Zenith 42" Plasma

Shortly after getting this television, I realized that LCD is the way to go. This television is not ideal for any type of gaming. Images burn into the screen. Even when watching television, the station logo (usually in the lower right hand side of the screen) stays visible for hours after changing the channel. Do yourself a favor and spend the extra $100 for an LCD Television. Even mounting this television is a chore, because the stand is not detachable. It simply fold up behinf the television, which makes it hard to plug/unplug new devices without taking the unit off of the wall everytime.

Are you talking about the same model?  Sears has a link to the owners manual (pdf) on the site and it show removal of 4 screws and the stand is removed.

This model is LG's entry-level television (LG owns the Zenith brand). The LG brand is their standard bearer, but they have seen brands like Vizio tearing up the market in the cut-price segment, and rather than focus solely on the quality-driven customers willing to pay a bit more for better picture and component quality, they decided to create an offering to compete with the low price point brands. This model will be fine for average television viewing and regular DVDs. Despite its claimed 1.5 million:1 contrast ratio, it will not have the same picture quality as LG's branded sets, even those with similarly rated contrast ratios.

If price is a primary driver, this would be an ok choice. You might also want to check out the Vizio brand (though you should avoid their 120 Hz models). If you want to step up a little bit, LG's branded products are pretty good, and you can probably get a Panasonic for around the same price. Or, if you're interested in LCD, I'd recommend looking at Samsung's entry level models, and Toshiba, which offers very good picture quality for lower prices than some other brands.

Oh, and if you're going to use your television for gaming, you should consider an LCD.

Hi Mr. BlueCrewGuy,

I to am a BlueCrewGuy working at Sears. We put the Zenith next to the LG and the picture quality is the same! It is a very good set for the money. Have you done a side by side comparison?

I sold 4 of these over the weekend, people love it for the price!

Thanks, yes,

I finally saw this model in the store.  It was next to a Samsung 720p and the picture was comparable.  If I go plasma the Zenith will probably be fine. Re: image burn, I thought this was not a big issue with the current generation of plasmas.  The first replyer was sour on plasma for gaming but is that still true? I was just reading about the image sticking mininimization (ISM) function and the Orbiter option.  Sound like with a little care the LG/Zenith will last.

$499 minus $25 bonus for using my Sears card minus another $38 for using Bing Cashback.  I got it for $436!  Not bad for a 42" Plasma - I just hope it has the PC input it states in specification section and a few A/V inputs on the side so my son can use his Playstation with it.

Don't forget Xmas Club for another 3% savings.

I found out about this deal by chance when I went online Sunday.  By using the "check store availability" tab looked at various areas around the country and can't find any that show it in stock. The local store salesman didn't have a clue. Said I could only get it by ordering it online. Sure would like to see it before I buy it.

Also, do you know if it really has a PC input like the ad specs says?

Thanks

I'm not aware of any LCD television that doesn't have a PC input anymore.

We have yet to receive the Zenith model for the floor. However, you may want to check the settings on the Samsung, because if the Zenith is looking comparable, the settings are likely not set properly on the Samsung.

Hi GRB116!

There will be many times when you will see something advertised on our website yet they are not on display in the store. I do apologize for that because I know that you would like to see the item.

As a company there are decisions made to feature certain items online to expand our product line availabilty. Unfortunately that means that it may not be on display in-store. What I would like to point out is that if you are truly unhappy, we do have a pretty painless return policy.

I hope this helps

I went back to the Sears that has this z42PQ20 on display.  It does not have a PC input connector.  The USB connector is labeled for service only like the manual shows.  So for ~$130 less than the LG 42PQ30 you loose the PC input and the ability to view JPEGs from your USB drive. Same good picture.  I would like the PC input option but I've never used it on my LCD TV. 

GRB116 said…

I found out about this deal by chance when I went online Sunday.  By using the "check store availability" tab looked at various areas around the country and can't find any that show it in stock. The local store salesman didn't have a clue. Said I could only get it by ordering it online. Sure would like to see it before I buy it.

Also, do you know if it really has a PC input like the ad specs says?

Thanks

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Nope, No PC input.  I examined the TV in the store. The pictures of the input in the PDF manual are accuate.  The manual mentions an optional 15 pin cable but that won't be much good

The service port isn't actually a USB port. If you give it a good look, you'll see it's got a slightly different size and shape. There's a special diagnostic tool that goes into that port. You can watch a technician use it during your annual maintenance checks with a protection agreement.

So no PC input.  I guess I'll cancel my order.  Pretty bad when the specifications in the ad state it has a PC input but in reality it doesn't. I would have been pretty upset if I got it home and got it out of the box to find this out.  A lot of wasted time if I had to box it back up and horse it back to the store for a refund. The closest store has a couple in stock but none on display.  Even the sales person said to spend the extra few bucks and get a Panasonic - it doesn't have a PC input either but it does have an SD card slot.

not sure whats available in your area, and other than online availability, i too wanted to see it.  If you have any kmarts in your area, they are available at kmart at 549.99, but atleast you can see the picture quality, which does look quite nice

I WENT TO SEARS AND SAW THE ZENITH 42' TV AND COMPARE WITH THE OTHER TV AND A LCD HAS MORE QUALITY THEN THE ZENITH PLASMA. TO GET YOUR MONEY WORTH PLEASE BUY THE LCD,

OF COURSE SOME SALEMAN WORK FOR A COMMISSION SO THE DONT ALWAYS TELL THE TRUTH THEY ARE MORE INTO THE $$$$ IN THEIR POCKET.

LG has a 42PJ350 model that is selling for less than the 42PQ30. The 42PQ30 has actually been discontinued according to the LG site and the 42PJ350 is a current model. This set is selling for around $539.00 and has a PC input. Samsung also has a similar plasma selling for the same price at Sears. So, if you must have a PC input, it can be done for around $40.00 more than the Zenith. The Sony 1080p LCD for $629.99 at Sears looks like a nice deal too. I was considering a 720P plasma, but I may end up going 1080p LCD for better performance as a computer monitor.

MZTK said…

I WENT TO SEARS AND SAW THE ZENITH 42' TV AND COMPARE WITH THE OTHER TV AND A LCD HAS MORE QUALITY THEN THE ZENITH PLASMA. TO GET YOUR MONEY WORTH PLEASE BUY THE LCD,

OF COURSE SOME SALEMAN WORK FOR A COMMISSION SO THE DONT ALWAYS TELL THE TRUTH THEY ARE MORE INTO THE $$$$ IN THEIR POCKET.

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What LCD is 42" and is also $499.99 most people buying this tv are doing so because of the price not because its a plasma or LCD. Now if price isn't an issue there are many plasmas that beat out the quality of LCDs and vica versa but not all sets are in everyones price range. 

I bought this TV and the picture is awesome and so is the sound.  The price is great, it is worth it.