Panasonic today announced the debut of its first 2.1 channel Blu-ray Disc home theater system.

Sporting a sleek and compact form factor, the new SC-BTX70 is a 2.1 system delivers virtual 7.1 channel sound dispersed through a wide listening area. Panasonic's proprietary surround technology delivers Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD virtual 7.1-channel surround sound. The two front speakers, boasting a new top mounted speaker design which expands the listening area, are constructed with rigid, low-density bamboo cones to achieve pure sound. A Kelton-type subwoofer delivers robust bass. The system?s 96-kHz Surround Re-master function enhances the sound quality of CDs and other sources and even raises the quality of the multi-channel audio data on Blu-ray Discs and DVDs to produce highly realistic sounds.



Behind the power sliding door in the front panel is a Blu-ray Disc player, a Universal Dock for iPod, an SD memory card slot, and a USB terminal for viewing photos and videos taken with a digital still or video camera.

The system is powered by Panasonic's image-enhancing PHL Chroma Processor Plus and High Precision 4:4:4 technologies. By connecting the SC-BTX70 to the Internet, VIERA CAST lets users view videos on YouTube and Web-based photos on Picasa. VIERA Cast also integrates the Amazon Video-on-Demand (VOD) online movie rental service. With the BD-Live feature, Internet games can be played and Blu-ray Disc bonus content can be downloaded.

The system will be available in September 2009 with a suggested retail price of $999.95.