Panasonic VIERA G10 Series TC-P42G10 42-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

Comment: Panasonic leads the way in picture quality with deep blacks, great colors and a picture that pops.

I have done a lot of research in both plasma vs. lcd and brands. Many reviews state that the 2009 G10 line of Panny's is the top of the line and even comes at a reasonable price. For my money and tv viewing habits the model has been excellent. As the months go by, the tv ages and the picture only gets better. The THX mode creates a great setting for movie watching at night and I switch to my user mode for sports. Don't let old reviews of plasma's deter you. Burn-in is a thing of the past and there is no problems with light reflection on the screen. I love this tv and feel I have the best thing available. The only thing better is the 2010 line of Panny's (VT25). Not only is the 2010 line 3D capable, but also the best 2D tv ever!

On top of the tv, Amazon had a great price and they even threw in a free Tivo HD. This also came with (in total) about $130 worth of Amazon VOD credits. Which equals lots of free movie watching. Free shipping on everything and quick delivery to boot. It was a great deal that I couldn't pass up. Almost a year later and I am still loving my set up!

5 stars all the way!

Comment: Won't turn on, got the "one blink" sign of death. Still under warranty but avoid to avoid the hassle of getting it fixed until it dies again.

Comment: I purchased mine on April 3, 2009. This morning, the wife turned it on, watched some French Open, then turned it off from the master switch. Later, I tried turning it on and noticed that the red power light was still illuminated and wondered why she hadn't turned it off. The remote wouldn't do anything and the master switch, when held in for ten seconds, would turn the light off and then it would come back on; but still no picture or sound. After reading several posts here, sounds like I too got a lemon.

I was on the phone with Panasonic tech support and then concierge service for over an hour, only to be told that since my set was two months out of warranty, they could do nothing but recommend a service provider in my area. Since they know this is a common problem, I think they should have made an exception.

Then, luckily, I remembered I bought it with my AMEX Gold Card, which doubles the manufacture's warranty. Called AMEX and they were so helpful and kind. The service dude is coming out on Monday. Hopefully, if it is the power board that is broken, there won't be a long wait time like some have reported.

My mom and sister have Panasonic Plasmas, but this is the last Panasonic product I will ever buy!

I'll update this post as soon as I hear something. Buyer beware!

Comment: This starts out as a great TV. Everything looks good. The sound isn't great, but I'm using a stereo for everything so I don't mind.

There are two big problems with this TV.

The first is that despite Panasonic's claim that their VieraCast service is future-proof and upgradeable to the latest and greatest, it turns out it's not. While 2010 models will get Netflix Watch Instantly capabilities, the 2009 models reportedly don't have sufficient DRM protection and will not get this upgrade. I'm not sure I buy this explanation, since Amazon on Demand doesn't seem to fear Panasonic's customers will be somehow recording their streams. Given the fact that Netflix isn't pay-per-view, I'm guessing they would care even less than Amazon would. Panasonic appears to be merely giving their new toys more features than their old toys while placating those of us who gave them $1000 four months ago by blaming someone else.

By far the biggest problem with this set, however, is that Panasonic is effectively running a bait-and-switch operation. You know that great picture their plasmas come with? Those dark blacks and great contrast? Well, by this time next year your expensive new HDTV will look worse than sets that sell for half the price at WalMart. Panasonic, you see, has programmed their tv to "gradually" increase their black levels. ([...])

They didn't let us know before we ponied up all this cash that they had irrevocably programmed our expensive TVs to degrade in quality. There is no fix in sight and they're now being sued. ([...])

CNET says: I were buying a plasma TV right now, I would avoid the 2009 line of Panasonic plasmas.

I agree. It's too late for me, but for all you out there doing your pre-purchase research...consider yourself warned. And don't buy used Panasonic sets, obviously.

Comment: Appearance: The T.V is very aesthetically pleasing. It has a superb black glossy finish.

Ease of Use: The T.V is very easy to use, especially the Viera Cast. You can also figure out the T.V if you so chose to do, without reading the owners manual, although, I would still suggest reading up.

Picture quality: So far the picture quality is amazing, I have read forums claiming that the black levels "brighten" after sometime. We shall see.

Sound Quality: The speakers could be better, but who uses just the T.V speakers now a days anyway?

Other thoughts: 42 inch T.V is a perfect size for me. Also the T.V sits very firmly in the stand (you actually have to screw it in)