I had assumed Panasonic were going to replace teh PX60 with teh PX70 and the PX600 with the PX700, and that appears true for 42" and above, but not for 37". Looking at Panasonic's site, they list only the 37" PX70, but both PX70 and PX700 for 42" and 50". Anybody got any information on if and when a 37" Px700 will appear?
You'll probably find with their aggressive pricing that Panasonic UK won't import every variation available for the UK market. They may even be finding that sales of 37" have been poorer compared to the 42" and 50" than anticipated. So the market is showing them the 37" is only of so much interest - the other sizes are what people are focused on. It could also be a tactic to force people who want the 100 series features, that they have to go for the 42" - more profit per panel likely. Best thing to do is look at Panasonic Belgium and see what they list - if there's no 37PV700, then Japan isn't making them in that size or the European market is telling Panasonic the sizes it does want more of.
Since the 37" is more expensive pro rata to the 42", I suspect the profit per unit is higher on 37" than 42", but they may sell more 42" so recoup that way. That said, many homes in the UK and with new builds in particular just aren't big enough for a 42". The real enthusiasts want bigger, but the average family needs to use the living room as well. looking at both NL and Be sites they also start at the 42" so it does look like no 37 700. I find this really odd as if you are going for a smaller screen it's usually you dont have the space for seperate surround sound and therefore want a telly with better sound. Ho hum. Thanks anyway. If anybody knows better - ie teh 37 is a late starter then \i would be grateful for info.
I suspect price is a major factor here. One of the major reasons why people might choose a 37" over a 42" is that it is cheaper. The 600 series costs quite a bit more than the 60 series and I imagine that a lot of people would prefer the extra size of a 42" 60 series over the extra sound quality of a 37" 600 series. If this is right then I would imagine Panasonic would have sold very few 37" 600 series; most 37" sales would have been of the cheaper model. Hence it would be logical for them to only offer the new model in the cheaper range.