Panasonic Announces Blu-Ray Disc Home Theater System

Panasonic today announced the debut of its first 2.1 channel Blu-ray Disc^TM home theater system. The innovative SC-BTX70 is designed with a chic, upright silhouette, making it an ideal match for a flat panel TV. Panasonic's SC-BTX70 unleashes the beauty of Blu-ray Disc, while also providing a wide variety of other digital media options for family and friends to enjoy.

Sporting a sleek and compact form factor, the SC-BTX70 is a 2.1 system delivers realistic virtual 7.1 channel sound dispersed through a wide listening area. Panasonic’s advanced proprietary surround technology delivers Dolby^® TrueHD and DTS™-HD virtual 7.1-channel surround sound. The two front speakers, boasting a new top mounted speaker design which expands the listening area, are constructed with rigid, low-density bamboo cones to achieve pure sound and crisp dialogue. A Kelton-type subwoofer delivers robust, reverberating bass. The system’s 96-kHz Surround Re-master function enhances the sound quality of CDs and other sources and even raises the quality of the multi-channel audio data on Blu-ray Discs and DVDs to produce highly realistic sounds.

The innovative design of the SC-BTX70 integrates a host of digital media options in its ultra slim main unit. Behind the power sliding door in the elegant front panel is a Blu-ray Disc player, a Universal Dock for iPod*, an SD memory card slot, and a USB terminal for viewing photos and videos taken with a digital still or video camera. It’s a breeze to operate these functions using only the remote control of a flat-panel VIERA TV, thanks to VIERA Link™**.

Panasonic's superb image-enhancing PHL Chroma Processor Plus and High Precision 4:4:4 technologies lift Blu-ray Disc playback to a level of original cinema quality. And networking features abound. By connecting the SC-BTX70 to the Internet, VIERA CAST^TM lets users view videos on YouTube^TM and Web-based photos on Picasa^TM. VIERA Cast also integrates the Amazon Video-on-Demand (VOD) online movie rental service. With the BD-Live™ feature, Internet games can be played and Blu-ray Disc bonus content can be downloaded.

In addition to these advanced functions, Panasonic took the environment into full consideration in designing the SC-BTX70. It is Energy Star® qualified, and its UniPhier^® LSI integrates all video signal processing circuits onto a single chip, which lowers power consumption and reduces the number of components.

The system will be available in September 2009 with a suggested retail price of $999.95.

* iPod is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

** Compatible with HDAVI Control 2 or above products.