24 AUgust 2007 – Panasonic has begun shipping their new line of rear projection HDTVs.
The LIFI line is meant to address many of the lifetime concerns about rear projection HDTVs, while still making improvements to the overall image quality of previous models.
Most notably, Panasonic’s LIFI line will include an electrode-free lamp, to seriously reduce the chance of premature bulb failure.
In addition to helping extend rear projection lifespan, Panasonic has also improved the image quality over their previous models by making a set which will display greens and reds much more vibrantly.
All these models also include many of the standard connections, including HDMI, SD card slot, and PC-input.
There are 5 sets in the LIFI line currently with 56-inch and 61-inch 720p models, as well as 50-inch, 56-inch, and 61-inch 1080p models. The 720p sets cost around $1,700 and $2,000 respectively, while the 1080p sets cost $1,700, $1,900, and $2,200 respectively.
It does seem somewhat odd that the price difference between the 61-inch 720p model and the 61-inch 1080p model is only $200, but I suppose Panasonic really wants you to have 1080p quality.
