Panasonic makes your Blu-ray Discs portable
(Credit: Panasonic)One of the biggest disadvantages to Blu-ray has been its lack of portability. While DVD players are virtually everywhere and portable DVD players are cheap, when you buy a Blu-ray Disc you're typically limited to watching it in your home theater. The Panasonic DMP-B15 looks to address this; it is the first portable Blu-ray player and it's also designed to be used easily around the house with a built-in stand. Here are the details.
Key features of the Panasonic DMP-B15:
- 8.9-inch WSVGA (1,024x600) LCD screen
- Three-hour rechargeable battery
- Profile 2.0 compatible
- Bitstream output for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-Master Audio
- HDMI output
- SD card slot
- Optional headrest-mounting bracket for car use
- Access to Viera Cast Internet content, including Amazon Video On-Demand
- Pricing and availability TBD
While the DMP-B15 includes a lot of cool features (HDMI output, Viera Cast), the 3-hour battery life seems pretty limiting, especially if the real battery life is closer to 2.5 hours. That means you'll be racing against the clock to finish watching some longer Blu-ray movies and don't even think about pausing. It's also worth pointing out that the image-quality advantages of Blu-ray are going to be nearly imperceptible on the 8.9-inch screen, even with it on your lap. That being said, it is the first of its kind and it looks to be a decent solution for those with growing Blu-ray libraries who want to take their movies on the go.
