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LAS VEGAS--In the past, Panasonic's GT variants have been almost as good as the flagships they supported, and at much more affordable prices. We anticipate that this trend will continue with the new GT50.

The GT50 will come in four sizes from 50 inches to 65 inches and ships with an "Infinite Black Pro" panel. The full-HD 3D panel features 2D-to-3D conversion and a new louver filter designed to provide better contrast in lit environments.

With the exception of the Z1, design wasn't a key consideration for Panasonic plasmas until last year, with the "metallic … Read more

Update June 21, 2011 Since this article posted I've had the chance to recalibrate and test CNET's TC-P55VT30 review sample using the new firmware. As far as I can tell, it did not improve Custom mode's color accuracy, despite Panasonic's claim below. I've contacted Panasonic for an explanation and will provide an update when I hear back.

Today Panasonic has made available a firmware update that's designed to address a couple of issues regarding color calibration in its highest-end plasma TV, the TC-PVT30 series.

I recently reviewed the VT30 for CNET and, despite calling … Read more

Apple is said to have hired audio pioneer Tomlinson Holman to head up the company's efforts in sound.

The news, which has not been confirmed by Apple or Holman, comes from TWiT Network owner Leo Laporte who posted it in a Twitter update citing an anonymous source with "good authority" on the matter.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for confirmation on Holman's hiring.

Holman is currently a professor at the University of Southern California, and is the inventor of Lucasfilm's THX sound system. He also created the 10.2 sound system, and … Read more

The GT30 sits in the upper-middle end, a notch below the company's 2011 flagship in panel technology and, we assume, picture quality. It's not without its flaws, but it's still a superb TV overall that sets the bar high once again--although it's not a significantly better performer than its less-expensive (albeit plainer-styled) line-mate, the TC-PST30 series. The Panasonic TC-PGT30 series belongs on the short list for buyers who want the advantages of plasma in a thin form factor but don't want to pay the premium for a flagship TV.

Update May 5, 2011: The introduction … Read more

THX, born out of the George Lucas/Star Wars legacy, has stayed true to its roots while developing new audio technologies to improve the home entertainment experience.

Last week I spoke with Laurie Fincham, senior vice president of THX to discuss the company's Steerable Line Array technology. He told me THX wanted to create a new type of speaker that could focus sound beams to specific areas in a room. I've heard those sorts of claims before, but Mr. Fincham assured me that this system was designed to a very high standard. The Steerable Line Array speaker prototype … Read more

Multichannel movie sound dates back to Disney's "Fantasia." When the film was first released in 1940, the number of speakers used was scaled to the size of the individual theater; 30 to 80 speakers were installed behind the screen and around the perimeter of the ceiling.

Home theater multichannel sound arrived many decades later, and quickly settled on a 5.1 channel system, which is just a scaled-down version of the current movie theater system. The home system uses three front speakers--left, center, right--and two surround speakers placed on the sides of the room. The subwoofer supplies … Read more

Update March 29, 2011 LG has announced that this series of TVs, along with the LW7700 series, will not be released. Instead the company tells us that it will release another series (or maybe more than one)--featuring the full-array local dimming Nano backlight detailed below and using passive 3D technology and not active--in mid-September 2011. We expect to hear more details closer to the products' launch. In the meantime we're keeping the information below for reference since we expect the new models, whatever their model names end up being, to closely resemble the ones here.

LG's … Read more

Update March 29, 2011 LG has announced that this series of TVs, along with the LW9500 series, will not be released. Instead the company tells us that it will release another series (or maybe more than one)--featuring the full-array local dimming Nano backlight detailed below and using passive 3D technology and not active--in mid-September 2011. We expect to hear more details closer to the products' launch. In the meantime we're keeping the information below for reference since we expect the new models, whatever their model names end up being, to closely resemble the ones here.

LAS VEGAS--LG … Read more

LAS VEGAS--LG will ship seven different series of plasma TVs in 2011, and the chief of the tribe is the PZ950 series.

Much like the PX950 series we liked last year, the PZ950, along with the step-down PZ750, will offer THX certification for both 2D and 3D sources. The advantage of the system is that one button press provides a relatively accurate picture, and in our tests the PX950's 3D was very good. (In case you're wondering, all LG plasmas use active 3D technology, not the passive variety found on some of its LCDs).

The PZ950's main … Read more