Panasonic TC-P42S1 Simply Amazing

I've been looking for a new TV to replace my 26" tube TV for at least a year or more. Everything I was looking at was quite expensive. Well, now that prices are dropping around to what I can afford, I've finally caved in and bought a new TV.

I had my mind set on an LCD for the longest time. Supposedly, it was the kind of TV to get as a gamer. No blur, no burn-in: Important things like that. However, that was a year or more ago when I did my initial research. Now, plasma screens no longer have that kind of burn-in issue. Being heavily into gaming, this is perhaps the biggest issue to me. I didn't want to buy a TV that was just going to get ruined.

After telling my ideas to the salesman at HHGreg, he assured me that plasmas were great to use for gaming and this one would actually give me the best picture for what I'll be using it for. And it was a great buy (only $799).

Setup was a breeze right out of the box. I had it hooked up in less than 20 minutes. And 5 of those minutes were spent trying to find a way to get the main part of the box off (hint: It's the white plastic handle-like things on the sides. Unclip, then pull them off), while another 5 was me looking for a screwdriver, and yet another 5 spent on pulling things out of the box. So, if you're quick about it, you can probably get this thing running in 10 minutes.

The first thing I tested on this TV was Band of Brothers on Blu-Ray. Words are almost not enough for how amazing the picture quality is. And, I don't own a surround sound system, so all we had was what came from the TV. I almost wonder if I need a surround sound. Even at low volumes, this TV puts out great, crisp sound.

Next, I needed to see how a game looked. I picked Metal Gear Solid 4. It seemed almost like a completely different game than when I played it when it first came out. Again, everything was so crisp, clean, and clear as far as the visuals and audio was concerned. I have nothing but praise for this TV.

ADDITION!
So, I've had this TV for a couple of weeks and after coming home from work I popped in 'The Office' to watch a few episodes. I fell asleep with it on, and the DVD went to a very static (non-moving) screen for the DVD menu after the episodes on that disc were over. I woke up a little shocked after 6 hours to see the screen like it was. I turned the PS3 off, and saw there was a sliiiiiiiiight bit of burn-in. But it cleared up quite quickly after turning it off while I went to some classes.

I still have nothing but praise for this TV, even if it, combined with my PS3, makes my room unbearably hot. It's a great winter investment...