Prototype Panasonic Blu-ray Player Supports 4K, HDR

[CES 2015] I still remember many a CES ago when the battle between Blu-ray and HD DVD raged on – and now that it has been a few years since HD DVD’s demise, Blu-ray reigns supreme. There is always room for improvement in the world of technology, which is why we are pleased as punch to bring you word that Japanese maestros Panasonic has announced that they are working on the world’s first Blu-ray Disc playback technology which will keep up with the times by supporting the latest technologies: 4K and High Dynamic Range included and these technologies are tipped to be adopted in the next generation Blu-ray Disc standards (ULTRA HD BLU-RAY). Over at CES, a prototype player with such capabilities will be on show.

It might look like any other standard Blu-ray player out there, but in reality, this prototype would integrate video processing and optical disc drive technologies, allowing it to reproduce 4K (3,840 x 2,160 pixel)/60p[1]/10-bit[2] high resolution video, alongside High Dynamic Range support, a wide color gamut standard, and high-efficiency video compression technology HEVC (H.265)/Blu-ray Disc playback at a high bit rate of 100Mbps, among others.

It ought to offer a stark improvement in picture quality compared to existing Blu-ray Disc players, which would help usher consumers into the world of 4K Ultra HD viewing. Hopefully it will not be too pricey when it arrives. [Press Release]

Edwin Kee
Categories: Gadgets
Tags: blu ray, CES, CES 2015, Panasonic