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Panasonic Unveils Array Of Audio

Las Vegas – Panasonic came to International CES with an expanded selection of
Blu-ray-equipped home theater in a box (HTiB) systems, an expanded selection of
iPod-docking tabletop audio systems and the company’s first sound bar.

Also new is a
two-speaker virtual surround system consisting of an A/V receiver and two
wireless left-right speakers, each with embedded subwoofer. The SC-ZT2 will
replace a similar system sold with four wireless speakers. Pricing was
unavailable.

The company’s first
sound bar, the SC-HTB1, is a 2.1-channel model with embedded subwoofer, virtual
surround processing and HDMI connection supporting HDMI’s audio return channel.
Pricing was unavailable.

In HTiBs, the company
will offer three 5.1-speaker models, replacing two 7.1-speaker models and joining
a 2.1-channel Blu-ray home-theater system launched last September with virtual
surround sound. The company will scale back its DVD-equipped
HTiB selection to one model, said entertainment products VP Richard Simone.

The new Blu-ray HTiBs tentatively
retail for $499, $599 and $699 street prices, but the prices could change,
Simone said. The SC-BT230, SC-BT330 and SC-BT730 feature BD-Live capability and
Panasonic’s Viera Cast service, which streams Netflix and Amazon Video on
Demand movies, YouTube, Picasa, Bloomberg TV and weather information. The top
two models will be the company’s first to come equipped with Wi-Fi to connect
to the Internet, he added.

The top model will also
come with wireless surround speakers out of the box, whereas the other two come
with surround speakers that can be connected to an optional wireless kit.

In iPod/iPhone-docking
tabletop audio systems, the company will expand its selection of one-piece
microsystems to three from one. The HC 20, HC 30 and HC 40 feature tuner, CD
player and iPod/iPhone dock. The vertical-mount CD mechanism and dock are
hidden behind a sliding door. Pricing hasn’t been announced.

Another new tabletop
dock is the arch-shaped $129 SC-SP100, due in January without tuner or CD.

The docking systems will
join the $299 MW-10 one-piece microsystem/digital photo frame with tuner, CD
player and 9-inch digital photo frame. It shipped in December.

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