Audio Video News

Panasonic's Green Plan 2018 will bring a variety of changes and initiatives aimed at making the massive company's activities more environmentally friendly, according to an announcement made at the Eco Ideas Forum in Tokyo.

Sunday, January 28 is notable for being Super Bowl Sunday, arguably the biggest US holiday. It's also a significant date in the development of high definition television, because it is the first day that a local broadcaster began airing news shot, edited, and played back on HD equipment.

Panasonic's been courting Sanyo for a while, but they've finally made it official. Panasonic has agreed to buy Sanyo for a mere $9 billion. Wow. With all eyes on environmental issues, Sanyo was particularly attractive to Panasonic. Sanyo...

Panasonic showed off two distinct approaches to flat-panel color reproduction yesterday at a New York press event. This was just one facet of a sweeping presentation that covered new LCD as well as plasma lines, all rebranded with the name Viera, much of which will reach the market in a "critical mass" slated for April.

Despite progress made by LCD displays and DLP projectors, among videophiles, cathode ray tubes (CRTs) still rule the roost. "Direct-view" sets, as they are often called, offer better brightness, contrast, and color purity than other types of displays, especially when used in well-lighted rooms.

Panasonic's name may evoke sound, but its reputation is built on video. Nevertheless, the company does produce audio products, though its U.S. offerings in that space differ from those of many Asian manufacturers. It has never been a major player here in AV receivers or stand-alone speaker systems, but instead puts most of its efforts into home theaters in a box (HTiBs), compact one-piece stereo systems, and related all-in-one packages. Panasonic's new 2011 introductions in these categories include a single sound bar (the fully-powered, $400 SC-HTB520, which includes a wireless subwoofer), four compact stereo systems, and three new Blu-ray HTiBs with 3D capability. Four new stand-alone Blu-ray players were also launched.

Panasonic wants to set the record straight about plasma TV longevity. The company says plasmas are getting a bad rap on the sales floor. It cites a study by J.D. Power and Associates that states a "high proportion of recommendations of LCD sets is primarily due to retail salespersons' lack of knowledge regarding recent improvements in plasma technology."