Today’s Sellout.Woot! deal is a refurbished Panasonic Lumix 14.1MP Digital Camera with Leica 16x Optical Zoom, GPS & 1080p HD Video recording for only $159.99 + $5 S&H. And, as a bonus, you get an accessory pack with a 4GB SD card, leather carrying case, and a stylus. All together you get the Lumix DMC-ZS10 camera, a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, battery charger, carrying case, USB cable, AV cable, 4GB SD card, hand strap, and stylus pen.

MSRP is $349.99, and Amazon sells them new for $239.00, both without the accessory pack, so this looks like a decent deal.

The Sellout.Woot! deal is a refurbished Panasonic Lumix 14.1MP Digital Camera with Leica 16x Optical Zoom, GPS & 1080p HD Video recording for only $169.99 + $5 S&H. And, as a bonus, you get an accessory pack with a 4GB SD card, leather carrying case, and a stylus. All together you get the Lumix DMC-ZS10 camera, a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, battery charger, carrying case, USB cable, AV cable, 4GB SD card, hand strap, and stylus pen.

MSRP is $349.99, and Amazon sells them new for $239.00, both without the accessory pack, so this looks like a decent deal.

First up, Special Holiday Deals on Select LG Home Entertainment Products. Save on 25 different HDTVs, three different Blu-ray Disc players, and three different Home Audio Systems.

Or maybe you’d prefer a Free Family Pack of 3D Glasses with Select LG Cinema 3D LED HDTVs with Smart TV. Five LG 3D HDTV models to choose from.

Or a free LG AN-MR200 Magic Motion Remote when you buy an LG Infinia 42LV5400 42″ 1080p HDTV with Smart TV.

Next up, Save Big on Select Sony HDTVs. Seventeen different models to choose from.

Of perhaps Great Savings on Select Panasonic HDTVs. Sixteen models to choose from!

Next, Save up to 45% on Select HDTVs. HDTVs from LG, Panasonic, Samsung, and Sony – 102 different models to choose from!

Maybe Big-Screen HDTVs for $999 or Less. LG, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony, TCL, Toshiba, VIZIO and Westinghouse, 42 models all together.

And to feed those HDTVs content, Blu-ray Disc Players and Digital-Media Devices Under $100. The Apple TV and TiVo Premiere are in there along with the Roku 2 family and Roku LT. Blu-ray Disc players from LG, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony, VIZIO, and Toshiba, and streaming devices from Iomega, Western Digital, Patriot, Netgear, and the aforementioned Apple, TiVo, and Roku boxes.

And for those Blu-ray Players, save on thousands of TV shows and movies on Blu-ray and DVD.

Now, if you want to create your own content, there is this special: Instant Savings on Select Sony Camcorders. Eighteen different models to choose from – from the $89.99 Bloggie to the $399.99 HDR-XR160.

If still photography is more your thing, get a Free DSLR Backpack, Memory Card, and Tiffen Filter with Select Canon Rebel DSLR Cameras. Thirteen different camera models to choose from.

Or perhaps you prefer to Save Big When You Bundle Select Canon DSLRs with Qualifying Canon Lenses and/or Printers. With seven different cameras to choose from.

Amazon certainly has your entertainment electronics needs covered.

Today’s Woot! deal is a refurbished Panasonic Lumix 14.1MP Digital Camera with Leica 16x Optical Zoom, GPS & 1080p HD Video recording for only $169.99 + $5 S&H. And, as a bonus, you get an accessory pack with a 4GB SD card, leather carrying case, and a stylus. All together you get the Lumix DMC-ZS10 camera, a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, battery charger, carrying case, USB cable, AV cable, 4GB SD card, hand strap, and stylus pen.

MSRP is $349.99, and Amazon sells them new for $253.97, both without the accessory pack, so this looks like a decent deal.

MSRP is $349.99, and Amazon sells them for $214.00, both without the accessory pack, so this looks like a decent deal.

Amazon sells these new for $169.99, and MSRP is $229.95.

UPDATE: Shortly after I posted this I was going through my RSS feeds and I saw this post from Android Central, which linked to a report in Australian Business Traveler on these very same entertainment systems. It turns out they’re all Android based. Not only that, Android is the only option for the B787. Unlike other airliners which airlines select their choice of interiors, seats, entertainment systems, etc., on the B787 Boeing has a list of pre-approved options they must choose from. And both the Panasonic and Thales systems, the two options for B787 entertainment systems, run Android. Boeing has done this to increase efficiency in aircraft production, since it allows for more standardization which speeds things up. And it allows for everything to be tested out ahead of time so you don’t run into snags trying to integrate the disparate choices an airline may make on other products.

With 820 Dreamliners on order already, that’s a big win for Android. And Panasonic and Thales will certainly be marketing the systems they’ve developed for the Dreamliner for other airliner applications.

First up, save on select Sony HDTVs. Sixteen 1080p models to choose from, 32″ up to 60″. Three LCD models, the rest LED – ten of those 3D.

Next up, instant savings on Panasonic HDTVs. Thirty one models to choose from, all 1080p, with sizes ranging from a small 19″ set up to large 60″ models. There’s a mix of plasma, LCD, and LED models, some 3D enabled.

And finally, save on select LG HDTVs. Thirty two models, 22″ to 60″ – six LCD (5 1080p, 1 720p), fourteen LED (4 1080p 3D, 7 1080p, 3 720p), and twelve plasma (6 1080p 3D, 2 1080p, 2 720p 3D, 2 720p).

Features include:

• VIERA CAST™ (Wi-Fi Ready) Enjoy great web entertainment on your HDTV
• True Cinema Surround Deliver cinema quality sound to each seat in your home theater
• Advanced Bamboo Cone Speaker Enjoy much more responsive sound
• Full HD 1920/1080p Playback
• Integrated Universal Dock for iPod/iPhone with Music/Video/Photo Playback

Product description below:

VIERA Cast – Enjoy great web entertainment on your HDTV
VIERA Cast’s assorted online content just keeps getting better – in addition to popular content such as YouTube and Picasa, it now offers Pandora Internet Radio, Netflix streamed movies, exciting sports from FOX and Twitter communications. No PC required.

Cinema Surround – Reproduces Realistic Movie Theater Surround Experience
By using a combination of real and virtual speakers, a more natural and smoother sound can be enjoyed. You’ll notice the difference, epecially in an action scene – you’ll feel like you’re sitting in the center of a true cinema theater.

Advanced Bamboo Cone Speaker – Clear, Beautiful Vocals
With the new bamboo cone speaker, the sound becomes much more responsive. Vocals are more pure and cleaner, and the dialog is crisper and easier to understand than ever before.

Audio Return Channel – Simple Connection with HDMI Cable
The New ARC feature allows receiving audio signals from the TV on top of the preexisting HDMI function of sending audio/video signals to the TV with just one cable. This will simplify the connection by eliminating an audio cable connection between the TV audio output and the main unit’s audio input.

FORMATS:
Bluray-ROM/-RE/-RE(DL)/-R/-R(DL)
DVD-RAM/ROM/-R/-RW/-R(DL)/+R/+R(DL)/+RW
CD/-R/-RW
SD/SDHC

RECEIVER SECTION:
Selectable Speaker Layout
Whisper-mode Surround
Dolby Digital Decoder/Pro Logic II/TrueHD/Digital Plus/Digita
DTS-HD Master Audio Essential/High Resolution Audio
Digital Amplifier
True Cinema Surround
7.1ch Virtual Sound with 5.1ch
Dynamic Range Compression

INPUT/OUTPUT:
HDMI Out
Video Out
3.5mm Audio Input
Ethernet Terminal
2 Optical Digital Inputs

VIDEO SECTION
Deep Color
Digital Noise Reduction
High Precision 4:4:4
1080/24p Playback
P4HD
x.v.Color

Item ships in mftr. carton.

Next up, through September 10, save on four Panasonic Blu-ray players. You save on the DMP-BD75, DMP-BDT110, DMP-BDT210, and DMP-BDT310. The 75 is a fast booting 2D player and the 110 is a 3D, WiFi-ready player, while the 210 & 310 are both 3D players with integrated WiFi.

We wrap up with three promotions on gear from LG Electronics. The first deal is on select 2011 LG HDTVs. There are 31 models to choose from, with screens from 22″ up to 60″, and plasma, LED, and LCD display types. This promotion runs through September 10, 2011.

Second, also running through September 10, sale on select LD audio and video devices. Save on the LG BD630, BD640, and BD670 Blu-ray players, the LG LHB326, LHB336, LHB536, and LHB976 Blu-ray Home Theater Systems, and the LG LSB316 sound bar.

Finally, through October 1, 2011, get a free family pack of 3D Glasses with Select LG Cinema 3D LED HDTVs with Smart TV. There are two 47″ and two 55″ 1080p 3D sets to choose from, the key different being 120Hz or 240Hz refresh.

That’s all for now.

The app is available on Virgin Media TiVo units in the UK, as well as Samsung and Panasonic connected TVs, set-top boxes, Blu-ray players, and home theater systems.

Via New Media Age.

This is good for everyone – industry and consumer – but my earlier diatribe stands. I think Full HD Passive systems will be better in the long run than active shutter systems, standard glasses or not.

Via TWICE.

Features include:

• VIERA CAST™ (Wi-Fi Ready) Enjoy great web entertainment on your HDTV
• True Cinema Surround Deliver cinema quality sound to each seat in your home theater
• Advanced Bamboo Cone Speaker Enjoy much more responsive sound
• Full HD 1920/1080p Playback
• Integrated Universal Dock for iPod/iPhone with Music/Video/Photo Playback

Product description below:

VIERA Cast – Enjoy great web entertainment on your HDTV
VIERA Cast’s assorted online content just keeps getting better – in addition to popular content such as YouTube and Picasa, it now offers Pandora Internet Radio, Netflix streamed movies, exciting sports from FOX and Twitter communications. No PC required.

Cinema Surround – Reproduces Realistic Movie Theater Surround Experience
By using a combination of real and virtual speakers, a more natural and smoother sound can be enjoyed. You’ll notice the difference, epecially in an action scene – you’ll feel like you’re sitting in the center of a true cinema theater.

Advanced Bamboo Cone Speaker – Clear, Beautiful Vocals
With the new bamboo cone speaker, the sound becomes much more responsive. Vocals are more pure and cleaner, and the dialog is crisper and easier to understand than ever before.

Audio Return Channel – Simple Connection with HDMI Cable
The New ARC feature allows receiving audio signals from the TV on top of the preexisting HDMI function of sending audio/video signals to the TV with just one cable. This will simplify the connection by eliminating an audio cable connection between the TV audio output and the main unit’s audio input.

FORMATS:
Bluray-ROM/-RE/-RE(DL)/-R/-R(DL)
DVD-RAM/ROM/-R/-RW/-R(DL)/+R/+R(DL)/+RW
CD/-R/-RW
SD/SDHC

RECEIVER SECTION:
Selectable Speaker Layout
Whisper-mode Surround
Dolby Digital Decoder/Pro Logic II/TrueHD/Digital Plus/Digita
DTS-HD Master Audio Essential/High Resolution Audio
Digital Amplifier
True Cinema Surround
7.1ch Virtual Sound with 5.1ch
Dynamic Range Compression

INPUT/OUTPUT:
HDMI Out
Video Out
3.5mm Audio Input
Ethernet Terminal
2 Optical Digital Inputs

VIDEO SECTION
Deep Color
Digital Noise Reduction
High Precision 4:4:4
1080/24p Playback
P4HD
x.v.Color

Item ships in mftr. carton.

More into staying home that road tripping? Well, you can enjoy the stay more with a new HDTV and Blu-ray deck, right?

Save on select Sony HDTVs. There are thirteen 1080p LCD & LED models to choose from, ranging from 32-inch to 55-inch, nine of them 3D.

Save on select Panasonic HDTVs and Blu-ray players. There are two 32″ 720p LCD sets, a 32″ & 37″ 1080p LCD, a 32″ & 37″ 1080p LED, and a 42″ 1080p plasma set, and three Blu-ray players to choose from.

Save on select LG HDTVs. This promotion has the most choice, with 34 LCD, LED, and plasma models to choose from. There are 720p and 1080p sets ranging from 22 to 60 inch, twelve of them 3D. There is also a promotion for free additional 3D glasses with five LG HDTV models.

All three promotions run through August 20th, 2011.

The first one is kind of funny given my post earlier today (or yesterday now I suppose, but I’m still up) about 3D HDTVs and glasses, but through August 20th, Amazon is offering 14 pairs of glasses with select LG Electronics Cinema 3D HDTV with Smart TV models. These are passive 3D 1080p LED sets, and there are five models to choose from. Three 120Hz models in 47, 55, and 65 inch sizes, and two 240Hz models in 47 & 55 inch sizes. The TVs come with four pair of glasses, and you get the other ten by adding five two-packs of glasses, which are currently $14.03 each. So you save $70.15. Not a lot, but it is a savings, and I couldn’t not list this given the coincidence with my earlier post.

Offering slightly more in the way of savings are two deals on HDTVs. First up, through August 20th, save on select Sony HDTVs. There are twelve 1080p LCD & LED models to choose from, ranging from 40-inch to 55-inch, eight of them 3D.

The second deal is similar, through August 13th, save on select Panasonic HDTVs. There are thirteen 1080p plasma models to select from, from 42 up to 65 inches, ten of them 3D. There is also one lone 1080p 42″ LCD model on offer.

Speaking of Panasonic, one of the deals from last week is still running as well. Also through August 13th, save $90 on a Panasonic DMP-BDT110 Wi-Fi ready 3D/2D Blu-ray Disc player with the purchase of a select Panasonic HDTV. The BD deck is currently $121.04, so you’d get it for $31.04. There are eleven HDTVs to choose from, all 1080p 3D plasma models.

It looks like the same models of plasma are involved in both promotions, and I spot checked a couple and they have the same price either way, so you may as well get the Blu-ray deck cheap if you buy one of the qualifying sets.

They’re also still offering free one-day shipping on select Sony camcorders through August 31st, if you just need one in a big hurry.

EDIT: Looks like I missed one. There is another, perhaps better, promotion on LG HDTVs. Through August 13th, save on select LG HDTVs. This promotion has the most choice, with 32 LCD, LED, and plasma models to choose from. There are 720p and 1080p sets ranging from 22 to 60 inch, twelve of them 3D. It looks like there is some overlap with the free glasses offer too.

So you might expect me to have been one of the first to have jumped on the 3D HDTV bandwagon, but you’d be wrong. Oh, I fully intend to buy a 3D HDTV, but I’m waiting for the industry to shake out a bit. I’ll let them work out the kinks, mature the technology, and get prices down a bit more, then I’ll upgrade.

One of those ‘kinks’ that I’ve been waiting for them to work out is the idiocy of having multiple, incompatible systems for the glasses. Most vendors today use active shutter glasses, but the glasses from one vendor won’t work with a TV from another vendor, which means your friends with a Sony TV can’t bring their glasses over for movie night on your Samsung. OK, let me step back and give a quick overview of where we stand. Oversimplified, but it’ll suffice.

We see the world in 3D because each eye sees objects from a slightly different angle. The brain uses this parallax to calculate the distances and provide depth to what we see. But projected images, like conventional TV, all come from the same plane – they’re 2D. There is no parallax, and thus no depth. So the obvious solution is to provide a different image to each eye, each simulating a different angle, creating the illusion of parallax to provide depth. But that’s simpler to explain than to do.

Older 3D systems tended to be anaglyph, using different color filters for each eye – often red & blue, but there are a number of systems. The two images would be projected with matching color filters, and the filters in the glasses meant each eye only perceived the corresponding color projected. This system works well enough for B&W, but the nature of the system – colored filters – often wrecks havoc with the colors in a color image. And it isn’t that sharp, you get bleed through from the opposite eye’s image if the filters don’t block 100%, etc. Anaglyph is still used for printed materials, and sometimes for video, but it is really used mainly as a novelty these days.

Modern theatrical systems are almost all based on polarized light. The glasses are similar to quality polarized sunglasses, only allowing light waves moving in one direction to pass through. A simple way to imagine it is that you can give light a left hand twist or a right hand twist as you project it. So the 3D system does both – using left hand for the left eye and right hand for the right eye. Corresponding filters in the glasses allow only the matching twist through, so that eye sees only the image projected for it. These systems work fairly well, the only real drawback is that the glasses block some of the light, and so make things dimmer – but that’s easily compensated for by increasing the brightness of the image. Since the glasses are simple lenses and all of the work is done in the projector – or the TV – these systems are called ‘passive’. The advantage is that the glasses are simple, cheap, and light. They aren’t quite universally compatible, as there are different ways to do the polarization (mainly circular polarization vs. linear polarization), but most theaters, and passive 3D HDTVs, use the same system so de facto they tend to be.

On the other hand, most 3D HDTVs today use active shutter glasses instead. As the name implies, in this system the glasses are an active part of the system. Instead of each eye receiving a constant stream of light, filtered for that eye, active shutter systems alternate images to each eye. The glasses contain liquid crystal lenses (similar to the LCDs in a digital watch) which alternate between transparent and opaque – exactly out of phase. So the left eye receives the image while the right eye is blocked, and vice versa. This is sync’d with the image on the screen, so a left eye image is shown while the left lens is transparent, etc. The downside to this is that the glasses are complex, relatively heavy, expensive, and need to be recharged regularly. Oh, and each vendor has used a different synchronization system, making them incompatible, as above, but I’ll get back to that.

So, why do only a few vendors (like LG & Vizio) use passive 3D while the rest use active 3D with the expensive glasses? Well, active 3D is a higher quality solution for the home right now. See, with active 3D each eye sees the full image. So if you have a 1920x1080p ‘Full HD’ display, then each eye gets Full HD – just half the time. But with the displays refreshing at 120Hz or 240Hz, you still get the effect of full HD since the brain can’t tell the difference. It is still equivalent to 60Hz or 120Hz per eye. (Remember classic film is 24 frames per second and, in the US, classic TV was only 30fps (OK, 29.97).) On the other hand, passive 3D systems today use fixed polarizing filters on top of the screen which divide the image in half, line by line. So every even line is for one eye and every odd line is for the other. The end result is that each eye is only getting half resolution, so your 1080p set is only 540p in 3D mode. This is another one of those kinks I mentioned, and it will be resolved, which I’ll get to – but first, back to active shutters.

So, active shutter glasses are more expensive and complex, but provide a better image. That’s fine. But they’re expensive, with prices ranging from $50 to $200, while passive glasses start at a couple of bucks. The cost of active glasses wouldn’t be so bad, except for the compatibility problem and the stinginess of vendors. When you buy your shiny new 3D HDTV it may not even come with a pair of glasses. And when they do, it is generally just one or two pair. If you have a family with more people, or ever want to have friends over for a movie night, you need more glasses. Maybe your friends have their own 3D HDTV – great, they can bring their glasses. What, they have a different brand of TV? Oh, that’s too bad.

Different vendors have used different systems to keep the glasses in sync. There are IR- and RF-based systems, using different protocols. So while Sony, Samsung, and Panasonic, for example, all have used IR – they’ve used different IR protocols. Some vendors, like XPAND, have seen this as an opportunity and have been producing ‘universal’ glasses which implement multiple standards to work with multiple TVs, but it still means buying more if your TV came with vendor-specific glasses. Finally the main vendors supporting active shutter, Sony, Samsung, Panasonic, and XPAND, have formed the ‘Full HD 3D Glasses Initiative‘ to produce universally compatible glasses across all members.

The new glasses will support RF and IR protocols. Of course, they’re not expected to be available until 2012, but they will be backwards compatible with 2011 model 3D HDTVs. Basically they’re going to cram all of the protocols into one set of glasses for backwards compatibility, though it sounds like going forward the vendors will be using Bluetooth as a standard RF system on their sets. So one day we may have one protocol across all of the sets, which would allow for simpler ‘universal’ glasses.

So that’s one kink worked out, or at least on the path there. So, time for me to start shopping for that 3D TV.

Actually, no. See, I don’t like active 3D. Sure, the image is great and all, but I don’t like the heavy, or at least heavier, glasses and the costs involved. I have a hard enough time remembering to plug in my PS3 controllers to keep them charged, I don’t want to deal with having to keep my 3D glasses charged. Or worry about them falling into the couch or getting sat on, etc. I think the RealD glasses at the theater are pretty comfortable, and you can even buy custom, designer, even prescription, passive 3D glasses if you want. I’m a big fan of passive 3D, in other words. But I’m not willing to sacrifice quality either, the kink I mentioned earlier.

Fortunately, that’s on its way to being resolved too. While current passive 3D systems use a passive, fixed polarizing screen on a conventional HD display, that’s not the only way to do it. One obvious solution – up the native resolution of the display. If you’re halving the resolution for each eye, the higher the native resolution of the display, the higher the resolution for each eye. A 4k native display would provide better than Full HD for each eye. But making such high resolution displays in large panel sizes is a very expensive option today.

There’s another approach though, as pursued by RealD in their RDZ system, add an active polarizer to the screen. This is kind of a hybrid between active shutter and passive 3D systems. The glasses are passive, but an active layer is added to the screen. Instead of an on/off shutter, it is a polarizer, that alternatively polarizes the full image left or right. While the glasses are passive, since each lens only allows the matching image through, one eye sees nothing while the other sees the image, just like with active 3D. But all of the complexity and cost is in the TV. The glasses are literally the same as used in the theater – if you need more just bring them home next time you go, instead of tossing them in the recycling bin.

Sets using RDZ are expected to hit the market in 2012 from Samsung, and there will probably be similar, competing systems. Personally I think this solution is the best of both worlds. You get the Full HD image quality with cheap, lightweight glasses. Cheap enough that you can have plenty on hand for friends, and not worry about breaking or losing a pair. And if you need prescription lenses (as my fiancée wears) you can have prescription 3D glasses made that you can use at home and in the theater. No more having to sacrifice clarity for 3D, or trying to wear two pairs of glasses. It is hard to justify the cost of a prescription pair just for the theater, even for a die-hard movie goer, but if you can use the same glasses at home all the time, it is easier to justify.

Oh, yeah, I left out ‘glasses free’ 3D systems. That wasn’t an accident; I’m extremely unimpressed with them. They work OK on small displays – cell phones, handhelds, etc. – though even there they have major limitations. But they have too many drawbacks. Glasses free systems work via two major systems – lenticular screens or filter slats. Lenticular screens are familiar to most people – you know those images that seem to move when you tip them back and forth? Those have a lenticular screen on top. Basically rows of linear lenses that create ‘slices’ of an image. so when you view at a given angle you seen only specific slices, as directed by the lens. If you ever see one of the images without the lens in place it looks like several images all sliced up into ribbons, interlaced with each other. And that’s exactly what the display is doing – it is actually displaying columns of left & right images interlaced, and using the lens to direct each one to one eye. The slat system works in a similar manner, but even simpler. There are vertical slats positioned in front of the display designed to simply block every other column of pixels from each eye. But in such a way that it blocks the odd columns for one eye, and the even columns for the other.

So, in these systems you have the same drawback as today’s passive 3D – it halves the resolution. But, worse, there are very specific fixed points (or point in some cases) for viewing. While active and passive glasses systems work pretty much from any viewing angle the display supports, with glasses free systems you have to be in one of the ‘sweet spots’ where the effect works. Anywhere else and you may see nothing, or garbage, or 2D, it depends. Again, you know those cheap lenticular pictures? Know how as you tip them, as one image dissolves into the next there is a point where it is neither image and just a mess? The displays are like that, if you sit in the wrong place.

I’ll never say never, but to date I haven’t seen anything out or announced that truly resolves these issues with glasses free 3D. I’ve seen systems that will increase the number of viable points for viewing, but that’s just polishing a turd. You still have finite points and you still lose quality. Until someone comes up with a real breakthrough I think passive Full HD 3D will be the best option. I’m just waiting for it to arrive – and be priced reasonably, of course. I picked up my current set, a 61″ Samsung 1080p DLP, in late 2006, so it has plenty of life left in it. I can wait.

Press release spotted via Engadget.

First up, if you need a new camcorder in a hurry, through August 31st Amazon is offering free one-day shipping on select Sony camcorders. There are 28 models to choose from; from the Bloggie & Bloggie Duo for $148.00 to the HDR-AX2000 for $3,498.00. Yow.

Next up, only through August 6th, are instant rebates on select LG home entertainment products. There are three Blu-ray players to choose from and 31 different HDTVs. I did notice a quirk in the listings. The default page shows the BD decks and 17 HDTVs – 20 items total – and no links to additional pages. But if you click on the ‘HDTV’ link to limit the search you get 31 results on two pages. So if you’re interested be sure to check the full selection.

Next, also only through August 6th, is a similar deal – instant rebates on select Sony HDTVs. Twelve models to choose from, two LCD and ten LED. All 1080p and nine of the LED sets are 3D.

Last, but not least, through August 13th save $90 on a Panasonic DMP-BDT110 Wi-Fi ready 3D/2D Blu-ray Disc player with the purchase of a select Panasonic HDTV. The BD deck is currently $119.06, so you’d get it for $29.06. There are eleven HDTVs to choose from, all 1080p 3D plasma models.

You save, I get affiliate referral fees – win-win.

Of course, the next step is bringing that content home. Several consumer electronics companies are working on systems for 3D in the home. The polarized glasses used in modern theater systems aren’t feasible in the home, they require a polarized image source. The leading candidate right now are LCD shutter glasses which flicker on and off in sync with the on-screen image, providing each eye with its own perspective. With 120Hz refresh screens each eye gets a full 60Hz refresh rate. And there are other systems, including some which provide 3D viewing without any glasses.

But we still need a way to get that 3D content into the home, and that’s where Panasonic’s proposal comes in. What they’re proposing is a modification to Blu-ray to provide 3D playback. And it is based on existing standards with relatively simple modifications. The content would be encoded using an existing two-channel encoding system already included in H.264. Instead of encoding each ‘eye’ individually as two channels, there is one primary channel and the second channel only has to encode the delta, or differences, from the primary. That means instead of 2x the data the result is only about 1.5x as large. Because the primary channel is still a full, viewable 2D version of the content this system could theoretically be backwards compatible. While 3D viewing would require newer, 3D capable players, older Blu-ray players could potentially play back the standard 2D version.

The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) is hoping to officially consider the proposal before the end of the year, which could lead to adoption in 2010. 3D content would also require an updated HDMI standard to carry the content to the display, and Panasonic is also considering a proposal for that.

The cable industry is aggressively rolling out tru2way support and all of the MSOs, except for Charter, have promised to have it available by July 1, 2009. Charter says they’ll have completed roll-out by July 1, 2010. So the territory where tru2way TVs will be usable will be rapidly growing in the coming months.

This is clearly a very limited roll-out that is more about bragging rights, I don’t think they’ll be selling a huge number of these sets just yet. The 42″ TH-42PZ80Q plasma has an MSRP of $1,599.95 and the 50″ TH-50PZ80Q plasma has an MSRP of $2,299.95. It is great to see the technology hitting the streets, it is a good sign for the future. We’ll certain to see a lot of tru2way products come CES in January.

The press release has more details:

Oct 15, 2008 16:34 ET

Panasonic Announces Arrival of First Tru2way™ HDTVs at Retail

Consumers in Chicago and Denver Will be First to Experience Comcast’s Video On Demand Without a Set-Top Box

Panasonic Tru2way-Enabled VIERA Plasma HDTVs to Go on Sale in Late October at Abt Electronics, Ultimate Electronics and Circuit City Stores

CHICAGO, Oct. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Panasonic (NYSE:PC) , the consumer electronics industry leader in the development and application of tru2way technology, and Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA) (NASDAQ:CMCSK) , the nation’s leading provider of entertainment, information and communications today announced the arrival of the first tru2way VIERA HDTVs at Abt Electronics in Glenview, IL and officially declared the tru2way platform active in Chicago and Denver.

Tru2way technology is being used to create a common software platform that will enable cable companies, consumer electronics companies, content developers, network programmers and others to extend interactivity to the TV set and other kinds of devices. The new Panasonic VIERA HDTVs are built with tru2way technology inside, enabling consumers to access two-way digital cable programming, like video on demand, without a cable operator-supplied set-top box. Panasonic and Comcast have worked together to lead the development and deployment of tru2way technology and related products which are based upon specifications developed by CableLabs®, the industry’s research and development arm.

“The arrival of the first tru2way HDTVs at retail combined with Comcast’s activation of its first tru2way head ends are among the most significant milestones in the cable industry and are a huge win for consumers,” said Dr. Paul Liao, Chief Technology Officer, Panasonic Corporation of North America. “At the May 2008 Cable Show, we stated with great confidence that the first tru2way HDTVs would be available for consumer purchase at retail by fall 2008. We are especially delighted to have partnered with Comcast and CableLabs to make good on that promise and bring the benefits of open networks to cable subscribers.”

Comcast customers in the Chicago and Denver areas will be the first in the U.S. to have access to tru2way digital cable service with additional cities expected to go live in the coming months. The tru2way VIERA HDTVs will be available in the Chicago area at Abt Electronics in Glenview and at Circuit City locations as well as at Ultimate Electronics and Circuit City stores in the Denver area.

“We see tru2way technology as the gateway for our customers to experience the next generation of interactive television, and our work with Panasonic to develop and support the first fully digital-cable-ready HDTVs is an important first step in making that happen,” said Mark Hess, Comcast’s Senior Vice President of Video Product Development. “This common platform also will let us develop an exciting array of interactive services and applications that we can deliver on our advanced fiber network to a variety of consumer electronics devices.”

Added Dr. Richard R. Green, President and CEO of CableLabs, “We are delighted to see the arrival of Panasonic tru2way products in the marketplace. As tru2way technology is adopted by operators like Comcast nationwide, consumers can be confident that exciting new interactive digital cable products and services from innovative companies, such as Panasonic, will work seamlessly with any cable network that supports OpenCable specifications nationwide.”

Panasonic’s first tru2way enabled VIERA Plasma HDTVs will be offered in 42-inch class and 50-inch class sizes with integrated tru2way cable receiver capability within the set’s chassis. The TH-42PZ80Q and TH-50PZ80Q will be extensions of Panasonic’s critically acclaimed VIERA PZ80 series of 1080p Plasma HDTVs. The TH-42PZ80Q will have an SRP of $1,599.95 and the TH-50PZ80Q will have an SRP of $2,299.95. These tru2way HDTVs will allow consumers to access all digital cable services such as electronic program guides and the full range of interactive and video-on-demand programming – all accessible directly via the television’s remote control – without the costs or clutter associated with a traditional external cable set-top box.

In addition to tru2way technology, the VIERA TH-42PZ80Q and TH-50PZ80Q feature 480Hz Sub-field Drive for sharp motion image focus, 1,000,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio, VIERA Link and a built-in SD Memory Card reader for playing back digital photos. VIERA Link allows the consumer to operate all VIERA Link equipped components with a single remote.

About Panasonic

Based in Secaucus, NJ, Panasonic Corporation of North America markets a broad line of digital and other electronics products for consumer, business and industrial use. The company is the principal North American subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation (NYSE:PC) , and the hub of Panasonic’s U.S. branding, marketing, sales, service and R&D operations. Panasonic Broadcast & Television Systems Co. is a leading supplier of broadcast and professional video products and systems. Panasonic Broadcast is a unit company of Panasonic Corporation of North America. Information about Panasonic and its products is available at www.panasonic.com. Additional company information for journalists is available at www.panasonic.com/pressroom.

About Comcast Corporation

Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA) (NASDAQ:CMCSK) (www.comcast.com) is the nation’s leading provider of entertainment, information and communication products and services. With 24.6 million cable customers, 14.4 million high-speed Internet customers, and 5.6 million Comcast Digital Voice customers, Comcast is principally involved in the development, management and operation of broadband cable systems and in the delivery of programming content.

Comcast’s content networks and investments include E! Entertainment Television, Style Network, The Golf Channel, VERSUS, G4, PBS KIDS Sprout, TV One, ten Comcast SportsNet networks and Comcast Interactive Media, which develops and operates Comcast’s Internet businesses, including Comcast.net (www.comcast.net). Comcast also has a majority ownership in Comcast-Spectacor, whose major holdings include the Philadelphia Flyers NHL hockey team, the Philadelphia 76ers NBA basketball team and two large multipurpose arenas in Philadelphia.

About CableLabs

Founded in 1988 by cable operating companies, Cable Television Laboratories, Inc. (CableLabs®) is a non-profit research and development consortium that is dedicated to pursuing new cable telecommunications technologies and to helping its cable operator members integrate those technical advancements into their business objectives.

™ tru2way, CableLabs and OpenCable are trademarks of Cable Television Laboratories, Inc.

Source: Panasonic

CONTACT: Chris De Maria, +1-201-348-7182, demariac@us.panasonic.com, or
Jeff Samuels, +1-201-392-4571, samuelsj@us.panasonic.com, both of Panasonic;
or Jenni Moyer, of Comcast, +1-215-286-3311, (c) +1-610-506-8951,
jenni_moyer@comcast.com

Web Site: http://www.comcast.com/
http://www.comcast.net/
http://www.panasonic.com/
http://www.panasonic.com/pressroom

However, even if consumers can get their hands on the sets, there is no guarantee that they’ll be able to access tru2way content immediately. The cable industry has pledged to implement tru2way across their networks by July 1, 2009 – except for Charter which has until July 1, 2010. So early adopters may wish to check with their local MSO to see if tru2way support is available before jumping on these sets, or they may find themselves stuck with unidirectional CableCARD features until tru2way support is rolled out.

From Light Reading’s Cable Digital News.

Press release:

Oct 1, 2008 08:00 ET

Matsushita Electric Becomes Panasonic Corporation

Panasonic Corporation of North America CEO Yoshi Yamada To Ring Opening Bell At New York Stock Exchange

NEW YORK, Oct. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. announced that it has become Panasonic Corporation and its stock symbol on the New York Stock Exchange has been changed to PC from MC effective today. Along with the name change, Panasonic is working on the brand changeover from National to Panasonic within Japan – where National is the primary brand the company uses for its home appliances – and is aiming to complete it by the end of March 2010.

To celebrate the global name change, Yoshi Yamada, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Panasonic Corporation of North America, will ring the NYSE Opening Bell this morning, joined by Joe Taylor, Chief Operating Officer, Panasonic Corporation of North America; Shiro Kitajima, President, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company and other members of the company’s executive leadership team and honored guests.

Panasonic will also display its 150-inch Plasma High Definition Display – the world’s largest High Definition Flat Screen TV- outside the Exchange on Broad Street today. This will be the first public exhibit of the product which until now has only been shown at private industry events. Also on display will be a wide range of the latest VIERA HDTV technologies from Panasonic, including its first IP-enabled HDTV (VieraCast) and tru2way – an HDTV which enables consumers to receive cable TV services without a set-top box.

When it was first established in 1918 the company was known as Matsushita Electric Housewares Manufacturing Works, which was changed to Matsushita Electric Manufacturing Works in 1929. The company used the name Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. after its incorporation as a joint stock corporation in 1935. While the company used the National and Panasonic brand names over a long period, it decided in 2003 to position Panasonic as its global brand with the brand slogan “Panasonic ideas for life.”

With this company name change and brand unification, the company has renewed its commitment to bringing the achievements accumulated through the three different names of Matsushita, National, and Panasonic under the one single name of Panasonic to enhance its total brand value.

Panasonic Corporation will maintain and put its management philosophy into practice throughout the world. The company will inherit and further develop the corporate culture cultivated by the Matsushita Group. Panasonic employees across the world will unite their efforts under the common management philosophy, pursuing together the common goal of making Panasonic Corporation a globally excellent company.

About Panasonic

Panasonic Corporation is a worldwide leader in the development and manufacture of electronic products for a wide range of consumer, business, and industrial needs. Based in Osaka, Japan, the company recorded consolidated net sales of 9.07 trillion yen (US$90.7 billion) for the year ended March 31, 2008. The company’s shares are listed on the Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and New York (NYSE Symbol: PC) stock exchanges. For more information on the company and the Panasonic brand, visit the company’s website at http://panasonic.net/.

About Panasonic Corporation of North America

Based in Secaucus, NJ, Panasonic Corporation of North America markets a broad line of digital and other electronics products for consumer, business and industrial use. The company is the principal North American subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation — formerly Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. of Japan — and the hub of Panasonic’s U.S. branding, marketing, sales, service and R&D operations. Information about Panasonic and its products is available at www.panasonic.com. Additional company information for journalists is available at www.panasonic.com/pressroom.

Source: Panasonic Corporation

CONTACT: Molly McDowell, +1-201-348-7185, mcdowellm@us.panasonic.com, or
Chris De Maria, +1-201-348-7182, demariac@us.panasonic.com, both of Panasonic;
or Alix Dunn, Cohn & Wolfe, +1-212-798-9795, alix_dunn@cohnwolfe.com

Web Site: http://www.panasonic.com/
http://www.panasonic.net/