Panasonic Viera TC-L42U30

Value Comparison

The Sharp LC-42SB48UT is a very similar TV to the Panasonic TC-L42U30 in many ways, but there are certain tradeoffs in performance that you will have to consider when purchasing a TV. Where the Sharp LC-42SB48UT has far more connectivity options than the Panasonic TC-L42U30, it has a much narrower viewing angle. Because these TV sets are close in price and in many aspects of performance, the advantages one TV offers over the other are more dependent on the desired use.

Core Attributes Comparison
	Panasonic Viera TC-L42U30	Sharp LC-42SB48UT
Size	42 in.	42 in.
General Type	LED	LCD
Format	1080p	1080p

Blacks & Whites

Like the Sony KDL-40EX400, the Sharp LC-42SB48UT also far outperformed the Panasonic TC-L42U30 in black and white performance, with a very low deepest black and high contrast ratio. Again, the Sharp LC-42SB48UT may not have displayed as high of a peak white, but it did more than well enough in this area for viewing in a bright room.

Color Accuracy

The Sharp LC-42SB48UT scored higher marks than the Panasonic TC-L42U30 in our color temperature error tests, as it displayed a smaller range of signal intensity with noticeable error to the human eye. Though you will most likely not see the color temperature error on either screen, the Sharp LC-42SB48UT is clearly superior in this area. Interestingly, the Sharp LC-42SB48UT had similar troubles with RGB curves to the Panasonic TC-L42U30 in that its reds peaked very early. However, unlike the Panasonic TC-L42U30, the degree to which this was a problem was much less than the Panasonic TC-L42U30’s, and even though the Sharp LC-42SB48UT did not do extremely well by this metric, it was still much better than the Panasonic TC-L42U30’s performance.

Color Temperature Comparison
Panasonic Viera TC-L42U30 (Score: 7.47)
Sharp LC-42SB48UT (Score: 8.35)

RGB Comparison
Panasonic Viera TC-L42U30 (Score: 6.56)
Sharp LC-42SB48UT (Score: 7.79)

Motion

Because the Panasonic TC-L42U30 has such a bad score with motion performance, even TVs with average scores in this area will be noticeably better in this regard, like the Sharp LC-42SB48UT.

Motion Scores
	Panasonic Viera TC-L42U30	Sharp LC-42SB48UT
Motion Score

Viewing Effects

Where the Panasonic TC-L42U30 truly outshines the Sharp LC-42SB48UT is in the viewing angle measurements. Where the LC-42SB48UT has a viewing angle that is limited to 14.27 degrees from the center of the screen on either side, the Panasonic TC-L42U30 boasts a 34.48 degree viewing angle from either side. This means that for viewing in large groups of people, the Panasonic TC-L42U30 will be a much better fit.

Viewing Angle Comparison
Panasonic Viera TC-L42U30: 7.1	Sharp LC-42SB48UT: 3.4

Connectivity

The Sharp LC-42SB48UT also outshines the Panasonic TC-L42U30 in terms of connectivity options, as it too sports more analog video and audio ports. In addition, the Sharp LC-42SB48UT has USB connectivity where the Panasonic TC-L42U30 has an SD/SDHC card slot. If analog options are important to you, the Sharp LC-42SB48UT is a better option.

Connectivity Comparison
	Panasonic TC-L42U30	Panasonic TC-L42U25	Sony KDL-40EX400	Sharp LC-42SB48UT
HDMI	3	3	4	4
Component	1	1	2	2
Composite	1	2	1	1
S-Video	0	0	0	0
VGA	0	1	1	1
Analog Audio In	0	2	3	4
Digital Audio Out	1	1	1	1
Analog Audio Out	0	0	1	1
Ethernet	No	No	No	No
Wi-Fi	None	No	No	No
USB	None	No	Yes	Yes
Memory Card Types	SD/SDHC	SD/SDHC	None	None
DLNA	None	No	No	No