DivX Inc. has announced the DivX certification of an upcoming Panasonic-brand Blu-ray Disc player scheduled to begin shipping in March in Europe and Russia. It is the first such BD player.

"In order to give our users access to the extremely popular, high-quality DivX format, we have introduced the first DivX-Certified Blu-ray Disc Player for Europe and Russia," said Yuki Kusumi, Group Manager of Product Technology, Video Business Unit, Network Business Group, Panasonic AVC Networks Company, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. "The timely launch of this strategic product is a direct response to the strong demand for DivX playback among consumers. We are very confident this product will be very popular in the European and Russian markets."

Over 100 million DivX Certified devices have shipped into the market from leading consumer electronics manufacturers. The format is used with products that range from home stand-alone DVD players to cell phones and other portable devices. It is one of the many competing solutions to bridge the multimedia gaps between personal computers, living rooms and portable gadgets.

Story filed 10.03.08