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Panasonic
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home entertainment
blu-ray
Today in NYC, Panasonic showed off its DMP-BD50, the company's first BD-Live Blu-ray 2.0 player—and the second in the market besides the PlayStation 3—setting the price at $700. It's an improvement over the DMP-BD30, which will stay on the market as a $500 step-down. In addition to BD-Live (and the requisite Ethernet port), it will decode all new DTS and Dolby Digital codecs internally, as well as bitstream them to a compatible receiver, if that's your preference. The player, initially announced at CES, will ship in "late spring," presumably the next 4-6 weeks, and will not need a firmware upgrade to be 2.0 compatible—a requirement of the $400 Sony BDP-S350 player due out around the same time. Fact sheet after the jump.
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Panasonic's DMP-BD50 Their First BD-Live Blu-ray Player
Today in NYC, Panasonic showed off its DMP-BD50, the company's first BD-Live Blu-ray 2.0 player—and the second in the market besides the PlayStation 3—setting the price at $700. It's an improvement over the DMP-BD30, which will stay on the market as a $500 step-down. In addition to BD-Live (and the requisite Ethernet port), it will decode all new DTS and Dolby Digital codecs internally, as well as bitstream them to a compatible receiver, if that's your preference. The player, initially announced at CES, will ship in "late spring," presumably the next 4-6 weeks, and will not need a firmware upgrade to be 2.0 compatible—a requirement of the $400 Sony BDP-S350 player due out around the same time. Fact sheet after the jump.
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giz explains
In this week's Giz Explains—if you haven't noticed, it's a weekly series that breaks down a sticky piece of tech into something more digestible for people whose bellies aren't quite made of nerd steel—we're looking at plasma TVs. Plasma. It just sounds sci-fi.
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Giz Explains: Plasma TV Basics
In this week's Giz Explains—if you haven't noticed, it's a weekly series that breaks down a sticky piece of tech into something more digestible for people whose bellies aren't quite made of nerd steel—we're looking at plasma TVs. Plasma. It just sounds sci-fi.
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rumor
Panasonic Joining OLED TV Game?
In a end-of-article one-liner afterthought, Digitimes noted that Panasonic will begin making OLED TVs "in the future." They'll join Samsung (2009) and LG (2011) in jumping off the current LCD and Plasma train, which is an increasingly competitive (read: lower margin) market. [Digitimes]
digital cameras
Panasonic Picks Picasa for Wi-Fi Lumix TZ50
As you can see in the clip above, Panasonic's Wi-Fi enabled Lumix TZ50 connects to most wireless networks—including T-Mobile Hotspots—and uploads your pictures directly to a Picasa account. It works in reverse also, photos placed online are browsable by the camera. When we tried it out, a picture took about 25 seconds to upload, which is a bit slow but a small price to pay to never worry about wires. The TZ50 will sell for $450 starting in May. [Panasonic]
digital cameras
Fingers-On Panasonic's Lumix FX500 Touchscreen Digital Camera
I just got my greasy hands on the FX500, Panasonic's touchscreen point-and-shoot. As you see in the video, by pointing to a certain object in the frame, the camera stays focused on it even if either the camera or the object goes in motion. Also, manual options could be changed using a slider on the screen, which I found cool. If you don't always like using a touchscreen, you're in luck; there is also a joystick to control the action. The camera is $400 and will be on sale in mid-May. [Panasonic]
kuro
Confirmed: Panasonic and Pioneer Teaming Up for Plasma Panels
When Pioneer announced it was going to stop making its own plasma panels and outsource them to another company, informed speculation was that they were buddying up with Panasonic. A press conference earlier today confirmed that's the case, and Kuro will use the same Neo PDP panels that are going into Panasonic's Viera plasma sets. More »
plasmas
Panasonic's Hot 85U Series Plasma Reviewed by CNet: Very Black, Not Better Than Pioneer's Kuro
CNet's David Katzmaier eats, breathes and shits Giant Plasmas, so when he reviewed Panasonic's 85 series plasmas, their best until the 800 and 850s come out, I noticed. In a nutshell, the 46-inch (yes, 46-inch) 1080p set's 30,000:1 contrast ratio gives it some of the blackest blacks he's ever seen...but unfortunately, still not as black as a Pioneer Kuro, although close. More »
cable
CableLabs Responds to CableCard Screwjob Allegation
The good folks at CableLabs replied to today's piece about CableCard customers getting screwed out of HD channels. To their credit, they did not ask for a correction, because we didn't print anything inaccurate (though they do claim the HD Guru may have). They just wanted us to consider some "clarifications," arguments that go far to highlight the tension (hatred bordering on violence?) that exists between Big Cable and the consumer-electronics companies. The short version: Cable content is always changing, two-way CableCard exists in theory if not at Best Buy, the dongle could work on anything with a USB port and upgradeable firmware, and, oh yeah, you'll probably be buying all-new gear before this thing blows over. Jump for a more spelled out—but still excerpted—version of CableLabs' rebuttal argument: More »
digital cameras
Lumix DMC-TZ50 Coming to US, with T-Mobile Hotspot Access
Remember that saucy little Lumix with the Wi-Fi and free photosharing that was Japan only? Well, Panasonic is releasing the nine-megapixel point-and-shoot over here, and it's going to come with a year's free access to T-Mobile Hotspots. The TZ-50 is available in silver, and will cost $450 when it comes out next month. [Wired]
panasonic
Panasonic HPX-170 P2 Camera is Solid State, HD, Handheld
NAB in Las Vegas saw the unveiling of Panasonic's HPX-170 P2 solid-state camera. The 1080p camcorder has the widest zoom lens in its class, a 13x Leica Dicomar with 28mm wide-angle setting, and an SDI interface, all in a 4.2-pound body. Full press release of the HPX-170 P2 after the jump. More »
panasonic
Panasonic SDR-S7 Lightweight Camcorder Is 5 Oz, Japan-Only
Those of you into teeny-tiny gadgets might like Panasonic's latest SD camcorder aimed at the Japanese market. The SDR-S7 weighs in at just 160 grams—that's 5.6 ounces—and shoots MPEG-2 format in 640 x 480 resolution, storing on either SD or SDHC cards. More specs below. More »
wimax
Dear Sprint and Intel,
I'm sorry to hear about your recent WiMax delays and struggles, I really am. The Xohm service was originally scheduled to launch this month, but all you've given us are a few prototypes and half-baked demos in controlled environments—the public has yet to see the technology truly in action. WiMax in general and Xohm in particular have the potential for greatness, but you guys seem to have lost your way. Here are all the signs that WiMax may be washed up: More »
Is WiMax All Washed Up? An Open Letter
Dear Sprint and Intel, I'm sorry to hear about your recent WiMax delays and struggles, I really am. The Xohm service was originally scheduled to launch this month, but all you've given us are a few prototypes and half-baked demos in controlled environments—the public has yet to see the technology truly in action. WiMax in general and Xohm in particular have the potential for greatness, but you guys seem to have lost your way. Here are all the signs that WiMax may be washed up: More »
cellphones
Panasonic Putting Plasma Display Tech Into Cellphones, Undoubtedly Angering David Lynch
Update: It appears this story is completely false. PRNewswire now claims that AbleComm told them to pass along the news that everyone should disregard their release, because the entire thing is "completely false". Thanks AbleComm. Might want to put your April Fool's news releases on April 1, instead of April 3. More »
4:50 PM on Thu Apr 3 2008
By Jason Chen
1,653 views,
11 comments
sony
Why is this dinky little TV so important? Its screen is roughly the size of the box that Lebowski comes in, and it costs hundreds more than the 50" plasma overshadowing it in the picture. Why so important? Because this little TV is LCD's Grim Reaper. The days of the LCD are numbered—the time of OLED is at hand. And if the performance of Sony's XEL-1 is any indication, nobody is going to miss LCD—or plasma—in the least.
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Sony XEL-1 OLED TV Review (Verdict: Small on Size, Large on Beauty)
Why is this dinky little TV so important? Its screen is roughly the size of the box that Lebowski comes in, and it costs hundreds more than the 50" plasma overshadowing it in the picture. Why so important? Because this little TV is LCD's Grim Reaper. The days of the LCD are numbered—the time of OLED is at hand. And if the performance of Sony's XEL-1 is any indication, nobody is going to miss LCD—or plasma—in the least.
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displays
Mitsubishi 80-Inch MegaView Best Bet for Battlestar Bridge
How well equipped is your command center? Mitsubishi is currently trying to woo customers to its 80-inch 1400x1050-pixel VS-80PH40U "MegaView Wall" display. My guess is that Mitsu may see it as the last market for DLP rear-projection sets, now that everyone is pulling out. Though Mitsu isn't talking prices yet, the extra bright, front-accessible screen could well be a fairly affordable way to line the whole CIC with dynamic data monitors (DRADIS showing incoming Raiders, comms waveforms, FTL drive status, etc.), not like Mayor Mike Bloomberg's single, solitary, donated 103-inch 1080p Panasonic plasma. [Mitsubishi via SlipperyBrick]
digital cameras
Nine-Megapixel Lumix DMC-TZ50 Has Wi-Fi, Photo-Sharing
May sees the Japanese release of Panasonic's Lumix DMC-TZ50, a nine-megapixel point-and-shoot with built-in wifi, meaning you can upload your photos directly to the web. At the moment only the Lumix Club that gets to host your pics, but restrictions will probably be lifted when the TZ50 gets a global release. There's also a 10x zoom and Leica lens, a three-inch LCD screen, and night- and face-recognition abilities. [Panasonic Japan via Ascii through Google Translate]
digital cameras
It may not be first touchscreen digital camera on the market, but Panasonic's new LUMIX FX500 is better late than never with a 3-inch touchscreen LCD and the same 25mm ultra-wide-angle Leica DC lens 10.1MP resolution, intelligent ISO and face detection as the FX35. It also features a 5x optical zoom, auto focus tracking and the ability to shoot HD video (1280 x 720p) content and still photos with a 16:9 aspect ratio. Not too bad for the $399.95 price tag. Expect to see it on store shelves starting this May. Additional pic and press release after the break.
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Panasonic Goes Touchscreen With the LUMIX FX500 Digital Camera
It may not be first touchscreen digital camera on the market, but Panasonic's new LUMIX FX500 is better late than never with a 3-inch touchscreen LCD and the same 25mm ultra-wide-angle Leica DC lens 10.1MP resolution, intelligent ISO and face detection as the FX35. It also features a 5x optical zoom, auto focus tracking and the ability to shoot HD video (1280 x 720p) content and still photos with a 16:9 aspect ratio. Not too bad for the $399.95 price tag. Expect to see it on store shelves starting this May. Additional pic and press release after the break.
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