Panasonic DMP-BD50 3rd-Gen Blu-ray disc player with BD-Live Function

Panasonic Corporation of North America, the principal U.S. subsidiary of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., announces the introduction of the anticipated DMP-BD50, Panasonic’s third generation Blu-ray disc player - the ultimate playback source for high definition 1080p content. Blu-ray media offers a wide range of functions that foster the transition to HD - including 1080p image quality, lossless Dolby® TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio™ and versatile Picture-in-Picture applications. The BD50 adds the new BD-Live function, which uses the internet to further enhance the consumer’s entertainment experience and employs VIERA Link,™ a technology that allows the consumer to operate VIERA Link equipped home theater components with a single remote. The DMP-BD50 will be available this spring and will have an SRP of $699.95.

BD-Live opens up a myriad of interactive possibilities for the consumer. In the future BD-Live will allow users to connect the DMP-BD50 to the internet to download such data as images and subtitles, and to join in multi-player interactive games that are linked to bonus movie content contained on Blu-ray discs.

For optimum image quality the DMP-BD50 features the PHL Reference Chroma processor and P4HD i/p conversion processor, which combine to create Uniphier®, a precise digital video processor that produces sharp, crisp, natural colors that are extremely faithful to the original movie. Uniphier reflects the advance encoding and authoring technologies developed by Panasonic Hollywood Laboratory.

The true to the original source images are complimented by an exceptionally pure, accurate sound achieved through Audio Re-master and integrated decoders for the lossless Dolby True HD and DTS-HD Master Audio formats. Furthermore, the DMP-BD50 can be combined with a 7.1 channel amplifier and speakers for full 7.1 channel surround sound.

Networking is an essential product of the DMP-BD50. The included SD Memory Card slot allows for easy transferring of images from an HD camcorder or digital still camera via an SD Memory card. The consumer simply inserts the SD card into the BD50 and then can view the images on a large screen HD flat panel television with AVCHD format video images or JPEG stills in full 1920 x 1080 resolution. In addition the DMP-BD50 has been awarded the Energy Star certification.

“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 televison to create a true living in high definition experience.”

NetBlender’s BD Touch: Sony Blu-ray BD-Live to Apple iPhone/iPod Touch

NetBlender’s latest innovation is BD Touch and this software will allow you to transfer copies of a Sony Blu-ray movie to your Apple iPhone /iPod Touch. The software will give your phone/iPod BD-Live net connection features; you could view fan content in sync with a movie or use the iPhone as a remote.

Imagine having multi-touch, a predictive keyboard, goelocation and 3D motion sensitivity all part of your Blu-ray movie. Watch the two video’s below to understand a lot more about BD Touch.

Via Phones Review

First BD-Live Sony Blu-ray’s: The 6th Day & Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

The first two BD-Live titles are being released from Sony and while I could think of many other Blu-ray movies I like more, the fact is the first two will be Arnold Schwarzenegger’s sci-fi thriller The 6th Day and musical Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.

The US release date will be April 8th, this fits just fine with the Sony PS3 2.20 firmware launch and gives millions of Playstation 3 owners the ability to use Profile 2.0 (internet connectivity and Blu-ray).

Although HD DVD lost, it did offer picture-in-picture and Internet connectivity while Blu-ray did not offer these with Profile 1.0. Now those owners of Profile 1.0 Blu-ray players may not be able to use these new features in Profile 2.0 without buying a new player. (Unless you own a PS3 that is).

What would your choice of been for the first two BD-Live Blu-ray discs?

Source: Read

Sony PS3 firmware update v2.20 will feature BD-Live interactive Blu-ray this month

Sony have recently announced the next Sony PS3 firmware update v2.20, it will feature BD -Live interactive Blu-ray this month, oh yes the Blu-ray 2.0 spec or what they call BD-Live is close to launch people.

This new addition will add on new interactive features to your PlayStation 3 and you should all expect to download video content, interactive movie-based games and ringtones and as you guessed it, a whole lot more when it is released.

So within the next ten days roughly you will see this update, it will also allow you to copy photos and music play lists over USB from your PS3 to your PSP.

Here are some more features to sink your teeth into -

1. Audio Output Device” will be a new Remote Play setting, enabling PSP
to serve as a remote control for music played through PS3.
2. DivX and WMV format videos that are larger than 2GB will be playable
3. PS3 system’s Internet browser will be enhanced: Video files directly
linked from a Web page will be able to be streamed, and the browser’s
view speed will be improved
4. Mosquito Noise Reduction” will be added as an AV setting in the control panel of the DVD/BD player for improved movie playback
5. Resume play” will enable PS3 system to start playing a Blu-ray disc
and DVD at the point it was stopped, even if the disc had been
removed
6. 1 BD-J format disc is not supported
7. 2 BD discs recorded with BDMV format are not supported

Let me know what you think and please do tell us if you know more about this update.

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