Panasonic Introduces New PD Series for Digital Signage and Offers Sneak Preview of 85-inch Plasma Display at InfoComm 2009

Panasonic Professional Display Company, a unit of Panasonic Corporation of North America, the industry leader in professional Plasma displays, will offer a sneak preview of its new 85-inch Plasma display, available later this year, and introduces its new PD series of professional Plasmas specifically designed for digital signage, at the InfoComm 2009, June 14 -19 in Orlando (Booth # 4441).

The industry’s first 85-inch, full HD 1080p Plasma, the TH-85PF12U takes advantage of Panasonic’s Neo PDP technology, touting slimmer, lighter weight and brighter displays with lower power consumption. This new professional display will be introduced at the show, bridging the gap between the company’s 65- and 103-inch full HD Plasma displays and filling the lineup of large format professional displays.  Designed for commercial, business and high-end home-theater applications, the 85-inch Plasma is the equivalent in screen size to four 42-inch displays, and features a newly developed high-definition “Neo Plasma display panel” that achieves the world’s highest moving image resolution of 1,080 lines and highest contrast ratio of 40,000:1  (2,000,000:1 dynamic).  The result is a vibrant, high-contrast, high-resolution image with a real sense of depth and scope.

Even with effective wide-screen dimensions of 74.4 by 41.8 inches, the TH-85PF12U is significantly thinner and lighter than past Plasmas.  The main body depth is only 3.9 inches, and with the weight per inch reduced by 30 percent, the overall weight of the display is approximately 296 lbs.

The 85-inch Plasma is capable of being installed vertically, allowing the display of life-sized models – creating enormous visual impact for digital signage, commercial messaging and audio/video presentation applications.  It will be available in fall of 2009.

New for Digital Signage:  PD Series Plasmas

Also making its debut at InfoComm this year is Panasonic’s 42- and 50-inch PD 12-Series Plasma displays, specifically designed and priced for digital signage, featuring fixed input terminals for PC (D-sub 12), VGA, component, composite and S-video.

The new PD 12-Series displays deliver the same high performance Panasonic is known for, while providing a more cost-effective solution in digital signage applications where extensive connectivity options are not needed.  These new high performance HD displays deliver an astounding 30,000:1 contrast radio for deeper, richer blacks and brighter, more vibrant color.  Improved video processing provides crisper, clear motion images with the equivalent of an industry-leading 5,120 shades of gradation.  Special built-in features allow for unlimited multi-display configurations.

Panasonic Professional Plasmas have a well-earned reputation for outstanding durability and performance in even the most challenging situations.  The new PD series Plasmas have an estimated service life of 100,000 hours, burn-in protection, and are backed by a full two-year, on-site parts and labor limited warranty.  All Panasonic Plasma displays are the world’s first 100 percent lead-free Plasmas, making the high-impact distribution of rich, multi-media content of these “green screens” not only dynamic but also friendly to the environment.

The 42-inch TH-42PD12UK has a suggested list price of $1,070 (U.S.) and the 50-inch H-50PD12UK is $1,520 (U.S.).

 
New LRT/PRT Series

The high-performance PRT Plasma displays and LRT LCD displays are ideal for hospitality applications and signage applications, offering the finest in color reproduction and fast motion response time.  The LRT/PRT series includes a 42-inch Plasma display and the newly introduced 37- and 32-inch LCD displays.  The sleek design of these mid-sized displays imparts an upscale look for even the most luxurious interiors.  All displays feature fully-integrated stereo speakers for superb audio reproduction.  The 42-inch plasma display features a 30,000:1 contrast ratio, 100,000 hours of service life, and brighter more vivid colors than traditional displays, with 5,120 shades of gradation. The 37- and 32-inch LCDs offer excellent contrast ratio and superb motion handling. Both Plasma and LCD monitors feature a new module interface to accommodate a variety of PPV and other services. Available this summer.

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Note:  High res images are available.

About Panasonic Professional Display Company -- Based in Secaucus, N.J., Panasonic Professional Display Company, a unit of Panasonic Corporation of North America, is the industry leader in professional Plasma displays. Panasonic offers a wide-range of displays with the industry's best image quality, ideal for education, retail, boardroom or the ultimate home theater experience. Our broadcast-quality production monitors with true color performance are an industry standard. With the richest blacks, the widest range of sizes and resolutions, a plug-in modular architecture that allows an unparalleled level of customization, and incredible Panasonic's award-winning Concierge service, Panasonic is America's choice for professional plasma and display models. For more information on Panasonic Professional Display Company, please visit www.panasonic.com/proplasma.

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