CES 2013: Panasonic Presents HDTVs That Work Smarter, Aren't Higher-Def
While every other HDTV manufacturer is focusing on ultra high-definition/4K video, Panasonic is sticking with 1080p but focusing on making its HDTVs more connected and customizable.
https://www.pcmag.com/news/ces-2013-panasonic-presents-hdtvs-that-work-smarter-arent-higher-def
LAS VEGAS—Ultra high-definition (UHD) television might be the name of the game for most HDTV manufacturers at CES, Panasonic has another idea of the future of HDTVs. It didn't show off any UHD (also known as 4K) screens at its press conference, but it did demonstrate several new technologies to make HDTVs more connected and interactive.
Panasonic kicked off its press conference with the announcement of My Home Screen, a new personalized "desktop" for Panasonic SmartViera HDTVs. It organizes digital content on the screen according to the tastes of different users, loading the preferred content channels of whoever is watching at the time. While the press conference showed off the technology only in the vaguest terms, it seems to load different tiles of different online services and apps on the screen, showing them in conjunction with live television based on a given user's customizations. Higher-end Panasonic HDTVs will feature a camera with facial recognition to let users log in and access their own home screens just by looking at the screen.
Voice control will also be a big part of Panasonic's connected HDTVs, with a microphone-equipped remote control that will follow vocal commands, similar to the Samsung UN60ES8000F we reviewed last year. Since this is a newer model from a different company, the voice commands will hopefully be more accurate and responsive (as will hopefully the new Samsung voice interaction HDTVs).
Panasonic's Swipe & Share photo sharing feature gets a surprising twist with Swipe & Share 2.0. The feature still lets users fling photos from their mobile devices to their Panasonic HDTVs, but the addition of a new touch-pen stylus will let users modify and draw on photos right on the HDTV screen. A stylus that works on an HDTV seems like it could be useful for more than drawing on pictures, but we'll see how the touch pen is handled in new Viera screens. Currently, Panasonic has only said the touch pen will be for annotating photos, and will be an optional accessory for the company's plasma HDTVs.
Viera HDTVs will also get Panasonic and the Home Shopping Network's new Shop By Remote service, an online shopping app on upcoming connected HDTVs that combines online shopping with streaming video from HSN. It lets shoppers browse through the products available on HSN, watch videos related to them, read additional information about them, and even flip through them in a custom HSN channel containing specific product types set by the user.
Besides connected HDTVs, Panasonic is rolling out new streaming media players with many of the same technologies found in Viera HDTVs. The DMP-MS10 and DMP-MST60 are standalone media hubs that use Viera Connect to make online services and apps accessible even without a connected Viera HDTV. They also have Miracast wireless display technology to let users stream content from their mobile devices and computers to their HDTV. The DMP-MST60 features a Web browser in addition to the other features. Panasonic's new BDT-230 Blu-ray player also features Viera Connect and Miracast, along with Blu-ray Disc playback.
Panasonic announced 32 new HDTVs over its multiple lines, split between 16 LED and 16 plasma HDTVs. This continues a surprising trend of cold cathode fluorescent lamp HDTVs being completely phased out by HDTV manufacturers. Vizio has replaced its low-end CCFL HDTVs with LED-backlit screens, and Panasonic is following suit. CCFL screens seem to be a thing of a past, while plasma continues to be one of Panasonic's pillars in the HDTV market.
Pricing and availability for the new home entertainment products have not yet been announced, but they will ship this year and will be on the show floor at CES.
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