Panasonic have introduced their DMW-SDP1 HDTV Photo Player which allows users to view photographs taken by a LUMIX camera, or any other that uses a SD card, on their large screen HDTV.
Panasonic believes this addition to their range pushes them further as the 'one stop source for the integrated complete home entertainment solution'.
The player connects via component inputs - not HDMI as I'd expected - to a HDTV, and once the SD/SDHC card is inserted, images are displayed in true high definition.
Playback functions include three transition effects, a 25 thumbnail index screen, and automatic rotation of vertical images.
Takeshi Yamada, Product Manager of Digital Imaging at Panasonic waxed lyrical:
"Panasonic is returning people to a time when they sat in their living room and shared photo albums and memories with family and friends. The only difference is that now, thanks to Panasonic’s cutting edge technologies in digital cameras and Plasma TVs, those memories are as crisp and clear as the day they happened."
It's RRP is US$129.95 but no word on UK availability yet.
Panasonic website

From: Sony to double BRAVIA LCD TV production for growing European demand