Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. said Wednesday it will begin taking orders on Sept. 1 for its newly developed 103-inch plasma TV, which is the world's largest flat-panel TV, for delivery on the Japanese market beginning at the end of that month.
The made-to-order TV under the Viera brand has a panel measuring 2.3 meters by 1.2 meters and is expected to retail for 6 million yen, said the consumer electronics maker known for its Panasonic brand.
Matsushita will also launch three other plasma TVs in the Viera series, a 65-inch, a 58-inch and a 50-inch model, on Sept. 1 in Japan.
They are expected to sell for around 990,000 yen, 850,000 yen and 600,000 yen, respectively.
"Market demand for large-screen TVs has been expanding in line with the spread of digital broadcasts," said Masaaki Fujita, executive officer in charge of Matsushita's plasma TV business.