Panasonic is set to launch an Android Tablet, they are also predicting that consumer interest in 3D TV’s will grow as new low cost glasses are replaced by 3D without the need for glasses.The Japanese Company who is #1 in the Australian plasma TV market is also predicting that more than 35% of the market will be 3D by 2014.
Speaking at their CES press conference company President Shiro Kitajima said that 3D was set to be a major force in the future and that the evolution of 3D technology was “unstoppable”.
On the show floor Panasonic has a brand new stand that is 50% 3D TV technology and Lumix camera’s.
Using a giant wall of 3D TV’s Panasonic is wooing audiences with some impressive displays of 3D TV technology.
According to Panasonic Australia executives the Company is convinced that they can grow their plasma TV offering with a new range of high-end, mid-range and entry-level plasma 3D TVs including the (VT30, GT30 and ST30), Panasonic’s first 3D LCD TV (DT30), as well as an array of new 3D cameras, camcorders and Blu-ray players.
What is coming out of CES is that 3D is here to stay with almost all major vendors showing new 3D products. Among the biggest is Panasonic.
Panasonic is also entering the tablet market with a new Android powered Viera Tablet which is being positioned more as a remote control than a tablet device.
It is not known when the device will be launched in Australia.
Shiro Kitajima, president of the Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company described the Viera Tablet as a “smart terminal” with a touch interface that works in conjunction with the company’s Viera line of flat panel televisions.
According to the Panasonic press release, the Viera Tablet provides access to a variety of cloud services, including video streaming and e-books, and also acts as an auxiliary screen for displaying images and information related to what’s being shown on the television screen.
Panasonic executives saidt that the new device be available worldwide “later this year,” with screen sizes ranging from 4 inches to 10 inches.
The Viera Tablet is also integrated with Viera Connect, a new IPTV service that lets customers personalize their television with a range of video on demand, gaming, social networking and fitness applications. It also lets you access Youtube, Netflix, live streaming services, as well as gaming, social networking and fitness programs.
Kitajima suggested that Panasonic might open Viera Connect to developers and connected device manufacturers at some point in the future.
“Television used to be passive but it is now evolving into a more engaged and interactive experience,” Kitajima said at the event. “Viewers are going to become much more engaged participants.”
Three quarters of the Blu-ray players in Panasonic’s 2011 range are 3D capable, while last year’s groundbreaking 3D camcorder (HDC-SDT750) is joined by five new models at various price points. Kitajima hinted that the entry level 3D camcorders willl be cheaper than in the past.
Kitajima says that Panasonic has been able to use new phosphors to increase the light output of its plasma panels by 30 per cent while cutting power consumption by 20 per cent.
