Panasonic Intros DMP-B15 Portable Blu-ray Player
Yep, this is it, folks -- the planet's very first "portable" Blu-ray Disc player. While the DMP-B15 was initially introduced at CES in January, Panasonic has yet to ship the unit here in the United States. This month, however, the company will begin to move units onto retail shelves, promising eager consumers a portable BD experience that was thus far only available via Blu-ray notebooks.
Of note, this player is also DivX certified, so it's certainly good for more than just BD movies. As for specs, it features an 8.9" WSVGA display, an SD card slot for loading up extra media, a battery that should last for around 2.5 hours, an HDMI output and Profile 2.0 support. Needless to say, the small display isn't 1080p, but it's the HDMI output (and thus, the ability to put 1080p movies on your hotel TV once you arrive) that makes this appealing.
The only issue we have here is a rather large one: the price. At $800, you could very likely find a BD-equipped notebook for as much, if not less. Let's see -- a full-fledged notebook, or a one-strick pony? Catch our drift?
Of note, this player is also DivX certified, so it's certainly good for more than just BD movies. As for specs, it features an 8.9" WSVGA display, an SD card slot for loading up extra media, a battery that should last for around 2.5 hours, an HDMI output and Profile 2.0 support. Needless to say, the small display isn't 1080p, but it's the HDMI output (and thus, the ability to put 1080p movies on your hotel TV once you arrive) that makes this appealing.
The only issue we have here is a rather large one: the price. At $800, you could very likely find a BD-equipped notebook for as much, if not less. Let's see -- a full-fledged notebook, or a one-strick pony? Catch our drift?
