CES 2009: Panasonic DMP-B15

Blu-ray Disc, the expected successor to DVDs, has until now not been present in a portable format. Panasonic is the first to break this barrier, unveiling at CES the DMP-B15, the first ever portable Blu-ray player.

The DMP-B15, said Panasonic, will be capable of the same high quality video experience one enjoys when watching set-top Blu ray Disc players connected to a flat panel HDTV. It will use special image processing technology to accomplish this. One will be able to watch Blu-ray or regular DVDs on the player's 8.9-inch display, or output the image via a HDMI connection to a HDTV.

Features of the DMP-B15, due out in May, and with no price yet disclosed, include Internet connectivity to access special Blu-ray Disc content (BD Live) as well as streaming video from Web site likes Amazon.com and YouTube, three hours of video playback via a rechargeable battery and a SD memory card slot to view digital photos or HD camcorder recorded video. For more details on this device, read Panasonic's press release.

(Note: Product mentions on the Portable Electronics blog do not certify endorsement of the product, but rather provide details on new products which might be of interest to consumers.)

(Photo Credit: Panasonic)