Tom Norton

The big video story at this year’s show is super slim flat panels designs. None of them will be available immediately, but they should start trickling in later in the year. Panasonic showed three samples of its design, including one that angled out to show just how skinny it is.

2D Performance
3D Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value

At A Glance
Plus: Rich, accurate color and superb resolution • Full adjustability • Unsurpassed blacks and shadow detail
Minus: Adequate but not very bright 3D

The Verdict
Four years after the Pioneer Kuro plasma exited the market, Panasonic has finally, in its ZT60 series, created an HDTV that is essentially its equal in all key areas of image quality.

In 2009, Pioneer ceased production of its highly regarded Kuro plasma HDTVs, and videophiles everywhere took to wearing hair shirts and pondering self-flagellation.

We knew back then that Panasonic produced excellent plasmas as well, but the Kuro’s inky blacks remained unsurpassed. So when a number of former Pioneer engineers went to work for Panasonic, there was new hope. Big changes don’t happen over a single product cycle, however, or even over two or three. But now, with the release of Panasonic’s new ZT60 series, Panasonic claims to have reached that elusive summit. But has it? Can Kuro buyers stop sweating about their sets breaking down, and can those who missed the Kuro express altogether finally stop kicking themselves? We’re here to find out.

Paradigm had more new speaker models than I saw in any one place at the whole show, topped off by the company's flagship range, the new Signature V.2 series. The Signature designs feature all new drivers with P-Be pure-beryllium dome tweeters (actually fabricated from a thin sheet of beryllium, not vapor-deposited) and CoIA (CObalt-Infused pure-Aluminum) woofer cones. The line tops out with the S8, six-driver, 3-way, at $6500/pair).The models ahould all be available in November and December (2006), except for the new surrounds (early 2007)

In addition to their larger Signature V.2 speakers, Paradigm also showed a bookshelf 2-way, the Model S1 at $1600/pair, and this cute UTE center channel, the Model C1, at $900 each. It's not much wider than a big laptop. I'm intrigued by the possibility of using three C1s across the front, if the speaker's horizontal off-axis response is up to the job. The physical layout, with the vertical orientation of the midrange and tweeter (the smallest center channel design I've seen using this arrangement) is a good first step in that direction. As in the other new Signature speakers, these both sport the new Paradigm pure-beryllium tweeter.