As the demand for larger-screen, high picture quality TVs grows around the world; the new 103-inch plasma answers a need for those looking for the ultimate home viewing experience. Whatever the viewing angle, the picture with plasma is always clear, never distorted, and colours are sharp and vivid. Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd., the maker of Panasonic brand electronics, said on Monday it hoped to start selling the world’s largest plasma television by early next year. Measuring 2.4 meters by 1.4 meters and weighing 215 kg, the 103-inch panel is bigger than a double-sized mattress and almost as heavy as an upright piano. Developing larger-sized panels is important for plasma TV makers to remain competitive to liquid crystal display (LCD).
The plasma panel used in the Matsushita TV will be just one-inch larger measured diagonally than a 102-inch model developed by Samsung SDI which is not yet launched commercially. Matsushita has started taking orders for the 103-inch panels in the United States for business use, such as studio monitors at broadcasting companies and electronic billboards, and planned to deliver them from this autumn. Moreover, it also foresees demand from consumers looking to set up home theatres. The new panels will meet full high-definition specifications, meaning they can produce images at the highest standard of 1,920 by 1,080 pixels of resolution. Developing panels able to display a full high-definition picture has been a major challenge for plasma makers because of numerous hurdles inherent in the technology. The world’s largest consumer electronics maker has yet to set the price but Matsushita’s 65-inch plasma TVs, its largest available now, sell for about $7,500 in Japan.
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