Panasonic Introduces New HDTV Projection TV Featuring Digital Light Processingô Technology

New DLPô Technology-Based Product Tops Extensive Digital TV Line

21-Aug-00

Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company (PCEC) introduces its latest addition to the companyís line of consumer digital television products. The model PT-52DL10 incorporates state-of-the-art Digital Light Processingô (DLPô) technology, developed by Texas Instruments (TI), Inc. The new 52-inch (diagonal screen measurement) 16:9 rear-projection HDTV set is said to be setting a new performance standard for rear projection TV.  ""Our new DLP set comes to market after a strong collaborative effort between the engineering staffs of Texas Instruments and Panasonic to produce a superior product,"" commented Bill Mannion, Vice President and General Manager of Panasonic Companyís Television and Network Systems Division. ""Having worked together with TI on the development of this product has given us a unique perspective on the workings of this new TV technology, and as a result we are excited about the PT-52DL10 and future DLP-based products.""The DTV compatible (1080i/,720p/480p/480i) projection set will be available at retail this September. The manufacturerís retail price (MSRP) is $12,999.The PT-52DL10 is designed to deliver the full impact of high-resolution digital images from DVD players, digital satellite receivers and DTV set-top boxes. The set also features a built-in NTSC tuner. In addition, its PC input terminal and XGA resolution display compatibility enable it to serve as an ultra-high resolution PC monitor.Panasonic combined its digital image technology with the DLP subsystemís all-digital signal processing to equip this set with 1280 x 720 (720p native) resolution, 300 cd/m2 brightness intensity, and a contrast ratio of 400:1. A newly developed wide-angled diffusion screen panel technology is also featured. ""We're delighted by this announcement from Panasonic,"" said Bob England, Senior Vice President and Manager of TIís Digital Imaging division. ""Although we made public the agreement between our two companies only in April this year, teams from both Matsushita and TI have been working on this project for some time now, and it has been a very rewarding process for us. Panasonic is one of the foremost consumer electronics brands in the country, and we fully expect that the PT-52DL10 will enjoy considerable success in the market.""The PT-52DL10 combines the Texas Instruments Digital Micromirror Deviceô (DMDô) with original Panasonic optical structuring and the latest innovations in visual technology. The DMD is an optical semiconductor chip that has approximately one million in-line microscopic mirrors, each representing one pixel. Responding to a digital signal, the mirrors change angles and can switch on and off, up to over 5,000 times per second, to produce a high resolution 1280 x 720 image. A pulse width modulation system works to reproduce colors and grayscale with incredible accuracy. Digital Light Processing technology also reduces the pixellation effects and digital artifacts to create a stable image without perceptible color bleed or misconvergence. The set features three sets of component video inputs, four A/V input jacks, three S-Video inputs, two RF inputs and a PC input terminal.Its four-speaker audio system features Spatializer 3-D stereo sound and AI (Artificial Intelligence) sound. The PT-52DL10 is equipped with a host of advanced features, such as 2-tuner picture-in-picture (NTSC) with split-screen display, 3D Y/C digital comb filter, Directorô Home Theatre remote with joystick control, and much more.The PT-52DL10ís measures 17.7 inches deep, in a metallic silver-blue cabinet. An optional matching stand is available (MSRP $499.95).Panasonic consumer televisions are marketed in the United States by Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company (PCEC), a division of Matsushita Electric Corporation of America (MECA). MECA is the principal North American subsidiary of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., (NYSE/PCX: MC), one of the worldís largest producers of electronic and electric products for consumer, business and industrial use. All prices are in U.S. dollars. Consumers seeking more information on the companyís products can phone Panasonicís Customer Call Center at 800 211 PANA or access Panasonicís home page at www.panasonic.com.

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