READY, SET, Go

摘要

Better late than never, Panasonic launches its range of HD-Ready Viera plasma TVs. Paul Miller examines the 42in TH-42PV500 model from the range. It's no great secret that both Panasonic and Pioneer are constant rivals in the plasma market, even though the former benefits from a huge advantage in manufacturing scale offered by its parent, Matsushita. The new Viera range of 37in, 42in and 50in panels don't look dissimilar to Pioneer's latest PDPs with their glossy black surrounds, although Pana's panels are physically wider thanks, in part, to the speaker system that is integrated into its side panels. But this integrated approach does mark a divergence in approach between Pioneer and Panasonic, for while the former offers its PDP as a monitor with separate media receiver, TV tuner and speaker satellites, the Vieras are all-in-one solutions.