News

Panasonic Introduces Industry's First Rear-Speaker Wireless-Ready Home Theater Systems (15/4/2005)

New Audio Systems Offer Incredible Home Theater Sound With Wireless Ready Convenience and Flexibility

Panasonic is bringing home theater into the wireless age, with a line of home theater systems that are upgradeable to rear speaker wireless*, as well as wireless headphones specifically designed to deliver private surround sound.

Having a surround-sound home theater system used to mean running unsightly wires across the floor, under the carpet, or having to thread wires behind walls or in the ceiling... a real problem for apartment or condo dwellers who can't easily access these areas. The new Panasonic systems answer the demand for high-quality home theater components that deliver a true surround-sound experience, without the need to run wires between the main unit and surround speakers.

Models SC-HT730, SC-HT830V and SC-HT930 have been designed to interface with Panasonic's new SH-FX50 rear speaker transmitter and receiver module so consumers can upgrade to a wireless rear speaker set-up whenever they choose. Using 2.4 GHz frequency hopping spread spectrum technology, audio signals are sent wirelessly from the home theater system directly to the rear speakers via the receiver. For private listening, Panasonic's new RP-WH5000 wireless home theater headphones offer the benefits of full home theater audio without disturbing other family members... or next-door neighbors.

"These new models' wireless capability makes it easy for the average user to quickly set up and enjoy the benefits of a home theater system, without the problems associated with running wires from an entertainment system to rear speakers," said Jim Kiczek, national marketing manager, Panasonic Home Audio Division. "They offer the consumer the flexibility to use a traditional surround-sound set-up or to easily upgrade to a wireless rear speaker system at any time."

In addition to being wireless-ready, the new systems contain a multitude of advanced capabilities. For starters, the SC-HT730 and SC-HT930 feature a super-slim five DVD/CD Changer, while the SC-HT830V is an integrated five-DVD/CD home theater system with Hi-Fi VCR.

All models use a fully featured progressive scan DVD player that accepts multiple video and audio disc formats for a wide variety of entertainment options: DVD video, DVD-Audio, CD-R/CD-RW1, MP32, WMA3, DVD-R4, +R4, +RW4 and DVD-RAM4. In addition, all models include built-in DTS and Dolby Pro-Logic II and Dolby Digital decoders.

Also common to all three systems is a new H. Bass ( harmonized bass ) technology, which allows the user to feel the bass for a more dramatic home theater experience. Add this to a new "Dual Unit" active subwoofer, which widens the total woofer surface area for improved bass, and the result is powerful bass reproduction.

All three systems also include front Tower speakers that are height adjustable and wall mountable, giving the user a variety of layout options. The SC-HT930 comes with deluxe tower speakers and 360-degree sound. This system also includes a diamond-shaped subwoofer, which adds to its design appeal.

The new RP-WH5000 wireless headphones are able to reproduce two-channel stereo, 5.1 channel DTS surround sound and Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic II and DTS-ES, sent via infrared digital audio signals from the receiver. The user can roam up to 30 feet from the headphones' recharging base while still enjoying a clear signal. The headphones are automatically turned on when placed on one's head and turned off when removed. The headphones include a built-in Ni-MH rechargeable battery and a convenient recharging stand. On a full charge, they provide up to 20 hours of continuous listening. The RP-WH5000 has a 20-20 ( Hz-kHz ) frequency response and uses 40mm drivers.

Notes

1 These units can play CD-DA format audio CD-R and CD-RW. It may not be able to play some CD-R or CD-RW due to the condition of the recording.

2 For contents recorded on CD-R/RW media from CDs for your personal use. Playability may vary depending on contents and discs. MP3 audio decoding technology licensed from Fraunhofer IIS and Thomson multimedia.

3 WMA ( Windows Media Audio ), offering high-quality music in a small file size, is a compression format developed by Microsoft Corporation to be played in the Windows Media Player.

4 Discs recorded and finalized on DVD video recorders/cameras.

*Rear Speaker Wireless refers to a connection between the main unit and surround speakers. The rear speakers need to be connected to each other.

**Suggested retail price. All prices are in U.S. dollars.

www.panasonic.com