It’s that time of year again.  Time when Panasonic pulls a select few into their private laboratories and offers a sneak peek on what they’re about to present to the world.  And once again this year we’re lucky enough to be peeking.

Walking into Panasonic’s new Hollywood digs offers a different experience than previous.  Now they’re situated just off Universal Studios.  Their walk is infused with a strut.  We’re about to find out why -- and it’s cooly justified -- but I’m getting ahead of myself.

That strutting sensation will echo throughout the visit.  Dare I say, Panasonic is becoming more than confident.  They feel they have superior machines when it comes to image quality and hub compatibility.  But no, that’s not enough.  Even the smallest details now represent the best of their best.

Catchin’ Up

Last year we learned about Viera Cast and its Viera Link.  Viera = Visual Era.  An idea that Panasonic is more than happy to spearhead.  A startlingly attentive concierge system that introduced an entertainment hub in your home that easily connects cameras and DVD/Video players as well as in-system features like Bloomberg News, stocks and Youtube.

Yeah, it was impressive.  And yeah, later in the year I actually saw the unit in friends’ homes.  They were very content with the equipment.  But now twelve months later we have to ask....so...umm...what’s new?

Deep Blue

The simple reality is:  Blu Ray is here, now and revolutionizing your home theater experience.  And this year, while it’s price becomes even more consumer-friendly its features become even more cutting edge.

Taking advantage of it’s studio-friendly location, Panasonic explains that it’s invited several A-list filmmakers to visit and test their own movies on their screens and players.  They project the images onto giant screens and the test the colors up close.  How blue is the blue?  How much does it fade or smear?  And why all this?  To make the projected performance as true to the filmmaker’s vision as possible -- The Real Blu-Experience.

The process makes for a crisper image and a truer depiction.  And frankly, it’s to be expected from Panavision.  Always excelling.  But the next piece is what stands out to me.  All about the details.

Start Your Engines

Time is money.  Timing is everything.  How long do you wait for your disc to load?  Better yet, how long should you have to wait?  Per usual , Panasonic treats their audience well -- they have decided, not very long.

They set up their unit next to a competitor’s and loaded the disks simultaneously.  The competitor seemed to load up pretty much as you’d expect.  But by the halfway mark, Panavision was done and checking its watch.  Twice as fast!

Look At That

Then the displays.  Z Series for the ultimate in design.  V Series for the ultimate in image quality.  G Series for people who want maximum entertainment.  S Series for the ideal balance in quality, technological networking and ecology.  And finally X Series for both ample performance and excellent Ecology.

Something for everyone.  Probably more like a menu to induce a variety of salivating.  As I sat there, I wanted each for different reasons.  But finally, I wanted them all.

It’s What’s On the Inside that Matters

So flashback: last time, Viera Link had Bloomberg, Stocks, YouTube and they were beginning with Google’s Picasa.  This time they’ve got full fledged Picasa and added Amazon’s On-Demand channel.  So, unlimited TV and movies sitting there waiting for you to choose them and enjoy.   

Green on Blu

Panasonic’s newest means of environmentally-friendly displays have Auto-Stand By and Power Save.  This way, if you forget to turn it off -- any element, or the whole thing -- it’ll remind itself for you.  Saves its power, saves you dollars. But because they’re all about moving quick, it’s sleeping with an eye open.  If it sees you fumble with the remote, it flicks from power save to standby, then standby to on within moments.  Never making you wait.

They’re also working hard to provide you with green energy-saving designs.  Panels, glass, the light tubes, bamboo speaker cones.  All to save the environment and help you make the best decision with your wallet.

Working Hard

And that’s Panavision in 2009.  Enhancing their Blu Ray.  Not just quality, but timing.  Building stronger, more efficient and green televisions.  Further developing their Viera Link.  Good stuff.  Is it 2010 yet?

For more information on Panasonic and all of their great products, please visit: www.Panasonic.com
 

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