MUMBAI: Panasonic, which is one of the firms behind the development of Blu-ray Disc technology and the market leader in Plasma televison, has announced the availability of the DMP-BD10A.

This is Panasonic‘s next generation Blu-ray Disc player. The DMP-BD10A features an audio upgrade package that brings high end surround audio to the viewing experience via the inclusion of 7.1 channel surround, Dolby True HD and high Resolution audio decoding technology.

The DMP-BD10A also incorporates Panasonic‘s proprietary EZ-SyncTM system for integrated one-touch operation of Panasonic home-theater components. Panasonic‘s DMP-BD10A further distinguishes itself with the bundling of five mega hit Blu-ray discs. Included with each DMP-BD10A are films like Pirates of the Caribbean, Curse of the Black Pearl, Transporter and Crash.

Panasonic VP entertainment group Gene Kelsey says, "Panasonic is deeply committed to the success of Blu-ray. High definition entertainment is a truly unique experience and nothing powers the HD experience like Blu-ray. With that in mind, we feel strongly about providing the ultimate high definition entertainment to the consumer and are thrilled to offer five Blu-ray mega hits with the purchase of the BD10A.

"From our format development activities and advanced Blu-ray authoring at Panasonic Hollywood Lab to our Blu-ray player, Panasonic has been instrumental in the development of Blu-ray from the start and I feel we are in the forefront of one of the most significant technological advances in home entertainment since the arrival of the DVD a decade ago."

In addition to playing pre-recorded Blu-ray movie discs, the DMP-BD10A plays conventional standard-definition DVDs (with automatic 1080p up-conversion via HDMI) and conventional CDs. Other key features of the DMP-BD10A include proprietary P4HD technology for performing IP conversion at the pixel level for ultra-fine details, a 297MHz 14bit Video D/A Converter with 4X oversampling, video noise shaping that improves signal-to-noise ratios by shifting noise to an unused band, and theoretical support for nearly 4400 billion colours.