Panasonic Launches 'Living in High Definition' Nationwide Truck Tour

Panasonic Launches 'Living in High Definition' Nationwide Truck Tour

Interactive Tour To Give Consumers A Hands-On Look At Panasonic's High Definition Suite of Products Including 103-Inch World's Largest Plasma

NEW YORK, Sept. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Panasonic, a leader in High Definition flat panel TVs, started the ignition today on the Living In High Definition Nationwide Tour -- a multi-truck tour that will travel the country to bring consumers a hands-on experience with its suite of High Definition products including its industry-leading line of 1080p Plasma HDTV's, Blu-ray Disc Players and Home Theater Systems, HD Camcorders and LUMIX Digital Still Cameras.

   (Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070905/NYW094-a            http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070905/NYW094-b )  

The Living In High Definition Nationwide Tour features a fleet of four, custom-built trucks including a 53-foot flagship vehicle. Each Living In High Definition truck will tour different regions of the U.S. visiting retailers and high-traffic consumer events including college and professional sports competitions and state fairs. The initial phase of the tour, which begins officially this week, is expected to run through January 2008.

"Our Living In High Definition Nationwide Tour is designed to introduce consumers to and engage them on all of the creative possibilities that our suite of High Definition products can bring to their lives," said Bob Greenberg, Panasonic's Vice President of Brand Marketing. "Our award-winning line of Plasma HDTV's, including our new 1080p models, are the centerpiece of a High Definition lifestyle we call Living In HD. Beyond the stunning, crisp, true-to-life colors of a Blu-ray movie played on one of our 1080p Plasma HDTV's, with our line of digital still cameras and HD camcorders, people can capture their own memories in breathtakingly crisp clarity and color on a postage stamp-sized SD Memory Card and play them back instantly by putting that card in their Panasonic Plasma HDTV. Visitors that experience this tour will be engaged and amazed at the creative possibilities they have at their fingertips."

Each of the LIHD trucks opens and expands to create a high definition environment featuring Panasonic's 103-inch Plasma HDTV, currently the world's largest. Visitors to the trucks will have the opportunity to "play" with Panasonic LUMIX Digital Still Cameras and HD Camcorders, capture images on their own SD Memory Card and then enter the truck to view their work on a variety of Plasma HDTV's and print photos.

In 2009, the history of analog broadcasting in the U.S. will come to an end as television stations switch to broadcasting exclusively in digital format.* According to the Consumer Electronics Association, 30 percent of U.S. households currently own High Definition televisions, but only 44 percent of those households are viewing High Definition programs.

To learn more about the Living In High Definition Nationwide Tour and find out where the tour is scheduled to appear next, visit www.LivingInHD.com. The interactive site offers tour schedules and a virtual tour of the flagship vehicle.

While visiting the site, consumers can also learn more about Panasonic's other Living In High Definition activities which include a multi-faceted, experiential program, in association with researchers from the Center for Urban Research and Policy at Columbia University, which will explore how the latest High Definition television and video technologies can enrich the American lifestyle.

Between August 2007 and March 2008, Panasonic's Living in HD Program will select 30 families to live with a complete suite of High Definition technology products and related services worth an estimated $20,000, including a large screen 1080p Plasma HDTV, HD Camcorder, Blu-ray Disc Player, Digital Still Camera and other equipment. The families will be chosen via a variety of initiatives including an online contest. To learn more about this unique program and for an opportunity to participate, consumers can visit www.LivingInHD.com.

   * Information about the digital TV transition is available at www.dtv.gov.    About Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company  

Based in Secaucus, N.J., Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company (PCEC), a market and technology leader in High Definition television, is a Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America, the principal North American subsidiary of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. (NYSE:MC) and the hub of Panasonic's U.S. marketing, sales, service and R&D operations. Panasonic's exclusive Panasonic Plasma Concierge customer support program (888-972-6276) is administered through its Virginia-based Call Center, recognized as a Certified "Center of Excellence" by the Center for Customer-Driven Quality(TM) at Purdue University. Information about Panasonic products is available at www.panasonic.com. Additional company information for journalists is available at www.panasonic.com/pressroom.

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070905/NYW094-a
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070905/NYW094-b
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN17, PRN18
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

Source: Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company

CONTACT: Chris De Maria, +1-201-348-7182, demariac@us.panasonic.com, or
Jim Reilly, +1-201-392-6067, reillyj@us.panasonic.com, both of Panasonic; or
Adam Paige of Cohn & Wolfe, +1-212-798-9833, adam_paige@cohnwolfe.com, for
Panasonic

Web site: http://www.panasonic.com/
http://www.panasonic.com/pressroom
http://www.livinginhd.com/
http://www.dtv.gov/

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Profile: International Entertainment