Panasonic has announced new 4K Ultra HD TVs, a new prosumer 4K video camera that can record 4K video to an SD card, two new sensor-equipped washing machines and the return of the Technics brand with two premium Hi-Fi systems.
First is the
Viera X940 series 85-inch 4K Ultra HD TV with 2000Hz back light scanning panel and 4K intelligent frame creation tech promising “breath-taking sharpness and smooth, clear images”, even during fast action scenes.
Click to enlarge |
Intelligent local dimming promises to boost contrast for the “deepest blacks and ultra-whites”, a new high-performance image-processing engine, a Quad-core “pro” super-high speed processor, a “4K Studio Master Drive” for a wider and more accurate colour gamut, a 4K 60p supporting HDMI port with HDCP 2.2, DisplayPort 1.2a for gamers and an advanced upscaler taking Full HD content to near 4K levels.
The X940 supports 4K playback from SD cards, USB drives and online sources, with an inbuilt online 4K Channel offering a range of 4K content at any time.
A built-in web browser also enhances web pages to 4K resolution, while “the widest” range of input signals is promised, next to a twin HD tuner and USB recording.
HbbTV compatibility is built in, supplemented by built-in Wi-Fi, DLNA, Smart TV apps and the ability to stream live TV shows or movies to your tablet or smartphone through a “TV Anywhere” feature with intelligent programming recommendations.
The remote comes with a built-in touchpad with a redesigned Smart TV interface with new “Info Bar”, alongside Face Recognition technology through the built-in camera to display relevant information to you including weather forecasts, time and notifications – even without turning on the TV.
Click to enlarge |
Second is Panasonic’s new HC-X1000 prosumer 4K camcorder that records 4K 60p/50p video direct to an SD card for the first time, with Leica Dicomar leans, a new BSI sensor and Crystal Pro 4K Engine for “stunning, lifelike images in Ultra HD 4K resolution”.
4K can also be recorded at 24P, with a 1/2.3-inch MOS sensor, 20x zoom Leica lens with electronically linked geared iris rings for manual control, two optical imagine stabilisation modes (one for 4K, one for HD), EVF viewfinder and pull out LCD high-res touch screen, power OIS (optical image stabilisation) and built-in selectable physical filters.
Other features include a built-in IR emitter and IR recording mode that allows you to shoot at 4K and HD “in complete darkness without any visible light, although your images will have that familiar greenish IR look to them.”
Intelligent auto and camera assist features are naturally present, as is a built-in microphone, two 3-pin XLR audio inputs, real-time remote control via the Panasonic Image App for smartphones and tablets and NFC capability.
Click to enlarge |
Third on the list is Panasonic’s new 24-bit capable multi-room audio system named the ALL Series, letting people use “the original, native control apps of their favour streaming services to control not only the service but the ALL Series speakers”, rather than being forced to use an integrated product app with more limited functionality.
ALL Series speakers work with an exiting Wi-Fi network on iOS or Android devices, with various modes like a Party Mode to listen to the same song across multiple rooms, or the Multi Zone setting which lets you select different audio to play in different areas, all with “simple, yet elegant design, accentuated by unique oval-shaped sides on a stylish body.”
There are three models, the SC-ALL8 which is wall-mountable, and the SC-ALL3 and SC-ALL1C which both have a two-way layout design, with 2nd-gen LincsD-Amp noise shaping tech improves audio while the XBS Master Amplifier “amplifies low-frequency sounds to achieve robust bass”, with a “Multi Band Gain Control” to “eliminate unnatural sounds which are generated during the process of controlling distortion”.
An H.BASS feature adds harmonics, enabling the reproduction of bass sounds of 80 Hz or less, which Panasonic says was previously difficult to reproduce with this class of speaker.
The SH-ALL1C add-on lets you add an existing speaker to a Panasonic ALL Share multi-room audio network, with a “High Class 192-kHz/24-bit Digital-to-Analogue-Converter (DAC) used to suppress sound quality degradation in the wireless signal from a smartphone”, resulting in “high-quality audio signals being transmitted to the speaker system, ensuring perfect clarity every time.”
Click to enlarge |
Michael Friedrich, Senior Manager Product Marketing, Home AV, said: “Panasonic has a great history in providing superior home audio systems and this new multi-room system is no exception. Listening habits have changed and music no longer has to come from a physical source like a CD but can come from a variety of digital sources, one example of which would be streaming. Our systems have developed with these changes and are widely compatible with these digital sources and listening habits.
“We’ve created a flexible system that allows the same music to be enjoyed by all through a number of different speakers in different rooms or alternatively allows different music to be selected and played from each speaker. On top of delivering a powerful, high quality sound our Multi-Room Hi-Fi System is easy to setup and operate.”
Fourth on the list is two
new Panasonic washing machines which “draw on Panasonic’s extensive experience with sensor technology”, being the “NA-148XS1 and NA-148XR1” incorporating Panasonic’s ‘ECONAVI’ sensor technology, with “easy-to-operate laundry care with a new ‘AutoCare’ automatic washing programme that is tailored to the unique requirements of each load.”Finally, Panasonic has announced the return of the Technics audio brand with the first new Technics Hi-Fi products in 6 years with two new Hi-Fi audio systems – the R1 reference-class system and the premium-class C700 system – .
Click to enlarge |
We’ll have reviews of all these new products in the future when launched in Australia later this year. Local prices and availability are still to be announced.
Alex on Google+
