AfterDawn: News

Panasonic shows off YouTube-ready plasmas

Originally announced at the CES event in January, Panasonic has finally unveiled its new PZ850-series Viera plasmas including specs, release dates and prices.

The lineup will have 46, 50, 58 and 65-inch models and will most notably have built-in Internet access, allowing TV viewers to watch YouTube clips or Picasa photos without needing a separate media hub. There will be support for other websites coming as well, says Panasonic.



Each HDTV will have four HDMI ports, PC inputs, and a high native contrast ratio of 30,000:1. The maximum dynamic contrast ratio is an also high 1,000,000:1. Each set will also have a built-in SD slot and internal H.264 decoding meaning owners of HD camcorders or those with HD video can watch immediately without having to convert the video.

The two smaller models will be available in mid-June with $3,100 USD and $3500 USD price tags respectively. The larger models will hit stores in September with $4300 USD and $8000 USD price tags respectively.


Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 20 May 2008 16:19

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• 13 comments

• emugamer

  D post

  20.5.2008 16:50 #1

• emugamer

  Cool......if youtube had HD content. Otherwise it would be a pixelated mess on those size screens. The other specs are nice though.

  20.5.2008 16:51 #2

• chaos_zzz

  i have a 20in lcd on my pc and videos from youtube at fullscreen sux
  
  and resizing... don't get me wrong but u just paid 3k for the same size on ur pc?

  20.5.2008 17:09 #3

• Pop_Smith

  Sounds to me like they just did it for the marketing, other than the nice contrast ratio its basically a really expensive computer monitor.

  21.5.2008 01:59 #4

• ripxrush

  interesting, still a long way to go but interesting on more devices getting towards convergence. i think that a tv made for you tube was just a catch they used it seems to be more of an internet enabled t.v. than just a you tube t.v. some old exec that dosent understand technology & these generations insisted to title it that i bet! ye prolly just uses you tube for soft porn!

  21.5.2008 02:50 #5

• plutonash

  Youtube looks like ass even on my old 15 inch in my bedroom. Dont even get me started on how looks on my 42 inch sammy.

  21.5.2008 09:33 #6

• DXR88

  The point is, that it can be done. like a sling box already attached to your tv. Now if i could stream from the other websites such as NBC and be able to load shoutcast or icecast, it would be cool.
  
  This could be intresting technology, or just another fad in the way of true technological advancement. time has the yeilded true answer's to everthing, only it comes with time itself.

  21.5.2008 13:41 #7

• georgeluv

  for 250 bucks you could buy a wii, connect it to your tv and watch as much youtube as you want, plus it plays games and you can go on the rest of the net. i agree with the dude who said it would look like hot garbage. it looks like steaming hot garbage on my 42" aquos.
  
  i wish so hard that they would step their resolution game up, they probably already have the plan but are just waiting for everyone else to catch up before they try to one up them. the longer they wait the cheaper the equipment and the bandwidth gets. youtube has no reason to start paying normal contributers or increase resolution right now, they are the kings of the internet video world.

  21.5.2008 16:06 #8

• UnsafeD

  Meh. I hate how YouTube's become this one well-know social place. I mean with a big screen TV and good ol' jolly low-quality YouTube, there's not much to watch other than video blogs from people you hope you never meet, poorly made parody videos, boring homemade commercials, unfunny comedic videos and more. I mean clips from shows and enjoying the moments you get from watching a full movie or episode through YouTube before someone removes it would be great on the big screen, but that's it.

  22.5.2008 01:37 #9

• iluvendo

  Dynamic contrast ratio of 1,000,000: 1
  
  Really ?

  22.5.2008 19:01 #10

• DXR88

  no silly its Dynamic it could be 100:1 on really bad days

  22.5.2008 20:02 #11

• max02111

  spam removed

  29.5.2008 00:04 #12

• DXR88

  @max02111) Don't spam on aD please,do it elsewhere.

  29.5.2008 12:55 #13