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Panasonic Viera TC-P42S2

HDTV Review

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Viewing Effects

Outstanding viewing angle. Reflective screen.

The Panasonic TC-P42S2 has a native 1080p (1920 × 1080) format, and supports all types of NTSC content.

The Panasonic TC-P42S2 has an outstanding viewing angle, measuring a full 160 degrees (80 degrees from center in either direction). That far exceeds the competing LCD televisions, and even beats the other Panasonic plasma we’ve selected for comparison.

Viewing Angle Chart

The Panasonic TC-P42S2, like most plasmas, has a screen that creates wide, diffuse reflections when a light shines on it. It means you may have to get creative about where you position the TV in relation to lights in the room.

The Panasonic TC-P42S2 has a small handful of video processing features, most of which don’t do a whole lot to help or harm the picture quality.

Setting Claimed Function Our Impression
x.v Color An alternate color gamut used in some video inputs We don't use it
C.A.T.S. Adjusts the brightness and gradation according to the ambient lighting condition. Brightens the picture when the room is bright, and dims the picture when the room is dark. Because picture is already dim, we recommend leaving it off.
Video NR Reduces noise, commonly called snow. Leave it off when receiving a strong signal. Little visible improvement
Blur Reduction Improves the moving picture resolution. Small improvement in picture smoothness
MPEG NR Reduces noise of specific digital signals of DVD, STB, etc. Little visible improvement
Black Level Selects Dark or Light. Valid only for external input signals. Leave it on 'Light' or the shadow details will be crushed.
Other Models in the TC-PxxS2 Series
For more information on other models in this series, check our Series Comparison Page.


Panasonic Viera TC-P46S2
46 in.


Panasonic Viera TC-P50S2
50 in.


Panasonic Viera TC-P54S2
54 in.


Panasonic TC-P58S2
58 in.


Panasonic Viera TC-P65S2
65 in.

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Panasonic Viera TC-P42S2
HDTV Review

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Motion

Next: Page 6

Calibration