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Panasonic's 1-inch thick Z1 plasma reviewed: playing with perfection
The plasma may be a dying breed, but the ones that are left are undoubtedly some of the best the world has ever seen. Take Panasonic's 54-inch TC-P54Z1 for example, which wowed audiences (us included) when it was first unveiled way back at CES. The HD Guru recently had an opportunity to take this very screen into his abode for review, and after a labor-intensive (around "one hour") setup process, the gazing was officially on. Panny's engineers were able to slim the set down to an inch by requiring that a dedicated (wireless) set-top-box be used for tuning OTA channels and managing connections, and the result was nothing less than elegant. If you're wondering what north of five large really buys in an HDTV these days, wonder no more -- the set was deemed darn near perfect, with "outstanding" color, contrast and deep black levels. Potentially best of all, there were no motion artifacts to speak of, and anyone with a 120Hz / 240Hz set can testify to just how annoying those things are. Hit the read link for a detailed unboxing, setup and review, but don't even bother if you're looking for someone to talk you out of what you're about to do.
Sharp's PC-Z1 NetWalker takes the inevitable unboxing journey
Sharp's PC-Z1 NetWalker conjured up all sorts of love and hate-filled emotions when we toyed with it earlier this month, but for fans of unorthodox handhelds, minor details like a wonky optical pad and frail keys aren't apt to put a damper on the excitement found in this moment. The cool kids over at Pocketables were able to procure a unit over the weekend from Japan (right on cue, might we add), and predictably, they've broken out the camera in order to let you relive the unboxing experience and see it side-by-side with a UMID mbook M1. The read link folks, that's where it's at.
Sharp's 5-inch PC-Z1 NetWalker honors Zaurus legacy with touchscreen Ubuntu
Fanboys have been running Ubuntu on Sharp's deceased Zaurus lineup of PDAs for years. Now Sharp makes it official with the launch of this 5-inch, 1024 x600 TFT LCD touchscreen NetWalker smartbook, aka the PC-Z1. It's not a Zaurus per se, but the compact 161.4 x 108.7 x 19.7 ~ 24.8mm / 409g device certainly resurrects its ghost. Underpinning the device is an 800MHz Freescale i.MX515 CPU built around the ARM Cortex-A8 architecture, 512MB of memory, 4GB of on-board flash storage (with microSDHC expansion for another 16GB), 802.11b/g WiFi, 2x USB, and QWERTY keyboard going 68 percent of full-size. Sorry, no 3G data. The PC-Z1 features a 3-second quick launch, non-removable 10-hour battery, and is purposely positioned by Sharp as a taint -- it ain't quite a smartphone and 't ain't quite a laptop. Good luck with that Sharp. The device is expected to hit Japan on September 25th for ¥44,800. That's about $479 whenever it might come Stateside. It's worth noting that the current US ban on the import of BGA-packaged products like Freescale's i.MX processors should not affect the import of the PC-Z1 as Akihabara News contends. As we understand it, that ban affects the import of the chips, not the systems using them and assembled elsewhere. Otherwise, Amazon wouldn't be selling its Kindle, dig?[Via Akihabara News and Engadget Japanese]Read [warning: Japanese PDF]
Panasonic pries open room for WirelessHD availability in the UK
Panasonic has cleared a path for its WirelessHD equipped HDTV to launch in the UK now that Ofcom has opened up the necessary radio spectrum for use by all manufacturers. As it stood, manufacturers needed to get permission to use any part of the wireless spectrum, but now anyone should be able to use the 57-66GHz range. Expect the 54-inch version of Panasonic's wireless set to run around £5,000 when it becomes available in a few weeks, with other wireless TVs from LG and other coming later in the year.[Via Stuff]
Panasonic Z1 wireless HDTV appearing in US retailers
Hey, look at that -- it's Panasonic's super-hot one-inch thick Z1 wireless HDTV, just cold sitting out for sale in a San Jose Magnolia store. No official availability announcement yet, but we're guessing it's coming soon, right on time for the Z1's planned summer debut. Everyone got their $6,000 ready?
Panasonic's first Wireless HD televisions on sale in Japan
Finally, something wireless high definition related that's not delayed. As promised, Panasonic's Z1 line of Wireless HD packing 1080p plasmas and assorted accessories went on sale this week for the discerning yen spending consumer. It'll be June before these make a U.S. debut, pop on over to Panasonic's Japan site and pore over some machine translated spec sheets in the meantime.%Gallery-41205%
Panasonic's ultra-thin 54Z1 plasma in the wild
Now that it's official and priced, Panasonic seems much happier to show off its wireless HD-sporting, ultra-thin Z1 series, and it's quite the sight to behold. The 54Z1 we got to look at was very strikingly clad in brushed metal gray -- compared to the regular black of most of Panasonic's TV lineup -- and of course incredibly thin. The wireless HD receiver box was across the room and working flawlessly, and it was nice to see that the included remote is an RF unit, capable of non-line-of-sight channel changing -- it's starting to feel like the 21st century around here! The plasma picture was of course very good, and we're really feeling those Viera Tools icons across the bottom. $6,000 though? That's your call.
Panasonic 2009 VIERA HDTVs official pricing revealed
Just in case the HDGuru didn't carry enough credibility for you, Panasonic has finally issued a press release with prices and shipping months for most of its 2009 VIERA brand lineup. We've taken a peek, and everything appears to line up with the leaked figures, including that slim wireless HD equipped Z1 and its $5,999 pricetag, while only copping to a summer ship date. The rest of the lineup proceeds downward in pricing and features from there, the wall-busting details are but a mere click of the read link away.
Panasonic's ultrathin TC-P54Z1 VIERA plasma priced at $5,999.95
Yeah, we know -- six large for a 54-inch HDTV seems a bit much in today's society, but the same sort of thing was said last September when Mitsubishi threw a $6,999 sticker on its mesmerizing LaserVue set. Panasonic's one-inch thick TC-P54Z1 plasma, which just might be the last of its breed barring production of the NeoPDP concept, will undoubtedly serve a shrinking niche, but for those willing to pay for the best of what's new, they'll be getting an awful lot of sexy for $5,999.95. Speaking of that MSRP, that's the good word from the HD Guru himself, though we've yet to see an official confirmation from Panny. Honestly though, that's about what we reckoned it would list at after seeing it unveiled at CES, so now would probably be a good time to start hunting for any 10 percent off coupons for your favorite B&M HDTV outlet.[Via CNET]
Panasonic's CES 2009 Viera HDTVs get US pricing and dates
Panasonic announced a slew of Viera TVs at CES, and although we already knew when they'd be making their Japanese debut, US info has been hard to come by. That's starting to change: pricing details are leaking out, and CNET and HDGuru have managed to assemble a pretty exhaustive list of what to expect and how much it'll cost. Of interest, Panny's still going strong on the plasma tip, so those of you aching for the best picture possible but unwilling to shell out for the dead-ended Kuro will still have plenty of options -- there's a set at every point between the 42-inch 720p X1 at $899, the 50-inch 1080p S1 with a nicer NEO-PDP panel for $1,799, the 50-inch THX-certified G10 with VieraCast for $1,999 and the as-yet-unpriced, one-inch thick wireless 54-inch Z1. As for LCDs, it's a similar story at smaller sizes: you've got sets ranging from the budget $499 720p 32-inch C12 to the $1,099 120Hz 1080p 37-inch G1 with Motion Focus and a 20,000:1 contrast ratio. Check all the info at the read links; we'll be scouring the wire praying for news that Panny's bought up the Kuro tech from Pioneer.Read - HDGuruRead - CNET
Panasonic's newest plasmas include DivX
Not willing to let its Blu-ray decks have all the fun, Panasonic's seen fit to announce that the European editions of its upcoming Z1, V10 and G15 line of VIERA plasma displays will all be DivX compatible. We assume this functionality will be present on this side of the Atlantic as well, so these flat panels are ready to access video via DLNA or SD/SDHC card. Frankly, these days we're happy just to hear plasmas are still in production, and expect the added functionality won't hurt a bit.
Panasonic Z1 plasmas bring WirelessHD to Japan first
Interested in obtaining Panasonic's 1-inch thick first-with-WirelessHD Z1 series 1080p plasma -- before this summer? Hope you've got a good connect in Japan, because this baby is touching down April 20, complete with YouTube and 2.4GHz remote. Thanks to the slim 40,000:1 contrast ratio NeoPDP panel and ability to work without the usual assortment of cables it was born for stylish wall mounting in your appropriately adorned apartment as pictured above. Throw in half the power consumption of last year's PZ800 model and you've got a very attractive package. Checking in with ¥700,000 (about $7,835) 54-inch, ¥600,000 (about $6,715) 50-inch, and ¥550,000 ( about $6,156) 46-inch models our jealousy extends far across the Pacific, but until these get a U.S. ship date and pricetag, your closest look lies within our CES gallery.[Via AV Watch]
Panasonic officially premieres Z1 wireless HDTV
We may be years out from a commercially available 0.33-inch thick NeoPDP screen, but we aren't far from seeing a 1-inch think NeoPDP. We caught wind of this puppy at Panny's presser, but now we've got the official verbiage to back it up. The flagship 1080p plasma incorporates SiBEAM's WirelessHD technology, VIERA Cast support and a 54-inch panel. Other specs for the TC-P54Z1 include a 40,000:1 contrast ratio, a THX certification label and a 600Hz sub-field drive. We're pretty bummed that Panasonic hasn't disclosed the price and release date, but did you really expect anything different? Got to keep the hype building, right?
Panasonic introduces wireless, 1-inch thick TC-P54Z1 VIERA plasma
Here at the Panasonic press conference at CES 2009, the company finally woke us up with a stunningly thin 1-inch thick plasma: the all new Z1, or the TC-P54Z1 VIERA, in particular. Little is being said about the panel for now, though we are told that it'll be wireless (via an undisclosed standard) right out of the box. In related news, we're also told that VIERA Cast-enabled sets will soon be able to suck down Amazon on Demand content, so it's good to see Panny keeping up with the Jones family in that regard as well.%Gallery-40912%
LG's XNOTE Z1 series of 12.1-inch laptops
LG's offering a new series of 12.1-inch Core 2 Duo laptops in their hometown Korean market with this, their Z1 XNOTE. The Z1-P2007 is touted as the flagship model and ships with a WXGA LCD, 1.83GHz Core 2 Duo processor, 256MB of ATI Mobility Radeon X1350 graphics, and 1GB DDR2 memory and 100GB SATA disk. They also pack in an optical disc drive supporting unspecified formats, a 5-in-1 memory card reader, a couple of 1.5W speakers, and support for SRS WOW, and SRS TruSurround. However, unlike LG's ultra-portable 12.1-inch TX, the Z1 brings some relative chunk tipping the scales at 1.89-kg or 4.2-pounds. Still, not a bad all purpose machine for toting around campus on a daily basis. But with a price tag of 1,840,000KRW or about $2,000, you're going to need some help from mom and dad to bring this pup home.[Via MobileWhack]
