Panasonic TC-P42U1 Latency and Specs

Old Tech is Good Tech!

After picking up this plasma TV, I discovered how great these TVs are. The colors, black levels, and motion clarity rival modern LCDs! The photos don’t do the picture and motion justice. You really have to see these TVs in person.

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Oct 23, 2025

After getting hooked on the TV’s visuals, I wanted to see how the input lag compared to other displays, but couldn’t find information about this TV online, so I got out my ⏱️ Time Sleuth and started latency testing. here’s what I found.

Supported Resolutions

Input Latency

Measurements are done with a ⏱️ Time Sleuth. A CRT will have a latency of about 8.333ms at the center point of the screen. Since plasma TVs have the same latency measurement on all areas of the screen at once (unlike CRTs or LCDs) I have measured latency from the center of the plasma screen and subtracted 8.333ms for an accurate measurement of latency compared to a other displays that draw a picture from top to bottom.

I turned off all video processing options in the display menu. I also named all the inputs “GAME” even though this TV doesn’t have a dedicated “Game Mode.”

(1080i isn’t an option on my Time Sleuth. Maybe someone else can get that measurement and send it to me? 🫤)

HDMI

Component

This TV has about two frames of latency over HDMI with progressive signals. Analog inputs add just slightly more. Interlaced signals add an additional frame. (I’m assuming this TV handles 240p as 480i like most flat panels do.) While, I like my input latency to be faster than that, two frames isn’t terrible.

Overscan

This TV enlarges the image slightly on all resolutions. It can be toggled off so you have 1-to-1 pixels in the Picture menu except for 720p. With that resolution, there is no way to remove the overscan.

Basic Specs

• 41.6" screen
• widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio
• 1920 x 1080 pixels
• 900 TV Lines Moving Picture Resolution
• 600Hz Sub-field Drive anti-blur technology
• 30,000:1 contrast ratio (2,000,000:1 dynamic)
• Deep Color support
• Built-in stereo speakers (10 watts x 2)
• Remote control
• HDMI-CEC
• Picture settings memory for each video input
• 7 A/V inputs, including:
  • 2 composite video (1 rear, 1 side)
  • 1 S-video
  • 2 component video (accepts signals up to 1080p)
  • 3 HDMI v1.3 (2 rear, 1 side) — accepts signals up to 1080p (60Hz, 24Hz)
• RF input for antenna/cable signals
• Optical digital audio output for Dolby Digital
• Side SD memory card slot for digital photo playback
• Detachable stand (stand “footprint” is 18"W x 12-7/8"D)
• Wall-mountable (bracket not included)
• 40-1/2"W x 25-3/8"H x 3-7/8"D (27-7/8"H x 12-7/8"D on stand)
• Weight: 59.6 lbs. with stand; 55.2 lbs. without stand
• Extra long-life panel (100,000 hours)

Service Menu – Check Number of Hours in Use

In order to check the number of hours, you need to enter the Service Menu. Requires a Remote Control.

To do this, hold the Vol- button on the TV itself. While holding this, press INFO on the remote three times. Continue holding Vol-. The blue service menu should appear.

1. Press 2 on the TV remote
2. Press OK on the TV remote
3. Press the down arrow (🔽) on the TV remote until you highlight “PTCT”
4. Press the right arrow (▶️) on the TV remote.
5. Hold MUTE on the TV remote for three seconds. The number of hours and minutes will appear. See image below (17783 hours and 42 minutes).
6. To exit, hold the power button on the TV until the set turns off.

Cleaning the Screen

Used TVs are usually a little dirty, so it’s handy knowing how to safely clean the screen. First, unplug the power cord plug from the wall outlet.

• Wipe the panel surface gently using a cleaning cloth or a soft, lint-free cloth. 
• If the surface is dirty, soak a soft, lint-free cloth in a weak detergent solution (1 part mild liquid dish soap diluted by 100 times the amount of water) and then wring the cloth to remove excess liquid. Use this cloth to wipe the surface of the display panel. Then wipe it evenly with a dry cloth, of the same type, until the surface is dry. 

Documentation

• 🛠️ Calibration Guide
• 📕 Product Manual