PRODUCT TRENDS I Want My
PRODUCT TRENDS I Want My PTV!! (Plasma TV by Panasonic!) Interview / Hirofumi Wada - General Manager, Product Planning Group Visual Products and Display Devices Business Group Panasonic AVC Networks Company video signals to 1080p signals to deliver images as beautiful as those from HD video signals. This allows Viera to render images that are more beautiful than the original. Matsushita just opened a new (4th) plasma plant in Japan. How will this help business? As market leader in the field of Plasma TV, Panasonic has very much been leading the way in terms of technological developments for the category. We asked Hirofumi Wada to tell us about the latest technological advances being made in the Plasma field… Thanks to the Advanced PDP Development Center Corporation (APDC), an R&D company jointly established by Hitachi, Pioneer and Panasonic, we are working hard on developing higher-efficiency panels. In the near future, we will be able to make screens that are larger than even our 103 inch, have higher resolution that reach 4Kx2K pixels resolution and produce panels that consume less than 70W power consumption. We have heard about what you term the V-real Processor system. What is this and how does it help make a better image? V-real Processor System is an integrated system consists of Processor, Driver and Display Panel. The new V-real Processor has two main functions to realize the best picture quality; Inputting and outputting 1080p Video Signals without altering their natural specifications. The Viera processor receives 1080p video signals in their original format, and then applies optimum signal processing without down-converting to output the same high signal quality. It up-converts SD In order to meet expanding global demand, operations of our fourth factory began this June and will be in full operation sometime in 2008. This new plant will employ state-of-the-art process technologies and production systems that are more advanced than those from our other PDP plants. The new systems and technologies will bring greater mass production efficiencies to the whole process while ensuring higher quality. As a result, we will be able to supply PDPs with more speed and flexibility as well as less cost to meet high consumer demand. IPTV is one of the main themes of IFA. What is your view of the development of IPTV around the world? Do you see a time when built-in IPTV devices might be happening? It is already developing in some countries like Japan where our TVs can be connected to the “AcTVila” TV Portal Service. Panasonic is also part of the Open IPTV Forum, an industry consortium that will work to define an interoperable end-to-end specification for delivery of IPTV services. We will develop IPTV devices according to the situation of infrastructure in each country. What should people consider today when buying flat TV? When buying flat TVs, consumers should consider three things. First, it is the picture quality in that the TV has smooth motion pictures and natural colour reproduction. Second, it is easy to use and have advanced networking capabilities. Finally, the TV should not be harmful towards the environment! Hall 5.2, stand a/b IFA International • Friday, 31 th August 2007 13
