!
Internet Connectable?Yes
Connected to the Internet:No
Internet content most enjoyed: netflix, hulu plus, youtube
+5points
5out of 5found this review helpful.
Share this review:
