2008 Hitachi Plasma Line Availability And Pricing

Available in 42- and 50-inch screen sizes, the plasma line makes use of a bunch of proprietary Hitachi technologies--UltraBlack Panels use a boxed cell structure to produce deeper blacks, improved phospor formulations produce richer colors, a PictureMaster VI digital video processor and Reel60Hz result in a smooth picture, and Cinema48, which works with 24p HDMI inputs to produce the same visual timing as films would playback in a movie theater. All of Hitachi's 2008 plasmas are Energy Star-certified, have an ambient light sensor, deep black stripe filters, an anti-reflective panel, game mode, and a TV Guide On Screen interactive program guide. Check out the pricing and availability below:

• 42-inch A-Series (model P42A402): $1,399 in July


• 50-inch A-Series (model P50A202): $1,799 currently available


• 50-inch A-Series (model P50A402): $1,899 currently available


• 50-inch S-Series (model P50S602): $2,699 currently available


• 50-inch V-Series (model P50V702): $3,199 in August


• 50-inch X-Series (model P50X902): $3,699 in August

Panasonic TH-50PZ77U Plasma TV

The TH50PZ77 matches the most advanced pixel resolution and image-processing technology with an ability to beautifully reproduce fast-moving images.

The TH-50PZ77U has a slick design with a fairly thin black border, with the speakers situated along the side of the TV. They do not add very much to the overall width of the set because of the thin Panasonic design.

1080p also delivers amazing color reproduction resulting in impressive contrast and vibrant colors. What you get is warm, accurate skin tones, deep blacks, gorgeous greens, breathtaking blues and vivid reds for color that’s as rich and bold as life itself.

Everyone will definitely admire Panasonic’s high contrast ratio of up to 10,000-to-1. Such a wide range from black to white means great depth and dimensionality with vibrant colors. Deep blacks provide excellent shadow detail during dark scenes.

Brilliant whites allow this TH50PZ77 to render bright scenes with vivid realism. Add to this impressive contrast ratio the ability to display 68.7 billion colors and what you have is a TV that shows you high definition content in all its glory.

Pioneer announces UK release date for Kuro full HD plasmas

Pioneer has announced the UK launch date for its latest KURO high-definition plasma TVs.

The new products will be launched at a ‘Black Screen Party’ at Claridges in London, on 25 September.

Kuro means black in Japanese, and the TVs feature state of the art, intelligent technology, which displays 80% deeper black levels than rival models, providing richer colours and sharper images.

The KURO flat screen TVs take source and room conditions into account when processing images - a daytime football match will be processed differently to a floodlit match - giving crisp, clear images whatever the conditions.

The 1080p compatible plasma display is available in 50in and 60in screen sizes.

The PDP-LX508D KURO model from Pioneer has recently been voted the best full HD 1080p plasma in Europe by the European Imaging and Sound Association.