14 DAY TRIAL // Panasonic's Viera line of widescreen plasma displays needs no introduction, but it would seem that the Japanese company liked the name so much that it has decided to extend the brand. Thus, at CES 2008, Panasonic has announced that its entire 2008 line of high definition flat screen televisions will be branded Viera, something that might make things a bit confusing for users.
The Viera plasma line features five distinct series (PZ850; PZ800; PZ85; PZ80; PX80), all of which feature new panels, improved contrast ratios, SD Memory Card slots, Game Mode, HDMI connections, increased luminous efficiency and the VIERA Link. The later allows the consumer to operate multiple VIERA Link equipped components with one remote. Game Mode is a new addition to Panasonic's television line that minimizes time lag when displaying video games on a Panasonic flat panel.
Although most of the company's products are Full HD, Panasonic's line-up also includes two 720p PDPs, namely the VIERA 42-inch TH-42PX80 and VIERA 50-inch TH-50PX80 models. The Viera Z80 series includes three screen sizes, all with 1080p resolution and introduces the new 46-inch display to the line -the TH-46PZ80. In addition the PZ80 series includes a 42-inch and a 50-inch model, all of which offer an improved Native contrast ratio o 20,000:1.
Furthermore, the Viera PZ85 series includes three screen sizes, all with 1080p resolution, the, 42-inch TH-42PZ85, the 46-inch TH-46PZ85 and the 50-inch TH-50PZ85, which also feature an improved native contrast ratio of 30,000:1. The Z85 series adds a PC input, while the speakers are now hidden in the front.
The Viera PZ800 series of 1080p Plasma televisions includes four screen sizes, the 42-inch TH-42PZ800, the 46-inch TH-46PZ800, the 50-inch TH-50PZ800 and the 58-inch TH-58PZ800. The PZ800 series meets the THX Certified Display specifications and also features an improved native contrast ratio of 30,000:1; four HDMI connections and a new one sheet of glass design concept.
Panasonic's Viera flagship line for 2008, namely the full 1080p Z850 series, features four models - the 46-inch TH-46PZ850, the 50-inch TH-50PZ850, the 58-inch TH-58PZ850 and the 65-inch TH-65PZ850. Panasonic's top of the line models introduce IP enabled TV, a technology that provides access to online content, such as YouTube and Picassa, directly from the television. In addition the Z850 series features a Pro Setting Menu, allowing the consumer to access professional calibration software, an improved native resolution contrast ratio of 30,000:1, RS-232C connection, four HDMI connections and a PC input. Moreover, the PZ850 series further expands the capabilities of the SD Card feature by utilizing the AVCHD codec to display high definition video recorded on a HD camcorder equipped with the H.264 codec.
However, as mentioned earlier, Panasonic has also included a few LCD displays under the Viera umbrella. Thus, the five LCD Viera HD televisions are divided into two distinct series and introduces the new 37-inch screen size. Both series feature an improved native contrast ratio of 1200:1 and a 10,000:1 Dynamic ratio, Game Mode, an SD memory Card slot, HDMI connections and VIERA Link. The 2008 LCD VIERA line debuts with two 720p models- the 26-inch TC-26LX85 and the 32-inch TC-32LX85. Both models include three HDMI connections that enable multi product connectivity via the VIERA Link connection. Also spotlighted in this series is Panasonic's first 37-inch VIERA LCD televison, the TC-37LZ85, with 1080p full HD resolution, which in addition to the aforementioned features adds a PC input.
Panasonic's Premium Viera line of LCDs features two new models, the 32-inch TC-32LZ800 and the debut of the 37-inch TC-37LZ800. These two models add the following features: Motion Focus Technology, four HDMI connections that provide VIERA Link, a PC input and BBE VIVA Surround sound and the one sheet of glass appearance design.
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