CES 2013: Panasonic Announces iOS-Compatible Smart Viera Plasma HDTV Lineup

[MacRumors]

Panasonic yesterday announced a new line of Smart Viera plasma HDTVs at CES. The company's 2013 lineup ranges from 42 to 65 inches and includes 16 models in five separate series of TVs. The TVs are compatible with iOS devices that let users share content between their iPhones or iPads and their TVs.

Swipe & Share 2.0 -*a**connectivity enhancement that transforms the TV into a hub for streaming and sharing photo and video content seamlessly with Smartphone and Tablet devices.**Through Panasonic's proprietary VIERA Connect platform,*users can transfer personal photos and videos from their Android or iOS devices directly to the large screen with a simple swipe of the finger and transfer them back to their smart devices the same way.**Swipe & Share also enables sharing of user-generated photos and videos that are on the large screen with other Android or iOS devices.*(2013 VIERA ZT60, VT60, and ST60 Series)

Image courtesy of NBC Tech

The features resemble Apple TV and AirPlay, but NBC notes that Panasonic's TV allows users to share an image to the TV, edit it using an option Electronic Touch Pen accessory, and swipe it back to their iOS device.

Panasonic's lineup starts with the full HD 3D ZT60 with what Panasonic calls a "Beyond the Reference" level of picture quality, then moves to the lower-end VT60 and ST60 series and ends with the non-3D S60 and X60 series. There doesn't seem to be pricing information as of yet, but the line is planned to launch in February 2013.

Article Link: CES 2013: Panasonic Announces iOS-Compatible Smart Viera Plasma HDTV Lineup

[Joe-Diver]

Panasonic has some really nice products.

[Eduardo1971]

As someone with a 2008 model 50 inch Panasonic plasma televesion and is looking to upgrade to a 2013 Panasonic plasma TV-I must say I can't wait to see these new offerings in person.

Panasonic plasma's are some of the better TV's out in the market.

Seems like the rumours that Panasonic was leaving the TV business in 2013 was false!

[RenoG]

Originally Posted by Eduardo1971

As someone with a 2008 model 50 inch Panasonic plasma televesion and is looking to upgrade to a 2013 Panasonic plasma TV-I must say I can't wait to see these new offerings in person.

Panasonic plasma's are some of the better TV's out in the market.

Sounds like we have the same tv from the same year..Only thing is I have no real reason to change or upgrade from my sweet plasma to one of these new awesome ones..

[kjs862]

finally some love for ios rather than android.

[charlieegan3]

Originally Posted by Joe-Diver

Panasonic has some really nice products.

Panasonic has some really nice televisions.

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Originally Posted by kjs862

finally some love for ios rather than android.

Android's getting all my loving.

[Shearwater]

I will be buying!!!

[audio_inside]

Panasonic and the other big TV manufacturers shouldn't waste their time trying to put a stake in the ground defining what a "smart" TV should be when the producers of adjunct boxes have shown themselves to be so much more creative and nimble (the Roku stick is my favorite new example.)

I've got a circa-2009 "Vieracast" Panasonic plasma and there's never been a single firmware update for it. If they think consumers are going to jump on board the current-year's vision without a realistic expectation of upgrades pushing their TV's technology forward - especially with a potential Apple TV on the horizon - they take us for even bigger suckers than we are.

[CrystalPepsi]

Originally Posted by audio_inside

If they think consumers are going to jump on board the current-year's vision without a realistic expectation of upgrades pushing their TV's technology forward - especially with a potential Apple TV on the horizon - they take us for even bigger suckers than we are.

What sucks is, the best panels are put into the TVs with all the "Smart" features. So, we're forced to pay for the dual core processors, etc., just so we can get the nice panels. I bought a 2012 Panasonic 60ST50 a month ago - beautiful panel, wonderful TV. However, the Smart features are crap. I'm not going to play an old version of Angry Birds or use a crap web browser in the Viera portal or whatever they call it. I'm not going to use their crap netflix client. I'll use my cheap, refurb Roku XS with Plex, Netflix, Amazon streaming, etc.

The TV makers should just make high quality panels with HDMI inputs. Period.

[DrNeroCF]

Originally Posted by audio_inside

Panasonic and the other big TV manufacturers shouldn't waste their time trying to put a stake in the ground defining what a "smart" TV should be when the producers of adjunct boxes have shown themselves to be so much more creative and nimble (the Roku stick is my favorite new example.)

I've got a circa-2009 "Vieracast" Panasonic plasma and there's never been a single firmware update for it. If they think consumers are going to jump on board the current-year's vision without a realistic expectation of upgrades pushing their TV's technology forward - especially with a potential Apple TV on the horizon - they take us for even bigger suckers than we are.

No way, being able to Netflix and play video streams straight from the TV is way better than using external boxes. Couple that with being able to change the volume on the receiver through HDMI, and you can do almost everything through one simple TV remote.

Though, my 2012 Panasonic's already does the whole Viera app content sharing thing, so I'm not really sure how this counts as new news for a Mac site...

[SilentLoner]

Originally Posted by charlieegan3

Panasonic has some really nice televisions.

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Android's getting all my loving.

And?

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What's the presumed cost?

[chrmjenkins]

Originally Posted by SilentLoner

And?

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What's the presumed cost?

60" ST60 is 1899.99 MSRP. 65" is 2799.99 MSRP. I would expect the VT and ZT upgrades to be 500 or so on average for each successive step.

Originally Posted by CrystalPepsi

What sucks is, the best panels are put into the TVs with all the "Smart" features. So, we're forced to pay for the dual core processors, etc., just so we can get the nice panels. I bought a 2012 Panasonic 60ST50 a month ago - beautiful panel, wonderful TV. However, the Smart features are crap. I'm not going to play an old version of Angry Birds or use a crap web browser in the Viera portal or whatever they call it. I'm not going to use their crap netflix client. I'll use my cheap, refurb Roku XS with Plex, Netflix, Amazon streaming, etc.

The TV makers should just make high quality panels with HDMI inputs. Period.

Two things going on: upsell and matching competitors' features.

[zen]

Excellent. Plasma is still the best TV tech, and Panasonic are still the best plasma manufacturers.

[iMikeT]

I all ready have iOS connectivity for my HDTV with my TV connected to it. Nevertheless, good for Panasonic for adding this feature for their lineup.

[palmerc2]

Wow I was under the impression 2012 was the last year for Plasma's from Panasonic. This is great news!

[chrmjenkins]

Originally Posted by palmerc2

Wow I was under the impression 2012 was the last year for Plasma's from Panasonic. This is great news!

An unsubstantiated rumor.

[centauratlas]

Nice. I have a Panasonic 65 with an Apple TV connected. Seriously have to consider the upgrade. ;-)

[Russell L]

Hmmm.....just got a new 65" Panny plasma a month ago (2012 model obviously). Wonder if any of the new features could be incorporated into a firmware update?

[GenesisST]

Originally Posted by Russell L

Hmmm.....just got a new 65" Panny plasma a month ago (2012 model obviously). Wonder if any of the new features could be incorporated into a firmware update?

Could: probably
Will happen: probably not...

[SockRolid]

Nice. Looks a lot better than that "scrap iron and black spray paint" Samsung TV.

[Pakaku]

There's still absolutely no incentive to buy these 'smart' TVs, when the TV channels themselves are nothing but crap.

[erinsarah]

"Through Panasonic's proprietary VIERA Connect platform,*users can transfer personal photos and videos from their Android or iOS devices directly to the large screen with a simple swipe of the finger and transfer them back to their smart devices the same way."

Hmm, spend a grand to get this or simply show the picture on my iPad to the person sitting next to me. Not really a selling point.

The industry has a long way to go until this stuff becomes truly viable. I purchased a new Panny last month with the Viera connect tools. They are nice toys, but clumsy, and the iPhone remote app is very non-intuitive. As someone above posted...CONTENT CONTENT CONTENT!!!!!

[chrmjenkins]

Originally Posted by erinsarah

Hmm, spend a grand to get this or simply show the picture on my iPad to the person sitting next to me. Not really a selling point.

Can you not imagine a business or demonstration scenario where more than 1 person may need to see the content at once?

[ctdonath]

Originally Posted by Pakaku

There's still absolutely no incentive to buy these 'smart' TVs, when the TV channels themselves are nothing but crap.

Channels? What are these "channels" of which you speak? Ah, right, an anachronism from the 20th Century. Welcome to 2013, where on-demand 4K streaming is emerging. I haven't watched a "channel" for close to a decade now.

[Pakaku]

Originally Posted by ctdonath

Channels? What are these "channels" of which you speak? Ah, right, an anachronism from the 20th Century. Welcome to 2013, where on-demand 4K streaming is emerging. I haven't watched a "channel" for close to a decade now.

Now that's a smart feature I can live with

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Originally Posted by chrmjenkins

Can you not imagine a business or demonstration scenario where more than 1 person may need to see the content at once?

Why do you need a smart tv to do that? Just plug your laptop into the TV.