LAS VEGAS - JAPANESE electronics conglomerate Matsushita Electric Industrial Co introduced on Monday a 150-inch plasma television, which it says is the world's biggest.

The new TV boasts four times better resolution than full high-definition 1080p picture quality and offers a screen the size of nine 50-inch plasma televisions. It was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas by Toshihiro Sakamoto, president of Panasonic AVC Networks Co.

Matsushita's new screen, which measures 12-1/2 feet when measured diagonally, tops the Panasonic brand maker's 103-inch plasma TV released last year. The 103-inch television has sold 3,000 units over the last year, Matsushita said.

It will become available in 2009 at an undisclosed price, mainly for use as billboards.

Matsushita, the world's largest consumer electronics maker, also partnered with US cable provider Comcast Corp to develop a new set-top box that detaches from its docking station to work as a portable video player to show recorded TV programs.

The portable DVR/DVD player, which comes with a 60-gigabyte of recording storage and a docking station, will be available starting in early 2009. -- REUTERS