Panasonic VIERA TX-P42V10 Pro Reviews

At this point, we guess the question on every video enthusiast’s mind is, “Can it dethrone the Pioneer 9G Kuro plasma as the best flat-panel HDTV we’ve tested to date?” We’re afraid not: the Panasonic TX-P42V10 ran the Pioneer Kuros really close (in fact the closest of them all), but ultimately fell short in the areas of black level, overall colour fidelity and standard-definition video processing. Make no mistake though: the TX-P42V10 still delivers the best picture quality we’ve seen from a Panasonic plasma so far, thanks in no small part to its [THX] mode. Is the Panasonic TX-P42V10 worth paying £300 extra over the G10? When you take into account the [THX] mode’s accurate primary colours and 2.2 gamma out of the box, not to mention other perks like [Viera Cast], DLNA compatibility, additional HDMI port and PiP/PaP functionalities, for us the answer is a resounding yes.

Packed with features, the TX-P42V10B has decent image quality, but not good enough to justify its higher price and power consumption.

The 40-42in screen customer is spoiled for choice; here's another worth consideration

Compared with the superb 1080p Blu-ray playback, 1080i HDTV images look slightly softer than they did on the Samsung LE40B651. Audio quality is also as solid as flatpanel TVs get.

Probably the best way I can sum the P42V10 in a more upbeat context is by saying that it is actually the best 42in plasma TV you can currently buy (given that Pioneer doesn't do 42in ones anymore). Which makes it a must-audition set for anyone unsure as to which TV technology to buy, and an absolute no-brainer for LCD haters. Especially given its surprisingly aggressive price.