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46" Plasma, 1080p, 3 HDMI, Native contrast ratio 30,000:1, Infinite Black Dynamic contrast, 600 Hz Subfield Drive

User Reviews about Panasonic VIERA U1 Series TC-P46U1 46-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

I did plenty of research before I finally decided on this TV, and I was not dissapointed. Not only did I find it about $200-$300 cheaper on Amazon.com, but it was shipped to me rather quickly with no problem. For the TV itself, the HD quality is top-notch. The 600hz plasma screen is the best you can get for picture quality. It was easy to set up in about 15 minutes. The only negative thing I have to say is that the 'glare' minimizer feature as advertised doesn't really make that big of a difference, that I can tell. But I would highly recommend this TV for it's size, price, and quality it's a fantastic deal. -- very pleased

The arrival (just a few days after ordering it online) was exciting! Delivery men carried the big box into the house, opened it, took the big set (46 inch screen) out and plugged it in to check if it worked. It DID! They left, and I got busy reading the big manual that described the installation and hook-up. My wife and I could lift the big set, and I followed the diagrams in the book, attaching our other Panasonic gear, the disc player and tape players, and home theatre speakers. We turned it on, and it worked! We've never seen such a terrific picture, sound and picture control! We have MANY classic tapes and discs, collected over the years, and we watch opera, and classical music presentations often. The Panasonic Viera 46 inch set is a marvelous addition to our home! -- My Latest Do-It-Myself Project

I bought the 46U1 to be my very first big screen HDTV. I didn't want to spend too much money but I didn't want a cheap TV either. I found the 46U1 for sale at Walmart for $698 and grabbed one.

From the first moment I turned it on I was blown away! Beautiful picture, vibrant colors, and a feature very important to me. Deep blacks.

Approximately one month after enjoying my new HDTV every day something changed. I first noticed the change when watching a movie with a nighttime scene. It showed a man walking on a street at night under a streetlight. I had seen this particular scene a few weeks earlier while browsing the channels. What changed was that the black level on my U1, or the deepest black a TV can produce, was now dark gray and not black at all. I didn't pay much attention until a friend mentioned the same thing to me a few days later while watching a movie. I popped in The Dark Knight blu-ray and low and behold my blacks were gray. The change was not subtle in the least and was very obvious to not only an AV enthusiast like myself but to everyone. I searched and found the thread over at [...] and the original poster mentioned his G10 suffered from the same black level increase. Since I found the thread, many G10 and even some V10 owners have come forward claiming their sets are faulty. Unfortunately for those of us who bought these televisions with our hard earned money Panasonic is denying the issue exists at all. They state that the increase is normal over the course of the plasma life. While true the change happens normally over the life of the TV the changes some of us are seeing are happening over the course of 1-3 months. Far sooner than normal for sure.

Enough about that though, on to the rest on the 46U1! Image quality, despite having grayish blacks, looks very good. Nice rich, and decently accurate colors. SD material looks fine but HD content looks exceptional, especially blu-rays played through my PS3. The integrated speakers are actually quite good and have a bit oomph as well. Menu options are very limited as you would expect on a lower priced model but there are enough settings to adjust the picture and sound to your liking. The set looks great sitting on my AV cabinet. A nice deep black bezel, although a bit thick for my liking, still manages to look sleek. A small silver strip accents the set toward the bottom. The stand is very sturdy but it does not swivel. One thing to watch out for are scratches. Make sure you clean the frame and screen with microfiber cloths and not cotton or paper products as the surfaces can be easily scratched if you are not careful!

Overall I am very happy with my purchase with just the one caveat. A good entry level plasma that could have been great if not for a fault in the design of the TV and every other 2009 Panasonic plasma. Everything from the cheapest to the most expensive '09 Panasonic plasma is affected. Will the new 2010 models still have the issue? Only time will tell but I would avoid buying one and instead look at Samsung or LG instead. -- My Plasma Turned Into A Cheap LCD