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Enhanced Home Theatre Features Distinguished New Line Of Panasonic DVD-Video Players
The new line of DVD players from Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company (PCEC) offers a unique combination of enhanced audio and video features designed to maximize the home theatre experience. The new line-up is comprised of eight players: five home decks - including two 5-disc DVD/CD changers - plus three portable players. New combinations of popular and unique features allow consumers to enjoy the extraordinary audio and video performance that only the DVD format offers. ""As a leader in DVD technology, Panasonic is committed to bringing the consumer the best and most convenient ways to take full advantage of the DVD format,"" says Rusty Osterstock, General Manager of Panasonicís DVD Division. ""This year, our players are equipped with even more high-performance features, to help consumers recreate the full cinema experience right in their homes."" Home Theatre As Easy As A-B-C-D Panasonic is calling its series of features specifically designed to enhance the home theatre experience the ""A-B-C-D"" features. ""A"" stands for Advanced Virtual Surround Sound (VSS); ""B"" denotes 2-Channel Plus Bass; ""C"" indicates Cinema Mode, and ""D"" signifies Dialogue Enhancer. This core group of features, found in most of the new models, distinguishes the 2000 line-up as Panasonicís most innovative ever. With Panasonicís Advanced Virtual Surround Sound (VSS) feature, even consumers who donít have the room or the budget for a full-blown home theatre audio system can still enjoy superb audio. Advanced VSS creates a simulated surround sound effect, downmixed from either a 5.1 channel or two-channel Dolby DigitalÆ soundtrack, from the stereo speakers of any home audio system. Two of the three new portable models additionally achieve this effect via, Headphone VSS, using optional headphones. For powerful, movie theatre sound that really pulls you into the action, the majority of Panasonic home decks offers convenient, direct output to a subwoofer. The 2-Channel Plus Bass, combined with Advanced Virtual Surround Sound, will turn even a modest two speaker system into a virtual 5.1 channel movie experience. Although we all love the big, enveloping sound of home theatre, sometimes a movieís soundtrack can overwhelm a scene and even drown out the dialogue. The Dialogue Enhancer feature conveniently solves this problem by boosting the volume of the center channel - where most of the principal dialogue emanates when playing a Dolby Digital 5.1 disc - by 6 dB. The Cinema Mode feature is sure to be a film aficionadosí favorite. When selected, Cinema Mode enhances the picture by reducing glare, softening resolution and improving visibility of details in dark scenes - resulting in a more realistic, cinema-like image. Every Panasonic DVD player features high-speed, 5-step Smooth Motion Scan. This feature provides crystal-clear forward and reverse scan, in 5 speeds. At the highest setting, the unit scans at an incredible 100 times normal speed. Every player is equipped with S-video outputs, standard audio/video outs and optical digital audio outputs. Additionally, three new home decks (DVD-RV30, DVD-RV60, and changer DVD-CV50) feature component video out. Component video out digitally separates the video signal down into its luminance (Y) and separate chrominance (PR and PB) elements, allowing delivery of a reference-quality picture with precise color reproduction. (The connected television or monitor must be compatible to attain the benefit of this feature.) All new models are also Energy Star* compliant, so theyíll draw significantly less power in the Standby mode than non-compliant DVD products. 2000 Line-Up Summary To meet the ongoing demand of its highly successful portable units, Panasonic expands its PalmTheaterô portable DVD line with three new models. Most notable is the incredible DVD-LV75. The ultra-compact DVD-LV75 is equipped with a 7-inch, 16:9 LCD screen, built-in Dolby Digital and DTSÆ decoders, Advanced VSS and Headphone VSS, Cinema Mode, Dialogue Enhancer, Chapter Preview, built-in stereo speakers and more. The DVD-LV75 carries a manufacturerís suggested retail price (MSRP) of $1399.95. The new DVD-LV55 has a 5-inch LCD 16:9 screen, built-in stereo speakers, Cinema Mode, Dialogue Enhancer, Chapter Preview, and Advanced VSS for use with a stereo system. It has an MSRP of $999.95. The non-LCD screen model DVD-PV55 features built-in Dolby Digital and DTS decoders, Advanced VSS, Cinema Mode, Dialogue Enhancer, Chapter Preview, headphone jack and Headphone VSS. Itís a great value with an MSRP of $699.95. In home decks, the leader model DVD-RV20 offers Advanced VSS and a host of convenience features - an exceptional value with an MSRP of $279.95. Step-up model DVD-RV30 offers the ""A-B-C-D"" features with an MSRP of $299.95. Performance model DVD-RV60 adds built-in Dolby Digital decoder and carries an MSRP of $349.95. Two new 5-disc DVD/CD changers also debut this year: the DVD-CV40 offers the ""A"", ""C"" and ""D"" features in a stackable disc-changer configuration, MSRP: $349.95; the DVD-CV50 rotary changer adds a built-in Dolby Digital decoder and illuminated remote control. MSRP: $449.95. Also continuing in 2000 is the DVD-H1000 progressive scan DVD player. Panasonic consumer DVD products are marketed in the United States by Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company (PCEC), a division of Matsushita Electric Corporation of America (MECA). MECA is the principal North American subsidiary of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., (NYSE/PCX: MC) of Japan, one of the worldís largest producers of electronic and electric products for consumer, business and industrial use. All prices are in U.S. dollars.