Panasonic TC-P42X1 Plasma HDTV Review - Tour & Design

Tour & Design Summary
• Glossy black bezel. • Stand doesn't swivel or tilt. • No design flourishes.
	Introduction	Page 2 of 16	Calibration

Front

The front of the TV features a glossy black bezel and stand. There's a tiny red LED power indicator at the bottom middle. Near that LED are where the on-set power button is.
 

The front of the TC-P42X1 is a bit plain.

Back

The back of the TC-P42X1 only has one real area of interest, and that's the bottom right corner, which contains an array of ports.
 

These ports are very easy to access.

 Sides

The left side of the TV has an HDMI port, composite video input, and a set of analog audio inputs. This is also where the TV keeps its SD card slot. The right side of the TV has on-set controls.
 

The left side has a few ports, including an HDMI port and the SD card slot. The right side has on-set controls.

 Stand/Mount

The stand is a glossy black plastic wedge. It doesn't swivel, which makes the TV's good port placement all the more important.
 

We would've preferred a swiveling stand, to provide better access to the back of the TV.

 Controls

The front of the TV has a large power button.
 

The power button is on the front of the TV.

To switch the channels or volume, you'll have to go around to the right side of the TV. This is also where the on-set menu and input buttons are.
 

The on-set controls are on the right side of the TV, so as to not clutter up the front.

 Remote Control

The TC-P42X1's remote is similar to other VIERA remotes, but a few buttons have been switched around. This new design is a bit more intuitive overall: some buttons have gained on-button symbols to help elicit their meaning.   
 

The remote has good button placement and a few nice extras, like the media playback controls.

 In The Box (7.0)

The TC-P42X1 ships with a remote, batteries, and a manual. There aren't any extras like a cleaning cloth or HDMI cord.

The TV is very easy to set up, however, since it doesn't require any assembly. Just take it out of the box, plug a few cables into it, and it'll work just fine. 

 Aesthetics (5.0)

The Panasonic TC-P42X1 doesn't have much to catch anyone's eye. It has a simple, glossy bezel and stand. There aren't any textured surfaces, coloration, or LEDs to add aesthetic flair.