Panasonic had a festival of super-flat screen TVs, as well as some nifty home theater options on display in Las Vegas at CES 2009.
The 1-inch thick Panasonic Z1-series plasma television
In the past Panasonic has come big to CES. The company's 150-inch television stood leering from the back of the company's crowded television-centric booth in the CES convention hall. This year, however, Panasonic has placed more of an emphasis on thin over wide, and this is a trend we've been seeing all across the HDTV category. Boasting the company's improved Neo PDP (Plasma) design, the venerable plasma-maker will be offering a 1-inch thick, wireless HD capable television: the Panasonic Z1.
 That's right, it's got wireless HD, and this is a technology that couldn't come a moment too soon. The Panasonic Z1 will come with a separate AV box which will handle all of the inputs and control for the set. The AV tuner will broadcast signals to the TV using the 60GHz radio bands, and Panasonic claims it will be able to transmit full, uncompressed 1080p video. To further improve video quality, like some of the simpler TVs Panasonic released at CES, the Panasonic Z1 will get improved handling for Full HD 24fps video content, the Hollywood standard for video. Additionally, it'll feature Viera Cast for Web widgets and Amazon video-on-demand.
Pricing and availability for this slick LED-backlit Plasma HDTV have yet to be determined, but we're sure that price tag will be a doozy, as this is one of the first wireless HD sets to hit the open market. We had a chance to check out the Panasonic Z1 at CES 2009, and this TV is razor sharp in every way. From the side it's so thin its hardly visible, and from the front the HD picture quality was superb, even in the difficult lighting of the CES floor. In terms of its size and the wireless tech, this is definitely a sign of things to come.
A wireless home theater to go along with that TV
 Panasonic also introduced a new wireless home theater setup in the Panasonic SC-ZT1. The theater kit uses 4 tall speakers to simulate a 7.1 surround sound experience. Subwoofers are hidden in the base of each slim tower, and though speaker wire won't be necessary, these speakers will need to be plugged into a wall outlet to draw power. Then, the receiver broadcasts uncompressed audio signals using the 2.4GHz radio band. We can definitely appreciate the design and the appeal of wireless home theater, as we're currently in the process of rewiring our own media room, and would love to avoid the hassle of burying speaker wire. The Panasonic SC-ZT1 will be available this Spring.
Blu-ray home theater in a box
 If you needed more proof that Blu-ray is going mainstream, its sudden appearance in these popular home theater in a box (HTIB) packages is a sure sign. The Panasonic SC-BT300 home theater system features a Blu-ray player with all the trimmings, and by that we mean especially BD Live support for online access and special online features. The receiver drives the 7.1 channel setup with an impressive 1250 watts of power, and the rear speakers are even wireless, which will surely spare you a bit of hassle. The Panasonic SC-BT300 system will also play nice with Viera television sets through a special link that the Panasonic family devices share. The package will go on sale in March.
A slew of TVs with THX and online capabilities
 In addition to the sterling Panasonic Z1, the plasma-maker also introduced a few other HDTV families at CES 2009. The 2-inch thick Panasonic V10 series comes with built-in tuners and support for Amazon video-on-demand, and focuses on improving so-called 24p content. Videophiles arguably insist that 1080p resolution video running at 24fps is the most accurate reproduction of Hollywood film on HDTV, and Panasonic seems to be addressing complaints with how this format was handled in the past. The Panasonic V10 will come in a range of sizes starting at 50- and 54-inches, due in June, and 58- and 65-inches, due out in August.
 In addition to the V10 series, Panasonic will launch the less-expensive G10 series of Plasma HDTVs. The G10 retains the THX Display Certification of the Panasonic V10 series sets. Like the high-end plasmas, the G10 series will also use Panasonic's Viera Cast for internet access, and Panasonic has also lined up Amazon for Video on Demand content. Panasonic's new NEO PDP plasma panel uses half the power of previous panels, and the company claims the new technology also improves contrast ratios. The Panasonic G10 series will be available in 42-, 46- and 50-inch sizes in March.
 As a step down from these larger models, Panasonic will also offer the Panasonic S1 series. These will borrow liberally from the G10 series of televisions, but will not feature THX Display Certification. Presumably this means the less-expensive S1 series will take something of a hit in video quality. The S1 will also be kept from the Viera Cast Internet game.
New top-of-the-line LCD HDTV
 Panasonic also announced the new top-of-the-line Panasonic G1 LCD HDTV, which is a 37-inch panel with Full HD 1080p resolution. Boasting NeoLCD LED backlight technology, the G1 cuts power consumption in half compared to the 2008 models, and is claimed to consume only 90 kWh per year. Like the LED-backlit Plasma TVs, the G1 also gets improved brightness. The Panasonic G1 boasts a 178-degree viewing angle, and will feature a game mode as well as a direct PC input. The Panasonic G1 will be available in a 37-inch, 1080p model and a 32-inch, 720p set in April.
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