Ultra-large Full HD 3D Professional Plasma Display Panels

Panasonic Corporation announced today it will start taking orders for its professional-use ultra-large Full HD 3D plasma display panels (PDPs) on July 1, 2010. The displays include the world's largest(*2) 152-inch model, as well as 103- and 85-inch models. Shipments will start first in the Japanese and American markets in autumn this year(*3) followed by other countries soon thereafter. The company will also put these new models on display at InfoComm 2010(*4) in Las Vegas, Nevada, from June 9.

Panasonic has a wealth of experience in large-size 2D professional plasma displays; it launched a 103-inch Full HD model in 2006 and an 85-inch Full HD model in 2009, both of which have been widely praised for meeting the needs of a wide range of professional customers in applications such as digital signage and business presentation monitors. This popularity allowed Panasonic to achieve No. 1 share(*5) in the global professional flat-panel display market in the fiscal year ended March 2010.

Now, the professional Full HD 3D PDPs for which Panasonic will accept orders provide high quality Full HD 3D video on the world’s largest scale*2 for a direct-view display, as well as ultra-high picture quality 2D displays.

To develop the new professional models, Panasonic has advanced its unique technologies employed in its VIERA Full HD 3D plasma televisions that were launched in the consumer market this year. The technologies include an industry-highest(*2) native contrast ratio(*6) of 5,000,000:1(*7) for overwhelming black reproduction; a high speed driving technology to achieve the PDP's full moving picture resolution(*8); and a crosstalk reduction technology(*9), a crucial requirement for producing clear and crisp 3D images.

The newly-developed ultra high-speed drive technology achieves clear and highly detailed 3D video even on the ultra-large panels, while also, the newly developed built-in "professional quality engine" has doubled the colour reproducibility with 30-bit processing in comparison to conventional models(*10).

These advances allow the world’s first(*1) ultra-large Full HD 3D plasma display line-up to reproduce high quality 3D video sources accurately in a high quality and create an immersive experience that allows the audience to feel as if they were a part of the scene. The 152-inch display can even project life-size images of people. The models have also been equipped with Panasonic’s original function slots, "SLOT2.0," allowing various interfaces*11 such as DVI and HD-SDI, offering expandability to flexibly meet the needs of professional users.

Offering a variety of 3D system solutions that will lead to the creation of new businesses, Panasonic continues to fulfill the needs of professional users such as corporations, stores, amusement facilities, educational institutions, art galleries and museums.

Potential usages:

Corporate - 3D simulation
Life-sized 3D simulations can greatly improve design accuracy, reduce manufacturing lead time, and increase design flexibility.

Stores - 3D showrooms
3D videos on an ultra-large screen can be used for product presentations and demonstrations by car dealers or the housing industry as a realistic sales tool with its overwhelmingly high quality 3D imagery.

Amusement - Immersive 3D games
3D games on ultra-large displays gives multiple numbers of players an immersive experience, making them feel as if they were in the game scenes.

[Notes on terms]

* / *1: For a Full HD 3D flat-panel display, as of June 9, 2010. Survey by Panasonic,
*2: For a flat-panel display, as of June 9, 2010. Survey by Panasonic,
*3: 152-inch 3D option equipment (sold separately) to be sold from the fiscal year ended March 2011.
*4: Duration: June 9 -11, 2010; Venue: Las Vegas Convention Center
*5: Share of professional flat-panel displays (in numbers of units) of at least 26 inches in the fiscal year ended March 2010. Survey by consumer research company.
*6: Dark contrast ratio for simultaneous display within a single screen.
*7: Maximum value measured in Dynamic video mode for a white signal with a window of 4%.
*8: Motion picture resolution refers to the fineness of a moving picture as observed by the naked eye, measured quantitatively in terms of the number of lines (measuring method of the Advanced PDP Development Centre). Full motion picture resolution is 1080 lines.
*9: “Cross-talk reduction technology” enables double-image reduction by adopting newly developed phosphor materials. It also applies to Panasonic’s Full HD 3D VIERA televisions for consumer use.
*10: Compared with PF12 Series Full HD plasma display panels launched by Panasonic in the fiscal year ended March 2010.
*11: The 152-inch model (TH-152UX1) carries a DVI terminal as a standard feature. 3D input is only for the HDMI terminal (standard feature).