If you do happen to pick up an eligible plasma TV from Panny between October 24 and December 24 this year, you’ll be eligible to receive either an HD Tough LUMIX Camera pack valued at $643, an HD Blu-ray Home Theatre valued at $1,099 or an HD Twin Tuner DVD Recorder with 250GB HDD also valued at $1,099.

There are 12,000 of each bonus gift to giveaway, which isn’t too many. I can’t imagine too many people would jump at the camera pack either considering the much lower value in comparison. But still, if bonus free stuff influences your TV purchasing decisions, this isn’t a bad little offer.

The eligible TVs are as follows:

TH-P54Z1A 54-inch Full HD 1080p $6,999
TH-P58V10A 58-inch Full HD 1080p $4,599
TH-P50V10A 50-inch Full HD 1080p $3,299
TH-P50G15A 50-inch Full HD 1080p $2,999
TH-P42G15A 42-inch Full HD 1080p $2,299
TH-P50G10A 50-inch Full HD 1080p $2,799
TH-P46G10A 46-inch Full HD 1080p $2,499
TH-P42G10A 42-inch Full HD 1080p $2,099
TH-P54S10A 54-inch Full HD 1080p $3,399
TH-P50S10A 50-inch Full HD 1080p $2,599
TH-P46S10A 46-inch Full HD 1080p $2,299
TH-P42S10A 42-inch Full HD 1080p $1,899

[Panasonic]

This isn’t the first time Panny have given away Wiis with Viera purchases. But it obviously worked for them last time, because they’re going it again. The promo began on Saturday (June 27, and will end on August 2 2009.

The TVs eligible for the promotion are as follows:

Model RRP
TH-65PZ850A 65-inch Full HD 1080p $11,999 rrp
TH-58PZ850A 58-inch Full HD 1080p $7,699 rrp
TH-P50G10A 50-inch Full HD 1080p $3,799 rrp
TH-P46G10A 46-inch Full HD 1080p $3,299 rrp
TH-P42G10A 42-inch Full HD 1080p $2,749 rrp
TH-P50S10A 50-inch Full HD 1080p $3,399 rrp
TH-P46S10A 46-inch Full HD 1080p $2,899 rrp
TH-P42S10A 42-inch Full HD 1080p $2,449 rrp

It’s not quite free though – the Wii is only valid via redemption, and you’ll have to drop $25 to cover postage and handling. It’s still better than the Wii’s $400 asking price, I guess.

You can get more info from Panasonic’s promotion page below.

[Panasonic]

Here’s what we don’t know: Anything else.

AU: While this is very US only, there may be a chance, one day (but not any time soon) that this tech will feed over to Australia so we can get Foxtel on our TVs without the extra box.

Panasonic has plans to sell the new VIERA HDTVs starting in late October at Abt Electronics, Ultimate Electronics, and Circuit City stores. Offerings inlcude 42-inch class and 50-inch class sizes with a built-in tru2way cable receiver. The TH-42PZ80Q and TH-50PZ80Q are both extensions of the VIERA PZ80 series and they will retail for $US1,600 and $US2,300 respectively. The press release below doesn’t say definitively when Comcast is going to have everything up and running, so users in these areas might want to take that into account before rushing out stores. Additional cities are expected to go live in the coming months.

PANASONIC ANNOUNCES ARRIVAL OF FIRST
TRU2WAY™ HDTVs AT RETAIL

Consumers In Chicago And Denver Will Be First
To Experience Comcast’s Video On Demand Without A Set-Top Box

Panasonic Tru2way-Enabled VIERA Plasma HDTVs To Go On Sale In Late October At Abt Electronics, Ultimate Electronics, and Circuit City Stores

CHICAGO, IL (October 15, 2008) — Panasonic (NYSE: PC), the consumer electronics industry leader in the development and application of tru2way technology, and Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMCSK), the nation’s leading provider of entertainment, information and communications today announced the arrival of the first tru2way VIERA HDTVs at Abt Electronics in Glenview, IL and officially declared the tru2way platform active in Chicago and Denver.

Tru2way technology is being used to create a common software platform that will enable cable companies, consumer electronics companies, content developers, network programmers and others to extend interactivity to the TV set and other kinds of devices. The new Panasonic VIERA HDTVs are built with tru2way technology inside enabling consumers to access two-way digital cable programming, like video on demand, without a cable operator-supplied set-top box. Panasonic and Comcast have worked together to lead the development and deployment of tru2way technology and related products which are based upon specifications developed by CableLabs®, the industry’s research and development arm.

“The arrival of the first tru2way HDTVs at retail combined with Comcast’s activation of its first tru2way head ends are among the most significant milestones in the cable industry and are a huge win for consumers,” said Dr. Paul Liao, Chief Technology Officer, Panasonic Corporation of North America. “At the May 2008 Cable Show, we stated with great confidence that the first tru2way HDTVs would be available for consumer purchase at retail by fall 2008. We are especially delighted to have partnered with Comcast and CableLabs to make good on that promise and bring the benefits of open networks to cable subscribers.”

Comcast customers in the Chicago and Denver areas will be the first in the U.S. to have access to tru2way digital cable service with additional cities expected to go live in the coming months. The tru2way VIERA HDTVs will be available in the Chicago area at Abt Electronics in Glenview and at Circuit City locations and at Ultimate Electronics and Circuit City stores in the Denver area.

“We see tru2way technology as the gateway for our customers to experience the next generation of interactive television, and our work with Panasonic to develop and support the first fully digital-cable-ready HDTVs is an important first step in making that happen,” said Mark Hess, Comcast’s Senior Vice President of Video Product Development. “This common platform also will let us develop an exciting array of interactive services and applications that we can deliver on our advanced fibre network to a variety of consumer electronics devices.”

Added Dr. Richard R. Green, President and CEO of CableLabs, “We are delighted to see the arrival of Panasonic tru2way products in the marketplace. As tru2way technology is adopted by operators like Comcast nationwide, consumers can be confident that exciting new interactive digital cable products and services from innovative companies such as Panasonic will work seamlessly with any cable network that supports OpenCable specifications nationwide.”

Panasonic’s first tru2way enabled VIERA Plasma HDTVs will be offered in 42-inch class and 50-inch class sizes with integrated tru2way cable receiver capability within the set’s chassis.
The TH-42PZ80Q and TH-50PZ80Q will be extensions of Panasonic’s critically acclaimed VIERA PZ80 series of 1080p Plasma HDTVs. The TH-42PZ80Q will have an SRP of $1,599.95 and the TH-50PZ80Q will have an SRP of $2,299.95. These tru2way HDTVs will allow consumers to access all digital cable services such as electronic program guides and the full range of interactive and video-on-demand programming – all accessible directly via the television’s remote control – without the costs or clutter associated with a traditional external cable set-top box.

In addition to tru2way technology, the VIERA TH-42PZ80Q and TH-50PZ80Q feature 480Hz Sub-field Drive for sharp motion image focus, 1,000,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio, VIERA Link, and a built-in SD Memory Card reader for playing back digital photos. VIERA Link allows the consumer to operate all VIERA Link equipped components with a singe remote.

PANASONIC PREVIEWS LARGER SIZE INTERNET ENABLED VIERA PLASMAS AT 2008 CEDIA CONVENTION

Industry Leader Panasonic Premieres 58-inch And 65-inch VIERA Plasma Displays to Custom Installers

Denver, CO (September 3, 2008) – Panasonic Corporation of North America, the principal U.S. subsidiary of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (NYSE:MC), the industry leader in high definition and Plasma televison, today introduced attendees to the 2008 CEDIA convention to the latest additions in the company’s already acclaimed internet enabled Plasma line, the PZ850 series. Joining the TH-50PZ850 and the TH-46PZ850, the industry’s first internet enabled TVs, are the 58-inch class (58-inches measured diagonally) and the TH-65PZ850 class (64.7-inches measured diagonally), giving Panasonic a wide breadth of screen sizes in the flagship series of high performance Plasma TVs. Building upon the market and critical success of Panasonic’s previous Plasma models, the 2008 PZ850 series includes a number of step-up features that will further strengthen Panasonic’s leadership position.

The introduction of the IP enabled televisions, a technology that provides access to on-line content directly from the televison with VIERA CAST™ technology, is one of many advances found in the PZ850 line. VIERA CAST is a revolutionary new feature that streams web content directly to your VIERA HDTV without the need for an external box or a PC. The consumer can access the unlimited YouTube™ library, share digital photos from Picasa™ Web Albums with friends and family, get local weather updates and gain access to financial data from Bloomberg. There is no fee for VIERA Cast and the feature automatically updates itself as new web content becomes available.

“We’re very excited about the technological advances that have been incorporated into VIERA’s PZ850 series and the bigger screen sizes should prove extremely beneficial to both Panasonic and the CEDIA membership.,” said Bob Perry, Senior Vice President, Panasonic Display Products Company. “The 58-inch and 65-inch now stand beside their smaller brethren to provide the installer with a number of screen size options. IPTV in particular is a technology that by providing access to on-line content directly from the TV, allows the consumer to optimise his or her options and use the VIERA Plasma for more than entertainment. Now the consumer has a large screen TV that is also the source of an endless stream of internet information.”

The state-of-the-art technology that is inherent in the PZ850 series provides the consumer with detailed images, high moving-picture resolution, advanced networking and excellent compatibility with other AV devices. The PZ850 series features a Pro Setting Menu, allowing the user to access professional calibration software; an improved native resolution contrast ratio of 30,000:1 and a dynamic ratio of 1,000,000:1; Digital Cinema Colour Re-Mastering; 24p native reproduction; Game Mode; an SD memory Card slot; RS-232C connection; four HDMI connections; increased luminous efficiency; lead free panels; 100,000 hours to half brightness and a PC input. The 850 series further expands the capabilities of the SD Card feature by utilizing the H.264 codec to display high definition video recorded on a HD camcorder equipped with the H.264 codec.

Recognizing the growing use of Plasma HD televisions in the gaming world, Panasonic created the Game Mode, which minimizes the time lag when displaying game images on the Plasma screen. The Mode synchronizes the response of the game image to the player’s operation, thereby producing an extremely clear image with no motion artifacts.

Digital Cinema Colour Re-Mastering is a value added technology that creates a wide colour gamut covering 120% of the conventional HDTV colour standard , enabling VIERA displays to reproduce the essential colours for viewing movies. 24p native reproduction, which negates the need for 3:2 pulldown, resulting in a smoother picture, is another feature that provides the best possible viewing experience.

Also: The quick-glance spec sheet we ran in May still appears to be valid.

April’s batch will include the LZ85 Series TX-37LZ85 and TX-32LZ85. These LCDs will add in 100 Hz Motion Picture Pro 2 and 24p Real Cinema function, which will allow for smooth motion transition when reproducing a 24p movie source.

Lastly, the TX-37LZ800 will complete the product refresh, which will boast Motion Focus technology and an exceptionally clear panel, supposedly capable of outputting a pristine image even in well-lit surroundings. The integrated speakers will tote SRS trusurround XT, and it will come equipped with four HDMI inputs; one at the front of the display and three in the rear…must…not…make…joke.

The complete, updated Viera range will have Panasonic’s latest generation of IPS Alpha panels, which will offer a 178 degree viewing angle, horizontally and vertically. V-Audio surround also makes an appearance, which will aid in sound reproduction thanks to the V-Audio technologies that feature Panasonic’s digital amplifier and BBE (Bass Boost Enhancement). We’ll be at a Panasonic event later today, so stay tuned for our first impressions on the whole lot. [tech.co.uk]