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Panasonic’s 2013 Blu-ray players and media streamers

Panasonic unveiled its full 2013 lineup of Blu-ray players and media streamers at CES on Monday, further paving the way in a realm they helped pioneer from the get-go.

The Japanese company announced the addition of two new Full HD 3D  Blu-ray models to its lineup, the DMP-BDT330 (capable of 4K up-scaling) and the DMP-BDT230, as well as two 2D Blu-ray players, the DMP-BD89 and DMP-BD79. Each 3D model touts built-in Wi-Fi, Web browsing capability, and Display Mirroring that essentially allows users to display content from select Android phones and tablets on the big screen. Miracast, a feature that enables users to transfer their photos and videos from their smartphone and tablets to their HDTV, will also be included in all 3D models, as will Panasonic’s proprietary IPTV platform VIERA Connect. Both 2D models feature IP VOD, a streaming feature that offers a more limited selection of content — such as Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Instant Video — but the BD79 lacks the built-in Wi-Fi found on other models.

In addition, Panasonic announced two new 3D-capable streaming devices, the DMP-MST60 and the DMP-MS10, featuring VIERA Connect and IP VOD respectively. The two boxes lack optical disc drives, but include the streaming packages, built-in Wi-Fi, Miracast, Display Mirroring, 2D-3D conversion and HDD playback. The MST60 also includes a Web browser with a cursor so you can easily surf the Web on the massive screen of your choice.

Suggested retail prices range between $80 and $200 for the devices and the entire Panasonic lineup will be available starting in February. Stay tuned with Digital Trends for more home theater coverage at CES 2013.

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Brandon Widder
Brandon Widder is a multimedia journalist and a staff writer for Digital Trends where he covers technology news, how-to…
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