US: Panasonic enters the highly competitive 3D race with the company launching its range of 3D TV's in the US tomorrow. Panasonic has signed a deal with Best Buy Co, a top US electronics retailer, to increase promotion and sales of the products - potentially giving them an edge over their staunch opposition.

The deal will see Best Buy Co setting up special sections at 300 of its retail outlets that will allow potential 3D TV purchasers to trial the Panasonic TV's, the Nikkei business daily reports. Best Buy plans to extend the number of stores with these exhibition areas to 1,000 by the end of 2010.

Panasonic is aiming to sell 500,000 3D TV's in the US in the first year of their launch - a number that represents half of its annual global sales target. The company has priced its 50-inch 3D model at around US$2,500.

Panasonic are the world's No.4 flat screen TV maker behind Samsung, LG and Sony, but reportedly hold high hopes that the 3D TV's will turn their TV business profitable in the year starting April.
Shares in Panasonic closed up 2.8 percent at 1,307 yen on Monday following the announcement, outperforming the Tokyo stock market's electrical machinery index, which gained 2.1 percent.