Panasonic TH42PX80 Settings

The following settings were derived from our Panasonic TH42PX80 review unit which was calibrated with reference to D65 and high-definition Rec.709 standards over HDMI in a dimly lit environment for critical viewing. To apply these settings, first reset the values to the default factory settings, and then follow the instructions. This is necessary because Panasonic did not bother to include a numerical guide for each individual control.

While these values provided a picture closest to D65 for us, they may not be optimal for your Panasonic TH42PX80 due to variations in ambient light, video source or between units. We recommend that you use a basic calibration disc like the Digital Video Essentials HD DVD or – if you want to avoid HD DVDs like the plague since their demise – the upcoming Digital Video Essentials Blu-Ray to finetune your settings.

Initially there will be some of you who may find the picture too yellow/ warm, and are tempted to switch back to [Colour Balance] "Normal". According to our measurements (and eyes), [Colour Balance] "Warm" gave the colour temperature closest to the D65 standard adopted by broadcast and movie studios. We suggest that you persevere with these settings for 3 days to 1 week, by which point hopefully you'll appreciate how natural the colours are, and won't revert to cooler colour temperature which looks brighter but inaccurate.

From our experience, these settings are good enough to break-in your Panasonic TH42PX80, as long as you don't go do something daft like display a static logo or the Windows desktop for more than 30 minutes which will greatly increase the risk of permanent screenburn. If in doubt, just lower your contrast and brightness even more, and only apply these settings after the first 200 hours.