The HD Guru does it again with a sneak peak at pricing for Panasonic's 2009 HDTV line. The highlight? A 54-inch plasma HDTV model called the Z1 (or TC-P54Z1 to be precise) that will begin shipping this June for the "bargain" price of $5999.95. We first saw the TC-P54Z1 at CES earlier this year, and it is an impressive piece of technology to be sure, but can Panasonic really expect to wring six gees out of the tight clutches of consumers in these troubled times?
It looks like Panasonic is attempting to capture the super high-end niche recently vacated by Pioneer who chose to exit from the HDTV market earlier this year. Although plasma technology continues to out-pace LCD in ultimate HDTV picture performance, economic conditions and plasma's dwindling share of the flat panel market have forced Pioneer and VIZIO out of the plasma game, leaving only Panasonic, LG and Samsung to carry the plasma torch (though each manufacturer also offers LCD HDTV models, particularly in smaller screen sizes).
The Z1 will offer Panasonic's newest twelfth generation plasma panel featuring a native contrast ratio of 40,000:1 and a dynamic contrast ratio so high as to elude measurement. This generation is also the first to offer Panasonic's "neoPDP" technology which provides drastically reduced power consumption.
Other features include a swiveling stand, 24Hz native frame rate support (for Cinematic playback) and, a first for Panasonic, wireless HDMI support. This means the only cable you'll need to get to the TV is power. The rest of your connections go to the included wireless HDMI tuner and transmitter module. This little component includes built-in QAM and ATSC digital tuners, a plethora of analog and digital audio video inputs, an SD card reader for playback of picture and AVCHD movies and Panasonic's new VIERA Link feature. With VIERA Link, you can watch internet-based content such as YouTube directly on your TV without the need for a computer.
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