Panasonic rolls 103-Inch 3D Plasma TV

Tuesday, 23 November 2010 01:05 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Panasonic, the world’s largest maker of plasma TVs, has begun accepting orders in Japan for a 103-inch 3D plasma high-definition television.

The price tag for the TH-P103MT2 is 8.5 million ¥, a little over $101,000 U.S. The TV features a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution and comes with a pair of active shutter 3D glasses. It claims a contrast ratio of 5,000,000:1, and its dimensions are 241.2cm x 141.9cm x 14.1cm. The set weighs 440 pounds, which increases to 707 pounds when a stand is added, Panasonic said.

Not surprisingly, the set uses a whopping amount of electricity: 1,350 watts, without speakers. Panasonic is marketing the unit for commercial use rather than to consumers, according to CNET news. It comes with “high-speed driving technology” for superior high-definition viewing, Panasonic said, as well as a new engine that enhances colors.

The TH-P103MT2 is not Panasonic’s largest TV. In January, while proclaiming 2010 as “really the first year of 3D television,” the consumer electronics giant announced it had developed a 152-inch 3D TV in Japan and the U.S., making it the world’s largest 4K x2K (4,096 x 2,160 pixels) full HD 3D plasma TV. The set measures 11 feet by 6 feet and has a 4,096 x 160 resolution. The electronics company also rolled out a 103-inch plasma TV in 2006, which retailed for $71,000.

Some reports claim Panasonic will send someone out to measure and make sure a prospective customer has the space to accommodate the TV.

The launch of the TH-P103MT2 and its hefty price tag comes on the heels of gloomy fourth-quarter sales projections and price declines made earlier this month by Panasonic and three of the other largest TV makers. The company has not said whether the TV will be available outside Japan.

In related news, two of Panasonic’s 3D products, a HD 3D Viera Plasma HDTV and 3D camcorder, this week earned awards from Popular Science magazine.