Panasonic and Best Buy to bring 3D TVs to the US this Wednesday
Tech Monday, March 8th, 2010
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As everybody knows, 3D TVs are all the rage at the moment, with Panasonic being one of the most active electronics companies in that area . But until today, details on how and when those devices will be sold outside Japan were relatively scarce. Panasonic now announced it will partner up with Best Buy (the largest consumer electronics retailer in the US for those who don’t know) to market its 3D TVs in America. And Panasonic’s aim is nothing else than to become the No. 1 company in the future 3D TV segment, ahead of Samsung, the current leader in the global TV market . A total of 300 Best Buy stores in major American cities (1,000 locations by year end), i.e. New York, will create special 3D video sections to promote sales. In the US, Panasonic is undercutting Japanese MSRP by about 30%, with the first 3D TVs ready to hit Best Buy stores as early as the day after tomorrow. A 50-inch 3D TV is likely to retail for $2,500, while special bundles (TV+Blu-ray player+3D glasses) will cost around $500 more. The company confirmed the American models will have no web access functions (without which hardly any high-quality TV in Japan gets sold nowadays). Panasonic says the goal is to sell 1 million 3D TVs globally this fiscal year, half of them in America. The company calculates that selling 1 million of those 3D TVs is equal to capturing a global market share of 50% in this specific segment. Via The Nikkei [registration required, paid subscription]