Bill Gates, in his keynote address at the 2002 International CES show this evening, will demonstrate WMA support in DVD players with the unveiling of the new Panasonic DVD player model DVD-RV32, the first of many Panasonic DVD players that will support WMA.
This will be the first public demonstration of a DVD player supporting WMA (available in the US; February 2002). Panasonic also is supporting WMA in its e-wear SD Audio Player SV-SD80, and will be supporting Windows Media Technologies on its chips for DVD players and CD players beginning with WMA.
The Panasonic DVD-RV32 will play prerecorded DVD videos, self-recorded DVD-R1 video discs, audio CDs and self-recorded CD-R/RW2 discs with WMA as well as MP3 formats.
Panasonic was not the only DVD manufacturer to announce WMA support within their lines of DVD players at CES 2002 :-
- Apex Digital will feature WMA as its premier audio format in six new models, from the AD-1600 to the top-of the-line AD-7702. All will play WMA, Kodak PCD, MP3, and HDCD and are Firmware Upgradeable. The 7702 will also play SACD and DVD-A, 5.1 Dolby and has Progressive Scan 3.2. Apex Digital"s plans include 4 million DVD players featuring WMA in 2002.
- Shinco, one of the leading manufacturers of DVD players in China, plans to release key models of its DVD player line with WMA support in 2002.
- Toshiba will announce specific models of DVD players later this year supporting Windows Media.