The pink glow you see above is coming from the world’s smallest plasma transistor, an unfathomably miniscule device 100 times smaller than the width of a human hair. It’s not just tiny, it’s tough, and theoretically able to withstand brutal environments. And it could massively change consumer electronics.
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So there’s Windex, but if that’s feeling too cleaning product-y for you, be aware that you can also clean glass with pure oxygen plasma. Sure.
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Panasonic’s ST/VT/ZT plasmas are the best televisions on the market, and they won’t be on the market much longer
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Trying to watch the sun’s explosions with your naked eyes is a recipe for blindness, but luckily NASA has a couple of telescopes that can show you all that fusion glory with none of the permanent ocular damage. Take, for instance, this 200,000-mile long canyon of fire.
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It’s no secret that Panasonic has been looking to jump ship from the plasma TV business, with word surfacing back in March that the company was looking to get out of the market. Now more concrete information has surfaced, with Reuters again reporting on the matter, this time with sources who claim Panasonic will be […]
According to Reuters, Panasonic is going to stop production of its fantastic plasma TV sets by March 2014. That sucks. But also not surprising since previous reports had hinted at Panasonic planning to cut its TV production and that the TV market has been overtaken by seemingly every other technology not named plasma.
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Bang & Olufsen is all about elegant design, and it’s not about to let a home theater receiver spoil those clean looks — see its newly unveiled BeoVision 12-65 New Generation TV as an example. This refresh of last year’s BeoVision 12-65 includes its own 7.1-channel audio module, letting viewers plug surround speakers into the 65-inch plasma without a go-between box. The upgrade also brings TrueImage, which mixes the sound to fit all available speakers, and lets owners customize audio presets. Bang & Olufsen hasn’t disclosed pricing for the New Generation, but the set should reach company stores in early September.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Source: Bang & Olufsen
A certain demographic of home theater connoisseurs has fretted for a few weeks over talk that Panasonic might end plasma TV production and research — would viewers have to resort to anything so vulgar as… an LCD? No, Panasonic says. Despite earlier claims of frozen development, the company’s merchandising VP Henry Hauser is emphatic that there remains “room for further improvement” in the plasma realm, and that Panasonic fully intends to develop upgrades. The Viera ZT series we saw at CES will be a launchpad for future work, according to the executive. Hauser’s full statement awaits after the break if there are any lingering doubts; for now, it appears that Panasonic values plasma’s distinct qualities as much as the next basement movie maven.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Source: Panasonic
Back in March, we reported that according to rumors, Panasonic could be pulling out of the plasma TV market and it seems that has been confirmed by the company’s vice president, Kiyoshi Okamoto. Okamoto revealed that the company’s latest plasma TV, the ZT60, will be the last and best plasma panel that will be coming out of the company’s R&D department. However he did state that what this meant was that while R&D of plasma panels would be ceased, production of the devices are expected to continue well into 2014, claiming that they have a responsibility to their customers, and naturally so.
The Verge asked Okamoto if there were plans to bring R&D for plasma back into action one day, but Okamoto denied those plans, claiming that some of their plasma engineers have already been shifted to the OLED department which Panasonic plans to eventually replace its plasma lineup. Plasma TVs were definitely popular back in the day, so in a way it is a bit sad to see an era come to an end, especially since reports have indicated that shipments of plasma have dropped by 23% year-over-year in 2012, compared to the 1% drop for LCD (via NPD).
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Panasonic’s NYC press event had more than pricing for its media streamers and Blu-ray players, as the company also put tags on its 2013 HDTVs. While it wasn’t ready to announces MSRPs for its top of the line ZT60 plasmas that impressed us greatly at CES, it did put prices and shipping windows on its other models (check after the break for a complete list). The former flagship VT60 series will be available in 55-, 60- and 65-inch versions later this month for $2,600, $3,000 and $3,600, respectively. Cheaper plasma models include the ST60 and S60 series, available in sizes up to 60-inches. Its top of the line WT60 LCD LED-lit models will also ship later this month, topped by the 55-inch version with a sticker price of $2,999.
The bad news? While Panasonic’s plasma manufacturing will continue, The Verge reports VP Kiyoshi Okamoto confirmed at the event that development has ceased on its plasma models, although some engineers have been shifted to work on OLED displays. We’ll see if its recovery efforts and technological developments lead to new large-size OLEDs anytime soon, but for now it appears we’re seeing the last of its efforts to push plasma technology forward.
Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment, HD
Source: Panasonic
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