CES 2010: Breaking from crowd, Panasonic introduces 3D plasma HDTVs

Like offerings from its plasma rival Samsung, Panasonic has announced that its 3D sets will be plasma-based. The company is planning five different models due in the spring that are ready for 3D viewing and each include one pair of active-shutter 3D glasses.

The lineup includes a pair of 50-inch sets, the TC-P50VT20 and TC-P50VT25, the 54-inch TC-P54VT2, the 58-inch TC-P58VT25, and the 65-inch TC-P65VT25. All of them are THX Display certified and come with a wireless adapter to help them work with Viera Cast, Panasonic's connnected TV service that will be greatly improved with the new addition of apps from Skype, Twitter, Netflix, and Pandora. The company will be releasing the sets in the spring, but like Sony and Samsung with their 3D TVs, it's keeping its pricing mum.

And like Sony and Samsung, Panasonic also has a 3D Blu-ray player on the way. DMP-BDT350 plays standard DVDs and 2D Blu-ray discs along with the (eventual) 3D Blu-ray discs, and includes the usual Blu-ray specs, like built-in networking and support for 7.1 channel lossless audio and Dolby True HD and DTS HD surround sound processing. Pricing again is not yet available, but the DMP-BDT350 is due in the spring.