The new 50", 1" Samsung Plasma TV is set to be launched in Australia in June at $5,999. It is just 29mm thick and houses a HDTV tuner. Samsung says it's also 40 percent more energy efficient and 20 percent lighter than their previous slim plasma model.

The TV has 1080p resolution and has DLNA support. Along with the necessary software and USB 2.0 ports, this allows users to watch DivX videos, view photos or play MP3 audio files from external drives, flash memory sticks or over a home network.

Last week, Panasinic introduced their  first 1-inch ultra-thin and 2-inch super thin Plasma TVs, as well as Panasonic's first Wireless 1080p HD Plasma in its premium Full HD range. Panasonic's V10 and Z1 Series premium Full HD Plasma models are also the first to meet the strict standards for THX certification.

The new Samsung plasma features are expected to carry over to a 58-inch plasma model they are also readying, though no specifics have been revealed other than the fact that it is 50 percent slimmer than the previous-generation TV and weighs about 80lbs.