Panasonic Road Show Touts Avatar 3D Bundle, Home Theater Displays

Panasonic on Wednesday will begin selling the much-awaited Blu-ray 3D version of Avatar as part of a bundle promotion called the “3D Ultimate” pack that also includes two pairs of Panasonic’s second-generation rechargeable 3D glasses, Henry Hauser, vice president of merchandising, told Consumer Electronics Daily.

Suggested retail value of the bundle is $399.95, Hauser said. Through Dec. 31, the company will support the promotion with a free BDT100 Blu-ray 3D player when customers buy a Panasonic 3D TV at participating retailers, he said. Last month, Panasonic sold the $229 Essentials pack at Costco through Nov. 15 and included two pairs of first-gen 3D glasses and 3D versions of Ice Age and Coraline.

The launch coincides with a two-week, 14-city road show to promote 3D TV through interactive displays in malls around the country, the company said. From Dec. 1-5, exhibits will be set up in malls in metro New York (Roosevelt Field), Philadelphia (King of Prussia Mall), Atlanta (Perimeter Mall), Chicago (The Shops at North Bridge), Dallas (Stonebriar Centre), Los Angeles (Topanga), and San Francisco (San Francisco Centre), Panasonic said. From Dec. 8-12, the displays travel to malls in metro Boston (South Shore Plaza), Washington (Tysons Corner Center), Miami (Miami International Mall), Minneapolis (Mall of America), Houston (The Galleria), Phoenix (Chandler Fashion Center), and Seattle (Northgate Mall).

Displays include Viera VT25 and GT25 series plasma TVs, 3D Blu-ray players, glasses, the company’s 3D camcorder and the recently announced Lumix GH2 3D camera, Panasonic said. 3D content is said to include scenes from Avatar 3D, 3D programming from DirecTV 3D channels and PC-based 3D video game demos. During the tour, shoppers will be able to enter a contest to win a Panasonic 3D home entertainment system. Consumers interested in buying product will be able to check signs at the mall tour displays directing them to retailers within a 10-mile radius who carry the product, Hauser said.