Panasonic Pads 1080p Plasma Lineup with 5 More in 2007

Panasonic’s 58-inch TH-58PZ700U plasma

Panasonic will have a PZ700U line of 42-, 50- and 58-inch sets and PZ750U premium line of 50- and 58-inch models.

Though Panasonic boasts the world’s largest plasma TV at 103 inches, for around $70,000 it’s a tad out of reach for most of us. However, for consumers looking for a big-screen plasma display that outputs at 1080p resolution, the company has unveiled two models that it plans to make available this month and three more waiting in the wings for June.

The 58-inch TH-58PZ700U and 50-inch TH-50PZ700U models will be available in April at MSRPs of $4,799 and $3,499, respectively. Features include 1920x1080p resolution, built-in NTSC/ATSC/QAM tuners, SD Memory Card slot, HDMI inputs, EZ-Sync, Anti-Reflective (AR) Coating and Gallery Player. The 42-inch TH-42PZ700 with similar specs is slated for June with an MSRP of $2,499.

Also available in June will be Panasonic’s premium PZ750U series models, the 50-inch TH-50PZ750U ($3,999) and the 58-inch TH-58PZ750U ($5,499). The 750 series is distinguished by the inclusion of a Studio Reference Mode, which provides the consumer with the exact color reproduction as seen on the reference monitors used in film editing studios, resulting in the exact colors and expression intended by the film makers, the company says. In addition, the Pro Setting Mode allows the consumer to professionally calibrate the set, and there are three HDMI connections and a unique black chrome ornament cosmetic.

The SD Memory Card slot with Photo Viewer on all 2007 models transforms the plasmas into digital photo galleries. By using the GalleryPlayer embedded on the SD cards, the consumer has access to thousands of high-definition images ranging from art masterpieces to dazzling photographs because the GalleryPlayer’s content partners include National Geographic, MoMA, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The New York Times and Time-Life.

Visit www.panasonic.com for more.