Panasonic's flagship model, the Full HD TH-P54Z1 plasma TV, will be the only Z-series model launched here (54-inch), instead of two sizes launched elsewhere.

SHOWCASE: Panasonic unveiled 11 new Full-HD and 12 HD-Ready TVs for its VIERA plasma TV and LCD line-up in Kuala Lumpur last week. With an expected release date hovering around April 2009, the new series is a significant update to the seven major VIERA product lines, namely the Z, V, G, S, X, C and A series.

Screen sizes vary from 19 to 54 inches, with the TH-P54Z1 being the flagship model at 54 inches. All PDP and LCD models will support VIERA Link (Panasonic’s one-remote access feature which allows users to access other Panasonic HDMI-CEC compatible devices). The PDP Z and V series are both THX-certified displays, making HD movie/sound playback easier with just one HDMI connection.

The launch also saw Panasonic rebranding its SD-card reading function on its TVs as the VIERA Image Viewer (formerly known as the Photo Viewer). The Viewer now supports H.264/AVCHD video file playback (on specific models only, such as the X10 series) on top of the previous JPEG image viewing. Users can add in their own background music to accompany their slideshows as well. (more…)