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 I was invited to the Panasonic Hollywood Labs yesterday on the Universal Studios lot in Universal City, California for a close-up look and demonstration of Panasonic's 2009 Blu-ray Disc player and plasma/LCD HDTV slate, including the industry’s first dual VHS/Blu-ray and portable models. (see related report) Panasonic showcased four new Blu-ray Disc players and actually demonstrated side-by-side comparisons with similar players from competitors Samsung and Sony. Acknowledging that many consumers have legacy libraries of VHS content, including home movies, Panasonic showcased its new VHS/Blu-ray DMP-BD70V model. In a direct comparison with a rival Sony DVD recorder/VHS model with HDMI output, the player showed impressive performance in upconverting VHS to 1080p quality. The unit incorporates time base correction and 3DNR (noise reduction) circuitry. It was the best picture I have ever experienced with standard VHS videotape. It still wasn't DVD quality but certainly impressive for VHS and hands down better performance than the rival Sony model. The DMP-BD70 will be available in April for $399. Executives also touted better imaging and disc speed for the new entry model, the $299 DMP-BD60, over Samsung’s latest, the BD-P1600. The performance was impressive. The new BD80 replaces the BD55 (used as our reference Blu-ray Disc player) and features decoded Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio and PCM analog 7.1-channel outputs. The new model incorporates Internet connectivity, a SD Card slot, and USB terminal. The player is priced at $399 as is the BD55. The company also announced a $799 price tag for its DMP-B15 Blu-ray Disc portable player, which is expected in June. The portable features a high-resolution 8.9-inch widescreen LCD display and a 2.5-hour playback time with included rechargeable battery. All players in the line feature the VIERA Link™, high precision 4:4:4 color processing, PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus, pixel precision progressive processing for HD (P4HD), 1080/24p playback and 192/kHz/24-bit D/A converters. Also noted was the new circuit designs that reduce power consumption by as much as 50 percent. Panasonic is introducing VIERA Cast™ Web streaming technology into every one of its Blu-ray Disc players for the first time. Already integrated into many of its TV models, Viera Cast will deliver Amazon Video on Demand and other services to the new Blu-ray players this June. Executives said that Panasonic will continue to add to its VIERA Cast offerings, which presently feature YouTube, Bloomberg and Google’s Picasa photo service. Because VIERA Cast is a portal, any new options will not require firmware upgrades. Viewers will be immediately notified of the enhancements when activated. Panasonic also announced two new 7.1-channel surround sound Blu-ray Disc home theater systems, the $599 SC-BT200 and $699 SC-BT300. Also discussed was the new fully wireless SC-ZT1 system, a new home theatre offering that connects the loudspeakers without cables.
Tags:
- equipment -
- Panasonic -
- Blu-ray Disc -
- BD player -
- VHS -
- VIERA -
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