Panasonic Readies Spring Launch for 3D Products in Europe
MUNICH -- Panasonic’s first 3D products for Europe will arrive in the spring, the company said Tuesday at its annual briefing for European reporters. The initial entries will comprise two plasma TVs and a Blu-ray 3D player. The announcement came a week after Panasonic said it would ship two plasma 3D sets for sale in Japan on April 23 (CED Feb 10 p1).
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In Tuesday’s opening session, Panasonic extolled its NeoPDP plasma technology as ideal for 3D viewing. Because of the rapid response of the screen phosphors and the shuttered spectacles, there’s no “afterglow” -- meaning no left/right image overlap and 3D blurring “compared to other companies,” Panasonic said. “NeoPDP is most suitable for 3D, because crosstalk reduction is key,” said Hirotoshi Uehara, director of Panasonic’s PDP Business. “NeoPDP is perfection for the 3D evolution.” The company’s full HD 3D system uses the frame sequential method, in which separate 1080p images are displayed alternately for the left and right eyes. In synch with the images displayed, the 3D eyewear opens and closes left and right LCD shutters.
Two TVs in Panasonic’s VT20 plasma series will be 3D-capable. A 50-inch model ships in May in the U.K. at 2,000 pounds ($3,120), followed by a 65-inch set at 4,000 pounds ($6,240) in July. Both TVs come with two sets of 3D glasses, with extras at 100 pounds each ($156). That compares with the Japan launch, where the company will ship 50- and 54-inch plasma sets at $4,800 and $6,000 respectively, with one set of glasses included and extras at $112 each.
Panasonic’s first Blu-ray 3D player for Europe will be the DMP-BDT300, the company said. It didn’t reveal a price or shipping date, but previously said players would hit the U.S. and Europe in the spring. In Japan in April, it will field three Blu-ray 3D recorders and a single 3D player, so far all unpriced.
A key feature of the DMP-BDT300 is its twin HDMI outputs. There’s a Version 1.4 connector to send video to a TV, and Version 1.3 jack to send audio to legacy multichannel amplifiers, which lack the V1.4 connection needed to pass 3D video and control signals to TVs (CED Feb 9 p12). Among other audio features, the Blu-ray 3D player cuts electrical current to the analogue video terminal if it’s not being used. “This prevents adverse effects on the audio signals and produces clearer sound,” Panasonic said. Additionally, the player incorporates “Digital Tube Sound,” the company said. “Panasonic has been studying the sound of vacuum tube amplifiers for years. And now, we are able to faithfully simulate the characteristics of the distinctive warm, comforting sound of the tube amplifiers. With this feature, three different kinds of vacuum tubes with different personalities can be enjoyed,” it said.
In addition to 3D playback, the DMP-BDT300 has networking functions. Those include Panasonic’s Viera Cast, for streaming online content from Internet partners. For in-home networking, the player also has DLNA capability and a wireless LAN adaptor, Panasonic said. Users can also watch content from digital cameras and camcorders by means of an integrated SD card slot and USB port. Most of the same networking features are included in Panasonic’s Viera TVs.
Of particular interest to U.K. viewers, Panasonic’s two 3D TVs and three non-3D models have built tuning for Freeview HD. That’s the U.K.’s new terrestrial HD broadcast system, now available in the London and Manchester areas and slated to reach about half the population by the end of March. More integrated Freeview HD TVs, as well as set-top boxes, are expected to hit stores in time for June’s HD broadcasts of World Cup soccer (CED Feb 16 p8).
Panasonic touted the green attributes of its 2010 TVs and Blu-ray players to reporters at its Munich briefing Tuesday. Thanks to technology that improves luminosity, the company’s plasma TVs “are much more energy-efficient than their predecessors,” it said. “Power consumption has been reduced by up to 35 percent, compared with last year’s models.” It also continues to use lead-free panels and long-life 100,000-hour panels. For its LCD TVs, those with LED backlighting also conserve energy, Panasonic said. All its TVs also feature an Eco Control function that automatically turns off connected devices when the TV is switched off. The function can also automatically set inactive devices to standby mode to further conserve energy, Panasonic said. Its Blu-ray players have an Intelligent Auto Standby mode that puts them into standby mode after a movie finishes.