Here in Las Vegas at the Consumer Electronics Show, Panasonic bowed its 2010 collection of standalone Blu-ray Disc Players. Ranging from the entry level DMP-BD45 to the flagship 3D-capable DMP-BT350, Panasonic's player lineup offers numerous choices at various price points.
Panasonic's DMP-BD45 is a bare bones Blu-ray deck with "all the non-networking basics" needed to enjoy Blu-ray. In other words, the BD45 can't make use of BD-LIVE nor does it have Panasonic's "Viera Cast" suite of web-based applications. However, you do get an SD memory card slot and a new and improved Power Save Mode, which reduces the player power consumption to 14 watts (down from 19 watts).
The step-up BD65 and BD85 models feature an Ethernet port to add networking and Viera Cast to the equation. The BD65 is classified as wireless-ready and requires the DY-WL10 wireless LAN adapter (sold separately) before it can join your home network.
The BD85 features an integrated LAN adapter, requiring nothing more than a working Wi-Fi network to get online. Both the BD65 and BD85 can take advantage of Panasonic's Viera Cast, which includes the already-available Amazon Video on Demand, YouTube, Picasa, Bloomberg as well as Netflix, Pandora, Twitter and Fox Sports, which are new to Viera Cast for 2010.
The top of the line BT350 adds the much-buzzed-about 3D capability, which when paired with a 3D-capable HDTV and 3D glasses, will allow you to watch upcoming 3D Blu-ray Discs such as Sony's Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and Dreamworks' Monsters vs Aliens. Watch for more information on the BT350 coming soon.
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