Panasonic's welcoming you to the future of plasma HDTV, starting along with the stunning 150-inch 4K plasma, that is, surprisingly enough bigger than its old 103-inch model (shocking, we know) leading to the debut of three "super thin" plasma prototypes measuring 24.7mm deep in 50-inch and, for what it claims is the first time, 58- and 65-inch sizes that also include Wireless HD. One-fourth the thickness of current Panasonic models and one-half the weight combined with no wires leads Panasonic to believe we'll be able to reorganize the living room shortly, without silly mounting issues and need to run cables. If that fails to inspire, how about a 42-inch prototype that claims twice the luminance efficiency and the same brightness as its current 42-inch 1080p model while only sipping half the power -- if that's a concern. Check out more pics after the break.

Say hello to the successors of the short-lived Panasonic DMP-BD50, the new DMP-BD35 (above) and DMP-BD55 (after the break) check off every feature we can think of for a new Blu-ray player, complete with a slim profile (49mm high on the BD35) and hopefully low, low price thanks to a 45nm 3rd-generation UniPhier processor. Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus and DTS-HD MA audio support, with internal decoding or bitstreamed output in full 7.1 (plus 7.1 analog audio outs on the DMP-BD55) on top of fully BD-Live / Profile 2.0 compatible hardware finally promise no-compromise hardware for Blu-ray buyers. Release dates and pricing information? Your guess is as good as ours, for now.

Besides being covered in high definition for the first time, tonight when the Democratic National Convention kicks off, while comparing HD feeds, we'll be looking out for the three 103-inch Panasonic plasmas conveniently located behind the podium. As the "official" HDTV and High Definition Equipment provider it's also dropping 200 Viera Plasmas, 52 HD camcorders and DSLR cameras, 40 HD production monitors, two HD projectors and 100 laptops on the Obama/Biden camp. Of course we wonder where the 150-inch plasma is, but since appearing "elite" has already been a problem, we can see why they'd select a 103-inch model that's owned by at least one friend of ours. We wonder if anyone's vote will hinge on the all important issue of LCD vs. plasma.

Update: You can check 'em out now on the live HD Silverlight / Move Networks powered stream at the Democratic National Convention website, along with hilariously out of sync and delirious dancing courtesy of convention attendees.

Make no mistake about it, Panasonic's SC-BT100 is pretty intriguing for those looking to dive head first into the Blu-ray / surround sound game simultaneously. Boasting a 5.1 speaker system along with the DMP-BD50 standalone Blu-ray player, Panny's BD HTIB has a lot going for it on paper. Design wise, reviewers found lots to love, and they also admired the plethora of connection options and simplicity of use. Unsurprisingly, the picture quality was coined "phenomenal," but we wouldn't expect anything less from the BD50. The only real digs on the entire system are the steep price and the lackluster audio quality; highs were said to be "too harsh," and the overall quality was so far below par that it prevented critics at Pocket-lint from offering up a wholehearted recommendation. Maybe your ears will feel differently, though.

This one sounds like little more than pure speculation, but word on the street has it that Panasonic will be following its recently released DMP-BD50 with two new players at CEDIA 2008. The DMP-BD35 and DMP-BD55 will purportedly feature a revamped UniPhier video processor and an Ethernet port for BD-Live compatibility. As for the latter, it'll also boast 8-channel analog audio outputs and isolation feet to reduce the effects of vibration. Obviously, no pricing details have been announced, but let's hope Panny shocks the world with a couple somewhat respectable stickers in just a few weeks.

[Via CNET]

The amount of dis-information in the marketplace about plasma TVs never fails to amaze us. While we personally haven't overheard a salesperson talk about refilling the gas in a plasma TV in a while, we also haven't seen customers choosing between plasma and LCD -- that decision has already been made in favor of LCD. Credit Panasonic for fighting the good fight by introducing an easy-to-understand and relevant spec to the marketplace: its 2008 plasmas boast 100,000-hours plasma life for the 1080p sets, 60,000-hours for the 720p sets. That's the time you'll have before the plasma brightness falls to half of its original value. So if you leave the set on 24/7, that translates to 11-years of viewing. There are certainly reasons to pick an LCD over plasma, but these figures close the book on lifetime arguments -- a plasma today will last you well into your OLED/SED/hologram Jetsonian future.

[Image courtesy HappyEntertainment]

Panasonic is putting a little holiday cheer into our summer with the release of its Canadian gift guide, and wouldn't you know it, there's some HD goodies in the works. Based on the product mix in the guide, we assume this stuff will make it to other regions in time for the winter holidays as well. Details on the gear are thin, but there's definitely some good stuff coming from Panasonic before the year is done. First up, we see the PT-AE3000 1080p LCD projector, a CAD $3,500 follow-up to the well-respected PT-AE2000U. Also on tap are a couple of Blu-ray players, named the DMP-BD35 and DMP-BD55. Both of those decks come with BD-Live functionality, but we're psyched about the 7.1-channel analogue outputs on the DMP-BD55 along with "audio grade components" (we assume that means "audiophile grade components"). No pricing on these Blu-ray players, but that can't stop you from starting up the not-so-subtle gift hint-dropping campaign, right? Hit the link for the full release.

[Via FormatWarCentral]

You just have to love it, don't you? In a situation that reminds us all too much of Sony's SIXAXIS Emmy fiasco (minus the fiasco), Panasonic has taken it upon itself to boast (quite heavily) about an Emmy that it's merely connected to. You see, an Emmy Engineering Award will soon be given to the Joint Video Team Standards Committee, of which Panasonic is indeed a member. But still, it's the JVT getting the Emmy here, though Panny's doing an excellent job of taking credit. It's release on the matter proclaims that it had a whole lot to do with the creation and implementation of High Profile for H.264 / MPEG-4 AVC, a technology that enables HD images in the H.264 video coding system. What's next -- Panasonic accepting the award on JVT's behalf?

Panasonic has big plans to grow the current roster of 30 families in its "Living in HD" program to 60 by 2009, with plans to ultimately hit 100 (or convert everyone on the planet). The program loads up entire families with all manner of Panasonic gear, HD-Santa style and has them document the results after the initial smash-and-grab (pictured above) with Panasonic HD camcorders. Our pitchman tells us it's like a tech-laden reality show, but without that entertaining ugly competitive element; because -- you know -- when it's about HD, everyone's a winner. There's some seriously sweet gear involved in the program, including a 50-inch plasma TV, Blu-ray player, HT setup, HD camcorder and a Wii, so head on over to the program website and apply. C'mon -- we can't think of any more qualified candidates, and you know you're going to buy that gear anyways!

So Sony didn't do so hot this quarter, but that's not to say someone else can't have fun at its expense. Matsushita Electric just posted its most recent quarterly earnings, and needless to say, it's probably pretty stoked about the 86% rise in profit. According to reports, the majority of the credit goes to digital camera and flat-panel television sales, and even though sales actually decreased 4%, operating profit still rose 48% from a year prior. Good to see someone's making sure that flat-panels rule the consumer electronics roost in 2008.

A bit earlier this year we heard that Panasonic (Matsushita's red-headed stepchild) was vying for a little recognition in the OLED TV game, but outside of that, details were scarce. Now, however, we're being told that the outfit is planning to start selling 40-inch OEL (organic electroluminescent, better known as OLED 'round these parts) televisions "as early as 2011." Reportedly, it will be investing "several billion yen" to construct a prototype production line for OEL panels "20-inches and larger" that will go into service next spring. We'd be pretty stoked if the final product were within sight, but make sure to ring us early on next decade to make sure we haven't completely forgotten about this here promise.

Oh, how quickly the mighty have fallen (again). Shortly after Matsushita dropped to third in plasma shipments in Q1, the outfit has leapfrogged both LG and Samsung SDI in order to claim the gold in Q2 2008. The outfit's revenue share skyrocketed from 29.4% to 36.8%, showing a 23% year-over-year improvement. Also of note, 1080p PDPs saw remarkable growth (54% year-over-year) this quarter, which were reportedly driven by sales of 46-inch models. Looking at Matsushita in particular, over 43% of its plasma shipments in Q2 were 1080p, and overall it "accounted for over 70% of all 1080p PDP shipments." Anyone taking bets on who comes out on top in Q3?

For what it's worth, Buffalo just announced the world's fastest Blu-ray recorder capable of burning through your data at an 8x clip. The only problem is that BDA-approved media maxes out at 6x, assuming you can even find it. Available in Japan starting next month, the external USB 2.0 and eSATA BR-816SU2 and internal SATA BR-816FBS models hit that 8x recording speed on single-layer BD-R media only -- 2x for dual-layer BD-R, BD-RE, and LTH BD-R. CDs and DVDs are supported too naturally, with a max 16x burn to DVD±R or 48x/24x for CD-R/RW. Each drive comes bundled with Cyberlink's PowerDVD 7 suite and are priced at ¥46,700 (about $435) for the external drive or ¥41,000 (about $380) for the internal optical spinner.

[Via BIOS and CDRinf]