Panasonic again win four EISA Awards 2008-2009 - a "new world of personal entertainment," say judges

Wiesbaden, Germany (August 15, 2008) – Panasonic, the leading brand by which Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. is known, has picked up another record number of prestigious EISA Awards for 2008-2009, in a repeat of last year's success. Established in 1982, the European Imaging and Sound Association is a multimedia association that tests consumer electronic products. It has a membership of fifty audio, mobile, video and photo magazines from twenty European countries.

This year's four award-winning products are: the Panasonic DMP-BD50 as the European Blu-ray Player 2008-2009; the Panasonic VIERA TH-46PZ85 as the European Best Value Plasma TV 2008-2009; the Panasonic DIGA DMR-EH68/685 as the European DVD/HDD Recorder 2008-2009; and the Panasonic Lumix DMC TZ5 as the European Compact Camera 2008-2009.

"We are really proud yet again to collect four EISA awards, nominated as they are by Europe's top journalists in the field of consumer electronics. But we will not sit on our laurels. We will continue to work at improving our range of products and help people the world over to enjoy and experience life more,” says Joachim Reinhart, President and Chief Operating Officer of Panasonic Europe.

The EISA judging panel singled out the Panasonic DMP-BD50 as European Blu-ray Player 2008-2009, the citation saying: "The DMP-BD50 is more than a spectacular Blu-ray Disc player. It also allows playback of conventional DVDs […] and opens up a new world of personal entertainment."

It was a Panasonic Plasma TV – named European Best Value Plasma TV 2008-2009 – that caught the specialist panel's attention. "The first-ever 46-inch full HD plasma TV screen delivers not only big-screen impact but also excellent picture quality. The VIERA link is a real convenience, permitting the set to control compatible products such as DVD and Blu-ray players, and home cinema systems. Outstanding for its price!"

In the home theatre category, the Panasonic DIGA DMR-EH68/685 was selected as European HDD/DVD Recorder 2008-2009, with the citation saying: "This multifaceted device provides so many useful digital video recording features; it’s hard to count them. There’s a voluminous 320 GB hard disk to hold nearly 570 hours of recordings. [Plus] users can copy movie footage from their camcorder to the hard disc or store audio CDs in an uncompressed format."

Last but not least, the judging panel chose the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5 as European Compact Camera 2008-2009. The citation stated: "It has an extensive zoom range from very wide to telephoto angles of view. The 10x Leica DC 28-280mm equivalent lens provides focal lengths to suit almost every style and subject. The camera’s compact size, slim profile and high 9-million-pixel image quality make it an ideal travel camera, one you will want to carry with you every day!"

The 2008 EISA Awards will be presented at a Gala Event during IFA in Berlin on 29th August 2008.