Samsung's Blu-ray player production may be no more, but Panasonic's AV output appears to be in good shape.
In addition to a healthy 4K TV line-up, Panasonic has today announced two Dolby Atmos/DTS:X-compatible soundbars, the SC-HTB900 and SC-HTB700.
Both soundbars have built-in Google Chromecast, allowing users to directly stream music and video from compatible apps over wi-fi. They also offer ‘Works with Google Assistant’ for voice command control via a Google Assistant-compatible speaker, and both HDMI and optical connectivity.
The SC-HTB900 – the more premium of the two – has been tuned by Technics (and wears the ‘Tuned by Technics’ badge to show for it), offering an enhanced quality during music playback.
The flagship also features a new 'Berlin Philharmonic Hall Mode' (enabled by a software update), which works to reproduce the sonic signature of the world-famous concert hall.
The SC-HTB900 boasts just over 500 watts of power, delivered through six 6.5cm front-firing midrange speakers and two flanking tweeters, while the SC-HTB700 has a 376-watt output via three 6.5cm midrange drivers. They both come with a wireless subwoofer too.
A slight chassis slant angles the drivers to direct sound to the listener’s ears, and the enclosures have been made more rigid increased to reduce unwanted, sonically-detrimental vibrations.
Pricing and availability is tbc.
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Panasonic reveals full 2019 OLED and LED 4K TV line-up
Panasonic's 2019 4K Blu-ray players offer HDR10+ and Dolby Vision
