Panasonic’s DMP-B15K is the world’s first portable Blu-ray player. Released last year in 2009, the DMP-B15K at first glance may confuse some people. Many will think how the impressive visual quality of Blu-ray can be transferred to a small 8.9-inch screen. The answer is no; not very good anyway. But the point of the Panasonic DMP-B15K is to let you watch your Blu-ray collection in places where you normally can’t. Like on a plane or in a hotel room. The DMP-B15K accomplishes this task very well. It comes with a wide range of portable car accessories and has an HDMI output if you want to hook it up to an HDTV. Because it can be used as a standalone Blu-ray player, Panasonic has included a list of features you would normally find on a standalone player.

The design of the DMP-B15K is one of its main flaws. The DMP-B15K has an unusual design that makes it feel big and bulky. This is not a good attribute for a portable device. For example, most portable DVD players have a sleek clamshell design. Just open the player and start watching. The screen of the DMP-B15K must be opened, then rotated 180 degrees and lowered. Then position the player as you would a digital photo frame using the plastic stand on the back. The support at the back goes a long way in making the player feel bulky.

The battery also adds to the bulk of the DMP-B15K. It comes with a rechargeable battery that Panasonic claims should last 3 hours. Independent testing by experts rates the battery life at over 2.5 hours. This should be long enough to watch a regular Blu-ray movie. But a more durable battery would have been preferable. Of course, if you’re watching movies where there’s a power outlet, the battery isn’t necessary.

If you’re traveling by car, the DMP-B15K includes some great car accessories. There is a headrest mount that can fit on the back of the built-in mount. And it has a cigarette lighter power adapter. This is ideal for any long road trips you may be taking.

Video quality: The DMP-B15K has an 8.9-inch WSVGA (1024 x 600) display. This will give you a clear, crisp picture, better than what you would get from your average DVD player. However, it will not match the resolution of most Blu-ray movies which is 1920 x 1080p. It has an HDMI output if you want to use the DMP-B15K as a standalone player. Connect it to an HDTV and it can output high-definition video (1920x1080p) and high-resolution audio just like a large Blu-ray player. There’s also a composite audio/video output if you have an older TV.

Panasonic has wisely included its PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus. Which produces pure and accurate color images. You then have a wide range of image presets, noise reduction modes, and settings to adjust contrast, brightness, color, and gamma.

Audio quality: There are speakers at the bottom of the player, as well as a headphone jack on the side. The sounds produced by these speakers are surprisingly good. Not like your regular portable DVD speakers. The HDMI output, as stated above, will allow for Hi-Res Audio. Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD Master Audio can be passed through the HDMI output and there is internal audio decoding for Dolby Digital and DTS. There’s even a dialogue enhancer to increase speech clarity.

The DMP-B15k is a Profile 2.0 Blu-ray player. This means it has an Ethernet port for downloading BD-Live content available on select Blu-ray Discs. Once connected to the Internet, you can also access Panasonic’s VieraCast. There are online streaming media services like YouTube, Picasa, Amazon Video On Demand and many more that you can choose from. It doesn’t have Wi-Fi, so you can’t stream movies or videos when you’re on the go. This would have been a nice feature to include.

A nice feature that Panasonic included was an SD card slot. Which can be used to store BD-Live content that you download. Or you can use it to play SD video and AVCHD files or JPEG files. SD cards are sold separately.

The DMP-B15K is a mix of great features and missed opportunities. Having a portable Blu-ray player is a good idea that many will find appealing. And as a portable Blu-ray player, it works great. But many will be turned off by its bulky design, poor battery life, and high $800 price tag.

THE PROFESSIONALS: The first portable Blu-ray player, you can watch your Blu-ray disc wherever you are. You get full access to Viera Cast, which provides streaming content online. A cigarette lighter adapter and headrest mount are included for car use.

THE CONS: The cost may turn many consumers away from this Blu-ray player. A battery life of three hours may not be enough for longer movies. It has a bulky design for a portable device.

THE FINAL WORD: The first portable Blu-ray player, the DMP-B15K, performs well and has many features that will appeal to the person on the go. An HDMI output is available, so the Blu-ray player can also function as a standalone player. This is convenient if a larger screen is needed. It has a high price tag, so you’ll have to weigh the cost to see if it’s worth buying. — Price to look for when buying — Less than $750.00

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