Features:

• 1920 x 1080 Resolution
• 1000000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio for the Brightest whites and darkest blacks
• 4096 Shades of Gradation for spectacular Color Reproduction
• Viera LinK™ HDAVI Control lets you operate all of your home theater components by pressing a single button on your TV's remote control
• GalleryPlayer® allows you to enjoy the world's finest high definition art and photography on your Panasonic HD plasma TV

Editor Reviews:

Product Description:
PRODUCT FEATURES:50" Class (49.9" diagonal) Widescreen Viera Plasma 1080p HDTV with Anti-Reflective FilterDeep color technologyGame modeBuilt-in SD card slot / GalleryPlayer ready to view3 HDMI inputs and Viera Link HDAVI control

Amazon.com Product Description--March 10, 2008:
With its 2008 Panasonic Viera Plasmas, Panasonic brings anastonishing 1,000,000:1 contrast ration to the table. advanced pixel resolution and image-processing technology with the plasma TV's natural ability to beautifully reproduce fast moving images, so every detail is rendered with amazing clarity, and all the action is delivered with a high degree of fluidity.

What's New This Year?

• Super Contrast--native contrast ratios on the PZ85, PZ800 and PX 850 series are 30,000:1, double last year's 15,000:1.
  
• Dynamic contrast ratios are up to 1,000,000:1.
• new anti-reflective filter; lead-free "Tough Under Force" panel is resistant to impacts and scratches
  
• x.v. Color and Deep Color (HDMI 1.3 features)
• Game Mode auto-adjusts image quality suitable to games and includes anti-image retention
• Viera Link is now compatible with Onkyo and Yamaha home theater systems
  
• At least 3 HDMI inputs on all models (4 on PZ800 and PZ850 series)
• THX Certification on PZ800 and PZ850 series

Which Viera is Right For You?

Amazing color reproduction

Consistent brightness from any angle

Smooth, graceful motion

When you're watching sports or movies with fast-motion graphics, you want a TV that can keep up with the action. With over 900 lines of moving picture, self-illuminating plasma displays eliminate afterimages in fast-action scenes. So whether you're watching a sporting event or an action-packed movie, you'll always get the most impressive viewing experience possible.

1,000,000:1 Contrast

The Panasonic's Real Black system (a pre-discharge suppression system) and improved panel production processes combine to reproduce outstanding blacks with superb contrast. Each image is richly expressive, from bright scense, like scorching desert landscapes, to dark cave scenes. Compare the image produced by conventional HDTV on the left to the Real Black image produced on the right

More Colors

Viera HDTVs support the xvYCC color profile (Extended YCC Colorimetry for Video Applications), or "x.v. color" for short. Standard RGB color space allows the display of a portion of the colors that are viewable to the human eye. The next generation "xvYCC" color space actually offers  an available range of colors that exceeds what human eyes can recognize. Next-generation "xvYCC" color space supports 1.8 times as many colors as existing HDTV signals Lets HDTVs display colors more accurately Enables displays with more natural and vivid colors

Deep Color

Where x.v. color expands the available range of colors your HDTV can display, Deep Color increases the number of colors your HDTV can display within that range, for smoother transitions from color to color. Lets HDTVs and other displays go from millions of colors to billions of colors Eliminates on-screen color banding, for smooth tonal transitions and subtle gradations between colors Enables increased contrast ratio Can represent many times more shades of gray between black and white.

Connectivity

Videos and stills recorded on SD cards can easily be viewed via the SD slots on Panasonic Blu-Ray Disc players and Viera HDTVs.	Viera Link means easy connectivity via HDMI cables. Finally, consumers can easily operate their Blu-Ray Disc players, DVD recorders and home theater systems with a single remote control device.
4 HDMI inputs to connect all of your devices directly to your television.

Long Life

Panasonic plasma panels are rated to last 100,000 hours, which is about 30 years of regular or 11 years of non-stop usage before the brightness of the display is halved.

Get Full HD with Blu-Ray Disc Players

A Panasonic 1080p plasma television is able to render 1920x1080 pixels, but standard DVDs have a resolution of just 720x480. Blu-ray discs output true 1080p High-Definition resolution and have a storage capacity ten times greater than standard DVDs, so no pixel gos to waste.

Which is the Right Viera for You?

	Screen Size Measured Diagonally	1080p Full HD 1920 x 1080 pixels	Native Contrast Ratio	PC Input	THX Cert	24p	Speakers	HDMI Inputs	One Sheet of Glass Design	Swivel Base	Shades of Gradation	H.264 Codec	Digital Cinema Color	Studio Reference Mode	Pro Setting Menu	Serial Port	Standard Features
TH-42PX80U	42 inches		15,000:1				2	3			4,096						480 Hz Sub-field Drive Technology Anti-Reflective Filter Viera Link HDAVI Control Built-in SD Card Slot w/Photo Viewer Deep Color Technology x.v. Color 3D Color Mangement Sub-Pixel Controller Motion Pattern Noise Reduction Anti-Image Retention Mode Game Mode Scratch and Impact Rsistant Panel 100,000 Hours to Panel Half-Brightness (>30 years @ 8 hours/day) Lead-free Panel
TH-50PX80U	50 inches		15,000:1				2	3			4,096
TH-42PZ80U	42 inches		20,000:1				2	3			4,096
TH-46PZ80U	46 inches		20,000:1				2	3			4,096
TH-50PZ80U	50 inches		20,000:1				2	3			4,096
TH-42PZ85U	42 inches		30,000:1				2	3			4,096
TH-46PZ85U	46 inches		30,000:1				2	3			4,096
TH-50PZ85U	50 inches		30,000:1				2	3			4,096
TH-42PZ800U	42 inches		30,000:1				4	4			4,096
TH-46PZ800U	46 inches		30,000:1				4	4			4,096
TH-50PZ800U	50 inches		30,000:1				4	4			4,096
TH-58PZ800U	58 inches		30,000:1				4	4			4,096
TH-46PZ850U	46 inches		30,000:1				4	4			5,120
TH-50PZ850U	50 inches		30,000:1				4	4			5,120
TH-58PZ850U	58 inches		30,000:1				4	4			5,120
TH-65PZ850U	65 inches		30,000:1				4	4			5,120

Rating : - CALL Manufacturer's regarding EXACTLY HOW their warranty "WORKS" BEORE you buy!!
I have had ours Panasonic 50" Plasmasince July of this year 2008), I have a bunch of kids & was leary of the track record of some of these other manufacturers I was considering, in regards to warranty assistance SHOULD the need arrive!

I tried (I repaeat TRIED!!) to contact several manufacturer's that were in the running for my consideration, in regards to their warranties, WHO, WHERE HOW...etc would I send/take my humongous plasma to?
I am VERY rural (in the hills of TN!) MOST of them required I SHIP it to them!Do you know how big those boxes are that they come in? & the logistics of repacking it.........NOPE! "It aint a-happenin'!"
NO WAY do I have the room to store that big box, which would be needed to send it to them (& the cost!! Bad-WOW!)

Anyhow.... after MUCH deliberation & research I went with Panasonic (as their warranty is INTO YOUR HOME REPAIR SERVICE should you need a repair, GOOD-WOW!! :-)

I bought this as an older model with GREAT comsumer reviews,& a good value as the newer models continue to roll out & the price continues to fall!
I have been EXTREMELY pleased, & nothing has happened so far to need any warranty work!

The TV is crisp & clear, plays beautifully!

I don't think anyone would be unhappy with any Panasonic TV, I haven't seen a bad one yet......& NO, I don't have any stock (or work for panasonic!!) LOL.....just a bunch of kids & needed a dependable, quality TV....

In hindsight........the ONLY thing is, now that we've had it awhile,,,it actually looks SMALL to us!

We all want a BIGGER one! At least with all the research I've already done on Manufacturer's & their warranties (some are absolutely WORTHLESS!)
I only will have to look for the best deal on the bigger screens!
Hope this helps, 'cuz what good is a great deal on a TV IF you can't get it fixed should you need to!