Panasonic unveil Viera TV models for 2009: LCD, Plasma, wireless and ultra thin

Panasonic's spiffy new Viera range was unveiled at an Australian product showcase today on Cockatoo Island; the perfect setting for making Hollywood blockbusters (Wolverine was recently filmed here) and for bringing them to our television.

Panasonic appeared to have outdone themselves this year. Some highlights include:

NeoPDP

Great for improving energy efficiency, Panasonic told us that their panels are supposed to be good for a lifetime of up to 100,000 hours. Enthusiasts take heart: NeoPDP technology also boasts twice the luminous efficiency of previous Panasonic displays - brighter, richer and deeper blacks.

Super thin models with wireless

The Z1 series is thinner than ever

The range features Panasonic's new Neo Full HD (brighter colours, deeper blacks) and 1080P wireless HDMI HD technology.  There is a new 54" size introduced for this range, available in August and September.

• TH-P54Z1A- 54-inch 1"
• TH-P50V10A- 50-inch 2"

Entry level goodness without the blur

The X10 series best for sports action

• TH-P50X10A - 50-inch
• TH-P42X10A- 42-inch

Massive dynamic contrast

Panasonic's G10 series of televisions not only feature a Neo Full HD display with the 600mhz sub field drive (motion filter), but the introduction of a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio means even better motion filtering and colour contrast.

• TH-P50G10A - 50-inch
• TH-P46G10A- 46-inch
• TH-P42G10A- 42-inch

  The G-series boast Neo Full HD display

24p playback

24p playback ensures cinema fans get a quality Blu-Ray picture with the new S-series range. That means films shot in the native 24 frames/second format will translate better on the screen. Starting in June.

• P54S10A - 54-inch
• TH-P50S10A - 50-inch
• TH-P46S10A- 46-inch
• TH-P42S10A- 42-inch

Cheapie LCD range looks promising

If you can't quite afford the big bucks for the more expensive plasma offering, then you might be tempted by some of the nice prices found in the X-series LCD range. Starting at just $1319, the 32" X-series LCD screen features 720p.

A new 19" class of LCD screens in various colours (pink, black or white) will also be introduced by Panasonic later this year in September. No prices have been set for those models as yet.

• TH-L32X10A- 32-inch
• TH-L26X10A - 26-inch
• TH-L19X10A- 19-inch

Premium LCD class

It's not just the plasma's that are shrinking in width. The V10 LCD series is also following a similar path. With features including 100Mhz Motion Pro 3 technology for crispier images and improved motion in sports and films, the unit measures just 2" wide.

A wider viewing angle of 178 degrees make these more viewable than typical plasma models. An in-built SD slot can play pre-recorded AVCHD movies straight from the camera source.  The 10 bit panels and 24p playback make this a model class to watch, but there are no prices as yet.

• TH-L37V10A - 37 inch