Panasonic TC-L42U5

42" 1080p LCD HDTV

by Jack Burden, Senior Reviewer

The TC-L42U5 is a 42" CCFL (fluorescent) back lit LCD television that is aimed at putting a 1080p LCD panel at a low price point. The U5 series is only available in the 42" size and it features a 60Hz, 1080p panel. It does not have 3D or any online features so it comes in at a budget price.

Game Mode

For gamers the U5 has a mode (called "Game Mode" strangely enough) that bypasses the picture processing to cut out input delay when playing games on the TV. Input delay is when a gamer presses a button or stick on the gamepad and because the image is fed through the the television's processor the action appears on the TV screen with a noticeable delay. This game have a damaging effect on gameplay so gamers need a TV with a bypass mode like this.

Side Angle Viewing

One area where LCD televisions suffer is in viewing the TV from angles not directly in front of the television. The U5 sees the contrast begin to degrade at about 25 degrees off center.

Appearance

The U5 retains the look of last year's Panasonic LCD televisions with a fairly wide, glosst black bezel with some metal and acryllic accents. It is not a head turner but it isn't a bad looking TV either.

Jack Burden has been reviewing and writing reviews in the consumer electronics category for 7 years with CEAG. He considers grayscale gradation, film patterned retarders, and focus field drives to be fun topics. Read more about Jack