Panasonic Introduces First TV/HDR Combination

Unique Video Entertainment Product Combines 27-Inch TV And Panasonic Showstopper Hard Disk Recorder

23-Feb-01

Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company (PCEC), introduced the world's first combination television and hard disk recorder. The unique PV-SS2710 combines the company's high quality, 27-inch (diagonal screen measurement) PanaBlackô television with its 30-hour hard disk recorder. Shipping to retailers this month, model PV-SS2710 will have a suggested manufacturer's suggested retail price of $899.95. Free, lifetime subscription to the ReplayTV Serviceô is included in the purchase price.""Panasonic is the number-one marketer of TV combo products in the United States,"" notes Jason Gastman, Product Manager for PCEC's Consumer Video Division. ""This new product is another example of our expertise in combining technologies to create unique new plug-and-play products. The PV-SS2710 offers consumers the convenience of a great television plus new hard disk recorder technology, without having to worry about proper interconnectivity.""The PV-SS2710 uses the same video recording technology - an internal hard disk drive and MPEG-2 compression - as the Panasonic ShowStopperô hard disk recorder model PV-HS2000, to record up to 30 hours of high quality video in the extended recording mode. Viewers can record shows in progress and control real-time television with pause, rewind, slow motion, frame advance and seven-second instant replay. When viewing recorded programs, the QuickSkipô feature allows users to skip ahead in 30-second jumps. The PV-SS2710 offers three recording modes (extended, medium, high) and ""one touch"" recording. Viewers can create personalized ""channels"" of recorded material, according to specified criteria. All this is made possible with the free ReplayTV Service, which includes an advanced, on-screen channel guide that is automatically updated every night with seven days of program listing information.""With the ShowStopper recorder and ReplayTV Service, every time you sit down to watch television, your favorite shows will be on,"" said Gastman. ""There's no need to worry about whether you have programmed the machine with the correct times, or to depend upon the accuracy of printed TV listings in order to find or record programs.""The ""Find Shows"" feature searches for programs according to actor, director, show title, show description or keyword, like a real-time search engine for TV. All programs matching the criteria that are scheduled to appear during the next seven days will be listed on the screen. Viewers can choose to record one program, a series of programs, or every program matching the search criteria, for on-demand playback at any time once the programs have been recorded. The recorder can also save selected programs to a VCR, for those who like to keep videotape collections.On-screen ReplayZonesô provide an easy-to-use category guide to find and record various types of programs, and to create personalized ""channels."" For example, starting with a general category like ""movies,"" a user can create a ""romantic comedy"" movie channel or a ""horror"" movie channel. Personal ""channels"" can be customized according to individual preferences, creating, for example, an ""Opera Channel,"" ""Hockey Channel"" or ""Steven Spielberg Channel."" Users can create a channel containing every episode of a favorite sitcom, or create a channel for a favorite sports team.The PV-SS2710 will record only those programs selected by users and will not ""guess"" what a consumer wants to watch. It won't take up disk space with undesirable programs. The hard disk recorder is compatible with cable, direct satellite and over-the-air broadcasting systems.As for television features, the PV-SS2710's PanaBlack picture tube provides exceptional contrast and precise color reproduction. Together with black-level expansion, the TV provides images with brilliant colors, deep, true blacks and remarkably bright whites.To keep specially-encoded, mature television programs from the eyes of children, this model also incorporates the ""V-Chip"" parental guidance system. The PV-SS2710 also includes an illuminated Light Towerô remote control, for easy operation of the TV and hard disk recorder in a darkened room. The hard disk recorder functions can also be controlled by buttons on the front bezel of the television. An attractive, titanium-look cabinet enhances the decor of any room. The PV-SS2710 can easily be hooked up to other home theatre components.For more information, visit www.panasonic.com. For more information about ReplayTV Inc., visit www.replaytv.com.

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