Photos: Panasonic Viera TH-42PZ81 Freesat plasma

Also at the back of the TV are the usual sockets. The 42PZ81 has two HDMIs at the rear, and a third at the front. To be honest, we would prefer three at the back and a fourth at the front, but hey-ho, you can always get a switch if you need more.

You also get RCA sockets for component in, audio in and out and a pair of Scarts. There's a VGA socket for PC connections and an optical digital audio output to get sound to your home cinema system. This becomes more important with freesat, because HD channels carry Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound.