Comcast and Panasonic Announce Launch of Tru2way HDTVs

October 24, 2008

By Nora Gray

The era of cable HDTV without a set-top box has arrived with the joint announcement from Panasonic and Comcast of the arrival of the first Tru2way plasma HDTVs at electronics stores in Chicago and Denver. The new television sets will be available in the Chicago area at Abt Electronics in Glenview and Circuit City locations, and at Ultimate Electronics and Circuit City stores in Denver.

No Cable Box Needed with Tru2way Technology

Tru2way technology allows full interactive access to HD cable (for such services as pay-per-view and on demand) and digital television without the necessity of a separate cable set-top box. Panasonic's new Tru2way plasma flat-panel TVs - a 42-inch TH-42PZ80Q model priced at $1,600 and a 50-inch TH-50PZ80Q model priced at $2,300 - are the first products on the market that are Tru2way compatible.

Panasonic and Comcast have worked together to lead the development and deployment of Tru2way technology and related products which are based on specifications developed by CableLabs, the industry's research and development arm.

Tru2Way Products Mark a Milestone for the Cable Industry

"The arrival of the first tru2way HDTVs at retail, combined with Comcast's activation of its first tru2way head ends, are among the most significant milestones in the cable industry and are a huge win for consumers," said Dr. Paul Liao, chief technology officer of Panasonic Corporation of North America. "At the May 2008 Cable Show, we stated with great confidence that the first Tru2way HDTVs would be available for consumer purchase at retail by fall 2008. We are especially delighted to have partnered with Comcast and CableLabs to make good on that promise and bring the benefits of open networks to cable subscribers." "We see Tru2way technology as the gateway for our customers to experience the next generation of interactive television, and our work with Panasonic to develop and support the first fully digital-cable-ready HDTVs is an important first step in making that happen," said Mark Hess, Comcast's senior vice president of video product development. "This common platform also will let us develop an exciting array of interactive services and applications that we can deliver on our advanced fiber network to a variety of consumer electronics devices."

Added Dr. Richard R. Green, president and CEO of CableLabs, "We are delighted to see the arrival of Panasonic Tru2way products in the marketplace. As Tru2way technology is adopted by operators like Comcast nationwide, consumers can be confident that exciting new interactive digital cable products and services from innovative companies such as Panasonic will work seamlessly with any cable network that supports OpenCable specifications nationwide."

New Tru2Way Sets Can Access All Digital Cable Services

The Tru2way HDTVs will let consumers use the full range of digital cable services such as electronic program guides and interactive and video-on-demand programming - all accessible directly via the television's remote control, without the expense or clutter associated with a traditional external cable set-top box.