The Panasonic team invited us by today's New York City event to introduce a pair of brand-new Blu-ray products, first shown at CES in January but now on active display in their final production versions.
First up was the DMP-BD50, Panasonic's third-generation and the first consumer electronics Blu-ray deck to market with BD-Live functionality, also known as Profile 2.0, which includes web interactivity among its features. Also noteworthy, it will be fully BD-Live-ready, right out of the box without a firmware upgrade necessary.
As with the previous-generation DMP-BD30, Panasonic has put a strong emphasis on image quality. Inside the new BD50 are the PHL Reference Chroma processor--which upsamples the color information in decoded video signals--and the 15-billion-pixel-per-second P4HD i/p conversion processor, which touch their magic rings together and declare "We are UniPhier!" The Universal Platform for High-quality Image Enhancing Revolution digital video processor represents the cutting-edge expertise of Panasonic Hollywood Laboratory, with the goal of presenting movies more closely to what the filmmakers intended.
Manufacturers seem very keen on the "Legends of Jazz with Ramsey Lewis" demo clip from Dolby's The Sound of High Definition promo Blu-ray disc. It was photographed on high-def video and in side-by-side tests with the DMP-BD10 player, the new BD50 did deliver a more lifelike image, particularly in the subtle skin tones of the singer. The Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence clip is one of those stunners with seemingly endless wonders limited only by the gear it's played on, and here the reds were deeper than ever and more of the tremendous background detail was revealed than I'd seen before.
Decoders for Dolby True HD and DTS-HD Master Audio lossless formats are onboard, while the Audio Re-Master function of the BD50 helps compensate for sonic data lost during Blu-ray/DVD audio compression. A SD memory card slot is also provided, from which both HD JPEG still images and high-def camcorder videos can be played at 1920 by 1080 pixels. The SD card slot also provides the storage vehicle for BD-Live content downloaded from the Web.
Pricing and availability were also officially announced: Look for the DMP-BD50 in "late spring" at a suggested $699.95.
Next was the SC-BT100, Panasonic's first home-theater-in-a-box ("HTiB") system with an integrated Blu-ray player. In addition to bringing an easy-to-use, complete high-def solution to help realize the potential of your flat-panel HDTV, the Final Standard Profile 1.1 SC-BT100 incorporates a host of design innovations.
Right out of the box this is a 5.1 system thanks to a pair of wireless rears, and a second, optional SH-FX67 Wireless Kit can easily bump it up to true 7.1, as the BT100 is compatible with all current audio codecs. The same SD card functions as on the BD50 are here too, plus an integrated, cable-free iPod dock that charges the battery, plays music and video through the home theater, and puts the iPod menus and track info on the TV screen, accessible via the BT100 remote control. Setup is expedited with Panasonic's "Viera Link" automatic synchronization and control between the BT100 and Panasonic flat TVs over HDMI. Built on the HDMI-CEC spec, Panasonic has added their own proprietary controls to Viera Link for more seamless device integration. Products from other manufacturers should be compatible with Viera Link technology in the future. A game console or other set-top box can be connected to the BT100 via the digital optical audio input for true 5.1-channel surround sound.
The new Kelton-design subwoofer, a licensed technology, combines an anchored internal driver with a passive radiator to reduce noise while still providing ample bass. The bundled front/center loudspeakers use a 100% bamboo diaphragm, an extremely rigid material that results in improved accuracy. The rears benefit from Whisper-mode Surround which increases bass and rear-channel levels as master volume is reduced, for a more robust surround experience that won't disturb sleeping kids or spouses.
A smooth jazz CD demo utilizing 2.1 was pleasantly bright and effortlessly musical. And while the multichannel clip from Live Free or Die Hard did not rock the house to the point that hotel security responded with guns drawn, it did render an enjoyable 360-degree soundfield with sufficient low-end kick.
The BT100 home theater system will also be available in the late spring, at a list price of $999.95.
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