On Monday (25 Mar), Panasonic Singapore launched its next generation of SMART VIERA TVs, LUMIX cameras and AV systems, seeking to bring together a seamless connective experience that makes it easy to share memories.
I was invited to the launch at Intercontinental Hotel to learn more about their new products for the beginning of 2013 and to be among the first in Singapore to try out the products.
What’s new?
Interact with your Smart VIERA TV with a personal touch
Panasonic introduced ‘my Home Screen’ which provides instant access to your favourite content through customisable home-screens. These home-screens are activated through face and voice recognition, so each member of the household can easily personalise and access your favourite TV shows, movies, internet, videos as well as photos. The ‘Voice Interaction’ function also enables operating the TV and surfing the internet by talking into the Touch Pad Controller. Use the Voice Guidance function to read out search results so you can keep your fingers free for that cup of coffee or have a facial treatment while lying on the sofa. It even works on smartphones or tablets, through a downloadable app.
‘Swipe & Share 2.0’, an upgraded photo-sharing feature where users can share images on the TV easily is also a key feature in the new upgrade. By tapping onto a shared Wi-Fi network, users can send photos and videos from their smartphones to the Smart VIERA TV with a flick of their fingers, showing images in large format. Friends and family can ‘capture’ the same images on their phones easily with an inward flick of their fingers, enabling rapid sharing of memories and experiences.
These new features can be enjoyed on the Smart VIERA LED WT Series with 3D TV capabilities, featuring an advanced design with unique high-quality IPS panel, and the Smart VIERA Plasma VT Series which offers supreme picture quality with the newest smart functions. The VT Series TVs are also touch-screen enabled with an electronic ‘Touch Pen’, allowing words, pictures and diagrams to be drawn directly on it, which is perfect for party games as well as for educational uses.
Superior sound and seamless connectivity with HD 3D Blu-ray home theatre systems
Complementing the new TVs are an array of improved FULL HD 3D Blu-ray™ home theatre systems that focus on high-quality picture, sound, design and smart networking, led by the trail-blazing SC-BTT430. New micro Hi-Fi systems with wireless speakers provide massive sound in a small package, making it easy to implement a flawless sound environment in your home. Equipped with Cinema Surround Technology as a standard feature, the new models are also suitable for high-definition 3D videos.
The new home theatre systems tap upon new technologies to enable sharing in the home environment and also provide a seamless integration of existing media libraries. Panasonic has developed the Panasonic Music Streaming App which allows a user to view all music that has been archived onto a NAS or PC on a home network, and stream them to the SC-NE5 and SC-NE3 wireless speakers. The app makes it possible to control DLNA, AirPlay or Bluetooth® wireless technologies by itself, eliminating the need to switch between different apps that can only match an individual wireless system and also expands the playable music list from beyond just what is on the mobile device.
The Panasonic Music Streaming App will be available in Singapore and can be downloaded from the iTunes Store or Google Play.
Go further with LUMIX
Panasonic will also be introducing the latest members of the LUMIX camera family, including the new pocket-sized high performance LUMIX DMC-TZ40 with 24mm ultra wide angle 20x optical zoom LEICA DC Lens. The advanced optical design makes the camera the world’s slimmest in class[1], and its advanced lens system supported by Intelligent Resolution technology further extends its already impressive zoom ratio to 40x equivalent, with minimum deterioration of picture quality.
Those with an active lifestyle and who want to capture life on the edge will love the extremely tough and rugged LUMIX DMC-FT5, with its dustproof, freeze-proof of up to -10 degrees Celsius, waterproof of up to 13m (43 ft), and handling up to 100kgf of pressure capabilities. Complementing it is an in-built GPS and an internal geographical dictionary of place name information, compass, altimeter and barometer, so you always know where the picture was taken.
Both models feature Wi-Fi® connectivity (IEEE 802.11 b/g/n) with NFC (Near Field Communication) technology, which allow users to enjoy flexible shooting styles, and is also helpful for long-exposure shots which require an absolutely still camera to avoid shaking or blurred images. Users can remotely control the setting focus, zooming, shutter release and several other extensive recording settings through a smartphone or tablet away from where the camera is positioned.
The newly added Instant Transfer function allows the camera to transfer the photo data to the designated electronic devices automatically whenever the shutter is released, and some models like the LUMIX DMC-TZ40 even archive images automatically to your PC or compliant Panasonic AV devices via your home Wi-Fi. This feature can be accessed through an easy-to-use interface; photos can also be transferred seamlessly from camera to mobile device, and easily uploaded to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, without having to use a computer. In today’s high-speed society, this provides consumers with the option of capturing and sharing memories instantly, like sharing that cool picture of a sea turtle off the coast of Bali or that close-up shot of sun-rays peaking over the top of Mount Fuji within minutes.
Capturing life’s moments with Panasonic
Camcorders have also joined the fun with the HC-X920M, which is equipped with built-in Wi-Fi function that enables Real Time Broadcasting of important events via Ustream, while recording images in Full-HD. It also features the new 3MOS System PRO which uses a BSI (Back Side Illumination) Sensor to provide excellent shooting performance even in dim lighting situations and reduces noise by 50% compared to previous models. Another exciting product is the HX-WA30, which is waterproof down to 10m, shockproof to 1.5m, freeze-proof down to -10 degrees Celsius and dustproof. Allowing one-handed shooting even in harsh environment, it is great for windsurfing, diving or mountain climbing.
For more information on the products, please visit www.panasonic.com.sg.
