Panasonic LCD TC-L42D2 42" 1080p Televisions
DESIGN (Average):Thanks to its LED back-lighting, the Panasonic TC-L42D2 features a very slim design but is no stand-out among the crowd of typically all glossy-black flat panel HD TVs. The frame immediately surrounding the screen is a relatively light shade of black that is then framed by a darker, more typical glossy-black. It is a pleasant, if unremarkable, subtle touch that fits with any decor.
The menu system of the TC-L42D2 is fairly easy to use and implements a persistent navigation column of icons with much-appreciated onscreen explanations.
REMOTE (Above Average):
The remote for the Panasonic TC-L42D2 stands above those of other 42 inch 1080p LCD televisions. The remote of the TC-L42D2 has a logical button layout with back-lit keys that feel nice to the touch. It also features a distinguishably larger menu button, though it suffers from a lack of distinguishable buttons elsewhere.
FEATURES (Average):
The major appeal of the Panasonic TC-L42D2 Is its energy-saving LED back-light. LED back-lighting for 1080p LCD televisions is the newest method for enhancing the picture quality to rival that of plasma televisions and typically produces comparable results. Traditional LCD televisions use fluorescent bulbs to provide the light source. LED back-lighting, however, involves placing white LEDs arranged around the inside frame of the TV along with a special light diffusion panel designed to spread the light evenly behind the LCD panel, resulting in a uniform color range across the screen. LED back-lighting comes in two flavors: full-array and edge-lit. Panasonic’s TC-L42D2 uses the edge-lit variety, but instead of featuring the LEDs on all four edges, the TC-L42D2 only makes use of the top and bottom edges. This makes the TC-L42D2 an energy efficient TV set while still providing a solid distribution of color.
The TC-L42D2 also features a 120Hz refresh rate, which helps ward off the subtle motion blur to which lower refresh rate LCD televisions are prone.
Continuing the trend of recent, high-end, 42 inch 1080p LCD televisions, the Panasonic TC-L42D2 also has a proprietary Universal Dock for iPod. The iPod integration is well implemented featuring simple menus to access all the goods of your iPod.
PICTURE QUALITY (Above Average):
Compared to other LED-based 42 inch 1080p LCD TVs, the Panasonic TC-L42D2 didn’t seem to have as much intensity in its color and had an overly-red gray scale; however, colors were still fairly vibrant and skin tones appeared quite natural, if lacking a bit in the saturation. The black scale of the TC-L42D2 was superb for a 42 inch 1080p LCD TV. Its depth of black provided by the TC-L42D2 was impressive and very rich, allowing one to distinguish between shadows and other dark objects on screen. These rich black shades really bolstered the contrast ratio of the TC-L42D2–good blacks and whites creating a snappy picture. The uniformity of the TC-L42D2’s picture was also solid, but fell short of LCD televisions that use full-array LED back-lighting. As usual for Panasonic’s LCD TV offerings (and LCD televisions as a whole), the TC-L42D2 has a matte finish screen, which allows it to perform well under bright lighting conditions and ensures that the screen does not reflect those distracting, bright, in-room objects.
PRICE (Above Average):
For an LED-back-lit LCD television, the price of the TC-L42D2 is surprisingly reasonable, but it is only an edge-lit LED–and only on the top and bottom.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Product type: LCD TV
Diagonal Size: 42 in – Wide-screen
Weight: 47.4 lbs.
Enclosure Color: Glossy black
Technology: TFT active matrix
LCD Back-light Technology: LED Back-light technology
LED Back-light Type: Top & Bottom Edge Light
Display Format: 1080p
Refresh Rate: 120Hz
LCD Pixel Response Time:
Image Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Dynamic Contrast Ratio: 2,000,000:1
Wide-screen Modes: Full , Just , Zoom , Conventional 4:3
Progressive Scan: Progressive scanning (line doubling)
HDTV Ready: Yes
Input Video Formats: 480p, 720p , 1080i , 1080p
OVERALL (Above Average):
One of Panasonic’s rare attempts at LCD televisions, the TC-L42D2 performs well enough to stand up to most 42 inch 1080p LCD televisions, but falls short of the best LED-based variants.