Panasonic debuted in Japan in 1952 with its first black-and-white TV - the first color models followed in 1960. In Europe, Panasonic was limited to small screen sizes, as were other foreign manufacturers, until the end of the 1980s. For a long time, European manufacturers such as Grundig and Siemens had been able to help themselves to the market because of restrictions posed by licensing and patent policies.

When these limitations disappeared, Panasonic turned up the heat: The year 1990 saw the arrival of the TX-37 A 2 D, Europe's most expensive TV - the device would cost more than 4,000 GBP in today's terms. In a time when 32-inch (84-centimeter) screens counted as ‘big', this 37-inch Panasonic TV set new standards. Interestingly, the tube for the TX-37 A 2 D came from Mitsubishi, and the 100-hertz technology came from Sony.

At one point, Panasonic worked closely with German manufacturer Loewe - but this liaison only lasted for a few years. In Europe, the company released the first plasma-based Panasonic TV in 1998; at 640 x 480 pixels, the TC-42 PD 1 F had a pretty modest resolution (as did competing models of the time), and cost around 14,000 GBP in today's terms.

A modern Panasonic TV, such as the TX-P 42 GW 10 pictured here, won't cost nearly as much as the company's early models. Still, they're not exactly cheap either - this model will set you back around 800 GBP.

Panasonic TV sets are now the most high-profile representative of plasma technology. The Korean companies LG Electronics and Samsung also produce plasma displays, but their catalogs are dominated instead by LCD. After long-time plasma-proponent Pioneer closed its factories, Panasonic took on the bulk of the developers that worked there.

But the Japanese company has its eye on the ball: Panasonic also manufactures liquid-crystal displays in its own factories, which operate under the name "IPS Alpha Technology". Originally, Hitachi and Toshiba were also part of IPS Alpha, but Panasonic now operates the factories alone. Some Panasonic TV sets also use panels made by LG Display.

Panasonic - consumer electronics:
Panasonic is strong in the sector of DVD and Blu-ray recorders and players. The company's range also includes camcorders - both standard PAL models and HD video cameras - and the "Lumix" range of digital cameras.

Significantly weaker is Panasonic's presence in the traditional HiFi market: the once-strong brand "Technics" now only appears on the company's record players, including the DJ classics, the SL-1210 M 5 G and the SL-1210 Mk 5. Also on offer are AV receivers, some mini-HiFi systems, and Blu-ray and DVD home-theater systems; the list rounds off with headphones and a variety of other audio accessories.

As well as consumer products, Panasonic offers professional camcorders and video recorders, along with other TV-studio technology. The company's "Ramsa" brand of professional audio technology has now disappeared.

Other Panasonic products:

No, it's not the latest Panasonic TV - this one's a microwave oven. Panasonic is engaged in various sectors of the electronics market.

Panasonic offers almost the full range of household appliances: refrigerators, vacuum cleaners, air-conditioning units, washing machines, and automatic bread makers. The manufacturer has withdrawn from the mobile-phone market outside of Japan, but continues global sales of fax machines, cordless telephones, and professional telephone systems.

Panasonic is also strong in the battery market - and a planned takeover of Sanyo may herald future expansion in this area. In the PC sector, Panasonic's robust portable PC by the name of "Toughbook" has conquered a lucrative niche; scanners, printers, and copiers are all also areas of Panasonic's expertise. And finally, the Japanese manufacturer produces razors (his and hers) - and even a nose-hair trimmer.

Panasonic's corporate history:
Panasonic was founded in 1918 by Konosuke Matsushita. Until 2008, the company operated under this name. Matsushita's first products were brilliantly simple: a light-bulb holder that provided an additional power socket for another device, and a power socket that could screw into a light-bulb holder. The company originated and is currently headquartered in Osaka, Japan.

In the 1920s, Matsushita developed a battery-operated, ball-shaped bicycle lamp that, in contrast to typical candles or oil lamps, ran for 30 to 40 hours. The market initially distrusted the new model, and three or four thousand of the lamps quickly collected in storage.

Matsushita reacted shrewdly: He sent sample of the lamps out to dealers - one would run as a demonstration, and the others could be sold. Only when the products had been sold did the dealers have to pay for the stock. The risk paid off - within a short space of time, Matsushita was shifting 2000 lamps per month. Within a year, this grew to 10,000 lamps per month.

In April 1927, another battery-operated bicycle lamp followed - this time in an angular casing. This, again, was put to the market on consignment and, at 30,000 units per month, sold even more successfully than its spherical predecessor. And, for the first time, the "National" brand name appeared on a Matsushita product. In the same year, Matsushita opened up USA-style assembly lines, allowing the company to offer irons much more cheaply than the competition.

Panasonic's first electronic device - a radio - appeared in 1931. In 1935, Panasonic began research into TVs; a prototype arrived in 1938, and in 1939 the device received pictures broadcast from Tokyo. Research began again in 1950, resulting in the first black-and-white TV in 1952 - still well before the state-run television station, NHK, began regular broadcasts.

In the following year, the company started research into video recorders; the first models appeared in 1964. In 1976, Panasonic briefly marketed its own video-cassette system, "VX 2000", in Japan, but it then adopted the VHS system that it had developed with then-daughter-company JVC. From today's perspective, the brand name they chose for the recorder - "MacLord" - sounds more than a little silly.

The Panasonic name first surfaced in 1955, adorning the company's speakers. Konosuke Matsushita withdrew from the position of CEO in 1961, aged 66. He died on April 27, 1989 at the age of 94.

The following were involved in producing this article on Panasonic and Panasonic TV sets:

Author(s): Karl-Gerhard Haas
Editor in Chief: Florian Friedrich
Photos: Manufacturer and AV T.O.P. Messtechnik GmbH
Last update: September 2009