OTHER TECH

Plasma Punches Back

LCD has finally caught up with plasma in the flat-panel wars, but the wide range of plasmas making their debut at CES - many of which provide full 1080p resolution - is a testament to the category's ongoing strength. Panasonic rolled out its 58-inch TH-58PZ700U (above) and 50-inch TH-50PZ700U 1080p models, lining them up in an imposing row alongside its current 65- and 103-inch panels. No prices were given, but Panasonic plans to ship both sets this summer. The company also displayed a 42-inch prototype 1080p model - the smallest plasma yet to offer that level of resolution. In other 1080p plasma news, Philips displayed its 63PFP7422D, an Ambilight-less model with a 63-inch screen that it plans to sell for $5,500. Another affordable 1080p plasma option is Samsung's 50-inch HP-T5084, which goes on sale in May for about $4,000. Come September, the company plans to follow it up with a 58-inch model, the HP-T5884 ($5,199). - Al Griffin