Hitachi Home Electronics Introduces New DVD Players With Exclusive Fast-Access Disc Navigation System
The Home Electronics Division of Hitachi America, Ltd., a subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd. (NYSE: HIT), has announced the release of its first-ever consumer DVD-Video player (Model DVP250U). The new Hitachi DVD player will strengthen the companyís entire family of digital display products including HDTVs, M2 recorders and digital cameras. ""Hitachi UltraVision Digital products have always pushed beyond the high-performance and high-quality visual experience,"" said Gary Bennett, Executive Vice President of Sales for Hitachi America Ltd., Home Electronics Division. ""With our DVP250U rounding out our UltraVision Digital product offering, we have another opportunity to define the ultimate digital viewing experience - state-of-the art audio equipment, powerful processing technology and customizable play back features."" Product Highlights Boasting advanced and exclusive system features, Hitachiís DVP250U offers a range of options that give audiences total control over their viewing and listening experience. From choosing a specific action sequence from a hit-movie and changing the viewing angle on a particular stunt to pausing a still-clear picture and zooming in on a characterís face - this is all possible with DVP250U Fast-Access Disc Navigation System: DVP250U features a Fast-Access Disc Navigation System that reads all chapters on the disc and displays a still image of the first scene from each chapter. Simply select a chapter image and that sequence will start playing back immediately. This function also works with DVDs and Video CDs without menu screens. Digital Zoom Function: With a simple press of a button, DVD users will get a closer look at an object up to four times its original size. The screen area is divided into nine sections that correspond with the number keys on the remote, while on-screen horizontal and vertical bars highlight the section being magnified. Jog/Shuttle Variable Speed Playback: With five reverse speeds, two slow speeds and four quick play speeds, in addition to the normal and pause modes, these functions offer users total control of their viewing needs. Last Play Function: Allows users or viewers to pick up where they left off, just before shutting down the player. Last Play automatically remembers the play back settings for up to 16 discs, including screen aspect ratio, selected languages and subtitles. Multiple Angle Viewing: If the DVD movie is recorded from several different angles, Hitachiís DVP25OU allows viewers to selectively access each view at their command. Multiple Playback Modes: Offers customized playback features - repeat, random or sequence playback. Whether tracking a specific title, chapter, track or a designated section on a disc or mixing a sequence of audio tracks or video titles, users have total control over their viewing experience. Smooth Visual Search: Hitachiís IP Search uses a combination of Intra-frame picture (I) and Predictive-coded pictures (P) to assure smooth search playback, providing more natural-looking video. Still Picture with Frame Advance: This function allows you to pause during playback to view a clear, still picture of a specific scene. Users can also progressively advance one frame at a time, or reverse 0.5 seconds each time, by simply pressing the STEP forward and reverse buttons. Audio Highlights The DVD experience is heightened by state-of-the-art audio technology delivering both natural sounds, as well as enhanced samples and audio effects: Dolby Digital 5.1 Channel Decoder: Delivers realistic, high-fidelity reproduction of Dolby Digital original recordings and recreates the ambiance of a movie theatre sound system. The Dolby ProLogic Decoder is also included for DVD discs that are not produced in the Dolby Digital 5.1 format. Digital Theater Sound (DTS) System: DTS is a discrete 5.1 sound system that is widely used in movie theatres for reproducing sound. The DVP25OU digital sound output is DTS compatible and allows the system to reproduce the full dynamics of original DTS soundtrack. Virtual Surround (Spatializer N-2-2) System: Using Surround Technology, this is a virtual surround sound system that simulates rear speakers, using only two front speakers by encoding five audio channels of information into two channels. 96 kHz/24-bit Audio Digital- to-Analog Converter (DAC): Hitachiís powerful 24-bit DAC processes up to 16 million increments of audio information, ensuring more natural sound by accurately predicting and reproducing original sound waves over 40 kHz. Visual Highlights The latest data processing and optical technology allows the Hitachi DVD system to fully take advantage of the DVD format and to display clear and realistic images on screen. Component Video Output: High-performance component video output eliminates the cross-talk interference between video signals and separates output lines into three video signal components: Black & White (Y) and Blue/Red Color Difference (Pb and Pr). Separating these lines ensure a clear, sharp picture with accurate, true-color reproduction. 10-bit/27 MHz Video DAC: Hitachi up-converts the decoded 8-bit 13.5 MHz MPEG signal into a 10-bit/27 MHz signal prior to processing. This prevents playback errors and ensures maximum accuracy while providing realistic high-quality performance with more than 500 lines of resolution. Dual Laser/Dual Lens: The systemís dual laser/dual lens pick up features two independent optical systems that are optimized to read either DVDs or CDs with less optical loss than a single laser pick up system. SuperH Main Board: Driving the DVP250U DVD Hitachi player is the exclusive, leading-edge SuperH 32-bit RISC processor engine. The CPU is capable of handling high-speed data transfers and enables high-precision video and audio playback. NTSC/PAL Playback Capability: Playing NTSC and PAL-system DVDs and Video CDs, the DVD player allows users to view content from other countries. Price And Availability DVP250U will be shipping to distributors in July with retail availability nationwide in August. The DVD player will have a MAP price $449.95. For more information, see Hitachiís Web site at www.hitachi.com.