New 46-incher tops Panasonic plasma news
By David Katzmaier, CNET.com
07/01/2008
The flagship TH-PZ800U series incorporates a new one-sheet-of-glass design.
(click for larger image)
One note first, however. We liked the company's antiglare screen from last year, found on the TH-50PX77U for example, but for 2008 Panasonic dropped it in favor of a new antireflective screen that's used throughout the line. We're anxious to test one of these models to see how the new screen performs.
The entry-level TH-PX80U series includes two models, skipping the 46-inch screen size altogether. It also skips the 1080p resolution found in all of the company's other plasmas announced at the show, offering standard 720p resolution instead. The 42-inch TH-42PX80U and the 50-inch TH-50PX80U incorporate a new game mode--said to eliminate the lag between a game controller and the onscreen action--an SD card slot for digital photo display, and three HDMI inputs.
The company's least-expensive 1080p resolution plasmas, the TH-PZ80U series, includes all three sizes, the 42-inch TH-42PZ80U, the 46-inch TH-46PZ80U and the 50-inch TH-50PZ80U. The extra million-odd pixels of 1080p represent this series' step-up feature.
Panasonic's midrange 1080p plasmas, the TH-PZ85U series, include the 42-inch TH-42PZ85U, the 46-inch TH-46PZ85U and the 50-inch TH-50PZ85U. This series improves the contrast ratio spec from 20,000:1 to 30,000:1--which should indicate better black-level performance--enables native 24p playback, adds a PC input and moves the speakers to the bottom.
The top of the line TH-PZ800U series, including the 42-inch TH-42PZ800U, the 46-inch TH-46PZ800U and the 50-inch TH-50PZ800U, is THX Display Certified, which may or may not indicate better performance than the 85U series. Other differentiators include a fourth HDMI input and a new "one sheet of glass" design concept.
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