Next Phase of Living in HD Project Looks to Add More Members to its Developing Community of Families NEW YORK, Aug. 5
NEW YORK, Aug. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Panasonic announced that it is
looking for more families to participate in its Living in HD program, a unique
study of real American families experiencing what it means to "live in High
Definition." Panasonic plans to increase the number of participating families
to 60 by 2009 and further expand the growing online Living in HD community to
eventually include 100 families.
To date, 30 families are participating in the program, providing ongoing
feedback to Panasonic about product functionality, design concepts and how
living in High Definition has influenced how they think and use technology.
The company will outfit the new families with a full suite of HD products,
including a 50" VIERA Plasma Internet-enabled HDTV, HD Camcorder, LUMIX
Digital Camera, Network Camera, Blu-ray Disc player, Toughbook(R) mobile
computer, photo printer, home theater system and Nintendo Wii console.
Panasonic invites everyone who is interested in participating in the Living in
HD program to apply online at http://www.panasonic.com/livinginhd/register.htm
"The Living in HD program has established in-home 'life laboratories' that
study how Panasonic's High Definition products impact the lifestyle of our
participating families," said Bob Greenberg, vice president of brand marketing
for Panasonic. "As we continue to add families to the program, we are able to
provide our research team with an expanded data set of product feedback to
incorporate into future Panasonic product designs."
As part of this expansion, Panasonic has re-launched the Living in HD Web
site, www.LivinginHD.com. The new site features an introduction to all 30
families currently participating in the program, information about the suite
of High Definition products given to the families to use as part of the study
and an online mobile tour that allows users to virtually experience
Panasonic's HD products.
In the "Meet the Community" section, visitors can find out more about each
Living in HD family and how their lives have changed since joining the study.
Each family is profiled and offers information from their personal
experiences, including the product they have become most proficient at using,
video moments they have captured with their HD equipment and ways in which the
Living In High Definition program has affected their lives. The site also
offers insight into the families' lives and illustrates why there is more to
living in High Definition than simply having an HDTV.
Over the next few months, the Living in HD Web site will continue to
expand to include more content from the families about how they are
incorporating their HD products into their family vacations and summer
adventures. One of the families -- the Seaman's of Gray, Tennessee -- are
about to embark on the ultimate summer vacation with a trip to the XXIX
Olympic Games in Beijing. Panasonic invited all families in the program to
submit essays and/or videos about why their family should experience the
Olympic Games in High Definition. The Seaman family won because of their
creative use of video and explanation of how they will use their HD camcorder
and digital camera to document their experience at the Games and then share it
on the Living in HD Web site.
Panasonic welcomes all types of families -- from a mother and father with
children to a group of co-workers -- but all entries must explain why they
should be selected and what makes them special or unique. Throughout the
program, Panasonic will evaluate the families' experiences to understand how
their lives are transformed as they become aware of the full potential of High
Definition technology.
In the fall, Panasonic will launch the next phase of the Living in HD
study by adding a social networking element to the Web site that will enable
the participating families across the country to communicate with each other
and with other consumers. The Web site will serve as a forum for participants
to discuss their experiences and offer tips to consumers about purchasing and
using High Definition products.
About Panasonic Living in HD
The Living in HD program was created to understand how people's lives will
change as they become aware of the full potential of HDTV. This project has
become a strategic hub for HD consumer product development at Panasonic. The
goal is to understand the HD digital lifestyle and how to facilitate the new
user experiences that make up that lifestyle with easy-to-use products.
Panasonic has created a unique community of real families and is studying them
as they learn what it means to "live in High Definition." The participants
include a variety of diverse families from across the country with compelling,
real stories to share with the American public. For more information on the
program and how to apply visit www.LivingInHD.com.
About Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company
Based in Secaucus, N.J., Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company (PCEC), a
market and technology leader in High Definition television, is a Division of
Panasonic Corporation of North America, the principal North American
subsidiary of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. (NYSE: MC) and the hub
of Panasonic's U.S. marketing, sales, service and R&D operations. Information
about Panasonic products is available at www.panasonic.com. Additional company
information for journalists is available at www.panasonic.com/pressroom.
SOURCE Panasonic
