LAS VEGAS — Panasonic just won’t let 3D die. Despite a lukewarm response by the public to watching 3D in the home, Panasonic spun the technology as an the best-kept secret in the electronics world, announcing new efforts to keep it going.  Topping Panasonic’s list of 3D lifelines: a partnership with NBC Universal to bring 3D imagery to broadcasts of the London 2012 Olympics. Calling upon former Olympic soccer champion Brandi Chastain and a recorded message from NBC’s Bob Costas to announce the effort, Panasonic’s Olympic push will run continuously during the games (presumably with replays during off hours), and include the opening and closing ceremonies.  There’s some evidence to support Panasonic’s view that 3D is actually doing okay. During its press conference, the company cited statistics that adoption of 3D equipment has been rapid, with the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) estimating that 7 million 3D TVs and 9 million 3D Blu-ray players will be sold by the end of 2012. However, there’s no way of telling how often that equipment is actually used to watch 3D material.  Panasonic also promoted its prosumer 3D camcorder, the Z10000 (shown above). The company says the cam improves greatly a big weakness of shooting in 3D: limited closeups. The Z10000 is said to get accurate 3D from objects as close as 18 inches away from the lens.  Besides 3D, Panasonic is expanding on its smart TV efforts, rolling apps, better control, and room sensors into SmartViera. In addition, Panasonic wants to make TV social, partnering with both MySpace and Flixster to enhance the home-entertainment experience beyond just watching TV.  There were also gadgets. Panasonic showed off a portable Skype device that resembles a tablet but is built just for video chat. And the company didn’t forget about tablets: besides plugging its recently unveiled line of Toughpads — rugged tablets that take after the Toughbook laptops — Panasonic demo’d a tech that can transfer video playback from tablet to TV at the touch of a button, much like Apple’s AirPlay.  Unusually, TVs themselves were barely mentioned; Panasonic only talked about them in the context of other technologies — 3D, Smart Viera, social media. This could be an acknowledgement that the race to build the thinnest, brightest or highest-resolution TV is getting a little silly at this point. TV performance today even in value models is generally extremely good.  Finally, Panasonic focused heavily on green technology, announcing several new initiatives, including a new company to advance its eco-friendly campaign, Panasonic Eco Solutions North America. The company also has plans to help build a small town outside of Tokyo that generates, stores and manages its own power, called Fujisawa Smart Town. Panasonic also has plans to move its U.S. headquarters to a green office tower in Newark, NJ.  Excited by any of Panasonic’s offerings? Will 2012 finally be the year of 3D? Let us know in the comments.  The Panasonic Z1000 3D Camcorder  Panasonic's latest 3D camera can shoot 3D closeups of subjects as close as 18 inches away.  Panasonic Toughpad Tablet, Alternate View  Ed Begley, Jr. Promotes Panasonic's Green Initiatives
Panasonic is still committed to 3D and launched a number of efforts at CES to push the format forward.