Rich Fiscus
13 Jan 2009 1:45
Panasonic hasn't had the high profile among Blu-ray backers that the formats other major backers have. In fact just based on their decision to let others, such as Sony and Disney, take the lead in marketing it you might not realize they have as much to gain from its success as anyone. After all they own as many patents for the format as any other company and more than any besides Sony.
This year they seem determined to make more of a market impact, starting with the introduction of new Blu-ray players capable of streaming video from online sources like Amazon and YouTube. Support for the Netflix streaming video service is conspicuously absent.
The company has also added other improvements to their line of players.Perhaps one of the most interesting is the addition of a VHS deck to one model.
“With the expansion of the unique VIERA Cast functionality and the introduction of the industry’s first dual VHS-Blu-ray deck, Panasonic’s 2009 line cements our position as technology leaders and places Panasonic in the forefront of the Blu-ray arena,” said Richard Simone, Director, Panasonic, the Entertainment Group.
The new players also feature support for both Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio