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Eyes on with the VT30, Panasonic's flagship 3D plasma
The latest and greatest (and largest) 3D plasmas from Panasonic are finally shipping, including the flagship, THX-certified Viera VT30 sets with their single sheet of glass panels and Infinite Black Pro2 filters. We first caught a glimpse of these bad boys back at CES and we've been impatiently waiting for a chance to blast our retinas with their PDP goodness in all three dimensions. The company was nice enough to invite us over recently to have a little TV powwow that featured an uncomfortable amount of Avatar on Bluray. Keep reading after the break for all the not-so-gory details. %Gallery-123262%
Could this be the year the Kuro is completely dethroned?
Every year since that sad day Pioneer announced its exodus from the plasma TV market videophiles have looked to Panasonic to take the baton forward and push picture quality to new heights, but so far it has come up short in the one metric that many consider the most important; black levels. Plenty of TVs have great realistic colors, vivid whites and great contrast, but there is something about staring into the abyss that is a Kuro that warms the heart. So while it is debatable whether a TV with better contrast, but greyer blacks can be better than a Kuro, the debate might be over if Panasonic's engineers are to be believed. At an event in New York City last week they did just that, telling members of the press that Panasonic's new VT30 line will indeed match the black levels of the 2009 Kuros. Apparently the key is the new and improved louver structure of the filter that blocks reflective light, which block ambient light -- and Kuro fans are mocked for saying the Kuro is blacker when its off than other TVs, ha. We'll have to wait to see if the reviewers agree before we get excited, but it is still pretty crazy to think it's taken this long for the industry to catch up with where Pioneer was years ago in at least one category.
Panasonic celebrates higher plasma TV sales for 2010, sets prices for 2011
After setting its LED pricing for the year to come, Panasonic has finally set its plasma HDTV info in stone. Again matching the information leaked from retailers, the MSRPs (before any retailer discounts) range from the 65-inch TC-P65VT30 sticking at $4,299 down to the $599 720p TC-P42X3. Also of note is the inclusion of not only the previously announced S30 series without 3D technology or the new Infinite Black 2 panel (unlike the step-up ST30 models) but there will also apparently be a V30 line without the 3D fittings, although there's no specs, prices or ship dates mentioned. Last year the only top of the line model available was the VT25, although there was a 2D only V20-series plasma available in Australia and other regions. 3D or no, things appear to be looking up for plasma TVs, with shipments jumping nine percent last year. Check the press release after the break for all the details, but we'll have to wait until the TVs to arrive to find out if Panasonic is going to be able to hold onto its crown again.
US pricing for Panasonic's 2011 HDTVs leaks out
Forget about doing any yen conversions, the planned US (as always, subject to possible change or retailer discounts) pricing for Panasonic's 2011 lineup of HDTVs has been posted over at HDGuru. According to the information it's received from retailers, the starting price of the top of the line 65-inch VT30 due in May is unchanged from last year's VT25 at $4,299.95. The 55-inch arriving in April is a bit cheaper, starting at $2,799, $300 less than a comparable model was last year, but a new year mans there's also more versions of the 3D capable plasmas to choose from. The ST30 series doesn't feature certifications from ISF and THX like the higher end models or some of their design tweaks, but a 42-inch plasma with the new Infinite Black 2 panel can be had for $1,099 to start. Unfortunately the 3D-less S30 appears to have a different panel and no Viera Connect features so we can't do a direct comparison to see how much 3D is adding on to the price tag, but its 42-inch model is $200 less. Check out the site for the full pricing information and approximate release dates
