Most TV makers who announced products at 2013 omitted any mention of
pricing, but Panasonic's site has that and other details on some of its
2013 TVs.
Preorder pricing for the Panasonic ST60 series is already up on Panasonic's Web site.
in January. Manufacturers have just debuted their newest products, and final suggested retail prices are usually subject to some jockeying before the products launch over the next few months.That's why I was surprised when my colleague Matthew Moskovciak sent me a message saying that Panasonic's official site, shop.panasonic.com, was showing pricing and other details for TVs the company had just announced this morning.
Most of the company's TV series are listed on the site now, with the exception of the lowest-end X60 and EM60 models. Currently only two that I found had pricing: the ST60 and S60 models.
I contacted a Panasonic spokesman who said that indeed this pricing is official and not a mistake as I first suspected. I was told "those are select preorder offers." Indeed, I was able to place a mock preorder with no problem.
The ST60 is successor to the ST50, our favorite TV of 2013 and an excellent value. Comparing the two series directly using last year's initial ST50 pricing, the 2013 sets are slightly cheaper at $100 less each for the 50- and 55-inch sizes, and $200 less for the 60- and 65-inchers. That pricing is heartening considering Panasonic's financial difficulties.
The only other plasma series to get pricing so far is the S60 models, which again are pretty aggressive. The 60-incher lists for $1,300, for example.
I was a bit disappointed that pricing for the step-up VT60 and ZT60 series wasn't posted, but maybe it's coming sooner rather than later. I also checked the company's LCDs and while most of them were listed, too, none had pricing yet.
In addition to prices, clicking through revealed some additional details about the TVs, but not much beyond what we already knew from the press releases. The information on the 2013 sets certainly isn't as complete as it will surely be once these sets go on sale starting in February.
Updated with pricing confirmation from Panasonic.
in January. Manufacturers have just debuted their newest products, and final suggested retail prices are usually subject to some jockeying before the products launch over the next few months.That's why I was surprised when my colleague Matthew Moskovciak sent me a message saying that Panasonic's official site, shop.panasonic.com, was showing pricing and other details for TVs the company had just announced this morning.
Most of the company's TV series are listed on the site now, with the exception of the lowest-end X60 and EM60 models. Currently only two that I found had pricing: the ST60 and S60 models.
I contacted a Panasonic spokesman who said that indeed this pricing is official and not a mistake as I first suspected. I was told "those are select preorder offers." Indeed, I was able to place a mock preorder with no problem.
The ST60 is successor to the ST50, our favorite TV of 2013 and an excellent value. Comparing the two series directly using last year's initial ST50 pricing, the 2013 sets are slightly cheaper at $100 less each for the 50- and 55-inch sizes, and $200 less for the 60- and 65-inchers. That pricing is heartening considering Panasonic's financial difficulties.
The only other plasma series to get pricing so far is the S60 models, which again are pretty aggressive. The 60-incher lists for $1,300, for example.
I was a bit disappointed that pricing for the step-up VT60 and ZT60 series wasn't posted, but maybe it's coming sooner rather than later. I also checked the company's LCDs and while most of them were listed, too, none had pricing yet.
In addition to prices, clicking through revealed some additional details about the TVs, but not much beyond what we already knew from the press releases. The information on the 2013 sets certainly isn't as complete as it will surely be once these sets go on sale starting in February.
Updated with pricing confirmation from Panasonic.
