Panasonic has unveiled it"s new line of Viera plasma televisions which are the first to support tru2way technology. The technology, developed by both Panasonic and Comcast and overseen by Cablelabs, allows any equipped television set to have full access to all cable television features, such as on screen guides and video on demand services without the need of a cable box. Because the technology has been approved by Cablelabs, it will be an accepted standard that all future television manufacturers can implement in their designs, though there"s surely some licensing fees that Panasonic and Comcast are eager to collect.
The first tru2way televisions from Panasonic will be the 42" 1080p TH-42PZ80Q and the larger 50" 1080p TH-42PZ80Q. The former will have a MSRP of $1599.95 US and the larger latter set will come in around $2,299.95 US. As stated, both sets will provide a full 1080p image along with a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio and a built in SD card slot for access to digital photos. They should be available for purchase later this fall.