Panasonic's DMP-BD70V puts Blu-ray, VHS playback in a single box

Panasonic melds the old with the new via the DMP-BD70V, the first Blu-ray player with a built-in VHS deck.

Matthew Moskovciak Senior Associate Editor / Reviews - Home theater

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Matthew Moskovciak

Jan. 9, 2009 9:50 a.m. PT

It seems weird to put Lo-Fi VHS tapes and 1080p high-definition Blu-ray movies in the same box, but that's exactly what you'll be able to do with Panasonic's DMP-BD70V, which (as far as we know) is the first combination VHS/Blu-ray player. Aside from adding VHS playback, the specs look to be identical to the standard DMP-BD60 Blu-ray player. Here are the details.

Key features of the Panasonic DMP-BD70V series:

Blu-ray and VHS playback from a single player
Profile 2.0 compatible
Onboard Dolby TrueHD and DTS-Master Audio Essential decoding
SD card slot and USB input
Access to Viera Cast Internet content, including Amazon Video On-Demand

This might be a compelling option for those who still have home movies in VHS format, but this seems like a niche product. It's time to convert your VHS tapes to DVD, everyone. For more information on this player, check out our more in-depth coverage of the DMP-BD60, which is similar but lacks VHS playback.