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Posts Tagged “

Panasonic

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best tv ever

Pioneer Gen 2 Kuro Elite PRO-111FD Plasma Reviewed: New King of TVs, If You Got the Ransom

Last week we saw Panasonic's latest 50-inch TH-50PZ850U posing a serious challenge to the long-enshrined King of All TVs, the Pioneer Kuro plasma. But now our buddy Gary at HD Guru put the all-new second-gen Kuro 50-incher, the Kuro Elite PRO-111FD, up against the potential throne-usurping Panasonic 850. The verdict? As we predicted, the Kuro is once again "best TV ever," says Gary. More »

Feature

1:45 PM on Mon Jul 7 2008
By John Mahoney
3,922 views, 22 comments

Latest by heroineworshipper: Best TV ever for only $5000. That's only 1 year of rent inflation. more »

electric bike

Panasonic Makes Electric Bike With Regenerative Braking

What better alternative to driving to work than riding an electric bicycle? Panasonic's Vivi RX 10-S, which is due in Japan on August 20, works the same way many hybrid vehicle systems do: taking the energy from braking and harness it into recharging the battery. The total assisted travel range combining pedal power, electric power and electric regeneration is around 55 to 77 miles, which should be enough to get you to and from work without having to go super sweaty style. If you switch on its automatic mode, you'll be able ride upwards of 113 miles on a single full charge. No word on US release yet. [Crunchgear]

1:15 PM on Mon Jul 7 2008
By Jason Chen
1,355 views, 19 comments

Latest by n/a: And the BionX only adds around 20 pounds, making it the lightest e-bike conversion on the market. It costs around $1700 or so, but I'm sure that's cheaper than this bike's going to be. more »

laptops

What Doesn't Break a Toughbook Makes It Stronger: How They Test the Hell Out of Them

Deep in the northwest corner of Kobe, Japan, there's a factory hidden away among green rice paddies, and sleepy farming villages of tiled roofs. If you were to travel here, to Takatsukadai—the middle of nowhere—you'd find Panasonic's Toughbook plant quietly making notebooks with the world's lowest failure rate. Well, not so quietly, actually. They employ a regimen of over 500 different tests, smashing, dropping and soaking Toughbooks, with over a thousand sacrifices each year. This is where I learned how the old computer plant manages to pull it off, miraculously, almost all under one roof. More »

Feature

4:00 PM on Wed Jul 2 2008
By Tim Hornyak
5,405 views, 47 comments

Latest by n/a: Legally, they cannot say they test the hell out of them (Anyone that's been in a DC Subway station should get that reference..) " Notebooks also go on racks at the Kobe factory, and are given massages. Using Panasonic-branded handheld massagers (what more »

umpcs

Panasonic ToughBook CF-U1: Pricing and Specs of the Rugged Little Intel Atom UMPC

Panasonic may have "announced" the ToughBook CF-U1 back in March, but it's only now getting around talking speeds, feeds and wallet drain. Even though it uses Intel's "low cost" 1.33GHz Atom Z520 processor, the little ruggedized UMPC will arrive in August (or later, if the rumored Atom delay is true) at a starting price of $2,500. Obviously, it's geared towards customers who need a super serious, military-grade resistance to the elements. It runs Vista (with XP downgrade option) from a removable 16GB or 32GB SSD, packs tons of wireless options, weighs 2.3 lbs. with two batteries, and runs for 9 hours. If you can get over the teensy 5.6" screen, you got yourself the perfect PC for spelunking, fly fishing or whatever it is you call "extreme." (See more details below.) More »

11:40 AM on Wed Jun 25 2008
By Wilson Rothman
2,355 views, 16 comments

Latest by odysseus: We've been playing with one of these at work, very bulky, keyboard is hard to use, and the screen is too hi-res it's hard to read. We scored it a fail, although it rated highly on the entirely accidental more »

rumor

Panasonic to Have 37-Inch OLED Panels on Sale By 2011?

Adding to the rumors we brought you a few months ago, the Sankei Shimbun daily newspaper is reporting that Panasonic is planning on having 37-inch OLED screens on sale within three years. And there's more: they'll be setting up a production line in the IPS Alpha Technology factory in Chiba Prefecture, intend to overtake their rivals in the next-gen display tech, and will sell the TVs for $1,390. Though Panasonic apparently denies having such detailed plans, it seems a plausible timescale to me. [OLEDdisplay.net]

4:42 AM on Tue Jun 24 2008
By Kit Eaton
5,303 views, 9 comments

Latest by n/a: @Monty: I'm in the same tune you are in...3 years from now Plasma and LCD will be even better than today.1,000,000:1 contrast ratios and lower power use will not sell an OLED TV.And also 3 yers from now most LCD more »

blu-ray

Panasonic's New Blu-ray Discs are World's First 6x Speed Burnable

Panasonic is doing its part to see Blu-ray make even more of a success with its new LM-BR25MD and LM-BR50MD disks for home disc-burning. Both are single-sided, write-once BD-Rs, compatible with Blu-ray Disc Recordable Format version 1.3, and they're 25GB and 50GB-sized. They'll be released in Japan in July, at a price of $15 for the single-layer 25GB disk and $37 for the dual-layer 50GB version, but you'll have to wait to find out when they'll be coming to the US. Full press release below. More »

10:28 AM on Wed Jun 18 2008
By Kit Eaton
2,110 views, 26 comments

Latest by VENAT0R: @Arvin Bautista: 6X the speed you cant read at. didnt you read nutbastards comments?? more »

camcorders

Panasonic's New HD Camcorders World's First With 3-MOS Sensors

Back in January we showed the Panasonic HDC-SD9 camcorder, which has a 3-CCD sensor, but the HDC-SD100 and HDC-HS100 announced today have a spanky new MOS system. This makes them the world's first AVCHD camcorders with "3MOS," which has double the light-receiving area of the CCD version, better for low-light shooting. The HS100 model records to SD card and its 60GB HDD, while the SD100 just saves to SD but both have full HD resolution, a new Leica lens and optical image stabilization. Available in September for $1,299.95 for the HS100 and $1,099.95 for the HDC-HS100. Read on for the full press release. More »

4:33 AM on Wed Jun 18 2008
By Kit Eaton
4,557 views, 17 comments

Latest by n/a: @CrzzyDggy: ...and with really, really constrained horizontal resolution. more »

light bulb

Panasonic's Pa-Look Fluorescent Bulbs Get Lit Fast

Not since Adam Frucci's last house party have we seen anything get lit as fast as Panasonic's Pa-Look fluorescent bulbs. These use a hybrid lighting method that makes for "instant bulb brightness," which is more convenient for bathrooms where you want to get light right away and not accidentally step on errant urine. Inside is a "quick lamp" that brings the goods 50 to 60% faster, and then cuts off when the regular fluorescent reaches optimum lighting. Fantastic for the slightly impatient. [Akihabara News]

8:20 PM on Wed Jun 11 2008
By Jason Chen
3,656 views, 27 comments

Latest by Jones91: @B: @icelight: actually i was making a point for the side of "saving the environment" thats nice and all, but to be honest if i felt like it i would go buy a crate of batteries, smash them, and spread the debris more »

plasma

Panasonic THX Display Certified Viera TH-50PZ800U New King of Plasmas (for Now)

After months of reigning as the best TVs on the planet, Pioneer's Kuro is finally challenged for the throne by Panasonic's THX Display-certified Viera TH-50PZ800U. It's the THX mode that gives it the edge, with its superior color accuracy and uniformity making it "one of the best-performing plasmas" Cnet has tested, even though the blacks (while very good) still aren't at Kuro level. And of course, this isn't compared to the new super-thin, super-black Kuros rolling out later this year. So enjoy the crown while you've got it, Panny. [Cnet]

Feature

8:10 PM on Wed May 28 2008
By matt buchanan
5,700 views, 13 comments

Latest by n/a: Pioneer are going to buy all their screen from Panasonic!Panasonic can use the Kuro technology in return! more »

deals

Dealzmodo: Panasonic Blu-ray Player + $100 Blu-ray Movie Gift Card

Wal-Mart's got a deal on a Panasonic Blu-ray player for Father's day (June 8 - June 15), giving you the player for $448 plus a free $100 gift card good for Blu-ray movies. If you think you'll only get three movies for $100, you're slightly off, as Wal-Mart's also discounting a handful of flicks as well. And here they are in an order pre-determined by some guy at Wal-mart. More »

7:50 PM on Wed May 28 2008
By Jason Chen
7,907 views, 25 comments

caption contest

Microwaving, So Easy A Child...

"No, I asked you will it blend?"

Think you can do better? (You probably can.) Hit the comments. [Defective Yeti via BBGadgets]

1:00 PM on Thu May 22 2008
By Mark Wilson
8,156 views, 123 comments

Latest by magusat999: Micheal Jackson - "i just wanted the kids to start off like me..." more »

tv

Panasonic Prices 2008 Flagship PZ850 Plasma HDTV Line, Demos Viera Cast IPTV

Today Panasonic announced the list pricing of its flagship PZ850 line: 46" for $3,100, 50" for $3,500, 59" for $4,300 and $8,000 for the monster 65 incher. The smaller two sets will be available this summer, with the larger ones due out in the fall. The company also demoed the Viera Cast IPTV system that debuts with the 850; it's a first step into internet country with Picasa, YouTube, Bloomberg quotes and weather reports onboard at launch. Though not positioned as elite as the Pioneer, it's a very good looking TV with high-end color reproduction and other technical features. Besides, the Viera Cast interface shown above and after the jump was cooler than expected. More »

11:15 AM on Tue May 20 2008
By Wilson Rothman
5,125 views, 7 comments

Latest by BigViper: Viperborg? Would that make you my clone? he he he more »

home entertainment

First Listen: Panasonic SC-BT100 Blu-ray Home Theater in a Box Is Boomy, Not Hissy

Panasonic's SC-BT100 Blu-ray home-theater in a box made a sly appearance back at CES, but today we got up all in its face. The Blu-ray soul is basically Panny's BD-30 player (with the added mojo of the BD-50's Chroma processor). Rear speakers are wireless and produce virtual 7.1 sound, though you can add on two more for true 7.1. Supposedly the subwoofer is magically designed to reduce hissing with quiet rumblings—we certainly didn't notice any in the demo, but we heard smooth, cheesy jazz and the 18-wheeler/F-18 scene from Justin Long's fake Die Hard movie, so it was hard to gauge its effectiveness on the front. The sound certainly wasn't bad though—it'll go for $999 in late spring. Closeups and fact sheet below. More »

12:08 PM on Tue May 6 2008
By matt buchanan
4,820 views, 5 comments

Latest by n/a: How can Panasonic charge $999 for a HT system without HMDI inputs? That's absurd, it means I have to run an HDMI cable from my cable box to my TV, an optical audio cable from my TV to the more »

blu-ray

Panasonic's DMP-BD50 Their First BD-Live Blu-ray Player

Today in NYC, Panasonic showed off its DMP-BD50, the company's first BD-Live Blu-ray 2.0 player—and the second in the market besides the PlayStation 3—setting the price at $700. It's an improvement over the DMP-BD30, which will stay on the market as a $500 step-down. In addition to BD-Live (and the requisite Ethernet port), it will decode all new DTS and Dolby Digital codecs internally, as well as bitstream them to a compatible receiver, if that's your preference. The player, initially announced at CES, will ship in "late spring," presumably the next 4-6 weeks, and will not need a firmware upgrade to be 2.0 compatible—a requirement of the $400 Sony BDP-S350 player due out around the same time. Fact sheet after the jump. More »

11:44 AM on Tue May 6 2008
By Wilson Rothman
8,115 views, 20 comments

Latest by scarbrtj: @MarvinDog: Not to be picky, but they do have the bandwidth. Coax can handle 100+ Mbit/s. PCM, DTS-HD, Dolby TrueHD, etc., have bandwidths in the 10 (20 max) Mbit/s range. It would have been problematic for the powers-that-be to get more »

giz explains

Giz Explains: Plasma TV Basics

In this week's Giz Explains—if you haven't noticed, it's a weekly series that breaks down a sticky piece of tech into something more digestible for people whose bellies aren't quite made of nerd steel—we're looking at plasma TVs. Plasma. It just sounds sci-fi. More »

Feature

2:00 PM on Wed Apr 30 2008
By matt buchanan
30,667 views, 46 comments

Latest by Bitstuff: What altitude does a plasma need to be for it to explode? By explode I mean for the itsy bitsy cells to explode and release the plasma. I want to know what it smells like! more »

rumor

Panasonic Joining OLED TV Game?

In a end-of-article one-liner afterthought, Digitimes noted that Panasonic will begin making OLED TVs "in the future." They'll join Samsung (2009) and LG (2011) in jumping off the current LCD and Plasma train, which is an increasingly competitive (read: lower margin) market. [Digitimes]

6:19 PM on Thu Apr 24 2008
By Jason Chen
2,213 views, 6 comments

digital cameras

Panasonic Picks Picasa for Wi-Fi Lumix TZ50

As you can see in the clip above, Panasonic's Wi-Fi enabled Lumix TZ50 connects to most wireless networks—including T-Mobile Hotspots—and uploads your pictures directly to a Picasa account. It works in reverse also, photos placed online are browsable by the camera. When we tried it out, a picture took about 25 seconds to upload, which is a bit slow but a small price to pay to never worry about wires. The TZ50 will sell for $450 starting in May. [Panasonic]

12:40 PM on Thu Apr 24 2008
By Benny Goldman
2,434 views, 9 comments

Latest by maven2k: Okay, how embarrassing, I didn't edit hat and screwed up my joke. Just substitute "for" for "got". Sorry. more »

digital cameras

Fingers-On Panasonic's Lumix FX500 Touchscreen Digital Camera

I just got my greasy hands on the FX500, Panasonic's touchscreen point-and-shoot. As you see in the video, by pointing to a certain object in the frame, the camera stays focused on it even if either the camera or the object goes in motion. Also, manual options could be changed using a slider on the screen, which I found cool. If you don't always like using a touchscreen, you're in luck; there is also a joystick to control the action. The camera is $400 and will be on sale in mid-May. [Panasonic]

11:35 AM on Thu Apr 24 2008
By Benny Goldman
6,591 views, 14 comments

Latest by henhen: whats going on in the video? all that just to change a setting....and is he touch things on the screen and nothing is happening? more »

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