Panasonic will release its new DMP-BD65 Blu-ray disc player in Hapan next month. The player is just 49mm thin and features Wireless LAN capabilities.

The BD65 combines high quality images with enhanced networking functions, including VIERA CAST's Internet functionality and VIERA Link, which allows the consumer to operate their VIERA Link capable audio/video components with one remote. To further enhance the networking the BD65 features Wireless LAN capability (a wireless LAN adaptor- DY-WL10 is sold separately).

The player employs the PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus. It also features a high definition audio decoder (Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio Essential) to take advantage of the 7.1 channel surround sound now incorporated in Blu-ray Discs.



The BD65 also includes an SD Memory card (SDXC compatible) and a USB slot for easy connection with a Wireless LAN Adaptor. USB memory with JPEG/MP3 data can also be enjoyed.

Complimenting the HD audio codecs, the BD65 Blu-ray Disc player feature 96kHz surround re-master, a function that enhances the sound quality of CDs and other sources, and even improves the quality of the multi-channel audio data on Blu-ray Discs and DVDs.

The supported optical media formats inlcude BD-R/RE, DVD±R/RW, DVD-RAM, BD video, audio CD and CD-R/RW. The AVCHD and AVCREC DVD-R and CD-R/RW discs with DivX, MP3 and JPEG content can be also reproduced.

Support for BD-LIVE and an HDMI output (1080 60p/24p) with Deep Color (12bit) are also supported. The HDMI audio output converts audio to linear PCM and also bit-streaming of Dolby NR TrueHD, Dolby Digital plus, and DTS-HD Master audio formats.

The player's dimensions are just 199mm X 49mm (D x H) and its weight is about 1.9Kg.

It will retail next month in Japan for about 40,000 Yen ($436) and it the U.S. in the spring.