Panasonic 103-inch plasma now biggest of the big screens

If you want bragging rights for the biggest TV on your block, start clearing wall space for Panasonic's upcoming monster of a plasma panel that tips the display charts at 103 inches (that's 2.62 meters of screen for the metric-minded).

Panasonic showed off the panel last week at the CEDIA Expo on the Gold Coast and it certainly turned heads on the show floor. We were sceptical about the potential image quality of such a big screen, but when we saw the 1080p panel in HD action, CNET.com.au was most impressed. Even at a relatively close range, the 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution screen produced clean, clear images with brilliant colour reproduction.

Don't bother to put it on your Christmas list, however, as it won't be available in Australia until the first quarter of 2007. Panasonic has not confirmed local pricing as yet, but to give you some idea, it's going on the market in Japan in September for ¥6,000,000 and is slated to launch in the US in late November for US$69,999, so depending on how you want to convert the currencies, get set to part with anywhere between AU$70,000 - AU$90,000+.

Oh, and don't expect to take it home in the boot of your car. At 2.4 metres (W) by 1.4 metres (H) and weighing 215kg, you'll need to have professional help to install it.

For more on the home entertainment products on show at the CEDIA Expo 2006, see our CEDIA Showcase Photo Gallery.