Panasonic’s latest Blu-ray player adds BD Live, as well as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD support.
Panasonic has given its Blu-ray line a bump, with the DMP-BD50.
The company’s third-generation Blu-ray player adds in BD-Live functionality, meaning you can tap into additional features, including games, images and other content, on some newer Blu-ray movie titles. It also has VIERA Link, which allows users to rope in applicable home theater components under one remote.
“Panasonic was the first to bring a Blu-ray player with Bonus View (Final Standard Profile 1.1) to market and now with the DMP-BD50 we are again leading the industry with the inclusion of BD-Live,” said Paul Sabo, Panasonic, National Marketing Manager Entertainment Group. “The beauty of the Blu-ray player is that we can now see movies the way the film maker intended, in glorious HD video and audio. The consumer can now combine the new generation DMP-BD50 with a VIERA flat-screen television to create a true living in high definition experience.”
Of course, it’s still got the 1080p playback, as well as picture-in-picture, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio support. Other features include a PHL Reference Chroma processor and P4HD i/p conversion processor and an SD memory card slot.
The DMP-BD50 ships this spring, for $699.95.
Soundzilla,
Who’s the troll? I got my $99 player and 25 of my favorite all time movies for a grand total of <$400. You don’t have to like HD DVD, but it was a fine investment for me.
And by the way, my TV is 720p, so the 1080i player does just fine, and many of my movies have Dolby TrueHD.
$700 for a player that will likely be hundreds less in a matter of months is pathetic.
Let´s compare it to PS3, which is $300 less, is BD-live (Profile 2.0) compliant with the new 2.30 firmware and will be always up-to-date with the new BD standards.
Why pay more for this player?
Enough with it’ll be cheaper than the $700 MSRP. If Sony really wants the entire world to leave DVD for Blu-Ray they have to lower the prices. This is still $400 higher than even the HT enthusiast really wants to pay.
Way to let us down again Blu-Ray assoc.
Troll.
Despite being a lousy long-term investment, $99 HD-DVD players 6 months ago could never hold 50GB of data, output 1080p or play most of the High-Def movies people were buying at a ratio of 2-to-1 or better. Nor was there a growing list of movies with uncompressed PCM audio on HD-DVD.
You get what you pay for.
$699 is MSRP. Street price will be lower.
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Electronic House is now available in a digital edition. Learn more.
Rocky, Maybe I can suggest some glasses for you. Blu Ray will always look and… 
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“COOL! A $700 Blu-ray that can do the same thing a $99.00 HD DVD could do 6 months ago.”
...an hd-dvd player that went obsolete 3 months ago. lol
great analogy.