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By: Richard Del Cazzo
Web site: http://www.hdtv-hdtv.com
The first of Panasonic’s cable ready digital TV sets
is being introduced here at the Custom Electronic Design &
Installation Association (CEDIA) Expo today. The 53-inch widescreen
(16:9) projection high-definition PT-53WXD63 is the first
integrated DTV set to earn certified status from CableLabs
to connect directly to cable television systems and receive
digital services (which may be available from some cable operators,
at a fee)1. With the use of an authorized CableCARD™,
this TV can receive high definition and other digital programs
via cable, including premium channels, without requiring
a cable set-top box.
The introduction of the PT-53WXD63 puts Panasonic at the forefront
of DTV development – with the consumer in mind –
according to Dr. Paul Liao, President of Panasonic Technologies
Company. "We are delighted to have this leadership position
in the cable television digital market," Dr. Liao said.
According to Ed Wolff, Vice President of Merchandising, Panasonic
Display Group, it is important for Panasonic to lead the way
in the DTV category. “In the next few years our industry
will undergo a remarkable change. We will be adding ATSC tuners
into all our TV products. Panasonic plans to support the Digital
Tuner Mandate by not only making models that include the digital
tuner but by adding the CableCard feature to all our ATSC
models as well,” Mr. Wolff said. “The PT-53WXD63
is the first of 6 new Panasonic models with ATSC/CableCARD
that we will roll out to market over the next 90 days.”
In addition to being digital-cable-ready, the PT-53WXD63 has
Photo Viewer SD Memory Card and PCMCIA card slots for viewing
still picture images up on the TV screen. The set also has
an HDMI (High Definition and Multimedia Interface) connector
with HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection), making
it even more versatile in a home-theater set up. The PT-53WXD63
is due by the end of September at an MSRP of $2,299.95.
Panasonic display products are marketed by Panasonic Consumer
Electronics Company. The company is a division of Matsushita
Electric Corporation of America, the principal North American
subsidiary of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., (NYSE:MC),
one of the world’s largest developers and producers
of innovative digital and other electronic products for consumer,
business and industrial use. Media can access press releases
via the Panasonic Pressroom web site, www.panasonic.com/pressroom,
or through the company’s toll-free fax-back system at
888-734-7490.
CableLabs Certified means that the device has passed a series
of tests for compliance with the indicated version of the
specification and has thus demonstrated interoperability with
multiple cable distribution networks. Founded in 1988 by members
of the cable television industry, Cable Television Laboratories
is a non-profit research and development consortium that is
dedicated to pursuing new cable telecommunications technologies
and to helping its cable operator members integrate those
advancements into their business objectives. Cable operators
from around the world are members.
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