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
Hopefully Plasma 3D is cheaper than what Samsung has offer. Samsung is asking minimum $2000 price tag for 40" 3d TV at top of $150 per 3D glasses ready.
@techlord
This panasonic is $2500. If the price isn't really up your alley, wait 5 years. 3d will be dead like it should be, and you can get a TV with useful features.
@dez
"3d will be dead"
Avatar and Alice in Wonderland box office numbers disagree.
@dez amen
@Chibi Chaingun: I think I need to install a box office at home to help pay for all this stuff.
@Chibi Chaingun
Correction: 3D TV will be dead on arrival. Don't confuse a 100 ft immersive IMAX screen showing a 3D movie, with a 32 inch TV showing 3D using LCD shutter-tech. I'm sure it'll look like you're staring at a moving blurry diorama, at BEST.
@techlord The funniest thing is that Sammy made 3D DLP TV's for years. I have a 50" 1080P one and paid just south of $1500 for it over 2 years ago. Might finally get some content for it now since 3D is the new expensive thing to covet. Wonder if the 3D glasses they are shipping now will work with the old DLPs, never did get around to picking up a pair of those.
@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/
@akaushal25 & Chibi Chaingun
I'll have to disagree on this one and agree with dez.
I would pay to see a movie in 3D once or twice a year in a theatre.
I would NEVER pay some thousands of dollars to watch them at home.
Why ?
Because there aren't that many movies worth the technology.
Just take the IMDB Top 250 and tell me how many movies you would actually like to watch in 3D.
@Johnny Tremaine I already have a 3D DLP projector ($420 new at Amazon) and it looks BETTER than what you get at the theater. Zero ghosting/crosstalk with active shutter tech w/ DLP compared to polarized glasses.
Total for my setup:
DLP 3D projector: $420 shipped (Amazon)
88" Pull Down screen: $57 shipped (Amazon)
nVidia 3D Vision Glasses: $199 shipped (Amazon)
A computer I already had: $0
$677 total and the 3D is clearer than any 3D theater I've been to (including IMAX) except for a Sony 4k Digital 3D theater (Alamo Drafthouse) that was insanely clear.
@Janvito5:
I'm assuming you have an HDTV and a Hi-Def player. If so, then you already paid "thousands of dollars" to upgrade to that. Also, when HD-DVD/Blu-Ray came out, there wasn't TONS of content yet either, better yet... no one thought they wanted or needed HD at all! I have no doubt that 3D releases will flow like water once the 3D equipment hits it to retail in large numbers. You will see movies converted to 3D like Alice in Wonderland was. The "conversion" method of that movie proved that old films can once again be re-experienced like never before. Gold mine for movie studios, they will be pushing this hard.
@Johnny Tremaine Could not agree more. There is a place for 3D in theaters. In fact they hope it will save the theater experience.. However at home it isn't practical..
@Chibi Chaingun 3DTV will not be dead in 5 years, it will be dead in 3. Now 3DCinema on the other hand, that has some life
@Michael Kirschner
That's exactly my point.
I think there is a limit to what extent of specialization a consumer will go to acquire a product, or simply enjoy it now and then.
3D has always been a gimmick and will always be, though it comes and goes and fills in the economic gap between new generation of technologies. That way, corporations can bring new products to the market, not only to fool the consumer but mostly, to stay alive and please investors.
Peace.
@KAL326
Funny thing is it is worthless for the new stuff. Enjoy!
"Just take the IMDB Top 250 and tell me how many movies you would actually like to watch in 3D."
Any of them. That's the hypocrisy of many 3-D naysayers: First they complain that 3-D movies are a bunch of tacky, in-your-face gimmicks. Then they point to non-tacky, non-gimmicky movies and say, "These aren't the right kind of movies for 3-D."
After taking 3-D pictures for 25 years, I can say that some of the best are simple scenes. For example, people around a table with glassware on it, and an open window in the background revealing a cobblestone street receding in the distance.
Think it through.
@Janvito5 : You do realize that you can watch OTHER stuff on that TV? It's like you're paying $3000 only for 3D movies and then it's useless.
So I can check this out at any Best Buy Magnolia store?
@yakapo I read that as "Best Buy Mongolia" and I was blown away that Best Buy had a store in Mongolia. Or that Mongolia has any tech stores, for that matter.
I think I'd be happier with the $150 and not a thing on my face, but thanks.
@Sweet Dude
Better watch out. That thing on your head might make its way onto your face.
@Sweet Dude
Then.. don't buy any..?
Great! Viewers will enjoy rapidly rising black levels in 3D now as well as 2D. Keep up the good work Panasonic - NOT!
@harywood
And it'll still have better blacks than an LCD.
Furthermore, it was not rapidly rising, more like too noticeably rising. As the panel loses brightness, it's automatically set to a higher brightness setting, which costs some blackness. But as i said, i bet you'll be hard pressed to find an LCD that comes close to this one in terms of black level, at least one that does not use local dimming, which is not yet anywhere near perfect either.
When will we start to see TV's making use of polarization? There's no way in hell I'm buying an active shutter model.
@MrSpontaneous: Why do you say that? Assuming that the switching rate is high enough, shutter glasses should give a FAR clearer images than polarizers (no brightness or resolution loss, among other advantages). Home 3D can be better than theater 3D, where shutter glasses are too expensive to use.
@MrSpontaneous
The polarized LCDs are like $10k for a 46-inch and shows 2D content at 540p. So I wouldn't hold your breath.
@Zhuzhu I say this because shutter glasses are running upwards of $100 (2 glasses = an Xbox), are quite bulky (compared to the polarized ones), require power, and, in my opinion, will be an annoyance for anyone with pets and/or small children.
@MrSpontaneous
Those TVs already exist. I saw one at SIGGRAPH; I think it was a JVC-branded unit. The guy showing it didn't even know how it worked, but examination revealed that they had polarized the horizontal rows in alternate directions. Thus you get full horizontal resolution but only half vertical resolution to each eye.
And no, this doesn't mean that 2-D content is only 540p. Why would it? Unless you keep your glasses on for 2-D content, which would mean each eye would get 540 rows...
Probably the best solution for the 3-D enthusiast is to buy two separate front projectors and put polarizing lenses on them. The polarizers are quite cheap, as are the glasses, and you'd get full resolution and no flicker. You would need a silver screen, though.
Is this a joke?
"Panasonic 3D home entertainment system goes on sale to a country in mourning"
Which country is in mourning and for what death?
Or did you mean Morning as in the start of the day?
@johnw248 Corey Haim, maybe? Or maybe it was just a coincidental movie choice.
@johnw248
"As for us, we're going back to watching Snowboard Academy on VHS, as we do every time one of its stars has fallen."
@johnw248
I just checked The Google. It's Corey Haim. LAPD is calling it an "accidental overdose".
@johnw248
Yeah, i was seriously wondering. I don't know who that guy is, so the joke just confused me.
Yeah, lots of guys with his history of drug abuse have "accidental" overdoses, as opposed to those "planned" overdoses. I'm still trying to figure out who the hell he was and why we should care.
Have you guys seen pics of the glasses? They're horrible. Saw 'em on the news this morning. They stick way off of your face, they're too thin and they sat way too high on the guy's face. They look like a 1989 version of the future.
Whoa! I gotta put in a call to Emmett Brown to explain that last sentence of yours.
http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2009/10/20091009153722500.JPG
The glasses. If the link doesn't work, just google "Panasonic 3d glasses"
And here I am sitting in front of my 24'' CRT monitor.
@weeman
I'm just a caveman, your world frightens and confuses me. And I don't understand why I should pay you $200 for what we just did.
Give it a few years and the price will drop. It's like when Plasma TV's first came out, they were so expensive. Now they are relatively cheap.
And the world responds with a collective "Meh".
Wouldn't it be possible to use the 3D shutter glasses system with a "normal" TV that can display high refresh rates and a player emitting a signal for the glasses to be synchronized ?
@Woaha
Yes, but most existing TVs only accept up to 60 Hz input signals. Which means, your 3D glasses would flicker at 30 Hz, which is pretty much unacceptable. And you would have to adjust the IR transmitter on the player for the exact delay between the player output and TV display of frames.
@Scarabaeus
I see... Does it mean it's necessary to display a unique set of two stereoscopic images multiple times for the 3D effect to work (so that we don't see the shuttering) ?
@Woaha
Unique or repeated (as in pulldown from 24 fps) does not matter, but having 60 Hz per eye seems to the minimum for good 3D.
to BE the
I can't type today...
They must be loaded, living in Manhattan and shelling out over 3K just to watch limited 3d movies that is available right now.
@poached
You're right. You can't view anything else on this TV except 3D media. Think about what you just said and post back.
@Maxthedog are you trying to pick a fight. Over the internet? How lame.
The VT25/VT20 is a 2010 version of the VT10 from 2009. This set as some nice upgrades over the VT10. This is a really great set with or without 3d. In fact I may buy this but have no intentions of using 3d ever. In fact I don't like most movies from major studios that would employee 3d anyways.