Panasonic To Cut Prices On Select Plasma HDTV Sets
By Greg Tarr -- TWICE, 6/23/2009 1:42:00 PM
New York — Panasonic used a Holidays in June product showcase here Tuesday to reveal plans for a series of price cuts on select 46-inch and 42-inch plasma TV models, effective June 28.
Three 46-inch models will have their suggested retails reduced by $200 each, including the TCP46S1, formerly $1,499, reduced to $1,299; the TCP46G10, formerly $1,699, reduced to $1,499; and the TCP46G15, formerly $1,799, reduced to $1,599.
At the same time, the company is also reducing the suggested retail on its 42-inch entry 720p plasma model, the TCP42X1, by $100, to $799 from $899.
The reduced prices will be the new regular prices of the products going forward, and are not part of the instant-rebate programs that were recently offered on some models, according to a Panasonic spokesperson.
Explaining why the price adjustment was made, the Panasonic spokesperson said: “We were just looking at that price delta between the 42-, 46-, 50-inch-class products and wanted to make sure we had correctly set the sweet spot” for the prevailing market conditions.
Meanwhile, starting in July, Panasonic will also be offering special bundle price promotions when consumers purchase select Panasonic 1080p TVs with related Panasonic products, such as Blu-ray Disc players, or full Panasonic A/V systems. In certain cases the bundle savings, typically ranging between $200 and $300, may also be applied toward installation costs, the spokesperson said.
The models that will apply for the savings “will be pretty much open,” to the Blu-ray Disc players and A/V products that will match-up with targeted 1080p TV sets, according to the spokesperson.
The program will be open to all authorized Panasonic dealers.
Meanwhile, the company said it is now shipping the TCP54Z1 ultra-thin 1080p plasma set at a $6,000 suggested retail.
The high-end, 1-inch-thick plasma display will have an outboard box containing tuners, inputs and a wireless HD transmission system to link to the display screen from more than 32 feet away without the need of connecting cables.
The set also includes Panasonic’s 600Hz Sub-Field Drive technology for greater clarity of moving subjects and a newly developed slim speaker system to complement the thin design of the screen.
