Harman Kardon has been around for a long time. Most of use will recognize the name from the speakers the firm has produced for computers and home theater for years. The company also makes car stereo speakers and other products as well.

Harman Kardon has announced that it will be releasing its first Blu-ray player this month. The device is called the BDP 1 and will sell for $499. For that amount of loot, you get the same basic features you expect in a new Blu-ray player including HDMI 1.3a out, RJ-45 connectivity, and support for BD-Live and BonusView.

The player supports LPCM, MP3, Dolby Digital, Dolby TrueHD, DTS, DTS-HD Master Audio, and WMA. The player also upscales normal DVDs to 1080p via HDMI and can play BD-R/RD media as well. A front panel USB port allows for direct photo or MP3 playback and optical and coaxial digital audio outputs are available.

Harman Kardon