Panasonic prices its 2012 home theater and audio offerings

Panasonic just outed the availability for its 2012 HDTVs, so it's no surprise the company would roll out its home theater and audio component pricing as well. Remember those high-end home theater 3D Blu-ray players that made their debut at CES packing WiFi, DLNA and Viera Connect? Well, if you want to pick them up when they go on sale in April, the SC-BTT490 will set you back $500, while the SC-BTT195 and 190 models will cost $400 and $300, respectively. Meanwhile, the micro sound systems we saw in Vegas also got priced -- the elegant SC-AP01 packing AirPlay debuts in June for $170, while its hockey puck-sized and Bluetooth-powered cousin, the SC-MC07, can be had for $70 a month later. Panny's also letting loose a trio of HTB series home theater systems ranging from $230 - $400 that offer Bluetooth for streaming music from your phone and wireless subwoofers to cut down on living room cord clutter. Don't believe us? Well, head on past the break to get your fill of model numbers, price points and feature sets straight from the horse's mouth.

Show full PR text

PANASONIC ANNOUNCES PRICING AND AVAILABILITY FOR 2012 LINEUP OF HOME AUDIO PRODUCTS

Secaucus, NJ (March 8, 2012) – Panasonic today announced pricing and availability for the 2012 lineup of home audio products including Compact Stereo Systems, Full HD 3D Blu-ray Disc™ Home Theaters, DVD Home Theaters and Home Theater Systems. The new 2012 lineup of audio and home theater products are developed to offer users design-oriented products that enhance the home entertainment experience and produce superior sound quality.

Panasonic' Consumer Marketing Company of North America's 2012 line of Compact Stereo Systems, the SC series is comprised of six distinct models, all of which feature outstanding sound quality and offer users a pure, direct sound system with noise reduction capabilities that allow users to enjoy a crystal clear listening experience. The SC-HC57, SC-HC37 and SC-HC27 offer sleek, ultra-slim designs with smart networking technology and can play music from a variety of music sources including iPhone/iPod, CD-R/RW and FM Radio. Additionally, the SC-HC57 Compact Stereo System features AirPlay® which allows users to wirelessly stream music from an iPad, iPhone, iPod touch or MAC/PC directly into the device through a home's wireless LAN network. AirPlay allows lossless transmission for the finest sound quality playback of a personal music library and provides a multi-room listening function. The Panasonic SC-HC series of Compact Stereo Systems will be available nationwide in April 2012 and will have the following SRP's: SC-HC57 $199.99, SC-HC37 $149.99 and SC-HC27 $99.99.

Extending the 2012 line of Compact Stereo Systems, the SC-AP01 and SC-MC07 introduces users to a new micro system concept coupled with unique design styles and user-friendly functionality. The SC-AP01 is a wireless, metal bar system that offers clear and dynamic sound in a slim and stylish design. Featuring nano-sized bamboo cone speakers to create audio with clearer vocals and crisper dialog, the SC-AP01 utilizes Aero Stream Port to create rich and robust bass by controlling distortion and Direct-Vocal Surround to expand sound throughout a listening environment to mimic a concert hall and is equipped with AirPlay® to wirelessly stream music from supported devices. The SC-MC07 is the smallest of the new compact stereo system products. Bluetooth® compatible, the SC-MC07 streams music wirelessly from iPhone/iPad/iPod, Blackberry and other smartphone devices (with Bluetooth capability) to offer full digital, clear stereo sound in the compact size of a cookie to create an audio device that can be placed virtually anywhere, or even used on-the-go. The SC-AP01 will be available in June with an SRP of $169.99. The SC-MC07 will hit shelves in July with an SRP of $69.99.

Panasonic's new Full HD 3D Blu-ray Disc™ Home Theaters, SC-BTT490, SC-BTT195 and SC-BTT190 employ advanced technologies to reproduce clearer, enhanced, theater-like surround sound to skillfully match high-quality 3-D imagery and are equipped with 3D Cinema Surround as a standard feature. Additional expanded features also enhance the home entertainment experience. VIERA Connect™*1 has been expanded to offer users a greater variety of online content and the DLNA function allows users to access, browse and view content stored on a home network server. All 2012 Full HD 3D Blu-ray Disc Home Theaters feature a digital music connection for iPod /iPhone, which minimizes sound degradation allowing users to enjoy their favorite iPod tunes with pure sound that is highly faithful to the original source. All Full HD 3D Blu-ray Disc Home Theaters will be available in April with the following SRP's: SC-BTT490, $499.99; SC-BTT195, $399.99; SC-BTT190, $299.99.

The 2012 DVD Home Theaters, SC-XH170 and SC-XH70, feature high sound quality technology for pure, clear sound reproduction and 1080p Up-Conversion*2 to produce crystal clear picture quality. The 2012 DVD Home Theaters have been revamped with a more sophisticated and stylish appearance and the SC-XH170 offers a visible speaker design to enhance the product's sleek look. The easy-to-use systems are equipped with VIERA Link™, which provides simple, one-touch control of Panasonic VIERA-enabled products, ARC (Audio Return Channel), which allows for one HDMI cable smart connection, Selectable Speaker Layout and simple setup. The SC-XH170 and SC-XH70 DVD Home Theaters will be available in April 2012 for a SRP of $199.99 and $149.99, respectively.

The 2012 lineup of Home Theater Systems, the SC-HTB550, SC-HTB350 and SC-HTB20, offer multi-positional, detachable speakers for flexible layout options in the home environment and are equipped with a wireless subwoofer*3 for freestanding placement options. Each system's high-quality sound employs an Anti-Jitter Digital Amplifier to eliminate distortion and clearly direct sound to produce pure, brilliant audio, Clear-mode Dialog to deliver dialog that is more precise in the linking of picture and sound that seems like it is coming directly from the center of the TV and Auto Gain Control to provide users a smooth, automatic adjustment of volume between a movie or television show and commercial, reducing sudden volume increases. With the Wireless Music Streaming with Bluetooth® function*3, users can listen to their favorite music from Bluetooth-compatible devices without having to plug the device into a docking station or hook it into the sound system. The Panasonic 2012 Home Theater System HTB series will be available in April. Pricing for the series is as follows: SC-HTB550, $399.99 SC-HTB350, $299.99; SC-HTB20, $229.99.

In keeping with Panasonic's commitment to the environment, the 2012 home audio products*4 feature low power consumption and are Energy Star® Qualified.

"Made for iPod" and "Made for iPhone" mean that an electronic accessory has been designed to connect specifically to iPod, or iPhone, respectively, and has been certified by the developer to meet Apple performance standards. Apple is not responsible for the operation of this device or its compliance with safety and regulatory standards. Please note that the use of this accessory with iPod, or iPhone may affect wireless performance.
AirPlay, the AirPlay logo, iPad, iPhone, iPod, iPod classic, iPod nano, and iPod touch are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are owned by the Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by Panasonic Corporation is under license.
Other trademarks and trade names are those of their respective owners.

*1 Access to a broadband Internet connection is required to use VIERA Connect™ features. There is no fee to use the VIERA Connect™ functionality, however, some VIERA Connect™ services require membership registration and have a separate fee structure. Network services are operated by the respective service providers, and service may be discontinued either temporarily or permanently without notice.
*2Video sources converted to 1920x1080 resolution, while of high quality, will exhibit somewhat lower subjective image resolution than true, native 1080p full-HD sources
*3 Not available in the HTB20 model
*4The SC-MC07 features low power consumption but it not an Energy Star Qualified product