Panasonic 3D home entertainment system goes on sale to a country in mourning
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted March 10th 2010 12:37PM
posted March 10th 2010 12:37PM
Beginning today, customers at Best Buy's Magnolia stores can pick up that Panasonic full HD 3D Home Entertainment System the kids in Japan have been going crazy over for the last month or so. Consisting of a 50-inch Viera VT20 HDTV, a BDT300 Blu-ray Disc Player, and but one pair of Panasonic 3D Active Shutter glasses, the total price is $2900 -- but if you plan on having company over you'll need to pick up additional pairs of 3D eyewear for $150 each. As you well know, Panny is due to start sponsoring free 3D programming to DirecTV HD customers starting in June, so if you're not set up with the service you might as well add that to your shopping list. PC Magazine braved the stampede to check out the scene in Manhattan, so hit the source link to see the pics. As for us, we're going back to watching Snowboard Academy on VHS, as we do every time one of its stars has fallen. PR after the break.
Panasonic's Groundbreaking Full HD 3D Home Entertainment System Now Exclusively Available At Best Buy's Magnolia Stores
Best Buy's Union Square, NYC Store Sells World's First Panasonic Full HD 3D System
DIRECTV Gives First Panasonic Full HD 3D System Customer One Year of Free Service
SECAUCUS, N.J. and RICHFIELD, Minn., March 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Panasonic and Best Buy today continued their commitment to bringing 3D technology into American homes with the world's first consumer purchase and retail availability of Panasonic's Full HD 3D(1) home entertainment system certified(2) under the new Blu-ray Disc™ Association (BDA) 3D standard, sold exclusively at select Best Buy stores via Magnolia Home Theater.
The new range of Full HD 3D capable VIERA Plasma HDTVs and a fully-featured 3D Blu-ray Disc(3) player will bring a new era of immersive visual entertainment into consumers' homes, by creating a 3D experience that easily rivals the best that can be seen in cinemas. By delivering a full 1080p-resolution image to each eye, Panasonic's Full HD 3D technology offers consumers the highest possible visual experience. To enjoy Full HD 3D programming, users wear a stylish and lightweight pair of active-shutter eyewear. The sets are also Full HD TVs that display pristine 1080p content in two dimensions (2D) for conventional HD viewing.
"Television has successfully moved from black and white, to color, to High Definition. But immersive, totally realistic 3D imagery has been the final frontier and beginning today, Panasonic has conquered that as well," said Bob Perry, Senior Vice President, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. "Best Buy has been a proactive and important partner in bringing 3D into the living rooms of America and we are happy to share this milestone with them."
"The demand for 3D technology in the home is just beginning for consumers," said Michael Vitelli, President, Americas, Best Buy, "and Best Buy is uniquely positioned to bring this experience to life for our customers through our Blue Shirts and Geek Squad Agents. We are thrilled to partner with Panasonic as it allows us to be the first retailer to offer this complete 3D home theater solution and underscores our promise to always deliver on the latest and greatest technology."
Beginning today, Panasonic's Full HD 3D Home Theater System will be exclusively available at select Best Buy Stores via Magnolia Home Theater. The total combined SRP of the Panasonic Full HD 3D Plasma Home Theater System components is $2899.99. The system consists of a 50-inch class (49.9" measured diagonally) Panasonic VIERA VT20 Plasma 3D HDTV (TC-P50VT20 – SRP $2,499.95) which includes one pair of Panasonic 3D Active Shutter Lens Eyewear (TY-EW3D10U), and the Panasonic BDT300 3D Blu-ray Disc Player (DMP-BDT300 – SRP 399.95). Additional pairs of 3D eyewear will be available with an SRP of $149.95. The individual components of the system will also be sold separately.
The VT20 is a Best Buy exclusive model and is equivalent to the VT25 series that was voted "Best of Show" at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show. The BDT300 is also a Best Buy exclusive model and is equivalent to the BDT350 which received the Consumer Electronics Association's esteemed Innovations Award for its innovative 3D technology.
In addition to the 50-inch class size, the Panasonic Full HD 3D Home Theater System will also be available in a 54-inch class (54" measured diagonally), 58" class (58" measured diagonally) and 65" class (64.8" measured diagonally) screen sizes with suggested retail pricing and availability to be announced at a later date.
To create the best possible 3D picture, Panasonic has developed new, faster screen phosphors; coupled with its 600Hz sub-field drive, the new displays output alternating imagery at 60 frames per second to each eye. The brain then combines the images and interprets them as 3D.
The BDT300 outputs stunning, rock-solid, and immersive Full HD 3D imagery to compatible displays. It also handles a wide variety of audio standards, and up converts all standard definition video formats. The BDT300 utilizes groundbreaking technologies incorporated in Panasonic's proprietary UniPhier LSI chip, enabling the player to flawlessly process the large quantity of visual information necessary to create a Full HD 3D image in 1920 x 1080 resolution. Adaptive Chroma Upsampling insures that colors will be faithfully reproduced; and all native digital DVD formats are up scaled to 1080p resolution quality.
Panasonic's Full HD 3D products meet the recently announced Blu-ray 3D™ specification standard. This standard, which represents the work of leading Hollywood studios and consumer electronic and computer manufacturers, enables the home entertainment industry to bring the 3D experience into consumers' living rooms on Blu-ray Disc, the most capable high definition home entertainment platform. Individual manufacturers and content providers will now be able to provide the technical information and guidelines necessary to develop and bring products to market.
In January, DIRECTV and Panasonic announced a strategic relationship that will make it possible to bring 3D TV into the homes of millions for the first time. DIRECTV's HD 3D channels, powered by Panasonic, will offer a 24/7 3D DIRECTV Cinema and pay per view event channel focused on movies, documentaries and other programming, a 24/7 3D DIRECTV on Demand channel and a free 3D entertainment channel featuring event programming such as sports, music and other content. In addition, to celebrate the launch of Panasonic's Full HD 3D Home Theater System, DIRECTV is giving the first customer to purchase the system at today's Best Buy launch event in New York one year of free programming, including its upcoming HD 3D service, which will be available this June.
"The superior quality of the HD 3D programming that DIRECTV will debut in June will be unlike anything that is available in the television market today," said Eric Shanks, executive vice president of DIRECTV Entertainment. "Being able to experience that quality through Panasonic's Full HD 3D home theater system will make our customers feel like their living room is a 3D movie theater. We have had a long- time relationship with both Panasonic and Best Buy and we are proud to be partnering with these industry leaders to make the next frontier of television a reality."
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment has been the leader in the 3D revolution taking place in the entertainment industry. The company has consistently supported efforts to bring consumers the benefits of 3D entertainment as quickly as possible. In particular, Fox has distinguished itself by partnering with companies from other industries, including Panasonic, to make Full HD 3D TV a reality in the home.
"3D has invigorated the theater experience and it will be the same for the living room," said Mary Daily, Executive Vice President, Marketing, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. "Panasonic has announced amazing new products today and along with Best Buy's commitment to the format, 3D will become a game changer for the home entertainment industry. We are thrilled to have Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs as our debut title in the Blu-ray 3D format. The Ice Age franchise has grossed nearly $2 billion in worldwide box office and sold more than 75 million units in home entertainment. Blu-ray offers the premiere high definition viewing experience for the home, and Blu-ray 3D uses the advanced quality to bring the movie theater 3D experience to your home."
In addition to its new 3D technologies, each Full HD 3D Plasma model incorporates a rich set of advanced features. VIERA CAST™, Panasonic's innovative Internet programming package, gives viewers the ability to access feature films plus information and communication offerings including Amazon Video on Demand™, Bloomberg News, Fox Sports, Netflix™, and Skype™ on Your VIERA TV, among others.
To bring the excitement of Full HD 3D and Panasonic's range of home entertainment solutions to consumers, Panasonic will launch a 15-city, Panasonic Touch The Future nationwide tour next week. The tour will kick off in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles beginning March 15 and then visit Philadelphia, Boston, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Miami, San Francisco, Phoenix, Seattle, Detroit, Minneapolis, Dallas and Houston in March and April.
For more information on Panasonic's Full HD 3D technology as well as product images, please visit www.panasonic.com/3D
Best Buy's Union Square, NYC Store Sells World's First Panasonic Full HD 3D System
DIRECTV Gives First Panasonic Full HD 3D System Customer One Year of Free Service
SECAUCUS, N.J. and RICHFIELD, Minn., March 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Panasonic and Best Buy today continued their commitment to bringing 3D technology into American homes with the world's first consumer purchase and retail availability of Panasonic's Full HD 3D(1) home entertainment system certified(2) under the new Blu-ray Disc™ Association (BDA) 3D standard, sold exclusively at select Best Buy stores via Magnolia Home Theater.
The new range of Full HD 3D capable VIERA Plasma HDTVs and a fully-featured 3D Blu-ray Disc(3) player will bring a new era of immersive visual entertainment into consumers' homes, by creating a 3D experience that easily rivals the best that can be seen in cinemas. By delivering a full 1080p-resolution image to each eye, Panasonic's Full HD 3D technology offers consumers the highest possible visual experience. To enjoy Full HD 3D programming, users wear a stylish and lightweight pair of active-shutter eyewear. The sets are also Full HD TVs that display pristine 1080p content in two dimensions (2D) for conventional HD viewing.
"Television has successfully moved from black and white, to color, to High Definition. But immersive, totally realistic 3D imagery has been the final frontier and beginning today, Panasonic has conquered that as well," said Bob Perry, Senior Vice President, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. "Best Buy has been a proactive and important partner in bringing 3D into the living rooms of America and we are happy to share this milestone with them."
"The demand for 3D technology in the home is just beginning for consumers," said Michael Vitelli, President, Americas, Best Buy, "and Best Buy is uniquely positioned to bring this experience to life for our customers through our Blue Shirts and Geek Squad Agents. We are thrilled to partner with Panasonic as it allows us to be the first retailer to offer this complete 3D home theater solution and underscores our promise to always deliver on the latest and greatest technology."
Beginning today, Panasonic's Full HD 3D Home Theater System will be exclusively available at select Best Buy Stores via Magnolia Home Theater. The total combined SRP of the Panasonic Full HD 3D Plasma Home Theater System components is $2899.99. The system consists of a 50-inch class (49.9" measured diagonally) Panasonic VIERA VT20 Plasma 3D HDTV (TC-P50VT20 – SRP $2,499.95) which includes one pair of Panasonic 3D Active Shutter Lens Eyewear (TY-EW3D10U), and the Panasonic BDT300 3D Blu-ray Disc Player (DMP-BDT300 – SRP 399.95). Additional pairs of 3D eyewear will be available with an SRP of $149.95. The individual components of the system will also be sold separately.
The VT20 is a Best Buy exclusive model and is equivalent to the VT25 series that was voted "Best of Show" at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show. The BDT300 is also a Best Buy exclusive model and is equivalent to the BDT350 which received the Consumer Electronics Association's esteemed Innovations Award for its innovative 3D technology.
In addition to the 50-inch class size, the Panasonic Full HD 3D Home Theater System will also be available in a 54-inch class (54" measured diagonally), 58" class (58" measured diagonally) and 65" class (64.8" measured diagonally) screen sizes with suggested retail pricing and availability to be announced at a later date.
To create the best possible 3D picture, Panasonic has developed new, faster screen phosphors; coupled with its 600Hz sub-field drive, the new displays output alternating imagery at 60 frames per second to each eye. The brain then combines the images and interprets them as 3D.
The BDT300 outputs stunning, rock-solid, and immersive Full HD 3D imagery to compatible displays. It also handles a wide variety of audio standards, and up converts all standard definition video formats. The BDT300 utilizes groundbreaking technologies incorporated in Panasonic's proprietary UniPhier LSI chip, enabling the player to flawlessly process the large quantity of visual information necessary to create a Full HD 3D image in 1920 x 1080 resolution. Adaptive Chroma Upsampling insures that colors will be faithfully reproduced; and all native digital DVD formats are up scaled to 1080p resolution quality.
Panasonic's Full HD 3D products meet the recently announced Blu-ray 3D™ specification standard. This standard, which represents the work of leading Hollywood studios and consumer electronic and computer manufacturers, enables the home entertainment industry to bring the 3D experience into consumers' living rooms on Blu-ray Disc, the most capable high definition home entertainment platform. Individual manufacturers and content providers will now be able to provide the technical information and guidelines necessary to develop and bring products to market.
In January, DIRECTV and Panasonic announced a strategic relationship that will make it possible to bring 3D TV into the homes of millions for the first time. DIRECTV's HD 3D channels, powered by Panasonic, will offer a 24/7 3D DIRECTV Cinema and pay per view event channel focused on movies, documentaries and other programming, a 24/7 3D DIRECTV on Demand channel and a free 3D entertainment channel featuring event programming such as sports, music and other content. In addition, to celebrate the launch of Panasonic's Full HD 3D Home Theater System, DIRECTV is giving the first customer to purchase the system at today's Best Buy launch event in New York one year of free programming, including its upcoming HD 3D service, which will be available this June.
"The superior quality of the HD 3D programming that DIRECTV will debut in June will be unlike anything that is available in the television market today," said Eric Shanks, executive vice president of DIRECTV Entertainment. "Being able to experience that quality through Panasonic's Full HD 3D home theater system will make our customers feel like their living room is a 3D movie theater. We have had a long- time relationship with both Panasonic and Best Buy and we are proud to be partnering with these industry leaders to make the next frontier of television a reality."
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment has been the leader in the 3D revolution taking place in the entertainment industry. The company has consistently supported efforts to bring consumers the benefits of 3D entertainment as quickly as possible. In particular, Fox has distinguished itself by partnering with companies from other industries, including Panasonic, to make Full HD 3D TV a reality in the home.
"3D has invigorated the theater experience and it will be the same for the living room," said Mary Daily, Executive Vice President, Marketing, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. "Panasonic has announced amazing new products today and along with Best Buy's commitment to the format, 3D will become a game changer for the home entertainment industry. We are thrilled to have Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs as our debut title in the Blu-ray 3D format. The Ice Age franchise has grossed nearly $2 billion in worldwide box office and sold more than 75 million units in home entertainment. Blu-ray offers the premiere high definition viewing experience for the home, and Blu-ray 3D uses the advanced quality to bring the movie theater 3D experience to your home."
In addition to its new 3D technologies, each Full HD 3D Plasma model incorporates a rich set of advanced features. VIERA CAST™, Panasonic's innovative Internet programming package, gives viewers the ability to access feature films plus information and communication offerings including Amazon Video on Demand™, Bloomberg News, Fox Sports, Netflix™, and Skype™ on Your VIERA TV, among others.
To bring the excitement of Full HD 3D and Panasonic's range of home entertainment solutions to consumers, Panasonic will launch a 15-city, Panasonic Touch The Future nationwide tour next week. The tour will kick off in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles beginning March 15 and then visit Philadelphia, Boston, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Miami, San Francisco, Phoenix, Seattle, Detroit, Minneapolis, Dallas and Houston in March and April.
For more information on Panasonic's Full HD 3D technology as well as product images, please visit www.panasonic.com/3D
Expensive, but along the lines of what Panasonic was asking for a 54" Viera S1 last year, buying directly from them in Canada.
@Chibi Chaingun Let's not confuse media with how people view it - they are two very different things.
The inevitability of technology is it has to die, or has to be superseded. When's the last time you bought a technology and said to yourself "there, that's the last time I'll have to buy one of those, I am set for life" and something more advanced or more efficient comes along a couple years(days) later?
I don't believe that 3D television will die on arrival, nor do I think it will become the standard, however, I am interested to see what other advances in home media viewing we will see from it.
12 dead technologies, precursors to current technology:
http://brainz.org/12-dead-technology-advertisements/
Why is the industry shoving 3D out there? Who is going to buy this crap? This doesn't seem like a clever product launch during a worldwide recession.
So what would prevent some from 'forgetting' to give back their glasses after seeing a 3D movie in theatres?
Especially for the price of $150 a pair!
at least ibm is doing something right!
@AM321CAN ibm laid off half of their retail sales people last week. the people that sell cash registers to retail companies.
@nsfw
cry me a river they have 400,000 employees
so they just laid off what like .06 percent? i suck at math but 2700 people is a tiny fraction of the peopple THAT STILL HAVE JOBS wtf lol.
all the grannies insisting 3d is a fad and that no one needs it... were you there complaining when Wizard of Oz came out and you screamed that color was a fad and wouldn't survive because there were no other movies in color?
The first thing that I thought of when I heard Panasonic 3D, was the Panasonic 3DO.
Anyone remember that system?? It was expensive as all get out.
Screw 3D, how about using shutter glasses for full-screen split-screen gaming with no screenwatching.
I went into a Sony Style store and watched a bit of a movie playing in 3D.
I'm sorry, it's just not something I would pay for at home. It gets annoying real fast. The 3D is not as good as what I saw on IMAX for Avatar. It was as good as the RealD version.
Sorry, I'll keep my money...
Called BestBuy/Magnolia here in CO.
No SKU in their system yet for this. Maybe Sunday!
Has anybody try the 3D tv, all wait a second no one has one yet so stop blah blah about it and wait to they get here. If u don't want it then don't get it just watch your B/W tv while I watch my 3D tv.
@Fordy: If it were only that simple. The ridiculously easy to manipulate consumer (that's you) could lead us down a road where we have to wear uncomfortable glasses to watch the news.
When people talk about selling movies in 3D for home viewing, no big. As Barnum said, sucker born every day. But when they talk about starting to offer 3D channels, it becomes a concern for people who watch movies and episodic programming for the content rather than the "look what my TV can do."
Just because it can be done doesn't mean it should be done. Of course, I'm the guy that goes out of his way to seek out the 2D version in the theater. Clearly, I'm not the target audience. [said with a sense of pride]