Panasonic Has More 3D TVs Comin’ at Ya’!

Having just released a $10,000, 65-inch 3D plasma TV in limited quantities, Panasonic hopes to make the technology more affordable with its first 42-inch model.

The TH-P42GT20Z will go on sale for $2699 on December 15.

It will be bundled with a free 3D Blu-ray of Avatar, which Panasonic has licensed exclusively for the next 15 months, a 3D Blu-ray player and an improved pair of 3D glasses (which can be bought separately for $249).

The new “eyewear” is 40% lighter than Panasonic’s original 3D specs — 40 grams vs 63g — and offers USB charging.

The GT series will be a step down from the VT — watch also for a 50-inch model in this range — but will offer 2D-3D conversion.

The latter is a first for Panasonic, which hitherto has claimed the technology wasn’t mature enough for primetime.

And it still seems to feel that way, as next year’s top models apparently won’t include it as a feature — in other words, Panasonic doesn’t see 2D-3D conversion as a must-have option for a/v purists.

Meanwhile, the TH-P65VT20Z (or at least its comparable international model) scored 8.2/10 with CNET Australia, which praised its “deep, deep blacks … true-to-life colours  … excellent noise performance … and impressive size” but also warned of its “slight cross-hatching effect” and said it was “prone to jaggies”.