High-Definition TV Race Won by Matsushita

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., the world’s largest consumer electronics firm, announced Thursday that it won the race to market the world’s first high-definition television.

The Osaka-based company, which sells TVs under the Panasonic name, said its 36-inch HDTV would cost 4.5 million yen ($34,900) and go on sale in Japan next month.

“Realistically, we can’t expect to sell very many. You could buy a luxury car for the same money,” a spokesman said.

Matsushita aims for monthly sales of only 50 sets.

The announcement was more of a public relations than a technical coup for Matsushita. Archrival Sony Corp., Hitachi Ltd., NEC Corp. and other Japanese firms have all developed HDTV equipment and are selling it to professionals.

The companies have recently unveiled a variety of HDTV consumer products and prototypes, including screens, videocassette recorders and adapters for conventional sets.

But no company has sold a stand-alone set combining an HDTV tuner and screen, the Matsushita spokesman said.

HDTV, which delivers sharper and wider images than conventional TV, is expected to be one of the most lucrative high-technology products of the next two decades.

To help raise awareness and stoke demand, the public Japan Broadcasting Corp. began daily one-hour HDTV broadcasts.