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New Panny Blu-ray Models - Netflix, Wi-fi, 3D
#285702 01/07/10 03:08 PM
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LAS VEGAS--Panasonic fell a little behind in the Blu-ray features wars last year, with the company's players lacking Wi-Fi, Netflix streaming and onboard storage, which were available on competing players. At CES 2010, Panasonic introduced three new mainstream Blu-ray players, the DMP-BD45, DMP-BD65 and DMP-BD85, that address some of these criticisms, although with some caveats.

Key features of the Panasonic DMP-BD45:

•PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus video processor
•SD card slot
•Lower power consumption--14 watts in usage, .1 watts in standby
•14 second boot up time
•Limited to 5.1 audio decoding
•Available spring of 2010; no pricing announced

Key step-up features of the Panasonic DMP-BD65:

•Wi-Fi ready, requires USB Wi-Fi dongle (sold separately)
•Supports Panasonic's VieraCast streaming content portal, which will feature content from Amazon Video On Demand, YouTube, Picasa, Netflix, Pandora and Twitter
•Onboard decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio
•Supports full 7.1 audio decoding
•USB port
•Available spring of 2010; no pricing announced

Key step-up features of the Panasonic DMP-BD85:

•Includes USB Wi-Fi dongle
•7.1 analog audio outputs
•Digital Tube Sound Simulator mode "to produce the warm, realistic sounds associated with a tube amplifier"
•Available spring of 2010; no pricing announced

VieraCast was available on Panasonic's 2009 Blu-ray players, but the content portal gets a significant boost 2010 by the addition of Netflix and Pandora streaming. (It's unclear if 2009 VieraCast products will be able to use the new services.) The addition of Wi-Fi to the product line is also a much needed upgrade, although we would have preferred if it were built-in, as offered on the competing LG BD570 and Samsung BD-C6500. We're still trying to confirm if any of these players have onboard storage
http://ces.cnet.com/8301-31045_1-10428011-269.html

LAS VEGAS--Panasonic is one of the major players in the new push to 3D and the company announced its first 3D Blu-ray player at CES 2010. Like most of the 3D announcements so far, there hasn't been that much information released, but here's what we know so far.

Key features of the Panasonic DMP-BDT350:

•3D Blu-ray player
•PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus video processor
•Supports Panasonic's VieraCast streaming content portal, which will feature content from Amazon Video On Demand, YouTube, Picasa, Netflix, Pandora and Twitter
•SD cart slot and USB port
•14 second boot up time
•Wi-Fi ready; requires USB dongle (not confirmed whether or not this is included)
•No release date or pricing announced

As far as 3D Blu-ray goes, we haven't had enough hands-on testing with the new format to report whether it's worth the extra money. It's worth mentioning that 3D Blu-ray will likely require both a compatible HDTV and a new HDMI 1.4 cable, so the true cost of 3D will be relatively high. There's also the issue of 3D Blu-ray media, which will probably be scarce for all of 2010. With no manufacturers announcing pricing or release dates for 3D Blu-ray players, it's also hard to get any idea of how the new players compare.

Panasonic also announced three standard Blu-ray players, the DMP-BD45, DMP-BD65 and DMP-BD85.
http://ces.cnet.com/8301-31045_1-10427858-269.html


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Re: New Panny Blu-ray Models - Netflix, Wi-fi, 3D
BlueJays1 #285721 01/07/10 04:27 PM
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You know that part in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" where Hugh Grant's character is behind the altar before his impending wedding?

Bugger. Bugger. Bugger. Bugger.

A "should have waited" moment for me.

Thanks for the post.


bibere usque ad hilaritatem
Re: New Panny Blu-ray Models - Netflix, Wi-fi, 3D
tomtuttle #285743 01/07/10 05:38 PM
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Wow, so you mean they can't produce and play a 3D movie on a regular DVD or BD? I've always wondered why they never did this. What's the big deal anyway? I remember as a kid they used to play 3D movies on regular tv, on CRT's for God sakes!!! Why can't they do the same with a DVD on a LCD?

Or does the new technology negate the need for the use of glasses? Now THAT would be awesome!!!


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Re: New Panny Blu-ray Models - Netflix, Wi-fi, 3D
Micah #285752 01/07/10 05:48 PM
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It negates the need for color tinted glasses, which allows for full color reproduction. I have a 3D copy of Coraline on BD, which includes reg/green glasses, it looks horrible.

Initially 3D BD films will run at 48 fps, and video will be at 60 or 120. With every other frame alternating between the left and right eye views. The glasses use a continuous piece of liquid crystal, that when energized turns black and blocks the eye opposite of the one for which the current image on the screen is intended. It'll be up to the display to synchronize the glasses with the screen, be it by wire or IR.

There's no reason that in the future displays may buffer the frames, and use other eye separation techniques. For instance for front projection, an over/under setup of two projector with a pre-processor to select every other frame and send it to alternating projectors. One projector would have a horizontal polarizing filter; the other a vertical. Then the glasses could be passive, with matching polarizing lenses.

I can think of two other ways to make use of the 3D data on the disk, but I'm hungry and going to eat now. \:\)


Pioneer PDP-5020FD, Marantz SR6011
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Re: New Panny Blu-ray Models - Netflix, Wi-fi, 3D
ClubNeon #285757 01/07/10 05:54 PM
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 Originally Posted By: ClubNeon
It negates the need for color tinted glasses, which allows for full color reproduction. I have a 3D copy of Coraline on BD, which includes reg/green glasses, it looks horrible.

Initially 3D BD films will run at 48 fps, and video will be at 60 or 120. With every other frame alternating between the left and right eye views. The glasses use a continuous piece of liquid crystal, that when energized turns black and blocks the eye opposite of the one for which the current image on the screen is intended. It'll be up to the display to synchronize the glasses with the screen, be it by wire or IR.

There's no reason that in the future displays may buffer the frames, and use other eye separation techniques. For instance for front projection, an over/under setup of two projector with a pre-processor to select every other frame and send it to alternating projectors. One projector would have a horizontal polarizing filter; the other a vertical. Then the glasses could be passive, with matching polarizing lenses.

I can think of two other ways to make use of the 3D data on the disk, but I'm hungry and going to eat now. \:\)


I am not WORTHY!


"A fanatic is someone who can't change his mind and won't change the subject" Churchill
Re: New Panny Blu-ray Models - Netflix, Wi-fi, 3D
ClubNeon #285766 01/07/10 06:06 PM
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Great info!

Yeah, now that I think about it the picture quality wasn't all that back when I was watching those 3D movies on tv in the 80's. But hey, when you're 13 and a flaming cannon ball looks like its coming right out of your tv screen, well... it doesn't get any better than that!!!


My Stuff :

M80's
QS8's
VP150
EP800
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Re: New Panny Blu-ray Models - Netflix, Wi-fi, 3D
Micah #285797 01/07/10 06:45 PM
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I was thinking about this technique too. It would require that the BD player know how to extract the other eye frames...

Oh, I should cover that. The new 3D BD format uses what they are calling Multiview Video Coding (MVC) which is an extension of H.264/AVC video compression (no word from Microsoft on a 3D extension of their VC-1). The extension is coded in such a way, that a non-3D BD player will see only one eye's frames, and get the normal 24/30/60 fps rate instead of the double alternating eyes. It works almost like a second camera angle on a multi-angle disc, but macroblocks and frame prediction information from the primary eye can be used by the second eye's stream. So rather than a 100% increase in storage, they estimate it'll only be about 30%.

...but anyway, if a player knew how to access the second frame, and had enough CPU overhead, it could in theory tint the frames on the fly and combine them into a normal rate video stream which would work with existing TVs, and red/green or red/blue glasses (you could even pick which type of glasses you own, and have the tinting altered to match). I should probably patent this idea, but at least posting it here, it can be referenced as prior art if needed.

My other idea is how to make passive 3D glasses work with a single display, and still have that display work for normal 2D video. In this case the set would have to have support for the 3D, double-rate video. It would buffer the first eye's frame, and when it received the second it would then interlace the two and display them as one frame. Every other line on the set would be polarized either H or V. If the display only had 1080 lines, that would result in a reduction of resolution by half when viewing 3D content. But a 4k display with 2160 lines would only have to perform a horizontal stretch of the picture. Patent this idea too.


Pioneer PDP-5020FD, Marantz SR6011
Axiom M5HP, VP160HP, QS8
Sony PS4, surround backs
-Chris
Re: New Panny Blu-ray Models - Netflix, Wi-fi, 3D
ClubNeon #285803 01/07/10 06:55 PM
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 Originally Posted By: ClubNeon
I was thinking about this technique too. It would require that the BD player know how to extract the other eye frames...

Oh, I should cover that. The new 3D BD format uses what they are calling Multiview Video Coding (MVC) which is an extension of H.264/AVC video compression (no word from Microsoft on a 3D extension of their VC-1). The extension is coded in such a way, that a non-3D BD player will see only one eye's frames, and get the normal 24/30/60 fps rate instead of the double alternating eyes. It works almost like a second camera angle on a multi-angle disc, but macroblocks and frame prediction information from the primary eye can be used by the second eye's stream. So rather than a 100% increase in storage, they estimate it'll only be about 30%.

...but anyway, if a player knew how to access the second frame, and had enough CPU overhead, it could in theory tint the frames on the fly and combine them into a normal rate video stream which would work with existing TVs, and red/green or red/blue glasses (you could even pick which type of glasses you own, and have the tinting altered to match). I should probably patent this idea, but at least posting it here, it can be referenced as prior art if needed.

My other idea is how to make passive 3D glasses work with a single display, and still have that display work for normal 2D video. In this case the set would have to have support for the 3D, double-rate video. It would buffer the first eye's frame, and when it received the second it would then interlace the two and display them as one frame. Every other line on the set would be polarized either H or V. If the display only had 1080 lines, that would result in a reduction of resolution by half when viewing 3D content. But a 4k display with 2160 lines would only have to perform a horizontal stretch of the picture. Patent this idea too.




I'm betting that whereever it is you work... they don't pay you enough money!


My Stuff :

M80's
QS8's
VP150
EP800
Denon 4802
Emotiva XPA-3
Samsung BD-P3600
Sharp 65 Inch Aquos LCD
Re: New Panny Blu-ray Models - Netflix, Wi-fi, 3D
Micah #285819 01/07/10 07:12 PM
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 Originally Posted By: Micah
I'm betting that whereever it is you work... they don't pay you enough money!

But isn't that true for everyone with expensive hobbies? \:\)


Pioneer PDP-5020FD, Marantz SR6011
Axiom M5HP, VP160HP, QS8
Sony PS4, surround backs
-Chris
Re: New Panny Blu-ray Models - Netflix, Wi-fi, 3D
ClubNeon #285821 01/07/10 07:12 PM
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...and damnit, you're going to beat me to 1000.


Pioneer PDP-5020FD, Marantz SR6011
Axiom M5HP, VP160HP, QS8
Sony PS4, surround backs
-Chris
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