DMP-BD85
Latest
Vudu's 1080p movie streaming to hit Panasonic's Viera Cast Blu-ray players
We may very well be in the minority here, but we definitely didn't peg winter 2010 as the second coming of Vudu. In just the past month or so, the resurgent movie rental outfit has managed to slink its way onto Sharp connected HDTVs, D-Link's Boxee Box, Sony's PlayStation 3 and now, Panasonic's crew of Viera Cast-enabled Blu-ray decks. The DMP-BDT350, DMP-BDT300, DMP-BDT100, DMP-BD85, DMP-BD65 and DMP-B500 will all gain access to Vudu's 4000+ 1080p movie library starting just two days from today (that's November 24th, for the calendar-challenged), promising instant streaming on titles that start at just $2 per night. If you're the proud owner of one of those players, keep an eye out for an impending firmware update... otherwise, well, keep an eye out for those keeping an eye out.
Latest round of LG, Panasonic and Samsung Blu-ray players begin retail invasion
We've already seen Sony's newest Blu-ray players turn up at retail, and it looks like they've now been joined by LG, Panasonic and Samsung's latest offerings. Those include the BD590, BD570 and BD550 from LG, the DMP-BD85 and DMP-BD65 from Panasonic, and a lone BD-C6500 from Samsung, although that's just the first of more to come from the company. No surprises with the prices or specs, but you can check out a slew of in-the-wild shots at the link below, or head down to your local Best Buy (or other retailer) to see if you're able to spot any of them first-hand yourself.
Panasonic's other 2010 Blu-ray players keep making 2D look & sound better
Not planning to make the jump to 3D this year? Panasonic is still working on hardware for you too. Continued revisions of the UniPhier processor and PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus hardware at their core to improve picture quality, reduce size & power consumption, and lower the bootup time from off to playing to just 14 seconds. The DMP-BD45 foregoes any VieraCast features beyond BD-Live hookups, while the BD65 and BD85 (above) add access to streaming services, expanded audio codec processing, and in the case of the BD85, additional hardware tweaks to keep audiophiles happy. Check the PR after the break for every detail except price and shipping dates -- we won't call you Luddites for living in a 3D-less world, just think (& Twitter) it.
