New Technology TV

The Result Of Improving TechnologyHigh definition television has been storming the marketplace as consumers realize that they can get a theater-like experience in the comfort of their own homes. And now, with Panasonic's recent announcement that they will be making their new 103-inch high definition Plasma TV available before Christmas of this year, you can almost have the entire theater. With the equivalent viewing area of four of Panasonic's 50 inch displays, this television packs one large punch. This model, the TH-103PZ600U, was first unveiled at a trade show in January of this year and raised much speculation about what the final price tag might be. Well, hold on to your seat- at a SRP of $69,999.95, you might not be able to afford one anytime soon.

But, even if you don't have a spare hundred grand lying around, the technology behind this television holds much promise for the future. Like all new advances, the price will eventually drop as the technology becomes more common.The specs on the TH-103PZ600U are quite impressive for any television. One major improvement over many other high definition sets is that this model can support 1080p resolution. If you are not familiar with this terminology, 1080 refers to the number of lines of resolution on the screen and the p refers to a progressive picture, where the image is displayed all at once. While all high definition sets can support the 1080 resolution, most have to create the picture in two passes, commonly called an interlaced picture or ""i"". Upgrading the resolution to the ""p"" format increases the picture quality. With such a large viewing area, the increased resolution on this Panasonic model will be fairly noticeable.

This new behemoth also features a 1,920 horizontal by 1,080 vertical full HD pixel resolution, a contrast ratio of 4000:1 and 4,096 gradations. These numbers mean that the set will produce an incredibly clear picture and amazing color quality. While the television in its casing is 103"" wide, the actual viewing area is about 89"" wide by 50"" high- still quite impressive!

Panasonic says that the creation of this television was not meant as a gesture to show what is possible in television technology, but to actually be used and enjoyed in people's homes. They believe that with the incredible increase in popularity of HDTV, people will be looking for larger and larger displays to be able to get more enjoyment out of the experience. If you aren't satisfied with your 72"" or smaller display and must order one of these, you will be getting a very good warranty with the product. An industry-first, the limited warranty extends for three years, which Panasonic states is to make sure that customers get their investment's full value. And, Panasonic is also offering a Panasonic Plasma Concierge program that connects trained specialists with customers seeking help and answers with their HDTV questions.

If you want one of these TH-103PZ600U's, you will have to specially order it from a higher-end retailer and expect it to be professionally installed. Those of us who cannot afford one of these unless we sell the wall that it is meant to rest on must wait and see what new improvements come about because of this product's creation.