Pioneer unveils three Blu-ray players

Pioneer didn’t introduce any new plasma HDTVs or LCD TVs during its keynote during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), instead focusing on Blu-ray technology.

The company introduced three new Blu-ray players, with prices ranging from entry-level to expensive.

The entry-level Pioneer BDP-120 will require owners use a 1GB flash drive for BD-Live support, fast disc loading, and USB expandable memory slots.  It has HDMI 1.3a output,  1080p True 24 fps video output, and an Ethernet port for BD-Live connections.

The BDP-120 is expected to be released in April for about $250.

The middle Blu-ray player is the BDP-320 has a USB port for multimedia playback, and has 1GB of internal storage ready for BD-Live support out of the box.  The player also has 16-bit Deep color support, and 7.1-channel analog outputs, along with 1GB of internal memory and the built-in USB slot. 

The Pioneer Elite BDP-23FD has a RS-232C port, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio support, along with an automated control system supporting lossless codecs.

Pioneer expects to ship the Elite BDP-23FD in April for a retail price of $599.

Pioneer previously launched several Blu-ray players across the world, but  the North American market was left without a refresh for some time now.

Standalone Blu-ray manufacturers, despite struggling sales, are all expected to use the CES as a platform to promote their latest wares.