The first shipments of Panasonic’s 2011 range of Viera NeoPlasma displays into the United Kingdom will not be delayed by the earthquake and tsunami which devastated northeast Japan last week, according to our industry sources. The Panasonic TX-P42G30B and TX-P50G30B plasma HDTV sets are supposed to hit UK stores at the end of this month, and the schedule remains on track.
| Update: We have now published a comprehensive review of the Panasonic TX-P42G30B plasma. |
The G30 series has inherited the mantle of being Panasonic’s top range of 2D-only plasma televisions by default, after the TV maker confirmed that there will not be a V series – a marker traditionally reserved for the company’s premium models – released this year (although many video enthusiasts are hoping that the Japanese firm will reverse this decision in the near future). The Panasonic G30 is certainly not lacking in specification: each model will feature a full HD 1920 x 1080 NeoPlasma panel, THX certification, 600Hz Intelligent Frame Creation (IFC) Pro motion technology, integrated Freeview HD tuner, the company’s new Viera Connect internet TV platform, DLNA and wireless connectivity (wifi dongle sold separately), and USB-HDD recording functionality.
According to Panasonic, the TX-P42G30B and TX-P50G30B are their first 2D displays to utilise short-stroke phosphor material (also known as fast phosphors) in their Neo plasma panels. Previously only reserved for use on 3D TV models to reduce crosstalk, the fast phosphors should deliver higher motion resolution, as well as cut down the amount of phosphor trails witnessed on the G30 plasmas. If the demo models on show at last month’s Panasonic Convention 2011 in London are faithfully replicated to actual production models, then the G30 series should see the addition of 3D CMS (colour management system) and film cadence detection too.
In the UK, the TX-P42G30 and TX-P50G30 may be marketed by retailers under their alternative model numbers of TX-P42G30B and TX-P50G30B respectively – the extra appended “B” character simply denotes the 3-pin-plug British version. The 42-inch TX-P42G30 will retail for £900, while the 50-inch TX-P50G30 has an RRP of £1200. Stock should arrive at British retailers sometime towards the final week of March.
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