Panasonic Unveils Six New DIGA Blu-ray and DVD Recorders at CEATEC

JCN Newswires, Oct 2, 2007

Osaka, Japan, Oct 2, 2007 - (JCN Newswire) - Panasonic, the leading brand by which Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. is known, has unveiled three new Blu-ray Disc (BD) recorders and three high-definition (HD) DVD recorders at CEATEC JAPAN 2007. The new models, available in Japan on November 1, offer the longest hours of full HD recording in the world[1] with easy operation and connectivity with other AV products and video intercom connected to the home network.

Director Shiro Nishiguchi, Corporate Marketing Division for Panasonic Brand in Japan, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., said, "We are happy to bring you new high definition recorders that maximize the full quality potential of BD video and high-definition broadcasts. Together with our full HD VIERA TVs and camcorders, the new DIGAs will play an integral part of a high-definition lifestyle we call 'Living in High Definition'."

The new recorders can store up to 18 hours of full HD video onto a 50 gigabyte (GB) double-layer Blu-ray Disc or up to 381 hours of full HD videos onto a 1 terabyte (TB) built-in hard disk drive (HDD)[2]. In terms of BS digital HD broadcasts, the new recorders can record four times more than previous MPEG-2 TS recorders (DR mode)[3]. In addition to video, the new DIGAs can record 5.1 channel surround sound broadcasts without deterioration in sound quality or surround effects.

Panasonic accomplished these achievements through innovative technologies including the new generation UniPhier[4] system LSI based on the 45-nm process technology. A single chip supports real-time encoding of full HD videos. Additionally, MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 High Profile HD video compression technology contributed to the significant increase in HD video recording hours. Panasonic also drew from the advanced technology cultivated by its Panasonic Hollywood Laboratory (PHL) that offers BD-ROM authoring service to major Hollywood movie studios.

The new BD recorders, the DMR-BW900 with 1 TB HDD, the DMR-BW800 with 500 GB HDD and the DMR-BW700 with 250 GB HDD, are loaded with other PHL technologies including a high-precision color signal processing called the "PHL Reference Chroma Processor" that enables the recorders to offer the near-original, high-quality video standards demanded by Hollywood studios. In addition, the DMR-BW900 and the DMR-BW800 have a 1080p HD playback capability with a frame rate of 24 frames per second, the same rate as motion films. When connected with a 1080/24p compatible TV such as VIERA 1080p full HD TVs, users can enjoy a theater quality picture in the comfort of their home.

The three BD recorders allow users to take advantage of the new interactive features of BD movies such as picture-in-picture video commentaries.

Despite their narrow profile, the industry's slimmest 59-mm height, they deliver sound as impressive as the beauty of the HD images they offer. The new BD recorders let the users immerse themselves in the dynamic 7.1-channel surround sound of BD movies, supporting Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD audio formats.

The new DIGAs also impress with their user-friendliness such as the easy-to-see full HD TV program guide and simple-operation remote control. The intuitive remote control also comes with the new DIGA high-definition DVD recorders, the DMR-XW300 with 500 GB HDD and the DMR-XW100 with 250 GB HDD, and the DMR-XW200V high-definition DVD/VHS combo recorder with 250 GB HDD. As all six recorders support the VIERA Link, users can operate other VIERA Link-compatible equipment with a single, simple remote when they are connected via HDMI cable.

The new recorders are also characterized by expanded connectivity. They support playback and recording of video content recorded on AVCHD format with Panasonic's HD camcorders[5]. To copy the AVCHD video, users can simply take out the SD Memory Card or DVD disc from the HD camcorder and slip it into the new recorder. Then, the operation menu will appear automatically, so that the users can copy the full HD content onto BD, DVD or HDD just by following instructions.

When connected with a Panasonic video intercom[6], the recorders can be set to record up to 400 video images of visitors while the user is away from home. When the recorder is turned on after returning home, it automatically plays back the video that appeared on the intercom. By connection the new recorders to broadband Internet, users can program recordings of favorite TV shows remotely over a mobile phone or through a PC.

Panasonic designed all six models with user convenience and effects on the environment in mind. With improved power circuit efficiency, the new BD recorders as well as the DRM-XW300 and DMR-XW100 DVD recorders consume only a 0.3W standby energy, the smallest in the industry. The six models conform to the RoHS Directive, eliminating six hazardous substances including lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE).

[1] As a BD recorder or DVD recorder equipped with a digital TV tuner.