Product Listing

Panasonic VIERA TH-L42D25S - High-Def Champion

By Andy Sim - 10 Jan 2011
Launch SRP: S$2699

Conclusion

The Final Word

If you've skipped the entire review just to read this page, then this summary is for you. Panasonic has done a decent job with its first LED-based HDTV although it's still far from being a perfect AV icon. For the most part, the D25S looks stylish and handsome enough in its purple accents. It should also add a touch of color to an otherwise drab cabinet or rack. Or, you may also pass it off as cosmetic gimmickry. Honestly, we're baffled by its 42-inch size limitations, but nonetheless, this telly comes with two tuners and a wide selection of features, which we hope, would justify its above average price tag. Panasonic has improved by leaps and bounds in the multimedia aspect in recent years. With the presence of VIERA Cast and VIERA Image Viewer, it now has a decent online platform and media playback functions to challenge the competition.

Is the D25S worth its salt? The purplish VIERA is definitely worth paying for if you watch HD content mostly. Otherwise, do consider its average standard definition performance before forking out $2699 for this LED-backlit display. 

The presence of ISFccc calibration options is an added bonus for enthusiasts who prefer to manage settings such as RGB gain and cutoff and so forth. Performance-wise, while its viewing angle is great, we noticed that the TV was prone to subtle contrast shifts at wider angles. In some ways, we were surprised by its potential for relatively deep and even blacks, despite its edge-lit illumination without local dimming. When it comes to HD sources, the VIERA LCD is an awesome panel. Think natural and vivid hues with razor pixel-for-pixel mapping. However, it's still plagued by an Achilles Heel or two. For one, it accepts native 1080/24p inputs, but unfortunately, lacks film cadence detection. While Motion Picture Pro can be effective in some instances, it also gave rise to sporadic motion artifacts. Picture quality was tolerable with DVDs but the HDTV's scaler could do better with its noise reduction and scaling techniques. All in all, we'd say go for this Panasonic display if HD content is what you watch typically.

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8.5
  • Design 8.5
  • HD Performance 9
  • SD Performance 8
  • Features 9
  • Value 8.5
The Good
Natural colors
Feature-packed
Splendid HD performance
The Bad
Average SD quality
Ineffective noise filters
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