We brought you brief news of the Panasonic DMP-BD50, Panasonic's third gen Blu-ray disc player, from the CES show in January, but the device has now had a full US launch.

Offering 1080p image quality, lossless Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio with full 7.1 channel surround sound as well as Picture-in-Picture applications, the BD50 adds the new BD-Live function, which uses the internet for interactive and extra media and experiences.

The DMP-BD50 features the "Panasonic Hollywood Laboratory" Reference Chroma processor and P4HD i/p conversion processor, which combine to create Uniphier, a precise digital video processor that claims to produce sharp, crisp, natural colours that are extremely faithful to the original movie.

Other features include an SD memory card slot and VIERA Link for single remote set-up with compatible equipment.

"Panasonic was the first to bring a Blu-ray player with Bonus View (Final Standard Profile 1.1) to market and now with the DMP-BD50 we are again leading the industry with the inclusion of BD-Live", said a Panny exec.

The DMP-BD50 will be available in the States this spring and with a retail price of $699.95 - it will see a UK launch next month, we've been informed, but pricing is yet TBC.