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Panasonic optimistic about 3D TV

By Ty Pendlebury, CNET.com.au
Oct 12, 2009

Panasonic is hoping to capitalize on James Cameron's new 3D film Avatar by launching its own 3D technology for the home at Ceatec in Japan last week.


Panasonic hopes that Avatar will help popularize 3D technology.
(Credit: 20th Century Fox)


The company has invested in the technology by producing concept TVs, Blu-ray players as well as a professional stereo video camera, and hopes this will make it synonymous with 3D.

"We want to establish ourselves as the 3D leader and so Panasonic is focusing its efforts in this area," Panasonic spokesperson Akira Kadota said.

Panasonic unveiled a 50-inch prototype plasma at this year's Ceatec and is aiming to have the television and associated Blu-ray player available in 2010.

In collaboration with director James Cameron, Panasonic featured a 3D version of the Avatar trailer and associated materials in its launch. The company hopes the availability of Blu-ray copies of Avatar next year will help sell the concept.

CNET attended the 3D demonstration and thought the results looked impressive.

"We do believe it will be a success," Ken Morita, senior managing director of Panasonic, said. "We don't think it will be a failure. We don't think about that. But we cannot see into the future. It depends on the market and the software makers as well."

However, a recent report by research company Gartner stated that it didn't see 3D as a mainstream technology: "For the consumer home market, the 3D TV is likely to remain a niche product, not only because of the global recession, but also mainly because the technologies available are not ideal in terms of their ease of use, cost or practicality, let alone the range of available 3D content."

Versions of the technology have been around for more than 50 years, but Panasonic's version uses glasses with active shutters that flicker on and off at high speeds. Each eye is sent a slightly different image at full 1080p resolution at 60Hz a side, or 120Hz in total (NTSC).


Tags: 1080p, 20th Century Fox, TV, Camera, 3D
 

 
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