HCC News Team – 17 August 2010 – 4:07pm
Panasonic yesterday announced two new 3DTVs for the US market with an in-built 2D-2D conversion function, something previously absent from its 3D Viera range.
The new TVs are the 42in TC-P42G25 ($1,700) and the 50in TC-P50GT25 ($2,100). Both models will hit US retailers around the end of this month. The 42in set in particular will be targeted at 3D gamers.
Of immediate interest is the presence of 2D-3D conversion for both still images and video. This is a function that has been embraced by rival 3D manufacturers Samsung and Sony, but which Panasonic has until now refused to implement. Indeed, Panasonic’s senior vice president, Bob Perry, once said there’d be no conversion in Panasonic’s 3D screens, ‘just as a sushi bar should promise never to serve fake sushi-like food’. So this definitely feels like a change of heart by the Japanese brand.
It may also anger early adopters of Panasonic’s V Series 3D plasmas, as these models now miss a feature that may still become key in the future.
The issue of 2D-3D conversion is not without controversy, both for cinematic releases and the domestic market. Critics have argued that it cheapens the format. However, HCC is of the opinion that on-the-fly 2D-3D processing can be very impressive, depending on the source material.
There’s as yet no word on a UK release date for a Panasonic 2D-3D converting screen, but we wouldn’t be surprised if the brand’s next 3DTVs, due to be shown at the IFA shown in early September, sport the technology.
link to original post in Home Cinema Choice
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Follow-up story on TechRadar.com
Panasonic backtracks on 2D-to-3D conversion plans
New 3D TVs will have the technology
By Marc Chacksfield
8/18/10
Panasonic has announced that two new 3D TVs for the US market will feature 2D-to-3D conversion technology inside, despite the company speaking out against the tech in the past.
The snappily titled TC-P42G25 and TC-P50GT25 range of televisions are set to debut in the US this year.
The 42-inch version of the GT25 range will be among the smallest 3D TVs in the market when it launches and is targeted at 3D gamers.
Sushi shock
The addition of 2D-to-3D conversion is a surprising one for Panasonic. The company’s senior vice president, Bob Perry, is quoted in an upcoming Home Cinema Choice article about the technology and said that Panasonic wouldn’t use the conversion technology on its TVs “just as a sushi bar should promise never to serve fake sushi-like food.”
In short: it was pure Full HD 3D or nothing for Panasonic.
This was backed by Panasonic Europe’s TV chief Fabrice Estornel explaining to HCC previously: “We don’t think it’s right to confuse consumers this early on with second-rate conversion technology.”
Fast forward and now Panasonic is following in the footsteps of Samsung and will be implementing the technology – which we are now guessing is first rate.
Although there is no UK release date for the TC-P42G25 and TC-P50GT25 range, we do expect to see them at IFA 2010, where we will judge for ourselves if the fake ‘sushi’ tastes as good as the real stuff.