Panasonic Viera TC-P42U2

Black Level (9.11)

The Panasonic TC-P42U2 produced very good black levels, all the way down to 0.06 cd/m^2^. That’s not the best we’ve seen from a plasma, but it’s quite good. Note, however, that the Samsung LN40C630 is an LCD screen and nearly matched the Panasonic, and far exceeded it in contrast ratio. More on how we test black level.

Read Reviews of Comparison Products
Sony Bravia KDL-40NX700	Samsung LN40C630	Toshiba Regza 42ZV650U

Peak Brightness (6.02)

The Panasonic TC-P42U2 is a plasma display, and as such it suffers from the same brightness problems as many plasmas. Their whites simply don’t get as white as an LCD display. One look at at the chart below shows how it compares against three LCD TVs. More on how we test peak brightness.

Contrast (7.71)

The Panasonic TC-P42U2 had a decent contrast ratio, but the poor showing in the peak brightness test hurt the overall score. The Samsung LN40C630 and the Sony KDL-40NX700 both topped it easily. Even watching a movie or TV with the naked eye can tell you the same story. The Panasonic TC-P42U2 is best viewed in a dark room – it looks great. But if you’re like the rest of us and the bulk of your viewing takes place in an illuminated room, it can appear washed out. More on how we test contrast.

Tunnel Contrast (5.31)

The Panasonic TC-P42U2 clearly struggled with the Tunnel Contrast test, which measures how well a TV can maintain consistent black levels as more and more of the screen is consumed by bright white. Typically, LCDs do well on this test while plasmas struggle. The Panasonic TC-P42U2 struggled, then choked. As you can see from the chart below, when a black patch occupied less than 30% of the screen, the black level got brighter, continuing to rise as the patch gets smaller. This means that when patches of black appear on an otherwise bright screen, they’ll appear more grey than black. More on how we test tunnel contrast.

White Falloff (6.72)

There was less of a problem with the Panasonic TC-P42U2’s ability to maintain white levels. The whites are never that bright, even at their best. At their worst – when surrounded by mostly black – they get a noticeably dimmer, but it’s not nearly as much of a problem as the Tunnel Contrast test. More on how we test white falloff.

Uniformity (10.00)

The Panasonic TC-P42U2 did not have any problems with screen uniformity. Whether the screen was white, or black, or simply showing a movie, we saw no problems with dark or bright corners, blotches, or unevenness. More on how we test white falloff.

Greyscale Gamma (10.00)

The Panasonic TC-P42U2, for all its flaws with maintaining a consistent black level, scored a near perfect in the greyscale gamma test. The chart below shows how the TV transitions from shadows to highlights. First, we’re looking for smoothness. In this case, it’s excellent. There are few squiggles in the line, indicating that it’s not tripping up in any particular portion of the greyscale spectrum. Secondly, we see no flat, horizontal stretches in the line, which indicate areas where the TV simply can’t see any differentiation. Frequently, you’ll see some flattening in the lower-left port of the line, which is the shadow details. Finally, there’s the slope of the curve. An ideal curve is between 2.1 and 2.2. The Panasonic TC-P42U2 had a slope of 2.1. Well done. More on how we test greyscale gamma.

Other Models in the TC-PxxU2 Series
For more information on other models in this series, check our Series Comparison Page.
Panasonic Viera TC-P50U2 50 in.