Panasonic Stands By Active-Shutter 3D TV, Plans Sub-$100 Glasses

As momentum builds toward a future of passive TV, Panasonic met with journalists in Manhattan Tuesday to show off the capabilities of its top-tier plasma 3D products. Recent IHS iSuppli data forecasting passive TV to surpass active-shutter technology by 2015, news out of China that TCL plans to release a 71-inch passive TV based on an AUO panel this August, and film director James Cameron’s comments at NAB that passive TV’s dominance is the next threshold in home 3D TV adoption, did little to mitigate Panasonic execs’ enthusiasm for their latest active-shutter technology 3D sets.

Panasonic execs showed a side-by-side comparison of a Panasonic plasma model against one of LG’s passive TVs using film patterned retarder (FPR) technology, urging journalists to stand up during the demo to see “stairstepping” that occurred in horizontal lines when viewers weren’t directly across from the display. Stair-stepping resulted from “half-resolution,” they said. Citing “sensitivity of direction” with FPR technology, Henry Hauser, vice president of TV for Panasonic, told us: “If you want to do gaming in 3D, and my children tend to lie on the floor when they play games, that would be a big detriment to passive.”

Regarding Avatar director Cameron’s remarks on passive technology, “our understanding is that all studios are still actively supporting Full HD 3D,” Hauser said, recalling a similar briefing last week on the West Coast that included Mike Dunn, president of home entertainment at 20th Century Fox, who participated as part of Panasonic Hollywood Labs. Dunn said at the briefing that revenue from 3D has been “very good in movies” and all that studio’s big movies will be introduced in full-res 3D, Hauser recalled. “We see a lot of content coming,” he said. Regarding Panasonic possibly coming out with passive 3D TVs to be competitive, Hauser said “we feel the picture quality of passive is not equal, and based on that we think it hurts the image of Full HD 3D. For now all of our efforts are in that direction.” That strategy covers products planned for 2012, he said: “We are watching the market reaction to passive, but we feel with glasses coming down in price below $100 very shortly, if we can make the glasses competitive, we think there are a lot of advantages to plasma and full HD."

Panasonic will refresh its active-shutter glasses line in July, said Kate Beck, senior product manager for Panasonic Display, with pricetags coming down to below $100 a pair. Retail price for glasses remains a concern, said Beck, saying families need more than one or two pairs of glasses and “we're focusing on a less-expensive option” than the $149 tag of current models. Although high-end plasma models incorporate Bluetooth for wireless connection to an arm-band to be used with fitness apps, the glasses will be infrared-based, Beck said. The new glasses will be rechargeable, lighter in weight and will work with all Panasonic 3D TVs. Hauser said Panasonic will position the “value proposition” of its accessory glasses pushing the weight and rechargeable battery option vis-à-vis Samsung’s accessory glasses that have a suggested retail price of $50 a pair. “I don’t think they'll be exactly the same price as [Samsung’s], but they'll be rechargeable,” Hauser said. A promotion around the glasses is slated for June, Hauser said. VT series TVs come with one pair of glasses in the box, Beck said.

At the briefing, Panasonic renewed its commitment to technology “pillars” for 2011, including the company’s 600Hz subfield drive with fast-switching phosphors, a technology Panasonic launched last year but is extending to more of the plasma line in 2011. The company also highlighted Smart Viera, encompassing DLNA and the upgrade of TVs from Viera Cast to the more “interactive” Viera Connect service. All 3D products feature Viera Connect, said Beck. There are currently more than 30 apps in Viera Market, and the company is encouraging more from the developer community. Panasonic will issue a software development kit for Viera Market in June, said Julie Baumann, product manager for display.

The VT series, which sells through limited distribution including custom installers, is certified THX 3D, has a special filter for better black reproduction and comes with an RS-232 connection for hookup to a PC for programming, said Beck. Panasonic teamed up with SpectraCal for an Imaging Science Foundation calibration program that’s customized to Panasonic TVs. The $2,500 program enables installers to run a 10-point calibration procedure in five- to 10 minutes compared with 60-90 minutes when done manually, according to SpectraCal president Jeff Murray. SpectraCal currently only has such a program for Panasonic VT series TVs, Murray said. The TV has to be capable of reproducing a picture of high enough quality, and “a lot has to be done on the manufacturer end” to make it work, he said.

All 3D models are slated for shipping this month, including the flagship TC-P65VT30 at $4,299 and the 60- and 65-inch GT series models at $2,799 and $3,699, the company said.