News Panasonic
News Panasonic Europe’s Laurent Abadie, Chairman & CEO shows off the new 3D HD consumer camcorder Hall 6.1 Stand 101 Panasonic rolls out 3D HD camcorder ‘Investment in innovation’ rewarded by 135% growth in global sales By Gary Smith The Panasonic press conference on Wednesday saw the premier of the company’s first consumer 3D HD camcorder. Introduced by Laurent Abadie, Chairman and CEO of Panasonic Europe, the device is the first one to hit the market. “With this camcorder, the AVCHD 3D, we are offering consumers the sort of technology that was previously only available to Hollywood,” Abadie said. “And it is merely the first of a series of 3D devices that we will be bringing to the market.” Alongside the camcorder, Abadie also announced a new lens for Panasonic’s SDT 750 HD camcorder. “The VWCLT-1 3D lens is a simple add-on, but it turns our popular HD camcorder into a 3D device,” he said. Abadie went on to report robust growth in the first quarter of 2010: “Globally, Panasonic’s sales grew by 135% compared to the first quarter of 2009, and in Europe the figure is 134% growth. As the company approaches its 100th birthday, it is moving ahead and investing in innovation. But we are also pushing hard to make Panasonic ever more ecologically responsible, because our aim is to be the number-one company in green innovation by 2018. In order to achieve this, we have a plan in place for the next three years. The aim is to make the best use of our resources, in order to create a lifestyle that produces nearly no CO 2 .” Abadie also announced the opening of a 3D innovation centre in Europe: “The centre will be working on projects such as 3D via IPTV, all manner of B2B solutions and 3D-based e-commerce, which will make consumers feel as if they are in the shop,” Abadie said. “We are also strengthening the partnership between the Viera TV range and gaming company Nvidia, in order to offer the best possible combination of screen technology and gaming experiences.” The exhibition area will also be presenting a selection of products, technologies and initiatives that highlight the company’s commitment to ecology and sustainability. The space focuses on the creation of energy (through solar panels, fuel cells, heat pumps, etc), storing energy (with residential storage batteries), energy saving (through energy-efficient products, LED lighting, etc) and managing energy (via the Home Energy Management System). Products that are already available will be exhibited a l o n g s i d e p r o t o t y p e s designed to support a greener lifestyle in the near future. P a n a s o n i c ’s e x t e n s i v e product line-up of LCD and Plasma VIERA model televisions are also on display. The company has extended its 3D TV line-up with two new 42- and 46- inch models in the VT20 series. It has also unveiled the new GT20 3D TV series, which includes a 42-inch model. Panasonic Full-HD 3D TVs combine NeoPDP technology with highperformance 3D processing to offer consumers an entirely new dimension in entertainment. “NeoPDP 3D technology g u a r a n t e e s i m p r o v e d b r i g h t n e s s t h r o u g h shorter emission cycles — something we call ‘high-efficiency response technology’,” said Fabien Roth, General Manager of TV Group, Panasonic Europe. He added: “In addition, our Crosstalk reduction t e c h n o l o g y a c t u a l l y prevents double images from occurring by clearly separating left-eye and right-eye images. NeoPDP technology in combination with 600Hz sub-field drive technology takes picture quality to the next level and is therefore the perfect choice for watching sports, movies and gaming in both 2D and 3D.” De’Longhi, the Italian manufacturer of small electric appliances, is extending its portfolio with two powerful steam ironing systems and three new steam irons. The new products offer high performance, powerful steam generation as well as many innovative features which make it easy to iron like professional. The new De’Longhi products are designed to make ironing faster and easier. The new 1600 steam ironing system delivers a powerful emission of up to 85 grams per minute and steam pressure of 4.5 barres to ensure smooth, wrinkle-free textiles. Zirndorf-based consumer electronics manufacturer Metz has announced the launch of a further suite of Light Emitting Diode (LED) technology-based HDTV products, designed to fuse elegant design with an optimum viewing and audio experience. The Metz Primus family, first launched at IFA 2009, has evolved to include the Sirius, Caleo and Linus ranges. These have been equipped with either direct LED backlight or the Edge LED energy efficient backlighting solution, in a move which further optimises the picture quality available to Metz customers. Hall 21 Stand 102 Sleek Audio, the Netherlands-based audio company, launches a range of products at IFA. The new SA6-R Wireless Hybrid in-ear earphone is an improved version of the SA6 which “broke ground for a new breed of earphones”, according to Sleek Audio CEO Mark Krywko. The company is also introducing the SA7 in-ear model which promises “unprecedented audio performance from both wired and wireless platforms”. Both models use military-grade materials for durability, and Sleek’s Wireless Hybrid technology. These and other Sleek products are available for demonstration at IFA. Hall 1.2 Stand 103 www.ifa-international.org IFA International • Friday, 3 rd September 2010 7
