Panasonic to Launch the World's First^*1 Ultra-Large Full HD 3D Professional Plasma Displays

Osaka, Japan - 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 color 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 lineup 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.

Main features:

1. High resolution Full HD 3D images on ultra-large panels with newly-developed ultra high-speed drive technology

To shorten decay time by a third in comparison to conventional models^*10, new short-decay time phosphors^*9 have been installed. Also, the inclusion of the world's first^*1 motion vector prediction allows high-precision light emission controls to predict not only backward and forward movement, but also left-right and diagonal movement to heighten drive speed, thereby allowing a higher illuminating speed of about one fourth the time of conventional models^*10. This installation reduces crosstalk, the key to high quality 3D video, to an absolute minimum, giving clear, high resolution 3D images on the ultra-large panels such as the 85- and 103-inch models and even the 152-inch model which offers 8.84 million pixels (4,096 x 2,160), about quadruple the pixels of Full HD panels (1,920 x 1,080 = 2.07 million pixels). With the virtually infinite contrast of 5,000,000:1^*7, the new displays maximize PDP's high quality 3D imaging capabilities on the entire surface of the ultra-large screens, creating an overwhelmingly immersive experience.

2. New "professional quality engine" faithfully reproduces colorful, high-precision images

The ultra-large panels incorporate newly developed "professional quality engine" enabling high-quality 3D image quality desired by professionals. Signal processing of each pixel has improved from 20 to 30-bit processing, allowing all color and brilliance signals to be reproduced accurately, as well as achieving double the color reproducibility compared to conventional models^*10. A professional quality color management system, which is compliant with HDTV broadcasting standards, adjusts picture quality to faithfully reproduce the detail and texture of the original video source, enabling studio monitor-like high-precision image quality. The products also feature 24 Hz video processing technology to allow crisp and smooth playback of movies recorded on tape.

3. New SLOT 2.0 function slots maintains the expandability and flexibility of professional displays

The professional Full HD 3D PDP panels are developed to be versatile with the various system constructions required for professional displays in a highly flexible manner. To meet the needs of customers, the models have been fitted with Panasonic's SLOT 2.0 function slots into which different terminal boards (sold separately) can be attached. These products are compatible with interfaces^*11 such as DVI and HD-SDI, and can be customized for use in a wide array of professional operating environments.

To develop 3D related technologies and services, Panasonic has been active in many initiatives to offer total solutions in 3D, in order to match the growing needs of the business. This spring, Panasonic introduced its first lineup of VIERA Full HD 3D plasma televisions and Full HD 3D compatible Blu-ray Disc^TM*12 players to the Japanese, American, and European markets. Meanwhile, in response to the increasing demand for economical but highly-efficient 3D video production, Panasonic will launch in August, a month ahead of its intended schedule, the world's first Twin-lens Full HD 3D camcorder^*13. To further contribute to the production and spread of 3D contents, the company has also opened the Panasonic Hollywood Laboratory Advanced Authoring Center for the authoring and recording of 3D movies onto Blu-ray Discs.

Since the professional 3D business has seen a growing demand for a wide range of 3D system solutions to meet the various needs of customers, Panasonic established the Panasonic 3D Innovation Center^*14 on June 3 in Japan for customers working in the 3D business. Panasonic will utilize this newly established center to build closer relationships with the customers, and develop 3D-related technologies and services to offer total solutions to match customer needs and create new demand.

Panasonic aims to accelerate 3D-based innovation within the global professional markets, in order to lead a 3D industry revolution by creating a new home viewing environment and a new video industry based on its 3D technologies.

[Notes on terms]

About Panasonic

Panasonic Corporation is a worldwide leader in the development and manufacture of electronic products for a wide range of consumer, business, and industrial needs. Based in Osaka, Japan, the company recorded consolidated net sales of 7.42 trillion yen (US$79.4 billion) for the year ended March 31, 2010. The company's shares are listed on the Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and New York (NYSE: PC) stock exchanges. For more information on the company and the Panasonic brand, visit the company's website at http://panasonic.net.

Panasonic FULL HD 3D Plasma Displays
(From left to right: 85 inches, 103 inches and 152 inches)

<Specifications>

(The specifications above are as of June 9, 2010 and subject to change without notice.)