Since Panasonic is among the world's most important consumer electronics' manufacturers, it's no wonder that the Japanese company has also gone completely Blu-ray after Sony's format won the format war. And one of the best examples of such a product is the company's DMP-BD55K standalone Blu-ray player, released in the second half of 2008, which allows users to play just about any and every type of optical media they might think of (apart from HD DVD discs, that is).



Thus, the player supports any disc, from old CDs (video and MP3 discs included) up to the latest BD-RE versions and BDAV (SESF). It's also BD-Live compliant, which means that users will be able to access the additional content available online for certain specific Blu-ray movies.



The device from Panasonic also incorporates a host of high-end image processing technologies, as for example a PHL reference chroma processor, P4HD (Pixel Precision Progressive Processing for HD), precise pixel generation, 16-level motion detection w/ pixel-based motion adaptive diagonal processing. It also supports 3:2/2:2 pull-down progressive processing and is capable of upscaling SD-grade movies to near-HD quality. Plus, it also comes equipped with a Video D/A Converter 148.5MHz/12bit, as well as with a digital noise reduction system.



The audio-related features are equally impressive, since the DMP-BD55K incorporates an Audio D/A Converter 192kHz/24bit and provides Dolby Digital/Dolby Digital Plus Decoder Decode and Bitstream output, Dolby True HD Decoder Decode and Bitstream output, DTS/DTS-HD High Resolution Audio Decoder Decode and Bitstream output, plus 96kHz Surround Re-Master (for all formats). It also sports an Advanced Surround (V.S.S.) system, as well as a Night Surround mode and a Dialogue Enhancer mode.



Connectivity-wise, the player sports relies mostly of the already “standard” trio of HDMI, Component video and Composite video, plus an Ethernet network adapter. It also features an SD card reader (no USB 2.0, though) and a VIERA Link (HDAVI Control 3) interface, which means that it can be very easily integrated into a whole home cinema system formed out of other Panasonic components. Plus, the device also sports 1 x 7.1-channel analog, 1 optical and 1 coaxial audio outputs.



Despite of providing such an advanced set of features, the DMP-BD55K sells for just around 400 US dollars, which seems to have become pretty much the standard price point for this type of products.