Coming in September is a new range of plasma HDTVs from Panasonic, namely the PZR900 Viera series. This new range will consist of three models, the 42 inch TH-42PZR900, 46-inch TH-45PZR900 and 50-inch TH-50PZR900. Each model also sports a 1TB HDD for recording up 86 hours worth of your favourite TV shows from the BS digital broadcasting system in Japan. Yes these suckers are currently only lined up for release in Japan, but they may well hit other shores later in the year. Each model sports the following specs

* 1920 x 1080 HD res
* 30,000:1 contrast ratio
* YouTube compatibility
* 3 HDMI inputs
* Optical digital output

Given a rough currency conversion, the 42 inch will set you back US$3,900, the 46 US$4,400 and US$5,000 will get you the 50 inch big boy. A lot of money for a HD screen, but Panasonic TVs usually match their specs in quality.

It’s also interesting to compare the PZR900 to the PZ850 range. The PZ850s are considerably cheaper yet do not sport the 1TB HDD. The PZR900 50 inch option adds US$1,500 for the extra functionality of the 1TD HDD recorder which seems a touch over the top. So may be a PZ850 unit with a standalone recording option may be a better choice than a similar PZR900 model.

Featured tags: hdtv panasonic plasma tv pzr900 viera

Sphere this entry»

Whilst the latest projector range, LB80, from Panasonic is squarely aimed at schools and offices, if you’re looking for portability from your projector then one of these suckers may be just what you are looking for. The range includes the PT-LB80NTU, PT-LB80U, PT-LB75NTU, PT-LB75U and a widescreen version the PT-LW80NTU and all of them weigh in at under seven pounds.

The NTU dubbed units also feature wireless connectivity which enables them to be located just about anywhere in your school, office or home. And for some reason they allow up to 128 PCs to be connected to them simultaneously. If you’re still keen read on for further details

* 802.11g connectivity for NTU units
* 1280 x 800 res for the PT-LW80NTU
* 1024 x 768 res for the others
* 3,200 lumens for the PT-LB80NTU and PT-LB80U
* 2,600 lumens for the rest

Here are the key stats though PT-LW80NTU - US$3,499, PT-LB80NTU - $3,299, PT-LB80U - $2,999, PT-LB75NTU - $2,299, PT-LB75U - $1,999.

Whilst the units are nothing flash in the display quality department, the portability and wireless connectivity may appeal to some-one out there.

Source: BusinessWire

Featured tags: lb80 panasonic projector

Sphere this entry»

We have been waiting almost half a year for the final details on Panasonic’s latest range of Viera plasma HDTVs, the PZ850 series, and here they are at last. The 46, 50, 58 and 65 inch units sport built-in internet access for Youtube video and Picasa pics plus other sites to be announced in the future. Here are a few more specs for you to drool over

* four HDMI ports
* PC input
* native contrast ratio of 30,000:1
* dynamic contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1
* H.264 decoding
* SD slots so camcorder video can be watched without conversion
* 24p native playback
* 1080p resolution

The 46 and 50 inch versions will be out this summer, whilst the big boys will appear in the autumn. Price tags are as follows, 46 - US$3100, 50 - US$3500, 58 - US$4300 and finally 65 - US$8000. These suckers, despite the cost, seem to have a nice number of bells and whistles and if their performance matches the outstanding specs, one of them should really be gracing your viewing room sooner rather than later.

As an aside, nice shot from the original version of The Thomas Crown Affair.

Source: Panasonic

Featured tags: hdtv panasonic plasma tv viera

Sphere this entry»

No, Panasonic’s Viera P905iTV is not a snazzy new HD TV, it’s a mobile phone which sports a display with TV-esque specifications. The boys over at Panasonic have grabbed their TV making skills and shoved them into a mobile phone, hence the Viera moniker. Check these impressive specs

* 3.5 inch 854 x 480 res display
* 30 fps playback
* 4,000:1 contrast ratio
* TV out port

Oh yeah, you can use it as a mp3 playing camera phone too

* HSDPA connectivity
* Audio output port
* 2 MP camera
* SDHC memory slot

Panasonic are also boasting 660 hours on standby before this sucker needs to be re-juiced. This figure drops down to 160 minutes if you’re watching TV. The P905iTV certainly has all the bells and whistles for a multi-media fanatic who talks a lot, however two downers unless you live in Japan and/or have oodles of cash, no word on a price, but don’t expect this to become this year’s stocking filler at Christmas, and it’s only currently available in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Personally, I’d struggle to watch the SuperBowl on this thing, but for news and current affairs proggies, it could just do the trick.

Featured tags: cellphone p905iTV panasonic

Sphere this entry»

Panasonic must be very proud of their latest Blu-Ray player, the DMP-BD30K, as it’s the first BR player to be introduced with the Final Standard Profile. The FSP adds new functionality to Blu-Ray players such as Picture in Picture and Audio Mixing (alternative sound source). Other bells and whistles include

* Support for the AVCHD video format
* SD card slot
* HDMI 1.3 1080p output with 24fps
* Component, S-Video, Video outputs
* 5.1 channel audio output

And it’ll play just about any disc format you care to throw at it apart from well let’s just say ‘the other one’. If you have other Panny gadgets wired up to this sucker you can make use of their EZ-Sync functionality to control them all with one remote.

The DMP-BD30K has already been reviewed over at CNET and gets a commendable 7.4 out of 10. I must agree that with a price tag of $500 plus the features Panasonic have crammed into it, the DMP-BD30K would not be a bad purchase. However how can the BR camp compete with the incredibly aggressive pricing of the opposition?

Source: PR News Wire

Featured tags: blu ray player DMP BD30K panasonic

Sphere this entry»