Panasonic 3D TV, Video Technologies Named Winners in Popular Science Magazine's 'The Best of What's New'

SECAUCUS, N.J., Nov. 17, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Popular Science Magazine has named two Panasonic 3D products, the Panasonic Full HD 3D VIERA® TC-P50VT25 Plasma HDTV and the Panasonic HDC-SDT750 3D camcorder, "The Best of What's New" winners in Home Entertainment. In addition, the 3D VIERA television took category's Grand Award honor.  Both Panasonic products will be featured in the December 2010 issue of Popular Science Magazine, which is available now on newsstands.

"For 23 years, Popular Science has honored the innovations that surprise and amaze us − those that make a positive impact on our world today and challenge our views of what's possible in the future," said Mark Jannot, Editor-in-Chief of Popular Science. "The Best of What's New Award is the magazine's top honor, and the 100 winners − chosen from among thousands of entrants − represent the highest level of achievement in their fields."

Panasonic's Full HD 3D VIERA TC-P50VT25, a 50-inch Class Plasma HDTV, receiving the top honor in the Home Entertainment category for its advanced technology in offering both 3D and 2D superb picture quality. This marks the second consecutive year that a Panasonic HDTV Plasma has been named "The Best of What's New" by Popular Science.  The TC-P50VT25 is the flagship model in Panasonic's 2010 plasma line-up and features Panasonic's proprietary IPTV functionality, VIERA Cast™, which for 2010 enhances the user experience by adding USB connectivity, allowing for the addition of a wireless LAN adaptor, keyboard and USB memory. VIERA Cast provides the user with access to such popular sites as Amazon VOD™, Netflix™, You Tube™, Picasa™ Web Album, Bloomberg, Pandora, Twitter, Fox Sports and Skype™.

Also a winner in the 2010 "The Best of What's New" Home Entertainment category: the Panasonic HDC-SDT750, which is the world's first consumer 3D camcorder, including a 3D conversion lens*1 that enables the camcorder to shoot powerful and true-to-life 3D video content.  The Panasonic SDT750 is a user-friendly consumer 3D camcorder that makes experiencing 3D at home easy and affordable*2. To shoot 3D video with the Panasonic HDC-SDT750 camcorder, the user needs to attach the 3D conversion lens that comes included, to record dynamic images. The specially-designed 3D conversion lens records right-eye and left-eye images simultaneously through its two lenses, thus resulting in video that can be viewed in 3D. The right and left images (each with 960 x 1080 pixels) that enter through the lenses are recorded using the side-by-side method.

"Panasonic is honored and proud that two 3D products, our flagship Full HD 3D VIERA television, and the world's first consumer 3D camcorder have won the prestigious Popular Science, "The Best of What's New" award – as it validates Panasonic's leadership in this evolving home entertainment solution. While leading in 3D, both products also offer exceptional 2D experiences: both in viewing on our top-rated Plasma and shooting full-HD video," said Dennis Eppel, Vice President, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. "Panasonic is dedicated to making a complete 3D ecosystem available for consumers in the comforts of their home – and most recently even announced the Panasonic 3D Innovation Center so we can continue advancing 3D technologies."

Not all 3D is equal and Popular Science Magazine's recognition of Panasonic as the "best" in its category further shows that Panasonic's Full HD 3D technology is superb, providing 1080p resolution to each eye, by employing Panasonic's VIERA Frame Sequential Technology. The Plasma display panel, which has a number of inherent advantages for moving picture resolution, was further advanced to allow images for each eye to be alternately reproduced at the rate of 60 frames per second. Active shutter eyewear, which open and close the left and right shutters in synchronization with the alternating images create the 3D image. As a result, a separate 1920x1080 Full HD image is sent to each eye, which addresses the image quality problems and blurring that were common with previous 3D systems.

All Panasonic Full HD 3D VIERA television can play back 3D content, including videos recorded with the Panasonic HDC-SDT750.  In addition to the Panasonic VIERA TC-P50VT25 there are six other Panasonic 3D-ready models. When watching 3D content recorded by the SDT750 on any of the Panasonic Full HD 3D VIERA televisions, users can view the true-to-life content and the VIERA television will automatically engage the side-by-side method for smooth viewing of 3D content – no change of settings necessary.  In addition to shooting 3D, the Panasonic HDC-SDT750 can record full 1080p High Definition (HD) in AVCHD, when the 3D conversion lens is unattached, and is a high-performing 2D HD camcorder with powerful features such as a 3MOS system, a Leica Dicomar lens and a 12x optical zoom.

Each year, Popular Science editors review thousands of new products and innovations and choose the top 100 winners across 11 categories. To win, a product or technology must represent a significant step forward in its category – to push past what was thought possible.

*1 As a consumer camcorder with 3D conversion lens for the AVCHD standard (as of July 27, 2010).

*2 A TV that is capable of side-by-side method 3D playback, 3D Eyewear, and HDMI cable connection are required to play the recorded 3D images.

About Panasonic

Based in Secaucus, NJ, Panasonic Corporation of North America is the principal North American subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation (NYSE: PC), which has been a leader in the creation of end-to-end standards and technologies to enable consumers to experience immersive Full HD 3D TV. Last year, Panasonic established its Advanced Authoring Center in Panasonic Hollywood Laboratory to work with Hollywood studios to develop the 3D Blu-ray Disc format.  In March, the company delivered its first Full HD 3D home Entertainment System for sale at selected Best Buy Magnolia Home Theater stores. Taking business to the next dimension, Panasonic has debuted a range of 3D video production products including the world's first professional quality, fully-integrated Full HD 3D camcorder offering SD Memory Card recording as well as large screen 3D Plasma displays for digital signage. In July Panasonic introduced the company's first 3D consumer camcorder. For more information on Panasonic's Full HD 3D technology, visit www.panasonic.com/3D.

SOURCE Panasonic