By : Chris Tribbey | Posted: 03 Jun 2009
ctribbey@questex.com

Panasonic June 1 unveiled the details behind the world’s first portable Blu-ray Disc player, packed with Viera Cast Internet accessibility, BD Live, an SD memory card slot and a 1080p, 8.9-inch LCD screen.

The consumer electronics company first showed the portable player to journalists in early March, when it also introduced its new line of Blu-ray players, including one that plays VHS.

“Panasonic was the first company to bring to market a portable DVD player and stand- alone Blu-ray players to feature Bonus View and BD Live, and with the B15 we continue that tradition of being first to market with unique technology,” said Richard Simone, director of Panasonic’s Entertainment Group.

Available this month at $799.95, the DMP-B15 can be used to watch Blu-ray by itself, or connected to an HDTV of larger size. Its Viera Cast functionality (via a LAN port) allows users to access more than 40,000 Amazon VOD titles, YouTube, Google Picasa and Bloomberg News.

The player has a battery life of 2.5 hours, an HDMI slot and can be connected to a surround sound system. Panasonic is also offering an optional headrest-mounting bracket for use in a vehicle.

 

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