Yamaha has introduced the BD-A1000, a “universal Blu-ray player” that pairs an optical drive with streaming capabilities. The device allows users to play Blu-ray discs, DVDs, SACDs, DVD Audio discs. It also supports the streaming of Netflix, YouTube and Blockbuster. Dual USB ports can also be used to attach an external hard drive or thumb drive.
Full HD Audio decoding is supported, with four two-channel DACs that split the signal into a 7.1-channel analog output. BD-A1000 also supports the playing of AVCHD, WMV, JPEG, MP3 and WMA files on attached drives or optical discs.
The BD-A1000 is now available for $700.