For 2009, Panasonic’s VIERA CAST feature has been extended to three VIERA Plasma HDTV series as well as Panasonic’s 2009 line of Blu-ray devices. In addition to Amazon Video On Demand, VIERA CAST will continue to provide access to YouTube™, Picasa Web Albums™, Bloomberg News and a weather channel. The consumer will have automatic access to additional sites as they are added to the service. The newly expanded VIERA CAST with Amazon Video On Demand is expected to launch in early 2009.

VIERA CAST was widely acknowledged last year for its distinctive internet application, allowing the consumer to view targeted sites on a large HDTV, rather than a small computer screen. VIERA CAST is also unique in the industry in that, unlike other IPTVs, it has a built-in Ethernet interface – no external box or PC is required. VIERA CAST is accessed via a single button on the television remote control and there is no fee to use the VIERA CAST functionality.

Accessed through the main VIERA CAST interface, Amazon Video On Demand has an easy to use customer experience that will enable customers to watch the latest new release movies the same day that they are released on DVD, and more. Customers will be able to watch titles right away with no downloading or waiting, and they can rent or purchase titles on a la carte basis with no subscription fees. Using the Your Video Library feature, customers can keep a virtual library of their purchases and re-watch them anywhere, including their VIERA TV, Panasonic Blu-ray player, or via the web on any PC or MAC.

Amazon Video On Demand delivers the best quality video possible through the use of the advanced h.264 codec and an automatic bandwidth detection feature that seamlessly plays back the best quality file at either 300, 600, 900, or 1200 kbps. Customers can choose from thousands of movies to rent from $1.99 to $3.99, purchase from $9.99 to $14.99, or thousands of television shows to purchase for $1.99 per episode.

“We see this as another step in providing the ultimate entertainment experience for the consumer,” said Merwan Mereby, Vice President of New Business Development, Panasonic. “It’s fitting that Panasonic and Amazon have joined creative forces to create this unique entertainment vehicle. Panasonic’s HDTVs and Blu-ray players have garnered numerous best of awards, while Amazon is a pioneer in transforming in-home movie entertainment. The consumer will be able to instantly purchase, rent and watch, choosing from a massive selection of movie and TV entertainment at their finger tips with just a click of a button. Last year VIERA CAST was incorporated into one series of Plasmas, the PZ850. The success and acceptance of VIERA CAST was a motivating factor in increasing the penetration of the unique internet technology to additional model lines and the inclusion of the feature in our 2009 Blu-ray devices”