Panasonic is again leading the way for Blu Ray player manufacturers, announcing their new DMP-BD50 Blu Ray player, the first player to conform to Blu Ray Profile 2.0.

 

Profile 2.0 introduces online connectivity, tagged by Blu Ray as BD-Live, similar to what HD DVD already offers. The Panasonic DMP-BD50 also supports all advanced audio codecs, and gives users the option to output LPCM or bitstream over HDMI. 7.1 channel analog outputs are provided for users who do not have HDMI capable processors, or who feel that the DACs in the DMP-BD50 do a better job.

 

Previous Panasonic Blu Ray players have been unanimously hailed as the best the Blu Ray camp had to offer, so the Panasonic DMP-BD50 is hotly anticipated. No pricing details at this time.