panasonic

Pioneer picks Panasonic to make plasmas

Panasonic has been tapped to pinch-hit for Pioneer.

The two television makers said Wednesday they had come to an agreement in which Panasonic will produce the panels for Pioneer's plasma televisions.

The news comes a month after reports surfaced that Pioneer was pulling out of the plasma business. When Pioneer confirmed it would be finding someone who could make the panels more inexpensively than it could, there was a sense of dismay and disappointment among fans of its Kuro technology. Pioneer plasma TVs are generally regarded by experts--including CNET Reviews' David Katzmaier--as having the blackest black levels … Read more

Panasonic intros Wi-Fi camera

Panasonic has announced its first camera to include built-in Wi-Fi, called the Lumix DMC-TZ50. As the model name hints, the TZ50 is basically the DMC-TZ5 with Wi-Fi. Both are 9-megapixel cameras with optically stabilized 10x optical, 28-280mm equivalent lenses, and can record video at up to 1,280x720 pixel resolution at 30 frames per second. They both also include Panasonic's Advanced Intelligent Auto features, which include Intelligent Exposure, which adjusts brightness after a picture is taken; Digital Red-eye Correction to remove red eye after the image is captured; Intelligent ISO, which determines if a subject is moving and, if … Read more

NAB 2008: Pro camcorder highlights

Each year the National Association of Broadcasters holds its trade show in Las Vegas and manufacturers trot out their latest professional camcorders. Here are the highlights from this year's show, so far...

Canon XL H1S/XL H1A: Canon checks in with an update to its HDV XL H1. The two new models each include three 1.67-megapixel 16:9 1/3-inch CCD sensors, 20x optical zoom lenses with Canon's SuperRange optical image stabilization, and more granular controls. For instance, the iris is now adjustable in 1/16-stop increments instead of 1/4-stop, and gain, white balance, selective-color noise … Read more

Don't expect new HDTV technologies anytime soon

Even though news sites are touting the eventual release of new HDTV technologies and calling them the saviors we've been waiting for, the simple fact is they're not anywhere close. And to make matters worse, many of these are nothing more than proofs of concept that have no marketability. In other words, don't start trashing your plasmas and LCDs just yet because they'll be around for quite a while.

On Monday, I had the opportunity to interview Bob Perry, Panasonic's senior vice president for its display division, for the next episode of my CNET Digital Home podcast. During the interview, I asked him what the future of the HDTV market looks like and what we should expect.

Much to my chagrin and certainly some of those who will listen to the interview, he said that the chances of a new HDTV technology hitting store shelves anytime soon are slim. According to Perry, we're still at least a decade away from the next real HDTV technology that could actually supplant LCDs and to a lesser extent, plasmas.

Suffice it to say, it's a sad day for those of us who want to see the next big thing.… Read more

Ears-on with Panasonic's new sports earphones

There are loads of affordable earphones in the world, and many of them sound rubbish. But there's still a market for budget earphones because--and lets be absolutely honest here--most people don't realize the bundled ones that come with their MP3 player are about as capable of reproducing decent audio as my cat is at performing the Heimlich maneuver.

In fact some are so bowel-emptyingly bad, it's easy for some people to hear what they think is their favorite song, only to find out that through a half-decent pair of cans it sounds wholly different, and not in … Read more

Panasonic Blu-ray home theater system breaks the $1,000 barrier--but is it worth it?

Now that Blu-ray has secured its position as the one and only HD disc format, it's only natural to see it becoming more of a standard feature on desktop PCs, laptops, camcorders, and--now--home theater systems. Samsung's HT-BD2T has been available for months, while the Panasonic SC-BT100--which debuted at January's Consumer Electronics Show--is scheduled hit stores later this spring. Panasonic has yet to confirm pricing for its model, but the unit has already popped-up on J&R's Web site for $1,000 (give or take a nickel).

If the price sticks, it would appear to … Read more

Pinktastic Panasonic headphones

Want to see some suspiciously decent headphones for about $60? You'll have to be prepared to accept that you'll look like a right nerd wearing them. These pink new ladycans are from Panasonic, and they're called the RP-HTX7s.

We must admit we were skeptical when we opened the (frankly awful) packaging--they're bright pink, sport a fake leather headband, and look like miniature kettles from World War II. Yet they're pretty comfy and--seriously, now--they sound pretty good for the price. They have a response range from 7Hz-22KHz, resulting in clear highs, powerful mids, and acceptable bass. … Read more

Panasonic media player tries to cut down noise

The world doesn't exactly have a burning need for another MP3 player, but that obviously didn't stop Panasonic from making one. But the company did seem to recognize that it was going to have to do something different to get more than a passing glance from a jaded Japanese market.

So it chose to focus on battery life and noise cancellation, according to Akihabara News, claiming 100 hours of continuous play on one charge and 83 percent elimination of ambient noise. The SV-SD870N is the latest installment of the "D-snap" line of media players, which share … Read more

Panasonic aims to protect TVs from flying Wiimotes

Wii aficionados are having a smashing good time these days--at their TVs' expense.

Gamers need to get a grip, literally. It seems quite a few virtual golfers are turning their Wiimotes into Wii projectiles, damaging their beloved plasma and LCD TV screens in the process. Now, Panasonic engineers are coming to the rescue.

The company is working on reinforcing the screens by applying old-style TV tube-making technology, says New Scientist.

In a demonstration, Panasonic hung a steel ball on the end of a cord and let it swing against a screen to simulate an impact equivalent to the Wii remote … Read more