Panasonic DMP-BD70V Blu-ray Disc/VHS Multimedia Player

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Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 13 x 17 x 3.8 inches ; 5.7 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 16 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B001VZ1W5U
• Item model number: DMP-BD70V
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #465 in Electronics (See Bestsellers in Electronics)

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  Electronics > Televisions & Video > Disc Players & Recorders > Blu-ray Disc Players

• Date first available at Amazon.com: March 16, 2009

Product Description

Product Description

Product Description

Does it feel like technology is moving too fast, and your barely keeping up? Blu-ray Disc/VHS Combination Player gives you both the technology of yesterday and today, so that you don't have to send your precious VHS cassettes to storage just yet. The unique feature about this player compared with a regular VHS player is the fact that it provides up-conversion so it will enhance your viewing experience, like watching a remastered copy, but instead of doing the tedious task of improving video and audio quality yourself, the player does it for you. It even features an SD memory card slot and USB terminal so you don't have to unload your digital media for it to be viewed, wherein simply insert an SD memory card filled with joyous memories into your player, and let the good times begin. There is even the possibility for JPEG slideshow with music and transition effect, so not only will you dazzle your audience with you family photos, but also the innovative features of your Blu-ray Disc/VHS Combination Player.   

VHS Playback and 1080p HDMI Out   Deep Color and x.v.Color   148.5MHz/12bit Video D/A Converter  Digital Noise Reduction (3D-NR/ Integrated NR)   Picture Mode (Normal, Soft, Fine, Cinema, User)   Picture Adjustment (Contrast, Brightness, Sharpness, Color, Gamma Correction).  

Audio Features - Built-in Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus and DTSTM-HD Decoder   192kHz/24bit Audio D/A Converter   96kHz Surround Re-master for All Formats (BD, DVD, CD and MP3).  

Output - HDMI AV Output    Component Video Output   Video Output   2ch Audio Output    Digital Audio Output (1 Optical)   Ethernet for BD-Live, VIERA CAST and Firmware Update.  

Convenience Features - Compatible with VIERA CAST (YouTube, Picasa, etc)   Compatible with BD-Live and BONUSVIEW   VIERA Link or Panasonic Blu-ray Disc Product Line-up   Movie (AVCHD, MPEG2) & JPEG View with SD Memory Card Slot   Music (MP3) & Photos (JPEG) Playback on US.

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With Amazon Video On Demand, Panasonic customers can now instantly watch more than 40,000 commercial-free movies and television shows, including hit new releases and the latest episodes available in HD (U.S only).

	Using an intuitive interface, order movies right from their couch and enjoy instant playback without waiting for lengthy downloads or annoying commercials. Prices start as low as $.99 and no subscription fee is required
	Find Choose from thousands of movies and TV shows by browsing the Amazon Video On Demand store (U.S. only) on your Panasonic Blu-ray Disc player or TV. Access and add to your virtual collection of purchases via Amazon Video On Demand’s Your Video Library and re-watch anytime on your Panasonic Blu-ray Disc player, TV, your PC or Mac and other compatible devices.
	Rent or Buy Renting and purchasing titles is a snap with the power of Amazon’s 1-click purchasing. Order new release movies and the latest TV shows right from your couch and you’re watching within seconds. Prices start as low as $.99.
	Watch Enjoy Amazon Video On Demand’s high quality video right from your Panasonic Blu-ray Disc player TV. Videos playback instantly, without waiting for a download. Purchases and rentals are added to Your Video Library and stored online by Amazon so you can conveniently watch them again on your Panasonic Blu-ray Disc player, TV, PC or Mac, and other compatible devices.

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Product Description

Does it feel like technology is moving too fast, and your barely keeping up? Blu-ray Disc/VHS Combination Player gives you both the technology of yesterday and today, wherein you don't have to send your precious VHS cassettes to storage just yet in that the unique feature about this player compared to a regular VHS player is the fact that it provides up-conversion so it will enhance your viewing experience, like watching a remastered copy, but instead of doing the tedious task of improving video and audio quality yourself, the player does it for you. It even features an SD memory card slot and USB terminal so you don't have to unload your digital media for it to be viewed, wherein simply insert an SD memory card filled with joyous memories into your player, and let the good times begin, there is even the possibility for JPEG slideshow with music and transition effect, so not only will you dazzle your audience with you family photos, but also the innovative features of your Blu-ray Disc/VHS Combination Player. VHS Playback and 1080p HDMI Out Deep Color and x.v.Color 148.5MHz/12bit Video D/A Converter Digital Noise Reduction (3D-NR/ Integrated NR) Picture Mode (Normal, Soft, Fine, Cinema, User) Picture Adjustment (Contrast, Brightness, Sharpness, Color, Gamma Correction) Audio Features - Built-in Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus and DTSTM-HD Decoder 192kHz/24bit Audio D/A Converter 96kHz Surround Re-master for All Formats (BD, DVD, CD and MP3) Output - HDMI AV Output Component Video Output Video Output 2ch Audio Output Digital Audio Output (1 Optical) Ethernet for BD-Live, VIERA CAST and Firmware Update Convenience Features - Compatible with VIERA CAST (YouTube, Picasa, etc) Compatible with BD-Live and BONUSVIEW VIERA Link or Panasonic Blu-ray Disc Product Line-up Movie (AVCHD, MPEG2) & JPEG View with SD Memory Card Slot Music (MP3) & Photos (JPEG) Playback on US

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

120 of 122 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Yes, I still have VHS movies to watch, June 3, 2009

By	V. Stoltz (Virginia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Why would someone want to buy a video player that accepts both the latest Blu-Ray format and the perhaps obsolete VHS formats? Well, as someone who has their foot in both the past and the future, let me tell you why I love this player.

Yes, I can definitely appreciate the crispness and clarity of the high definition Blu-Ray format, and I wish to experience that format. But Blu-Ray discs are pricey, so I will likely choose to purchase only a few new select and favorite films in that format. I feel no need, and don't have the wallet, to replace my entire film library in a Blu-Ray format.

I also have a collection of nearly 500 VHS tapes, most of them unwatched, which I mostly purchased in thrift stores. (current standard price for VHS tape in a thrift - $1) I also have a fair number of films that have not yet been released on DVD yet.

It is nice to have a player that will accept both VHS and Blu-Ray, along with standard DVD formats. No switching back and forth of cables, etc.

The DMP-BD70V upconversion of the VHS to 1080p is really quite amazing. My current television is a 42" HDTV (one year ago it was a 19 inch color set) When I connected my previous standard VHS player to the HDTV, the picture quality, as expected, was quite poor, with much of the image being rather pixelated - it was quite painful and distracting to watch.

Then I hooked up the DMP-BD70V, and lone behold, the picture quality was much, much better - and very watchable. At first I almost thought that the VHS tape had been replaced by a DVD - the improvement was that great. There was no pixelation at all, and the colors were quite bright. The overall quality of the picture was much better than the picture obtained with my old 19" color TV and VHS player. The upscaling features of the DMP-BD70V is almost as if a magician had waved his wand over your entire library of VHS tapes, and suddenly replaced them, Cinderella-like, with a much higher quality product.

There are some things you cannot do with a VHS tape. The picture size remains at the older 4:3 format - meaning there is considerable empty space at the left and right sides of the HDTV screen. You also won't get the added commentary tracks that appear on DVD and Blu-Ray discs, but sometimes all one really wants to do is simply watch a movie, with no other frills involved.

For a few years, I will have several options for my home movie viewing. On one end, the $1 VHS tapes (upgraded to 1080p), in the middle the standard DVD format, and on the high side, the Blu-Ray format. This DMP-BD70V allows me to watch all three formats, and allows me to choose whether I want to pay $1, $15, or $30 for each movie format. That is what I call flexibility.

I did a comparison price check for the DMP-BD70V model, versus a similar model without the VHS tape compatibility - the difference was about $50 more. For me, it was well worth it.

Obviously those without VHS tapes do not need this DMP-BD70V model. But those who do have some older VHS tapes, and wish to still view them, will love this model.

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thank you, Panasonic, July 18, 2009

By	J. Cannon (Olympia, WA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As far as I know this is the only combo of this kind on the market, and I couldn't be happier. Despite the outdated format and my dwindling videotape collection, I wanted to replace my old Magnavox VCR instead of abandoning VHS altogether. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that I not only could still do that, I could additionally upgrade to Blu without having to find more shelf space or another power outlet. Since it isn't really all that versatile otherwise, this player is a snap to hook up. There are no inputs (except LAN) and the outputs consist of HDMI, component and composite video, with analog and digital audio (fiber optic only). It only comes with a set of RCA analog audio/video cables, so plan ahead. I am only using the HDMI video and optical audio and it plays discs flawlessly. Pop in a videotape and it automatically switches to VHS mode and reformats itself to 4:3, while still outputting only through the digital ports. Yes, this is only a player--I prefer DVD-RAM for recording these days, anyway--but if you want the ultimate in all-in-one playback, including USB devices and SD cards, this device is for you.

43 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy To Use and Excellent Pictures but freezing, July 6, 2009

By	EM (Old Saybrook, Connecticut United States) - See all my reviews

Have about 300 movies about 70-80% VHS and the rest DVD. After a lot of research chose this make and model. I'm using this with a Monster HDMI connected to a new 46" Samsung 640. Tested with 3 movies: DVD of Parenthood, VHS of Gilda, VHS of Lion King. Lion King looked exactly like HD quality from cable company. The other two weren't as perfect as Lion King VHS, but despite that, I was thrilled at the quality of those two movies. My VHS does play full screen without any black bars. So, I'm happy with the up conversion. As for set up and programming: this unit is very easy to set up and fine tune in the programming features. As a female who hates all this tech stuff, the manual was very easy to follow and understand. I'm so pleased with this unit and it's ease of use that I just ordered a 2nd unit for my bedroom to use with the new 32" Samsung 640. EDIT: Just started playing blu ray and this model does freeze periodically for a about 5 seconds like the other models without the vhs. Also this model does not have any firmware updates like the other models. So, if allowed, I would reduce the stars from 5 to 4.