Introduction

Rock legend Bruce Springsteen knew it already: "57 Channels (And Nothin' On)". The song is showing its age - the number of TV channels has gone up a bit since then - but the title definitely still rings true. Panasonic's G 15 series, however, means this no longer poses a problem.

Thanks to a network connection and Internet-access, this TV aims to bridge the worlds of TVs and computers. The TX-P 42 G 15 has a 42-inch screen and belongs to the mid-range of Panasonic's catalogue. But Panasonic isn't the only manufacturer to offer these extras - we end this article with a detailed list of competing models.

Picture Technology

Like all Panasonic TVs of this size, the TX-P 42 G 15 uses a plasma screen. In fact, this TV uses the twelfth generation of this type of screen - the "12G" panels claim to consume significantly less power than their predecessors. Panasonic claims that the "Tough Panel" will also comfortably withstand the impact of a ball bearing, for example.

Almost no TV will show its face on today's market without full HD resolution (1,920 x 1,080 pixels), even though this resolution isn't always sensible at typical living-room viewing distances. The 42-inch class is on the limit - on a screen smaller than this, if you're sitting on the couch, you'll hardly be able to distinguish the extra sharpness. You can find details on the ideal viewing distance and optimal screen size in our "TV Buying Guide".

It's not only the resolution that invites absurd one-upmanship: Sony's introduction in August 2008 of the first 200-Hertz TVs galvanized competing manufacturers into action. Panasonic refuses to be left behind: The Japanese company advertizes the TX-P 42 G 15 as having "600 Hz Intelligent Frame Creation Pro" technology. If you look closely, however, the name carries the affix "sfd", which stands for Sub Field Drive.

The background:
For a CRT television to shine more brightly, it simply has to apply a greater voltage to its electron gun. Liquid-crystal screens also use differing voltages to turn the liquid crystals into the desired positions, so allowing the correct amount of backlighting to pass through. The pixels in plasma TVs only know two states: on or off. Plasmas therefore produce different degrees of brightness by rapidly switching their pixels on and off at varying rates - the relatively slow human eye doesn't perceive this switching.

How plasma screens drive the individual, colored sub-pixels is a story for another day - it suffices to say that, on the pixel level at least, this TV runs at a rate of 600 Hertz. In practice, however, the TX-P 42 G 15 is a 100-Hertz TV. In addition, the "Intelligent Frame Creation" system promises fluid motion. Potential buyers should take always big numbers and fancy jargon with a pinch of salt - it's the picture you actually see on the screen that's most important.

The picture quality of a sister model from the GW 10 E series has already impressed Televisions.com. The "Cinema" picture preset gives an almost ideal setup. We then went on to set the "Gamma" to 2.2 and switch off the picture cropping (overscan) in the menu. With these settings, the 42-inch plasma's impressive, extremely detailed picture outstripped most of its LCD rivals.

With special test patterns, we determined a bit of flicker on this relative of the TX-P 42 G 10, but this didn't irritate during everyday TV viewing. DVD movies will still flicker slightly along fine, diagonal lines, unless the DVD player itself is able to eliminate this so-called "line flicker" - this requires a player with "progressive" playback. The 42-inch GW-10 model displayed HDTV signals with perfect pixel mapping, but interlaced signals (sports broadcasts or concert recordings, for example) again showed some flicker along diagonal lines. With a 24p movie signal from a Blu-ray disc, the TX-P 42 GW 10 reproduced the usual movie judder correctly.

Colors only deviated slightly from the ideal, and the picture's contrast was perfect. Furthermore, the picture impression remained the same from every viewing angle - this is typical of plasma technology. This relative of the TX-P 42 G 15 is ideal for the home-theater.

Additional Features

In this series, Panasonic turns its attention to extras, providing both a network connection and an SD card slot. The TV will play back audio and video across a PC network - for example, from a PC in another room. The PC must be running DLNA server software - on Windows PCs, the latest version of the free program Media Player will already do this job. You can also use commercial programs such as "TwonkyMedia Server" (about 18 GBP), for example, which offers more convenience and more flexibility in terms of operating system.

According to Panasonic, the TV will play back DivX and MPEG-2 videos over the network, as well as digital photos in JPEG format. The TV also plays back photos and videos via its SD-card reader (also suitable for SDHC cards).

Using the network connection, the TV's "Viera Cast" system can also access an Internet portal organized by Panasonic. Here, depending on the country of access, you'll mainly find videos and photo content. Panasonic doesn't produce the content itself; rather, it makes the platform available to various Internet sites - in the United Kingdom, for example, current offers include YouTube, Eurosport, and Google's Picasa photo service.

Philips and Samsung offer similar services in their current, Internet-capable TVs - the manufacturers don't produce the offers themselves, but offer other online services the opportunity to present themselves on the portal. For all such services, you need to supply the TV with a broadband Internet-connection. Sadly, the TV lacks a USB connection - this is a shame, since USB storage devices are more common than memory cards.

Tuner/Video-processing

The TV receives analog cable TV and - where still in use - analog terrestrial TV, as well as DVB-T, DVB-C, and DVB-S. It also supports HD for all digital standards. In principle, therefore, the TV is equipped for all current reception methods - all that remains is the pesky question of digital-cable access systems. Some cable networks have decided on using CI Plus to control access, but the TX-P 42 G 15 does not support the standard. Channels using CI encryption, as opposed to CI Plus, will still display without problems, but some future commercial channels may require an additional set-top box. For this reason, Panasonic doesn't advertize the TV's digital cable tuner in all countries.

Satellite-TV viewers, on the other hand, will have everything they need with this TV - an external receiver will only be necessary for Pay-TV channels. The digital tuners already recognize the new audio format Dolby Digital Plus. It may be of interest, more from an academic point of view, that the TV also supports DTS sound, should a TV station ever choose to use this format. DVDs and Blu-ray discs (and movie theaters) occasionally use a DTS soundtrack, but Televisions.com knows of no TV station that uses DTS.

The UK variant of the TV supports the free-to-view satellite service "freesat", which began operating in 2008. The TV's analog inputs accept video signals in the PAL, Secam, and NTSC formats.

Connections

The TV offers a practical set of connections: Two Scart sockets (both RGB capable, one S-Video capable) should be enough to accommodate older devices such as a VHS recorder or DVD player. The three HDMI inputs on the back of the TV are already a decent setup, and there's a fourth under a small flap on the front of the TV, along with a camcorder connections panel offering a Mini-DIN socket for S-Video signals and a cinch input for composite video signals. The flap also conceals an SD-card slot and a 3.5-millimeter headphone jack.

Operation

The remote control and on-screen menu for all screen sizes in the G15 series are largely identical to those of the GW 10 series - Televisions.com's experiences with the related model will therefore also apply to the TX-P 42 G 15. Although a little on the heavy side, the remote control sits comfortably in the user's hand. Most of the buttons are clearly laid out, and the frequently used buttons - for volume and channel changing - are sufficiently large.

Panasonic has chosen a bad position for the "N" button, which returns all picture settings to the factory setup. With "N" sitting directly next to "Menu", there's a clear danger of pressing the wrong one and unintentionally altering the picture setup.

The simply laid out on-screen menu reads clearly, and even inexperienced users will easily keep track of where they are. The channel-search process sorts the channels into the normal order for the user's country.

Design / Model Variants and Pricing

The TX-P 42 G 15 only comes in black.

Recommended pricing for the UK:

TX-P 42 G 15 B (black), 1,200 GBP.

Optional Accessories

Panasonic gives instructions for wall-mounting the TV using an optional tilting bracket, the TY-WK 4 P 1 RW, but doesn't list the product on its UK website. Display-mounting manufacturer dekomount offers a universal tilting bracket (model number DM102, 39 GBP) which should fit the TX-P 42 G 15.

Alternative models: A brief comparison

as of: May 20, 2009

LG 42 LH 5000, price not yet confirmed.

Great for the customers, but possibly irritating for Panasonic: Even the most expensive flat-panel TVs from LG Electronics are significantly cheaper than the TX-P 42 G 15. But, there's no such thing as a free lunch: On closer inspection, there's a logical reason for the difference in prices.

Nevertheless, you won't find this reason in the picture processing: With 200 Hertz technology, LG uses the most advanced process so far to provide accurate motion with clearly defined edges - particularly important in sports broadcasts, of course.

The built-in tuners receive digital signals, but only DVB-T - this also in high-definition where such broadcasts exist. Apart from that, this Korean TV will only accept analog cable signals; if you want to watch digital signals via cable or satellite, you'll need an additional set-top box.

The 42 LH 5000 also tempts with some tasty multimedia extras: There's no SD-card reader, but instead the TV offers the more versatile USB connection. MP3 music and JPEG photos will play back from USB storage devices, as will a variety of video formats. The LG accepts DivX (versions 3.11 to 6), XviD, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, and MPEG-4 (H.264, AVC).

The LH 5000 lacks the Ethernet socket needed for connecting to computer networks. Still, the connectivity is anything but sparse: With four HDMI inputs and two Scart sockets, the Korean and Japanese rivals are equally matched. The 42 LH 5000 will not, however, accept S-Video signals - neither by Scart nor via the side-mounted AV input - so this TV can't get the best quality playback out of older camcorders. LG has also neglected to fit a headphone socket.

Philips 42 PFL 7404 H, price not yet confirmed.

From July 2009, Philips will also offer a tempting LCD TV at an aggressive price - some prices have already been announced in continental Europe. The built-in cable tuner gives the Panasonic a run for its money: Thanks to CI Plus technology, the 7404 H's tuner should be able to receive future digital cable channels without a set-top box. In countries that intend to introduce CI Plus, the Philips' support for this standard puts it ahead of the Panasonic. Analog cable TV and DVB-T are also welcome here, the latter also in HD resolution. Satellite viewers, however, will still need an external receiver.

The display runs at 100 Hertz, the "Pixel Plus HD" system is supposed to make pictures look crisper, and the TV can play back music files (MP3- or LPCM-format), photos (JPEG), and video clips - MPEG-1, MPEG-2, and MPEG-4 (H.264/AVC) - from a USB stick.

In terms of multimedia, therefore, this rival from Holland will easily outgun Japan's Panasonic TX-P 42 G 15. Network access, however, is also beyond the 42 PFL 7404 H. In consolation, you get four HDMI inputs, two Scart sockets (both RGB capable), and a side-mounted connections panel that offers a headphone output and S-Video input for camcorders.

Philips 42 PFL 8404 H, from 1,000 GBP.

For a slightly lower retail price than the Panasonic, the buyer can have this Philips TV with the high-tech "Ambilight Spectra 2" lighting system. This illuminates the wall behind the LCD TV with the colors of the current TV picture - in a football game, for example, the grass seems to spread beyond the edges of the screen. This is more than just gimmickry - the system makes TV-viewing genuinely more relaxing and better for the eyes.

The screen uses conventional cold-cathode fluorescent tubes (CCFL) as a backlight, and refreshes at 100 Hertz. The HD Natural Motion system aims to keep the edges of moving objects sharp, and, thanks to Pixel Precise HD, the pictures are also supposed to look extraordinarily crisp.

Like its smaller brother (the 7404 H), the 8404 H supports the forthcoming CI Plus encryption system for digital cable TV, and also receives DVB-T. Satellite-TV viewers will still need an external receiver.

The Philips offers more multimedia than the Panasonic: The 42 PFL 8404 H plays back a variety of file formats over a PC network or from a USB storage device, including MP3, PCM, and WMA music files, JPEG photos, and videos in MPEG-1 and MPEG-2, as well as MPEG-4 (both AVI clips with DivX content and H.264/AVC). Last but not least, the TV also handles Windows Media Videos (WMV 9/VC 1) and MPEG program streams.

A network interface allows this Philips model's "Net TV" system to access an online portal - similarly to the Panasonic. This TV, however, also has a built-in Internet browser, so the user can view any normal website. Televisions.com has already tried out this function: It can be a little awkward to tap in Internet addresses using the TV's remote control, but it's do-able.

The TV can't display Flash videos and some other multimedia content on websites, but the browser works fine for just checking something quickly on the WWW during an ad-break. And, no matter what the limitations here, you should bear in mind that other Internet-capable TVs don't have a browser at all.

Sharp LC-42 DH 77 E, 1,200 GBP.

This LCD TV from Sharp offers many of the same, up-to-date features as the Panasonic. But the tuner is inferior to that of the TX-P 42 G 15. Even in the new 2009 models, Sharp still only offers tuners for analog cable and DVB-T. Televisions.com has already had a chance to test the LC-42 DH 77 E. Pictures from the DVB-T tuner are impressive, but the analog tuner's pictures lack some detail and show more noise than on other TVs. On the other hand, the TV's sharpness is perfect via Scart. One positive surprise on this TV: For an LCD, it displays a very rich black.

Movies in the original 24p frame rate display accurately, but the 100-Hz technology has little effect in pictures recorded on a video camera, such as sports broadcasts. In test patterns containing large white areas, we noticed a slight, patchy, lilac tint, but this isn't obvious in normal use.

The handy remote control's buttons are clearly arranged, but a little too small. Various buttons crowd important controls, such as those for volume and channel changing, while the tiny menu text is almost impossible to read from usual viewing distances.

With three HDMI inputs, the Sharp has decent connectivity, but the Panasonic goes one better and gives you four. Like the Panasonic, the Sharp has two Scart sockets, an S-Video input for conventional camcorder signals, and a headphone output. The analog component video input (YUV), however, is forced to share the VGA socket (via an adapter) - this isn't always practical. The LC-42 DH 77 E can display digital photos via USB, but offers no other multimedia or network functions.

Sony KDL-40 E 5500, 1,300 GBP.

This Sony appeared at the same time as the TX-P 42 G 15 in April 2009. The E 5500 has a conventional LCD screen with 100-Hertz technology. Hailing from the 40-inch class, this Sony offers 2 inches (5.08 centimeters) less screen-diagonal than the Panasonic.

In terms of network access, this TV is a fair match for the TX-P 42 G 15: If a DLNA server is running in your home PC network, the Sony can connect to it and play back multimedia content. Unlike Panasonic, Sony does not run its own Web portal for presenting selected content, but the KDL-40 E 5500 uses its "AppliCast" function to access news tickers ("RSS feeds") of the user's choice, displaying news items along the side of the screen at the touch of a button.

Televisions.com has already tried out this feature on some TVs from Sony's V 5500 series: It can be tedious to tap in the addresses on the remote control - but you only have to do this once. The Sony TVs then display text and - if present - photos from the news stories. Nevertheless, Panasonic's portal for accessing videos online is much more fun, and Philips and Samsung offer similar services.

The KDL-40 E 5500 also accepts multimedia files from USB sticks. The tuner is a step ahead of the Panasonic's: It supports CI Plus for digital cable TV, so you should be able to view channels using this type of encryption, without an additional set-top box. The Sony does not, however, receive satellite-TV signals.

The Panasonic and Sony match, with four HDMI inputs - and likewise with the rest of the connections panel. The exception: Camcorder-guru Sony has neglected to fit an S-Video input.

Sony KDL-40 W 5500, 1,200 GBP.

This 100-Hertz LCD TV from Sony has also been available since April 2009. It's primarily the exterior that distinguishes the W series differs from the E series. The simple casing of the W 5500 contains largely identical technology - the differences from the Panasonic rival are therefore also the same.

This Sony receives analog cable TV and DVB-T (the latter also in HD), as well as digital cable (DVB-C). Thanks to CI Plus technology, the Sony's tuner is ready for future digital cable broadcasts - the Panasonic's is not. On the other hand, the Panasonic's satellite-TV receiver nudges it a step ahead of the Sony - satellite viewers opting for the KDL-40 W 5500 would still need an external receiver.

This model's "AppliCast" system can do exactly the same as that of the E-series cousin, and the TVs also offer equal home-networking and multimedia capabilities. The KDL-40 W 5500 and the TX-P 42 G 15 have very similar connectivity: The Sony lacks an S-Video socket for camcorder signals, but otherwise both candidates offer an equally large number of equally practical connections.

Toshiba 42 ZV 635, price not yet confirmed.

Toshiba's new top series puts emphasis on different aspects from the Panasonic. The 42 ZV 635 cannot, for example, access a PC network, but offers 200-Hertz technology instead. This system aims to improve the image, keeping, for example, the ball and players clearly visible during football games. In addition, the "Resolution +" detail-enhancer attempts to process fine details more accurately than earlier models do.

The tuner accepts analog TV, DVB-T, and digital cable TV. The 42 ZV 635 does not support CI Plus, so it'll need a separate receiver in order to display cable channels using this encryption. The Panasonic is only ahead with its integrated satellite receiver, which the Toshiba lacks.

On the other hand, the Toshiba's audio setup is well ahead of the Panasonic's: With the new "Dolby Volume" technology, the TV will attempt to eliminate irritating volume changes between movies and ad breaks, as well as the volume differences between individual TV channels. The TV's Audyssey equalizer, revered by home-theater fans, is supposed to produce top sound.

The connections panel on this Toshiba lacks none of the important features: It has two Scart sockets (one RGB capable, the other S-Video), four HDMI inputs, and a side-mounted connections panel. The side panel itself hosts cinch and Mini-DIN sockets for composite and S-Video signals from a camcorder, as well as a headphone output - all the same as the Panasonic.

As mentioned earlier, this Toshiba lacks network access. In consolation, however, its multimedia functions compare well with the TX-P 42 G 15: JPEG photos, MP3 music files, and DixV videos will play back via USB or from an SD (or SDHC) memory card.

For picture-perfectionists, this TV offers excellent options for accurate adjustment: You can, for example, set the TV to display only one of the three primary colors (red, green, and blue). With corresponding test DVDs or Blu-ray discs, therefore, even novice users will be able to set up the colors perfectly.

About our product previews

Experienced experts produce these product preview pages using manufacturers' specifications, along with test data we've produced for other models and subjective assessments of the product's market chances.

We comprehensively research the information we use, but data of this kind quickly becomes out of date as a result of day-to-day variations in the market and the appearance of new products.

The information in our own tests is more reliable, especially statements relating to quality or comparisons with other TVs. Since we cannot test every single device, however, and because we're interested in your opinion, we're grateful to receive any user ratings or user opinions for this TV - especially if you own the model yourself, but also if this preview provided enough information for you to form your own judgment.

Many thanks in advance!

The team behind this product preview:

People involved in producing this article on the Panasonic TX-P 42 G 15:

Author(s): Karl-Gerhard Haas
Editor in Chief: Florian Friedrich

Photos: Manufacturers

Last updated: May 20, 2009