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Panasonic lowers 1080p plasma bar

Despite the fact that the benefits of 1080p native resolution are difficult to discern at the 50-inch screen size, let alone 42 inches, Panasonic has to keep up with the LCD competition if it wants to maintain spec-sheet parity in the eyes of comparison shoppers. That's probably the main reason why the plasma powerhouse announced two new, lower-priced 1080p models today at CEDIA in Denver: the 42-inch TH-42PZ77 ($1799) and the 50-inch TH-50PZ77 ($2799).

These sets trim $200 off the list prices of the formerly least-expensive 1080p Panasonic plasmas, the excellent 42-inch TH-42PZ700U and the ever-popular TH-50PZ700U, making them the most affordable 1080p plasmas on the market, and strongly price-competitive with similarly sized 1080p LCDs. Here are some more items from the press release:

Panasonic TH-PZ77 series key features

1080p native resolution Two HDMI inputs Antiglare screen coating SD memory card slot September release date… Read more

This week in cameras

It's been a quiet week in Lake Wobegon busy week for digital cameras. Casio, Kodak, Nikon, and Panasonic all unveiled their latest cameras, and that means plenty of posts here on Crave. Here's a handy roundup of the new cameras announced this week.

Casio's new V8 and Z1080 have nothing to do with engines or HDTV Kodak brings high-def video to two new cameras Kodak's new superzoom Panasonic gets serious about SLRs Nikon introduces two new affordable amateur cameras Nikon's latest Wi-Fi slimcam Nikon's new slim shooters Two new basic budget Nikons

Panasonic gets serious about SLRs

It's no secret that Panasonic's first digital SLR, the DMC-L1, wasn't very well received. But Panasonic's not worried about that. They viewed the L1 as a "technology statement," to show that they're serious about jumping into the SLR market. The company's new dSLR, called the Lumix DMC-L10, is aimed at people stepping up to a SLR from compact cameras, and marks a big step forward for the company's SLRs. The L10 features a Four-Thirds-sized, Live MOS imaging sensor with 10.1 effective megapixels and a Supersonic Wave Filter system to rattle … Read more

$20,000 in HD gear? What's the catch?

It's time to say it: Enough. If Gene Simmons Family Jewels can find air time, then it's possible for anyone to find an audience on cable. So why not give it a shot yourself?

As part of a research initiative (and marketing ploy) called "Living in HD," Panasonic is recruiting 30 families to "explore how the latest HD technology affects the American lifestyle," according to Electronic House. It's not destined for TV yet, but the judges who will choose the families include Hollywood directors Kevin Smith and Brett Ratner, so who knows? And … Read more

Kodak sues Panasonic for patent infringement

Eastman Kodak has sued Panasonic, claiming the Japanese company infringed four patents relating to digital cameras.

The suit, filed July 25 in U.S. Federal Court in the Eastern District of Texas, targets Panasonic, its Japanese parent company, Matsushita Electric Industrial (MEI), and two Matsushita subsidiaries, Victor Company of Japan (JVC) and JVC Americas.

"Kodak has attempted to resolve the matter with MEI for a number of years. The discussions between the companies have not led to a suitable license agreement, so we have decided to file a complaint in order to protect the investment in technology that we … Read more

Panasonic's dynamic camcorder duo for fall '07

With the HDC-SD1 barely out of diapers--it was only released in February--and the ink on my review barely dry, Panasonic already plans to ship its replacement in September. Given some of the issues I had with the SD1 I won't be sorry to see it go, but it's not clear that the SD5 addresses some of the problems.

On one hand, it's smaller--always a plus--and Panasonic adds an upsweep toward the back of the unit to improve its grippability over the tube-shaped SD1. I got a chance to shoot with the SD5 at the press briefing, and … Read more

Panasonic cameras offer auto auto auto mode

Some subset of photographers would like a compact camera with lots of higher-end features and manual controls. But a vastly larger quantity want their cameras to take photos with the correct focus, exposure, white balance and other factors without having to do more than press the shutter button.

Which is why Panasonic's three newest cameras, the Lumix FX-33, FX-55 and FZ18 are notable. For one thing, Panasonic is catching up with competitors such as Fujifilm and Canon by introducing face detection, which lets the camera guess more intelligently about what the photographer is trying to shoot and adjust settings … Read more

Panasonic's new Lumix camera lineup

Panasonic just unveiled three new 8-megapixel digital cameras for the fall, including two 28mm-equivalent wide-angled compact shooters and one midrange camera with a huge, 18x zoom lens.

The Lumix DMC-FZ18 is Panasonic's latest contender in the megazoom category. With a 28mm- to 504mm-equivalent 18x Leica zoom lens, the FZ18 looks like Panasonic's answer to the Olympus SP-550UZ. With RAW image support and plenty of manual control, this high-zoom electronic viewfinder (EVF) camera could turn out to be a good choice for aspiring photographers who want lots of zoom power and control without shelling out the money for an … Read more

New Panasonic cameras coming in July

Panasonic plans to announce new digital cameras and high-definition video cameras at a July 17 event in New York, according to an invitation.

The company didn't share further details. But perhaps we'll see more about the new lower-end Panasonic digital SLR geared toward consumers.

Panasonic's current DMC-L1 is a midrange SLR (single-lens reflex) model with a midrange price, but the company could use something to go up against the models from Olympus, Canon, Pentax and Nikon that cost hundreds of dollars less.