PANASONIC EXPANDS PROFESSIONAL AVCCAM PRODUCT LINE WITH COMPACT HD RECORDER AND MULTI-PURPOSE CAMERA HEAD

SECAUCUS, NJ (February 11, 2009) – Panasonic announced the expansion of its Professional AVCCAM line of professional solid state high definition products with the introductions of the AG-HMR10 handheld, battery-operated field recorder/player and the AG-HCK10 compact, multi-purpose camera head. Offering the unbeatable combination of high quality, low cost and extreme mobility, the new AVCCAM recorder and camera utilize advanced compression (MPEG-4/AVC High-Profile) and are ideal for applications in video production, sports coaching, healthcare, law enforcement, remote operation/ surveillance, and much more. Equipped with an HD-SDI input and output, the HMR10 recorder is also suitable for back-up recording from any HD-SDI-enabled camera or for use in studio or event production. Designed for use with the HMR10 recorder, the small HCK10 camera head features three 1/4” native HD resolution MOS imagers. Iris, focus, zoom control and power are supplied from the HMR10 recorder. Cables connecting the camera to recorder will be available in lengths up to 10 meters. The HMR10 provides the flexibility of low cost, SD memory card based recording and full 1080 and 720 resolution capture in a small, portable unit. Utilizing AVCHD, an MPEG-4 /AVC Hi Profile-based format, the HMR10 provides a near doubling of bandwidth efficiency with improved video performance over the older MPEG-2 compression used in HDV formats. SD cards containing AVCCAM recordings can be played directly in a growing number of affordable Panasonic Blu-ray players, Sony PlayStation 3® * game machines, PCs and other devices. The handheld unit records stunning full HD 1920x1080 resolution images in three recording modes – the highest quality PH mode** (average 21 Mbps/max. 24 Mbps), HA mode (approx.17 Mbps) and HG mode (approx.13 Mbps). The HE mode (approx. 6 Mbps) records at 1440x1080. The HMR10 records in HD formats including 1080/60i, 1080/50i, 720/60p and 720/50p. With the HMR10, users can capitalize on the cost advantages, reliability and widespread availability of SD and SDHC memory cards. Using just one 32GB SDHC memory card, a user can record three hours of full resolution 1920x1080 video and audio in PH mode, four hours at HA mode and 5.3 hours at HG mode. In the HE mode, the camera can record up to 12 hours of 1440x1080 HD content – all on a single 32GB SDHC card. The HMR10 comes standard with interface connections including the HD-SDI in/out, HDMI out and USB 2.0. Professional audio features include an internal speaker and headphone mini jack. Compact and lightweight, the handheld unit has a built-in 3.5-inch color LCD monitor that displays content in thumbnail images for quick viewing. The HMR10 operates on battery or 7.3V DC power. For editing or playback, professionals can instantly transfer content from the SD Card to Mac or PC computers with an SD/SDHC card reader or by connecting the HMR10 recorder directly via its USB 2.0 interface. AVCHD is supported by wide range of editing options including Apple Final Cut Pro 6.0.5, Adobe Premier Pro CS4, Grass Valley Edius PRO v4.5, Pinnacle Studio Plus 11, Pinnacle Studio Ultimate 12, Nero7 Premium Reloaded, Apple iMovie, Ulead Video Studio 11 plus and DVD Movie Factory 6 Plus. In addition, a free transcoder, available for download from the Panasonic Broadcast web site, will convert AVCHD files to DVCPRO HD and downconverted DV files for use with most existing professional editing packages. Panasonic’s AVCCAM series brings the benefits of solid-state recording to budget-conscious professionals. Like digital still photography, recording onto SD/SDHC cards offers a fast and simple, file-based workflow with ultra-reliable performance and resistance to shock, vibration and extreme temperatures and weather. SD and SDHC memory cards are inexpensive, widely available and can be reused repeatedly. Since AVCHD records video as digital data files, content can be transferred and stored on affordable, high-capacity hard disk drives (HDD) or optical storage media and transferred to future storage media as technology advances. The AG-HMR10 handheld recorder and the AG-HCK10 compact camera head will be available later this year. About Panasonic Broadcast Panasonic Broadcast & Television Systems Co. is a leading supplier of broadcast and professional video products and systems. Panasonic Broadcast is a unit company of Panasonic Corporation of North America. The company is the principal North American subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation (NYSE Symbol: PC) the hub of Panasonic’s U.S. branding, marketing, sales, service and R&D operations. For more information on Panasonic Broadcast products, visit www.panasonic.com/broadcast.