Panasonic GT25 plasma 3D TVs: Cheaper, have 2D-to-3D conversion

Later this month, Panasonic will add a new lower-priced Viera GT25 series to its lineup of 3D plasma TVs, which will include its first 42-inch 3D set, plus another 50-inch model. And for the first time, these 3D TV sets include on-the-fly 2D-to-3D conversion, a feature found on 3D sets from Samsung and Sony.

The 42-inch TC-P42GT25 ($1,700) and 50-inch TC-P50GT25 ($2,100) will be available late this month. Both are 3D-capable 1080p plasma TVs with many of the features found on the company's pricier VT25-series 3D sets, including THX certification and the company's Viera Cast online service, with access to streaming movies from Amazon and Netflix, Pandora Internet radio, and Skype's videophone service (when used with an optional camera). Both models are wireless-ready—they accept an optional wireless dongle—but neither comes with any 3D glasses, which have to be purchased separately for about $150 per set. The VT25-series models come with one pair of 3D glasses.

These new, lower-priced Panasonic sets come on the heels of some new lower-priced 3D plasma TVs from Samsung. For example, Samsung is offering a 50-inch 3D set—with 720p resolution rather than the 1080p found on the Panasonic plasmas—for a suggested price of $1,100; Amazon> is selling it for $989, making it the first sub-$1,000 50-inch 3D TV we've seen. We expect prices for 3D models to continue to fall as the feature makes its way into more mainstream sets from a variety of manufacturers.

Keep checking back with our blog for more posts on 3D TVs. We're putting the finishing touches on our First Look at new 3D TVs from LG Electronics and Sony, which we hope to post shortly.

—James K. Willcox