JVC Ships $300 Blu-ray Player

JVC's new JVC XV-BP1 is a low-profile Blu-ray player that offers BD Live compatibility and AVCHD playback, among other features.

The new JVC XV-BP1 offers playback of high definition Blu-ray discs, plus playback of the AVCHD format, the high definition format widely used for HD camcorders.

Among the many features of the new JVC XV-BP1 Blu-ray player, to be available in March, is BD Live (Profile ver. 2.0) compatibility when used with USB memory.

With BD Live compatibility the player can be connected to the Internet to access BD Live 2.0 features, including firmware updates, new movie trailers, updated subtitles, online shopping, chat and gaming.

Connections include HDMI ver.1.3 with Deep Color and x.v.Color, USB Host, LAN for BD Live, component and composite video outputs, and analog, optical and coaxial audio outputs.

In addition to AVCHD, other playable formats are JPEG, MP3, WMA, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby True HD, DTS and DTS HD.

Playable discs are BD-ROM, BD-R/RE, BD/DVD Hybrid, DVD-Video, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, Audio CD and CD-R/RW.

The XV-PB1 will be available in March for $299.95.

New Blu-ray Home Theatre System
JVC also today introduced the company?s first Blu-ray home-theatre-in-a-box system, a three-piece package that includes a sound bar speaker system, wireless sub-woofer and Blu-ray player.

The new JVC TH-SB100 is a 3.1-channel system designed to make it easy to upgrade to a full HD home theatre, and offers such advanced features as BD Live compatibility. The system's powered soundbar is designed to nestle below a television, while the sub-woofer, thanks to its wireless technology, offers the kind of placement flexibility that design-conscious consumers appreciate.

The included Blu-ray player, in addition to its BD Live (Profile ver. 2.0) compatibility when used with USB memory, also offers AVCHD playback, the popular high definition camcorder format.

The sound bar has an internal amplifier that provides 30 watts each to the left, right and centre channels. Left and right channels are each handled by a pair of three-inch woofers and half-inch tweeter, while a single three-inch woofer handles the centre channel. The eight-inch wireless subwoofer is driven by 100 watts. In addition, the system offers Dolby Digital and DTS decoding, plus six-mode digital signal processing.

The TH-SB100?s Blu-ray player offers compatibility with the full array of formats, including AVCHD. Connections include HDMI ver.1.3 with Deep Color and x.v.Color, USB Host, LAN for BD Live, component and composite video outputs, and analog, optical and coaxial audio outputs.

It will be available in the U.S. in April for $699.95.