Large plasmas are coming down in price, but if you want to go big--and I mean really big--you still have to pay dearly. Set to hit next month, the $30,000 TH-85PF12U is billed by Panasonic as the industry's first 85-inch, full-HD, 1080p plasma. It's the size of four 42-inch plasmas stitched together.
Panasonic says that thanks to its newly developed Neo plasma display panel technology, "even with effective wide-screen dimensions of 74.4 inches by 41.8 inches, the TH-85PF12U is significantly thinner and lighter than past plasmas, with a main body depth of 3.9 inches and an overall weight of approximately 260 pounds."
Typically, extra-large plasmas just haven't cut it in terms of picture quality, but this model sounds--or rather, looks--more promising. Panasonic's NeoPDP technology has proven, at least in smaller Panasonic plasmas, to produce a great picture while using much less energy.
As for the $30,000 price tag, all we can say is that if you're not a multimillionaire with cash to burn, wait a few years. You'll probably be able to pick this baby up for 15 grand soon enough
