Sony BDVE300 5.1-Channel High-Definition Blu-ray Disc Player/DVD Disc Home theater System (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought the BDVE300 to go with a Sony 52Z5100 HDTV that I also bought from Amazon. I bought it mainly because I wanted to match the two items for both esthetic and practical reasons. The black speakers match the TV perfectly. I can also control both with one controller and easily run the TV sound through the HTS.
I am not an audiophile. So I didn't try to compare technical specs. This review is strictly subjective (in part to counter the one above) and is based on what I have heard while using the system with the TV.
The room in which the TV is located in is a 20 X 20 den/family room with a connecting dining area and kitchen. The entire area is open. It has wooden floors with a single oval area rug in front of the fireplace and TV.
I found the sound to be exceptionally clear and clean, without distortion or unevenness. I can tell a definite difference between the TV speakers and the BDV300 speakers. The BDV300 sound seems more spacious. It fills the room without blowing you away. The sound has more fullness to it than the TV speakers.
I have not tried it at full volume. I have never felt the need to do so. I have watched two musical DVDs, a Mary Chapin Carpenter concert and the 10th anniversary recording of Les Miserables. In both cases the music sounded beautiful and clear. You could hear all of nuances of the voices and the words of the songs were distinct and clear.
If you want strong bass that shakes the room, I am not sure this is the system for you. The bass is there but it is blended in with the other sounds. I am sure I can adjust it for greater effect. However, I am currently running the system at default values.
As for the lack of an S-air wireless cartridge, as mentioned by the reviewer above. It is true you have to buy it separately. However, everything I read about the system stated this plainly up front. If you need this feature it is available as an option. In researching this system I found this individual posted the same opinion on every web site he could find. I don't think his opinion was a fair assessment of the system's capabilities.
I found the set up to be rather easy. The instructions show various options on installing it alone with the TV or with a cable/SAT box or with an external DVD, etc. With the external mic it took about one minute to calibrate and maybe 15 mins. to connect the wires.

Be aware that Sony uses a proprietary plug on the DVD/Radio/Amp end of the system. The speaker end is a simple pinch type terminal. There is a FM & AM receiver as part of the system. I have not tried them yet. The DVD/CD/Blue ray player worked fine.
The bottom line is: The BDVE300 does everything Sony says it does. If you are looking for something to enhance your TV experience and play CDs with good clear sound, this system will do it well. For the price, I think it is an excellent value. I found no "gotchas" or "I can't believe they did this". So I gave it a rating of 5. I am very pleased with my purchase.
John


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Featuring a Blu-ray Disc and DVD player, 1080p upscaling of DVD media via HMDI cables, and BD-Live technology for downloading additional features and network updates, the BDV-E300 is a complete entertainment solution. For powerful sound to enjoy the movie, 1000 watts of crisp audio and deep bass envelop you for one remarkable, cinema-like experience. You can also expand your listening pleasure through the included iPod cradle and rock out to your tunes in a big way.

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LG BX580 Network 3D Blu-ray Disc Player, Black Review

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(More customer reviews)Had very high expectations for this player. The setup was very easy and the bluray playback was excellent. However, I did not purchase this JUST to play my blurays, my PS3 already does that just fine. I bought it for its streaming and Netcast features, which unfortunately work either satisfactory at best, or, in my case (specifically CinemaNow), not at all. CinemaNow just failed to connect, everything else did. CinemaNow support passed the blame to LG, and LG advised me to send the unit for servicing. I told LG that sending a product for servicing one day after receiving it is not an option. So, am returning it back to Amazon and will hunt for a different network streaming bluray player. LG customer support did try to help, but ultimately were unable to and like I said, having to have a brand new product serviced out of the box is simply not acceptable.
UPDATE 10/20/2010
LG customer support CAME THROUGH! Decided to give them one last chance and this time someone answered who actually knew what to do (I know, shocker!). Anyway, "Oscar" was very helpful and told me to reset the LG's IP address from AUTO to Manual and supplied a new IP address and CinemaNow works beautifully. All the other Netcast sites continued to work as well. I will be keeping this unit!!!

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LG BX580 Network 3D Blu-Ray Disc Player

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Sharp AQUOS BD-HP22U 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player Review

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(More customer reviews)Great picture, easy setup, but I agree with D. L..M about the AQUOS LINK. In fact, after reading that review I called Sharp to make sure my TV (1 month old) supports AQUOS LINK before ordering this player. They said it supported this feature so I ordered the player.
After getting the player, I couldn't get the AQUOS LINK function to work. I called back tech support, asked the same question - does this TV support AQUOS LINK? Yes they said. OK, tell me how to make it work. I'm put on hold, they come back after 10 minutes and tell me it is not supported.
So, heads up, these items might indicate your Sharp TV doesn't support AQUOS LINK: The remote doesn't have DVD function buttons, the little feature sticker on the side of your tv didn't say AQUOS LINK or your manual doesn't mention it. I guess that seems obvious, but since tech support said it would work, I just figured this was just a sharp feature that was inherent with the TV's and wasn't anything special.

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Now you can enjoy the best of 1080p video on your AQUOS LCD TV. Especially designed to work with AQUOS LCD TVs, the BD-HP22U AQUOS Blu-ray Disc Player provides seamless operability via the AQUOS LINK function through the HDMI connection. Performing as if it were all one system, the BD-HP22U's Quick Start feature lets you enjoy gorgeous Blu-ray Disc video with the touch of a button in as little as 10 seconds. With HDMI outputs and 1080p as well as DVD up-conversion, you'll enjoy full digital high-definition video and high-fidelity audio. JPEG Digital images can be viewed as a slide show from recorded CD-RW/R with digital images.

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Sony BDV-T57 Blu-Ray 5.1 Home Theater System Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this from Costco a few months ago mainly for the Live Streaming and Netflix features but immediately started noticing little details that eventually led me to despise this system.
I've devised a Pro/Con list to break it down:
PROS -
- The system looks great.
- When volume is maxed out it's a LOUD system with great BASS.
- Upgraded from the previous 5.1 System Sony had without the Broadband connection, Netflix and other online features are great to have.
- Piss off your neighbors.

CONS -
- Asinine boot up time - 20 seconds minimum to get sound to come on! And if you accidentally power off and power on again it will take about a minute for sound to come on (you better have a DVR to pause your show/movie while this thing limps itself to work).
- You have to select the function almost every time upon starting up and adds an unnecessary step. The system seems to arbitrarily select the mode after starting up, while other systems usually have memory that will remember what mode you were in the last time before you turned it off, so if you were watching tv and decide to watch tv again the correct mode would have already beeen selected.
- Background sounds seem to take priority over speech in shows and movies at times making dialogue difficult to hear clearly at certain volume levels (I'm 27 years old with no hearing issues).
- Can't view and select Netflix movies from the system, you have to use your computer. This seems like one of those issues that could have been solved had they thought about it for an additional day before putting into production.
- One of the speakers are now crackling, awaiting the pop any day now (we never have the system maxed out above 30, usually at 22-24 volume range).
I don't recommend this system and I'm disappointed in Sony for not putting more thought/research into this before releasing. It really seems as if they added internet connectivity to the previous system without really dialing in the little details that make this system not worth purchasing.


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Panasonic DMP-BD35K 1080p Blu-ray Player Review

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(More customer reviews)I take my home theater hobby pretty seriously, that's why when it came time to invest in a Blu-Ray player (finally the wait is over!!!), I did a ridiculously great amount of research. I was willing to spend much more money on a blu-ray player, but the prices have come down so much, you don't have to! I narrowed down my extensive search for the right player to the Panasonic DMP-BD35K and the Sony BDP-S350. **I BOUGHT THEM BOTH AND DID A "SIDE-BY-SIDE" TEST!**
I have some nice equipment, so I feel that the test was an excellent representation of the capabilities of these two players. My equipment includes a 100-inch Stewart screen with a 1080p Sony Pearl front projector, an Integra 9.8 DTC processor (with all the latest surround sound goodies), a 7-channel NAD amp, 7 Paradigm Signature speakers, and a dual M&K subwoofer (for full 7.1 surround sound).
I do understand electronics, but the Sony manual was really hard to follow. After only one call to Sony, I eventually got the player set up properly. After I set up the Panasonic, everything became much clearer. The Panasonic manual is so much better. But, who really cares about manuals? How do these two players perform side by side?
Audio for BOTH Blu-ray discs and standard DVDs: The Panasonic unquestionably has better audio. Compared to the Sony, the highs were much clearer. The 7.1 surround sound put me right in the middle of the "explosion" (my first test blu-ray disc was National Treasure I) when the Charlotte blew up. The biggest Audio difference was the bass. The bass in the Panasonic was so much better than the Sony. In fact, my old Sony standard-DVD player had better audio than the Sony BDP-S350. I'd give the Sony 3 stars with the audio. The Panasonic had outstanding treble, bass, and surround: 5-star audio!
Video for BOTH Blu-ray discs and standard DVDs: The Sony's video was good, but the Panasonic's video was fantastic! The skin tones were more realistic and the colors were more vibrant with the Panasonic. The Sony seemed to have a thin gray film over everything -- like looking through a filmy-dirty window. The Sony had 4-star video (it looked good, but not nearly as good when directly compared to the Panasonic). The Panasonic and its upscaling gets an easy 5 stars!
Both my wife and I did the "side-by-side" test by going back and forth between Blu-Ray discs and standard DVDs. We didn't discuss any of our thoughts until we each independently formed our own conclusions. After seeing and hearing both players, we were both in complete agreement that in every way the Panasonic DMP-BD35K was superior to the Sony BDP-S350.
By the way, the card slot on the Sony for BD-Live is very hard to get to. I do like Sony as a brand for some things, but not Blu-Ray players.
For those of you who are doing your research, hopefully I can save you some time to answer if you should buy the Panasonic DMP-BD35K or DMP-BD55K. I called Panasonic and asked the differences; besides the price, there are only two differences. The 55K plays DivX's. If you don't have any DivX's like me and most of the people on planet Earth, this doesn't make any difference to you. The only other difference is that the 35K can only output Dolby True HD and DTS HD Master Audio to a receiver/processor that has an HDMI input. If your receiver doesn't have an HDMI input, you won't be able to get them out of the 35K. If your receiver does have an HDMI input and you'll be using an HDMI cable, then you have absolutely no need to buy the 55K. With the 55K, if you have an older receiver that does not have an HDMI input, you can use the 55K's analog audio outputs so that you can have Dolby True HD and DTS HD Master Audio. That's a nice feature of the 55K if you have an older receiver but want the latest surround sound formats.
Also, to save you some research time, I've already checked out all of the professional reviews including the ones on CNet.com: The Sony is considered ok, and CNet liked the Panasonic so much that it is the first Blu-Ray player EVER to receive CNet's "Editor's Choice Award."
I have to go to the store now and return the Sony player that I bought. I'm keeping the Panasonic!! :-)
Hopefully you found this review helpful!


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Panasonic's two new slim, BD-Live compatible, feature-filled Blu-ray players, the DMP-BD35 and DMP-BD55, offer cutting edge technologies focused on producing the ultimate movie-viewing experience. The BD35 and BD55 both feature an HD Audio Decoder (Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus and DTSTM-HD Master Audio Essential), delivering 7.1-channel surround sound through a 7.1-channel receiver equipped with an HDMI terminal. The DMP-BD55 features high-end audio components and can also output analog signals for 7.1-channel sound, so even receivers that are not compatible with HDMI can produce the newest 7.1-channel surround sound. Both models are equipped with an SD Memory Card slot that makes it easy to transfer images from an HD camcorder or digital still camera that uses SD Memory Cards and are compatible with Panasonic's VIERA Link function so they can be operated by the VIERA HDTV remote control. The combination of a Panasonic Blu-ray player, Home Theater audio system and a VIERA HDTV converts the home entertainment experience into a true-to-life cinematic experience. Consumers can now view and enjoy movies the way the film maker intended -- in stunning High Definition video and audio – right from the comfort of their own home.
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True-To-Life Colors with PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus The PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus video processor was developed after more than 15 years of collaboration between Panasonic Hollywood Laboratory and professional cinema studios in Hollywood. With PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus, users viewing content on Blu-ray Discs enjoy crisp, vivid colors that are extremely close to the original. A high-precision 4:4:4 function creates video signals in which each pixel of the signal from the Blu-ray Disc is color-compensated, so when the player is connected to a Panasonic VIERA HDTV, the colors are even sharper and more vivid.

UniPhier System UniPhier is a Panasonic-created system LSI developed by applying 45-nanometer processing to a consumer product – a world's first. This single-chip integration technology also contributes greatly to the BD35's world's slimmest height of 49mm.

Blu-ray Video Features More Picture
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BD-Live

Life-Like Surround Sound
The BD35 and BD55 both feature an HD Audio Decoder (Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus and DTSTM-HD Master Audio Essential), which supports the 7.1-channel surround sound newly adopted in Blu-ray Discs. Users can enjoy 7.1-channel surround even with systems that do not support HD Audio -- as long as the DMP-BD35/55 is connected to a 7.1-channel receiver equipped with an HDMI terminal. The DMP-BD55 can also output analog signals for 7.1-channel sound, so even receivers that are not compatible with HDMI can produce the newest 7.1-channel surround sound by simply connecting to the DMP-BD55.

Dolby TrueHD, Dolby's next-generation lossless technology developed for high-definition disc-based media, delivers tantalizing sound that is bit-for-bit identical to the studio master.

Delivers enthralling studio-master-quality sound that unlocks the true high-definition entertainment experience on next-generation discs.
Offers more discrete channels than ever before for impeccable surround sound.
Compatible with the A/V receivers and home-theaters-in-a-box (HTIBs) of today and tomorrow.
Dialogue normalization maintains the same volume level when you change to other Dolby Digital and Dolby TrueHD programming.
Dynamic range control (Night mode) enables you to customize audio playback to reduce peak volume levels (no loud surprises) while experiencing all the details in the soundtrack, enabling late-night viewing of high-energy surround sound without disturbing others.

The Panasonic BD55 goes a step further with a high-end audio design and components. Thanks to a 192kHz 24bit audio digital-analog converter and high quality insulators, electrolytic capacitors, copper-foil film capacitors and ultra-low-impedance electrolytic capacitors, the DMP-BD55 delivers the same kind of exciting surround effect and lifelike ambience as today's finest cinemas. The DMP-BD55 can also output analog signals for 7.1-channel sound, so even receivers that are not compatible with HDMI can produce the newest 7.1-channel surround sound by simply connecting to the DMP-BD55.


HDMI Features x.v Color
RGB Color Range

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Panasonic DMP-BD80 High Clarity Audio Blu-ray Disc Player, Black Review

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(More customer reviews)With the BD80, Panasonic has taken its popular BD55, with its excellent picture and sound quality, and added the ability to access online content via the new VIERA Cast feature. Currently VIERA Cast is limited to YouTube, Picasa online photo sharing, stocks and weather via "widgets" but Amazon's on-demand movie service will be available on the BD80 in May. Other internet-based content can be added by Panasonic over time, based on user demand (without the need for a hardware upgrade).
Overall, the BD80 works well as a multi-media player - they added a USB jack on the front for viewing photos, Divx and Xvid videos and listening to MP3 files. This is in addition to the SD card slot (and BTW, an SD card is still required for BD-Live). It would have been nice if the player supported MKV videos, WMV, WMA and M4P files, but I guess we can't have everything. Viewing YouTube is pretty straightforward - you can even log in to view your favorites - and it's nice to be able to do that without a PC connected to your TV.
For Blu-ray and DVD playback, the unit performs extremely well. It isn't the absolute best upconverting DVD player available, but it does a good job wringing detail out of standard def content. And it really shines as a Blu-ray Disc player with top-notch video and audio performance. The player decodes all of the latest surround sound codecs (Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, etc.) to multi-channel PCM and to multi-channel analog outputs (5.1 or 7.1-channel) for compatibility with older receivers and surround processors that lack the latest HDMI audio support. If you do have a newer receiver with HDMI audio support, then you can set the player to bitstream these soundtracks to your receiver for decoding. The player also offers standard coax and fiber optic digital outputs though these do not support the new codecs.
In addition to VIERA Cast and the USB port, Panasonic adds a new "High Clarity Audio" feature which allows you to turn off analog video processing if you're using HDMI for your video output (improving sound quality) as well as a new "3D NR" noise reduction feature for cleaning up noisy Blu-ray and DVD transfers.
It's too bad Panasonic could not improve the load times for Blu-ray and DVDs. As it is, they're pretty much identical to the BD35 and BD55. But at least they did provide a "Quick Start" mode which allows the player to power on/boot up quicker than its predecessors. Even still, the player is a bit slower to load discs than the latest offerings from LG and Samsung.
For those who don't need the multi-channel analog outputs or Divx support, the less expensive DMP-BD60 may be a better choice as it offers the same audio and video processing as well as the same VIERA Cast feature.
Overall, the BD80 is a solid performer. I would have liked Panasonic to include an SD card in the box for BD-Live access (as well as an HDMI cable, instead of those silly composite video/analog audio cables), and it would have been nice to have a Wi-Fi option, instead of requiring a hard-wired Ethernet cable for internet access, but Panasonic is not the only vendor who omits these things. While the online content offerings are currently a bit light and the operational speeds are only average, the excellent audio and video performance and flexible media playback options make this a strong contender in the 2009 Blu-ray model line up.
You can view our more detailed review on Big Picture Big Sound (dot com).

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Panasonic, Blu-ray Player,7.1 Audio out,1080P HDMI output

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LG LHB335 1100-Watt Network Blu-ray Disc Home Theater System, Black Review

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(More customer reviews)I recently purchased a LG LHB335 BluRay all in one surround sound home theater system from Best Buy. The center and right rear speakers emit a whistling noise that sounds like a teapot when boiling. Not quite that loud, but enough to be a very undesirable noise in a new unit. I took the first one back, BB gave me another. Same thing. Then another. Same thing. I have connected it to another location with speaker wiring and a Monster Power supply and yes, it does the same thing! I called LG and they said they have no reports on this problem, but when a search is conducted, many people are complaining. Until this issue is resolved, I would suggest not buying this unit!
EDIT---More details:
The LHB335 has a horrible "Tea Pot" whistling noise emitted from the center speaker. It also comes from the right rear speaker at times. It is so annoying that I took it back to Best Buy. Exchanged for another and same thing! I relocated the unit on a different electrical circuit and that did not help. Bought an expensive Monster power supply due to Best Buys recommendation which did NOT help at all. They asked me to try unit #3 and it also had the same noise! To make sure that it was not just a building electrical problem, I installed it in a friends home. SAME ISSUE! I called LG to discuss the problem and they said they had no reports of such a problem. That is NOT true. The internet has many comments regarding this speaker noise issue. After talking with some friends, they too have returned units with the same problem. I really liked the features of the LHB335, but will not buy another one unless LG can assure me that it will be one that does not whistle!
Edit--Even More Details:
2/24/2011--With all of the positive comments I've seen posted, especially with claims that the noise has been fixed in units manufactured after June 2010, I thought I'll try another one for the basement game room. The price has been coming down drastically, and no wonder with all the bad PR, so I picked one up for $249 from Amazon. I received the unit in a couple of days, set it up (I can do it very quickly since I've been through more than a few of these) made the tweaks for inputs and presto..... No whistle... however there was NO SOUND AT ALL!!! After turning it off and on a few times the sound began working. But the sound would quit and then restart after 3-5 seconds. After talking with LG's deplorable customer service group, they said, "We haven't had any reports of that problem, send it to us and we will look at it." Once again LG displays horrible concern for their customer satisfaction! So it is going BACK TO AMAZON and I will never ever even consider another LG product!!!! So be forewarned.... LG does NOT mean Life is Good.... it means Lots of Grief!!!


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LG has redefined what to expect from home theater. This isn't speakers and a receiver in a box. With the LHB355 Network Blu-ray Home Theater System, you get unrivaled Blu-ray technology, out-of-this world sound and instant entertainment...all in one. More than making the most of your Full HD with Blu-ray, NetCast™ Entertainment Access lets you directly tap into instant streaming movies, music and videos direct from the Internet to your TV.

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BDV-E570 3D Blu-ray Disc Player Home Entertainment System Review

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(More customer reviews)i purchased the sony bdv-e570 blue-ray player home entertainment system in january 2011 and found the display panel to be extremely dim (cannot be seen in daylight and i need to be within five feet to read it at night). i sent it back to sony repair in texas, the technician called me and said the display was normal. this is either a poorly designed system or a defect that sony does not want to correct.

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Samsung HT-BD3252T/XAA Blu-ray Home Theater System (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this system within a few days of it being available...the features I most liked were the wireless rear speakers and the included wireless internet connectivity - the included iPod dock was a plus. I am not an audiophile and felt like I was taking a bit of a gamble with a Samsung product since, while the picture is great, the sound on my 52" Samsung TV is not good! I have had the TV for 1 year and have been using it with an older DVD HTIB and just felt like it was time to upgrade. Had been looking at soundbar and other HTIB systems but wanted something wireless with Internet streaming - I am a gadget freak.
The system sounds great. It looks great. The Internet connection for Netflix, Pandora, and connecting to a PC work exactly as advertised. Very easy to put together and configure with limited directions. The wireless rear speakers make no noise other than what they are supposed to. I did go out an buy stands for the rear speakers...I just felt like I needed to get the speakers off the floor and I am glad I did.
The reasons I am not giving it a 5 star rating: First - twice so far it has lost the network connection and I have had to restart it...never during playback; only after doing some other function and then trying to switch to a network function. Second - I have my DVR connected through the BD3252 for both audio and video and there is a slight delay in` the sound when first resuming play after pausing or fast forwarding video. Third - it is not possible to change any of the configuration on the BD3252 unless you are in BD/DVD mode. To me, none of these are anything more than a mild annoyance but they are an annoyance none the less.
After about 1 month, all in all I am very happy with the purchase and would not consider returning it. I was able to get it delivered to my door for less than $650 which made it even better.


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Sony BDV-E770W Blu-ray Player Home Entertainment System Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a really a great Home Theater/BluRay combo unit. I hate clutter and went for it as this would be a single unit for Music, DVD/BluRay and Internet streaming (Netflix etc). Blu-Ray discs with 3-D surround sound are really amazing as I expected, DVD up conversion is great and sound quality of wireless S-AIR rear speaker is as good as wired (beware, they are wireless just with respect to main base/amp unit. The rear speakers have their own receiver unit that requires power plug and is wired to rear speakers. However, it serves my purpose as I don't need to run wires across my living room.). I was apprehensive that I am paying $100 extra and probably compromising on the sound quality just for little compromise of running wires across room. I did not find any compromise on sound quality (and I am quite picky). I did separate my WiFi router away from S-AIR, after reading about the possible cross-interference. That created another logistics problem: I sometimes watch movies on Netflix streamed through Internet and for best quality like to hook up the wire. Keeping router away meant that I ended up running cable across. Netflix streaming quality was awesome with wire and as good I had observed with PS3 (It's just a shade worse than DVD but way better than connecting via computer). The surprise was that WiFi connection worked almost as well as wired. So I ended up getting rid of this wire too. I have Sharp Aquos 52' LED TV and it seamlessly detects sound from this Sony unit whenever I switch to TV or switch on TV. One more tip that I discovered by chance. I have cheap $2, 6 ft generic HDMI cable and ~$10 mediabridge 6 ft and 15 ft (to connect my laptop to use TV as external monitor). While DVD and Blu-Ray disc quality was same on all 3 cables, Netflix streaming quality was way better with 6 ft mediabridge cable than other two. Probably one needs to buy decent quality shortest cable for limited signal/information relay via streaming. And don't believe in the crap that is floating on Internet. I know digital is 0 and 1. However, those morons forget that it's not just one 0 and 1; there is a stream of millions of 0s and 1s getting across. So it matters how many of those are faithfully transmitted. If input is great it does not matter, even crappiest of cable would do. However, if input is limiting, it does seem to make a difference. I did blind test with monstrously overpriced Monster cables and did not find any improvement over Mediabridge; so just the shortest and decent ones would do. I read one user complaining about lack of headphone jack on the system in reviews somewhere. IT EXISTS. Sony actually did one better. It put it on one of the rear speakers so that it's close to your couch. They just did a poor job of highlighting it. Not so detail oriented people might start crying it does not exist after not finding it on the main unit. Finally, I played tons of music from my iPhone using 3.5 mm to RCA connection (this unit can also play iPod/Phone via USB cable; I just had a very good quality 3.5 mm to RCA with me) and quality was good. It also has Pandora and other links that are suppose to become functional in next update. I tried Pandora via iPhone and it was great. I really can't see any problems with the system.
Bottom-line: It may not be the system for extreme music lovers who want to push sound quality to ultimate purity and can hear notes that pass through 99% of the people. It is indeed a very good composite unit to hook up with your TV (for improved sound) and watch movies on BluRay/DVD/Netflix and avoid clutter of equipments without compromising on the quality of either of the individual functions. I am not into gaming but Sony should come up with PS3-BluRay-home theater combo too. If I have to find fault, my only disappointment is the unfriendly user manual, hard to navigate Sony website (locating information before deciding to buy was pain) and Sony customer care (or lack of it). Also, its website use to describe iPhone app that would let you use your iPhone as a remote for this system. They have pulled it from promos and descriptions. I was indeed looking forward to it and I hope they revive it.
Note: Sony has acknowledged on their website (on eSupport page of this unit) that some of their units are prone to freeze upon software update. I was lucky that mine did not ask for any software update. Its shame that they are not paying to ship the units back to them for repair (as reported by other reviewer). It's enough hassle that you have to pack and ship the unit for something that is clearly their problem. Its not surprise to me as I have heard from many friends that their customer care has always sucked big time. Looks like, they are slipping. They are bit like Apple on making big money via accessories/support. However, apple is quick to suck up when they screw something. It's a tip for Sony management if they want to survive Apple's dominance in consumer electronics.
Update 07-19-10: I did both the software updates provided so far. It added Pandora and improved quality of HD movies available via Netflix streaming among many other small things. Software updates were easy. Only things one needs to be careful about is having wired internet for update, removing discs from the system and not switching the power off while update is in progress. This is a very good system that would take you movie or music experience to another level esp if you have a good TV. All my friends were blown away by its features and quality. We have used it extensively for playing BR discs, Netflix streaming, and music from Pandora, ipod/iphone and experience couldn't be better. It pains me to see that it has just 3.5 star rating, thanks to users who does not want to do more than clicking "add to cart" and switching on the power switch. Just reading the specs before buying and user manual after buying would address almost all of the the issues.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Sony BDV-E770W Blu-ray Player Home Entertainment System

Experience movies in full HD 1080p resolution and powerful 5.1-channel HD surround sound including wireless rear speakers with the BDV-E770W 3D Blu-ray Disc home theater system. This great system minimizes movie wait times so you can begin watching faster than ever. You can also wirelessly stream Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, Slacker, YouTube and more.

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Panasonic SC-BT203 1000W 7.1 Channel Blu-ray Disc Home Theater Sound System Review

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(More customer reviews)We purchased a Panasonic SC-BT203 Blue-ray home theater system from Costco Saturday January 30, 2010. The packaging was not damaged, and there were no indications it had been previously opened. The packaging excluded all speaker cables, and the connectors in the back of the unit are a proprietary design.
We contacted Panasonic, and they ran us through a series of requirements, including faxing the register tape along with the serial number and other details. We went through this process completely twice, because they said they had no record of our service ticket, even though we read it back to them.
We had Costco Valet service (which we highly recommend) try to contact them and that failed. We will never buy another Panasonic product again. The price of replacement cables on a piece part basis from Panasonic for the 7 missing cables is almost 80% of the cost of the original package.
If you get a complete package, I'm sure the quality is good, but if you have a problem like this, service is non-existent. At this point we have a $460 paperweight. Panasonic SC-BT203 1000W 7.1 Channel Blu-ray Disc Home Theater Sound System

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Sony BDV-E370 Sony 5.1 Blu-ray Disc System Review

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(More customer reviews)Just got this all-in-one Bluray theater today. In general it's a nice bargain (especially at the GoldBox deal from Thanksgiving). I use it in our Living Room to replace the TV speakers, so the sound is definitely an improvement. I probably wouldn't use this in a true "home theater" since the subwoofer isn't powered. But for general Bluray listening in the Living Room and for Netflix streaming, it sounds just fine. It does what it claims and has a lot of good streaming options (Netflix, Pandora, etc). Picture quality is excellent. Bluray player is similar to Sony's BDP-S370 player.
However, unlike all of the reviews (on the Internet) of this unit that I read before purchasing, this unit does NOT have DLNA support for streaming music from your local network servers. In fact on page 35 of the included manual in the section "Playing files stores on a DLNA server" it specifically says: "Except for BDV-E370 U.S. models".
This is extremely annoying. It's obvious to me that this device *used* to have this feature, which is why all of the older reviews mention it. My guess is that it was removed in a software update. Yes, I did the network update and now it says that no other update is available. I didn't check to see if DLNA was available before the update. The related setup page for DLNA called "Connection Server Settings" in the "Network Settings" screen is also missing.
Unless you get a really good price deal on this, I'd recommend the BDV-E570 instead which has the DLNA support and also includes the WiFi adapter. I had a wired Ethernet, so the adapter wasn't a big deal. But if I had known that this unit really didn't support DLNA, I probably would not have bought it. Now that it's already installed and working, I'll probably keep it.
Maybe we can convince Sony to put DLNA support back into this device. It's obviously just a software issue and I'm annoyed at Sony for not including this and am annoyed at the reviews that all say it has it when it doesn't. But that's why I'm giving only 4 stars.
Update #1: Since there is no HDMI input, to hook up your cable box you need to connect the digital audio output of the cable box to the input on the E370. You use your TV to switch the video and use the E370 to switch the audio. The only problem with this is that the Sony E370 does not support discrete remote codes for the different audio inputs. It only has a "NextInput" command. So you'll need a smart remote (like a Harmony) that can remember what input is currently selected so that it knows how many "NextInputs" to send to the E370 to get it to the correct channel.
Update #2: (12/17/2010) Just installed the latest v735 firmware and still no DLNA support :(
Update #3: (2/11/2011) With the latest firmware update M04.R.752 I can confirm that DLNA support has now been added to this device. It automatically sees my Windows 7 computer on the local network and can play music and see photos. As others have reported, there still isn't any way to "shuffle" a play list, but that's pretty minor. I would now rate this item as 5 STARS. Thanks to Sony for finally updating this device to what it was advertised.

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Sony BDV-E780W Blu-Ray Disc Player Home Entertainment System (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)This surround sound system is one of the highest rated systems on Cnet.com and many others. Its' sleek design, built in wifi, wireless rear speakers and the 2 HDMI inputs on the back, make for an impressive home theater system in a box. 1000 watts is plenty of power for my 20x20 family room. The center channel is strong enough to really bring the verbal audio through clearly without the other speakers overpowering it. The sub woofer is strong, but not overpowering either. I have the volume turned half way up, and neither the person on the floor below or above have a problem with it. Sounds great! In my opinion, one of the best features has to be the ease of set up. The wires are all color labeled. The surround sound set up is aided by an included microphone that is placed in the seating area during surround sound testing. Very easy. Also, using the Sony interface is a convenience. Hooking the cables from the DirecTv was also very simple, as was setting up the wifi connection. Netflix, Amazon Direct and Vudu are ready to go when connected. Again, the Sony interface is easy to navigate.
I'm very pleased with this system and recommend it. The T.V. is a 73 inch DLP. And, the surround sound works great with it!
The comment following this post is correct, that at this time there isn't a review of this model. Cnet.com reviewed this model's predecessor, the bdv-e770w. Cnet gave the e770w 4 stars, with the complaint that there were no HDMI inputs on the back and that the wifi required an enclosed USB dongle. Both of those complaints were fixed in the new bdv-e780w.
Also, I found mine on Techonweb.com for $460 delivered. And delivery was very fast! Enjoy!


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Watch Full HD 1080p Blu-ray Disc movies and immerse yourself in powerful 5.1 channel HD surround sound with the integrated Sony BDV-E780W 3D Blu-ray Disc Home Theater System. Wirelessly stream movies, TV episodes, music and live sports events from Netflix, YouTube, HuluPlus, Pandora, and more. Plus enjoy the convenience of wireless rear speakers, 2 HDMI inputs, and a universal remote. This incredible system combines premium sound with the convenience of easy connectivity and control.

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Panasonic DMP-BD85K WiFi Enabled Blu-Ray Disc Player (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)There is a lot to like about Panasonic's latest high-end Blu-ray player, the DMP-BD85: excellent video and audio performance, a rich assortment of streaming media options (Netflix, Amazon VOD, YouTube, Pandora Internet Radio and now VUDU via a recent firmware upgrade), and a highly customizable assortment of tweakable parameters for audio and video hobbyists. Also, with built in Wi-Fi via the included USB adapter, it's easier than it used to be to reap the benefits of an internet-enabled player. However, the bland text-based menus and operational idiosyncrasies of the player make it feel a little bit behind the times.
DVD upconversion is very good to excellent, with some enhancements to Panasonic's Uniphier video processor that are only available in the BD85 and in the new Blu-ray 3D players, the DMP-BDT300 and DMP-BDT350. The entry-level BD45 and BD65 players include a slightly lesser quality version of the Uniphier processor, equivalent to Panasonic's 2009 players. Diagonal lines are clean and free from jaggies, 2:3 film cadence is easily detected by the player, preventing the tell-tale moire distortion that can occur on lesser players, and edge detail is smooth and fairly free of aliasing and any combing or tearing artifacts.
Turning to high def Blu-ray Disc playback, advances to the player's chroma (color) upconversion processor enable outstanding color reproduction and color detail from 1080p Blu-ray Disc, superior to Blu-ray playback on some other more expensive players. To be honest, these improvements are only really visible on larger screen sizes (e.g., large screen projection systems) but home theater hobbyists and videophiles will appreciate the exceptional Blu-ray playback quality of the BD85.
Audio quality is also excellent, with some innovative enhancements to the way digital audio is handled that can improve the sound quality, even over HDMI PCM and bitstream connections (specifically the "Jitter Purifier" and "High Clarity Audio" features). By providing more accurate data for the audio clock, the BD85 minimizes jitter that can detract from the sound quality, even when your receiver or preamp does the audio decoding. For those who have older non-HDMI receivers, the BD85's multi-channel analog outputs and on-board decoding for DTS-HD and Dolby TrueHD can provide outstanding lossless audio from Blu-ray Disc (just be prepared to spend some time tweaking the player's speaker settings and your receiver to get the sound dialed in just right).
In our testing, the included 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi adapter worked well. Also with the WiFi adapter is a 3-foot USB extension cable which allows you to place the wireless antenna module outside the audio cabinet where it can get better WiFi reception. We were easily able to stream Netflix in HD using the WiFi adapter one floor away from our 802.11g Linksys wireless router. Access to Netflix, Amazon and YouTube was pretty reliable (though we tested YouTube and Netflix much more heavily than Amazon VOD), and BD-Live features worked well on the player (as long as you give it a couple of minutes to fully connect to the network). Also, for those with the firmware 1.23 applied, as of June, 2010, Pandora is now available in the VIERA Cast screen on this player, and firmware 1.51 (11/2010) brought VUDU to this and other 2010 model year Panasonic players.
But Panasonic made some ergonomic choices here that are a bit questionable. They shortened the remote vs. last year's models by about an inch. And while this does make the basic functions like transport and menu navigation a little easier to operate (at least to my thumbs), the smaller size meant removing the "Set-up" button entirely, and making the frequently used "Display" button much smaller and easy to miss. And although there is a VIERA Cast button the remote, which allows access to all the IPTV streaming goodies, the player lacks an integrated splash screen (as seen on recent LG and Samsung players) which would give you the option to select between disc-based, USB-based on web-based content in an integrated and logical way.
Also, within the "Functions" menu, there is an option called "Network" which actually launches the VIERA Cast screen (why not call it "VIERA Cast" to be consistent?). Perhaps most frustrating to those who watch a lot of foreign films (or non-native English speakers), there is no subtitle button on the remote. Instead subtitle controls are buried deep within the "Display" menu, where you'll also find the nifty 24p mode switch for DVD playback. This is nothing new in the BD85, but it is a questionable choice for a fairly commonly used function.
In the area of loading speed, the BD85 carries on the tradition of earlier Panasonic players being a fairly sluggish disc loader. Sure, there is a "fast boot" option (Quick Start), which can take you from powered off to the basic splash screen and "no disc" message in under 2 seconds. But after that initial boot, you'll still be waiting a while to view your discs - we clocked the disc loading times at about 20 seconds to load a standard DVD, 36 seconds to load a Blu-ray and 39 seconds to load a BD-Java Blu-ray (the first "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie). A BD-Live heavy title ("Inglourious Basterds") can take over two minutes to get to a visible screen, though we did find that using an SDHC card instead of a standard SD card, did speed up this load time significantly, exposing more of the BD-Live content that we did not see when we used the standard 1GB SD card. And that's one more knock - why does Panasonic still require customers to buy and insert an SD card in order to use BD-Live? Why not load the unit with at least 1 GB of on-board memory so that customers are not disappointed to find they need an additional purchase just to use BD-Live?
In terms of disc compatibility and reliable operations, we were only able to find a single disc that was problematic on the player - the first disc in the "Alien Quadrilogy" boxed DVD set. The default Dolby Digital track plays fine but the DTS track on the extended cut of the film emits nothing but silence. Apparently this is an improvement over earlier Panasonic players, some of which were not able to play this disc at all. We also saw the machine shut itself down a couple of times when playing Xvid-encoded AVI files from a connected USB drive. But thanks to some follow-up testing from Panasonic, confirmed by us, this turned out to be media-specific: in other words, if you use a decent quality name brand USB flash drive (instead of the cheap promo USB drive we initially used), the player plays these AVI files fine.
All told, the operational idiosyncrasies of the player are easy enough to get used to, and will be more annoying to hobbyists who like to get into the set-up menus to test various options and settings and perhaps less annoying to the average consumer. It's the performance that matters, and at the moment, this is one of the top performers available for under $300. So if you don't mind a few less-than-sexy menus and operational quirks, then the BD85 will make an excellent choice for a high performance, affordable Blu-ray Disc player.
Our detailed review is available on Big Picture Big Sound (dot com).

Click Here to see more reviews about: Panasonic DMP-BD85K WiFi Enabled Blu-Ray Disc Player (Black)

Start watching your favorite high-definition movies almost instantly with the Panasonic DMP-BD85 Blu-ray Disc player, which features an ultra-fast 2-second boot time. You'll also enjoy BD-Live and Panasonic's VIERA Cast functionality for accessing Internet video content thanks to the included Wi-Fi connectivity (via included Wireless LAN adapter) as well as wired Ethernet networking.
It also includes both a USB port and a Secure Digital (SD) memory card slot, making it easy for you to view and share both digital still images and HD video recorded with an HD camcorder in the AVCHD format (DivX movie format also supported). Other features include compatibility with a wide variety of disc formats (including standard DVD movie discs), HDMI Jitter Purifier, 7.1-channel audio decode analog output, Energy Star certification, and Panasonic's VIERA Link function--allowing you to operate multiple audio/video components using a single remote via HDMI.
Additionally, Panasonic's lineup of 2010 BD Players are designed to reduce power consumption and also feature a slimmer, more efficient design to reduce packaging waste.


Key Features
High-quality image processing via PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus technology for clear and vibrant color reproduction that is faithful to the original film (learn more).
High-definition audio decoder (Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio Essential) takes advantage of the 7.1 channel surround sound now incorporated in Blu-ray Discs.
HDMI Jitter Purifier provides clear, robust bass sounds faithful to the original
Digital Tube Sound Simulator produces the warm, realistic sounds associated with a tube amplifier.
7.1 channel analog audio output to produce a true 7.1 surround sound experience that rivals the movie theater.
VIERA Link utilizes HDMI to enable control all VIERA Link combatable products with one remote.
SD memory card slot enables you to play your photos and movies taken with digital cameras and camcorders by just sliding in an SD memory card into the SD slot.

What's in the Box BD Player, remote control (with batteries), Wireless LAN adapter, power cord, operating instructions
VIERA Cast Online Content Panasonic's VIERA Cast service allows you to stream movies, TV shows and music from a variety of sources without the need of either an external box or a PC. Powered up with Netflix and Amazon Instant Video, you can also access YouTube, Picasa, Bloomberg, and other Internet sites from the special VIERA Cast screen. And as additional sites are added to the 2010 VIERA Cast service, they are added automatically. You'll need to be connected to your home network via Ethernet or Wi-Fi (using the included Wireless LAN adapter).
Specifications

Disc/Media Compatibility

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Experience Movies Like Never Before The DMP-BD85 employs the PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus. Developed in collaboration with Panasonic Hollywood Laboratory, this high image processing technology reproduces clear, vivid colors that are faithful to the original film.
Panasonic's Blu-ray Disc players employ high precision 4:4:4 signal technology, which working in tandem with PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus processes each pixel of the Blu-ray Disc video signal in the horizontal direction to compliment vertical direction processing. P4HD (Pixel Precision Progressive Processing for HD) is another technology that contributes to the superior picture quality of the Blu-ray players. P4HD processes more than 15 billion pixels per second and applies the optimal processing to every pixel.
Panasonic's Blu-ray Disc players further utilize 16-level motion detection to categorize the image motion of each pixel into one of 16 levels; diagonal processing to detect diagonals and correct the pixels accordingly; 1080p up-conversion to up-convert content recorded in the 480i/p or 720p format to 1080p.
This Blu-ray Disc player also provides 1080/24p output, reproducing cinema images from a Blu-ray Disc and DVD in their original 24p form with no need for conversion--enabling you to enjoy cinema images in the same format used in cinema with a 1080/24p-compatible TV.
Complimenting the HD audio codecs, the BD85 Blu-ray Disc player features 96kHz surround re-master, a function that enhances the sound quality of CDs and other sources, and even improves the quality of the multi-channel audio data on Blu-ray Discs and DVDs.

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OPPO BDP-80 Blu-ray Disc Player with SACD and DVD-Audio (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)You should look closely at this player if any of these descriptions fit you:
-You own SACDs or DVD-As and want to play them on the same player you use for Blu-ray and DVD;
-You want to upgrade to a universal player that can transmit all audio and video formats (including SACD and DVD-A) via HDMI;
-You own a high-end video processor (separately or built into your receiver or display) that you want to use instead of the one built into your player;
-You own a processor that does not accept HDMI but does have analog 7.1/5.1 inputs, and want to use them to hear lossless audio (TrueHD/DTS-MA) from Blu-ray Discs.
-You prefer to do business with a smaller company that has a reputation for responsive and effective customer support.
You are not the target market for this player if:
-You require that your streaming solution (for Netflix, Amazon, YouTube etc.) be part of your Blu-ray player -- this player does not stream;
-You own a very large display and need the very best available upconversion of standard DVDs (which would make you a candidate for Oppo's $499 BDP-83);
-You don't want to spend more than the minimum for standard Blu-ray audio and video performance, and you have HDMI-enabled equipment.
-You feel you can benefit from the audio performance of very high-end DACs for stereo or multichannel analog audio (which would recommend the BDP-83 or BDP-83SE).
While I've only had my BDP-80 for a few days, I've become very impressed with the thoroughness and elegance of its design. This is a very well thought-out player, aimed at users who have a reasonable grasp of the technology they're using.
I should note that I did not spend much time on the file-playback capabilities of this unit. I did play a couple of MPG files I had on a thumb drive (there's a port on the front of the player) and found a very nice menu and very straightforward operation. There is a long list of supported file formats.
Some of the things that jumped out at me:
-The very well-packed player arrives, inside the box, wrapped not in plastic, but in an Oppo tote bag made from recycled material.
-The manual is clear, well-written in English, and printed with premium materials. (Updated versions can be downloaded as well.)
-A 6' HDMI cable is included.
-The unit has a very solidly-built feel to it.
-It is silent in operation (no cooling fan) yet does not run hot.
-Tray operation feels and sounds solid, well-damped, and not a bit flimsy. There is no ambiguity about whether the disc is properly centered in the tray.
-Menus are attractive and unambiguous.
-The remote has a number of unusual but useful controls, but is still comfortable and intuitive for basic operations. (Note that it is not backlit; the backlit version costs more and is available direct from Oppo. This is moot if you plan to use a universal remote, as I do.)
-The player is very quick in all modes of operation. It powers up and boots very fast; the tray is ready to open in a few seconds. Blu-ray operations are on a par with the PS3; other types of discs load and play as fast as most regular players.
-In my installation, at least, I connected to my home network, the player immediately configured itself, contacted the mothership, found and downloaded the latest firmware, all in a couple of minutes.
Detailing every feature of the player and remote would basically be to reproduce the owner's manula which, since it's available as a pdf on Oppo's site, you can do for yourself. So I'll end by saying that the player appears to do everything that Oppo says it will do, and does it quickly and without fuss. The company includes a one-year parts-and-labor warranty, and has an excellent reputation for customer support.
You can pay a lot less for equivalent performance in Blu-ray playback via HDMI, even in players with support for streaming services. If that's all you need there may be no reason for you to pay more for a player like this. But particularly if you can use a universal player with Blu-ray, this is not just a great performer, but it's a stone bargain.

Click Here to see more reviews about: OPPO BDP-80 Blu-ray Disc Player with SACD and DVD-Audio (Black)

Overview : The BDP-80 is a full-featured universal Blu-ray Disc player that supports BD Profile 2.0 (BD-Live and BonusView), DVD-Video, DVD-Audio, Super Audio CD (SACD), HDCD, CD and other popular media formats such as AVCHD, MKV video files, digital photos and music. Sharing the same decoder and similarly optimized firmware as OPPO's award-winning BDP-83, the BDP-80 features fast disc load times, quick response to user operations, and robust audio and video controls. In contrast to the BDP-83, which utilizes an onboard VRS by Anchor Bay video processor, the BDP-80 design has been optimized for use as a digital audio/video transport, emphasizing the accuracy of its digital audio/video outputs. At the same time, the BDP-80 is versatile enough to be used as a stand-alone universal Blu-ray player, thanks to its full array of output connections and audio/video decoding capabilities. For video, the BDP-80 features an HDMI 1.3 port that supports 1080p Full HD, 1080p 24Hz, Deep Color and Source Direct modes. Component video, S-Video and Composite video connections are also available for legacy analog displays. In addition to its faithful reproduction of high-definition pictures on Blu-ray Discs, the player can up-convert DVD from standard definition up to 1080p to maximize DVD picture quality. Its "Source Direct" output mode makes the BDP-80 incredibly well suited as a digital transport to feed into an external video processor, a high-end A/V receiver or display device with built-in video processing. Unique features such as subtitle shift and vertical stretch zoom mode makes the player an ideal source component for home theaters with 2.35:1 CIH (Constant Image Height) displays. For audio, the BDP-80 supports internal decoding and bitstream output of the latest sound formats including Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master audio. The BDP-80 also features a configurable 7.1-channel analog output that can be set as 7.1-channel, 5.1-channel, or stereo.

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Panasonic DMP-BD55K Blu-ray Disc Player Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I felt compelled posting a review of the BMP-BD55 after receiving the unit today. I'd been holding off buying a standalone Blu-Ray player given the dearth of Profile 2.0 machines and along with their crazy prices. For those who aren't familiar with the Blu-Ray format, there are many different versions of Blu-Ray players that have varying functionalities lingering in the market today. They are: Profile 1.0, Profile 1.1 (this seems to have become the standard for the new low-end models), and Profile 2.0 (finalized standard). I will keep this review/opinion piece as free of tech-babble as much as possible.
You ay want to avoid most Profile 1.0 players. The reason why I say this is for the following reasons: 1. A large number of them are very slow at booting up. 2. They often have problems playing new Blu-Ray movies, some early models won't play some recent BD movies at all. Many of these machines do not come with HDMI 1.3, meaning you may not be able to get take advantage of the newer HD audio formats.
Profile 1.1 machines have been released in the last year and can play the vast majority of new discs but cannot take advantage of the new online functionalities and special features many new discs are shipping with. Also, updating the firmware can be cumbersome requiring a PC download, then that download being burned to a CD, and then that CD being inserted into your player, and then installed onto player.
Profile 2.0 machines are known as "Final Profile" or "Full Spec". These players come with a network interface, aka an Ethernet card. The Ethernet card allows you to connect your player directly to your home network. The significance of this is that with an Ethernet connection you will be able to directly download firmware updates to your player eliminating the several steps in the firmware updating process. Also, internet-based special features are available.
This is my first standalone Blu-Ray player. Since 2006, I have been using my Playstation 3 (60GB launch model) in anticipation of a full-featured standalone Blu-Ray player that didn't cost an arm and a leg. The moment I read the press release and technical specs of the BMP-BD55 I knew this was the machine to buy. The features that stood out to me are:
1. This machine has Onboard decoding of Dolby TrueHD/Digital Plus and dts-HD Master Audio audio formats, among others. This means, if you have an older receiver this machine can send the audio via bitstream or PCM, and you'll be able to enjoy the discrete audio mastered on the disc.
2. I have an older 7.1 Yamaha receiver HTR-5960 and it does not decodes the HD audio formats. **Correction** That is where your audio options begin with the BMP-BD55, as it can send decoded 7.1 and 5.1 audio to my receiver via the analog output. In other words you're not tethered, per se, to HDMI to enjoy 7.1 or 5.1 master audio and can put off buying that new receiver. The Optical Out interface supports DTS-ES, Dolby Digital EX, among more but 7.1 is down mixed.
3. Profile 2.0. Simple firmware updates, which are done automatically. Access to the internet-based special features, such as trivia games, extra behind the scenes, downloadables like ringtones etc..
4. This machine has an SD card reader. It can read SD cards up to 32GB (if the card has SDHC on it, then the Panasonic will play it). This means you will be able to view your Photos (from your digital camera: still or video), play MP3 songs, view Divx (aka those movies you downloaded from the internet), etc. I definitely recommend you getting an SD card because you may need it for future special internet- features (which are only going to get larger), as the onboard memory is rather limited. A class 6 8GB card can be bought here on Amazon for $12 and less.
5. Video quality (most important in my opinion). This machine has an excellent 1080p upconverting chipset. This means your regular DVD will look excellent. This machine also has 24p (also known as Original Source Output for those who are interested in knowing). Most movies are actually shot at 24 frames per second and this machine supports 24p for both DVD (via conversion) and Blu-Ray.
6. Price. This machine is an excellent deal for its price. Competing machines with the same or less features still cost well above $700MSRP (Denon and Pioneer ring a bell).
7. Nice Size. This player has a very nice profile and is the size of a typical DVD player. It's not razor thin but it's a substantially slim machine and Panasonic finally got rid of that annoying face plate that you have to manually lower and raise to access the disc tray, which the older Panasonic machines had.
My impressions and personal experience with this machine:
I've been using the Playstation 3 as my Blu-Ray player for almost two years and I believe this machine surpasses the PS3 in terms of Audio (7.1 audio output via analog, and solid bitsream for optical out), Audio/Video settings option (the same picture management flexibilities that exist on my HDTVs settings are available on the machine, allowing for greater picture control and flexibility). PS3 owners will know/appreciate this but I can finally use my standard/universal remote again.
What I like:
I personally found the BMP-BD55 has great colour, contrast, and noise reduction performance as viewed on my Panasonic 46" Plasma HDTV. I did a direct video comparison of several movies between the BMP-BD55 and the PS3 and the Panasonic performed better.
I viewed only areas of the films where the PS3 struggled, such as in sequences with diagonal objects (to test anti-aliasing performance), intense light dark scenes (to test contrast and brightness performance). Movies I viewed:
Blu-Ray: (The Matrix, Iron Man, Resident Evil Extinction, Babel, Disturbia, Unforgiven, Tekkonkinkreet, and The Corpse Bride). I found the BMP-BD55 had great Contrast and Brightness. Colour control is exquisite, hardly any noticeable colour artifacts.
DVD: The Incredibles, the Matrix, Evolution, The Time Machine, Bourne Ultimatum, Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, Black Dahlia, Moulin Rouge. I found the 1080p upconversion excellent; DVDs I bought 8 years ago look better than ever and the Aspect Ratio and pull-down performance is very good as well.
Audio Processing: The onboard decoding software and chipset are great. I sent the decoded HD audio channelized audio to my 7.1 receiver and it sounded superb. This feature is important, in my opinion, because my receiver has a hard-time converting new HD audio but the BMP-BD55's on-board chipset sends a crisp decoded signal to my receiver. As a result, it doesn't have to struggle with HD audio and only needs to farm out the audio to the assigned speakers.
Load times: I was thoroughly impressed with the boot-up and load times of the machine. From start to play it took me less than two minutes to load Iron Man
What I don't like:
1. Storage Space: Given online content is going to be downloaded, they could have added at 2GB SD card (probably would have cost them only $3)
2. Would be nice if they included a USB port.
3. This is a high definition movie player. Why the heck is the included cable a composite? They could have included a short HDMI or even an S-Video cable.
I highly recommend this machine for anyone looking to enter into the High Definition Movie Disc market or looking to upgrade their 1.0 or 1.1 player. I've seen this unit for $320 (prices will ultimately go down) but if that is too much for you, I highly recommend getting the BMP-BD35 as a more affordable alternative. The only difference between the BMP-BD55 and the BMP-BD35 are the 7.1 analog out (the 35 doesn't have that feature) and Divx support for burned DVD and CD-R/RW. Other than that, the machines are identical in terms of playback functionality and quality, as they have the same video and audio cards. In my opinion, this is a great deal for a full-featured Blu-Ray player; in terms of functionality, features, and Audio/Video quality you're pretty much set.
In conclusion: I feel this is currently the best stand-alone player (especially for the price) currently on the market and a legitimate and compelling alternative to the PS3; perfect for those who are simply interested in watching High Definition movies and want to enjoy the occasional internet-based extras Blu-Ray movies are starting to offer without worrying about a new "Profile". Technology always moves along but I think, with these new players, the manufactures have finally started releasing "finalized" Blu-Ray machines you won't have to worry about being viable for years to come.
I hope you found this useful and I thank you for taking the time to read my review/opinion.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Panasonic DMP-BD55K Blu-ray Disc Player

Panasonic's two new slim, BD-Live compatible, feature-filled Blu-ray players, the DMP-BD35 and DMP-BD55, offer cutting edge technologies focused on producing the ultimate movie-viewing experience. The BD35 and BD55 both feature an HD Audio Decoder (Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus and DTSTM-HD Master Audio Essential), delivering 7.1-channel surround sound through a 7.1-channel receiver equipped with an HDMI terminal. The DMP-BD55 features high-end audio components and can also output analog signals for 7.1-channel sound, so even receivers that are not compatible with HDMI can produce the newest 7.1-channel surround sound. Both models are equipped with an SD Memory Card slot that makes it easy to transfer images from an HD camcorder or digital still camera that uses SD Memory Cards and are compatible with Panasonic's VIERA Link function so they can be operated by the VIERA HDTV remote control. The combination of a Panasonic Blu-ray player, Home Theater audio system and a VIERA HDTV converts the home entertainment experience into a true-to-life cinematic experience. Consumers can now view and enjoy movies the way the film maker intended -- in stunning High Definition video and audio – right from the comfort of their own home.
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True-To-Life Colors The PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus video processor was developed after more than 15 years of collaboration between Panasonic Hollywood Laboratory and professional cinema studios in Hollywood. With PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus, users viewing content on Blu-ray Discs enjoy crisp, vivid colors that are extremely close to the original. A high-precision 4:4:4 function creates video signals in which each pixel of the signal from the Blu-ray Disc is color-compensated, so when the player is connected to a Panasonic VIERA HDTV, the colors are even sharper and more vivid.

UniPhier System UniPhier is a Panasonic-created system LSI developed by applying 45-nanometer processing to a consumer product – a world's first. This single-chip integration technology also contributes greatly to the BD35's world's slimmest height of 49mm.

Blu-ray Video Features More Picture
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BD-Live

Life-Like Surround Sound
The BD35 and BD55 both feature an HD Audio Decoder (Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus and DTSTM-HD Master Audio Essential), which supports the 7.1-channel surround sound newly adopted in Blu-ray Discs. Users can enjoy 7.1-channel surround even with systems that do not support HD Audio -- as long as the DMP-BD35/55 is connected to a 7.1-channel receiver equipped with an HDMI terminal. The DMP-BD55 can also output analog signals for 7.1-channel sound, so even receivers that are not compatible with HDMI can produce the newest 7.1-channel surround sound by simply connecting to the DMP-BD55.

Dolby TrueHD, Dolby's next-generation lossless technology developed for high-definition disc-based media, delivers tantalizing sound that is bit-for-bit identical to the studio master.

Delivers enthralling studio-master-quality sound that unlocks the true high-definition entertainment experience on next-generation discs.
Offers more discrete channels than ever before for impeccable surround sound.
Compatible with the A/V receivers and home-theaters-in-a-box (HTIBs) of today and tomorrow.
Dialogue normalization maintains the same volume level when you change to other Dolby Digital and Dolby TrueHD programming.
Dynamic range control (Night mode) enables you to customize audio playback to reduce peak volume levels (no loud surprises) while experiencing all the details in the soundtrack, enabling late-night viewing of high-energy surround sound without disturbing others.

The Panasonic BD55 goes a step further with a high-end audio design and components. Thanks to a 192kHz 24bit audio digital-analog converter and high quality insulators, electrolytic capacitors, copper-foil film capacitors and ultra-low-impedance electrolytic capacitors, the DMP-BD55 delivers the same kind of exciting surround effect and lifelike ambience as today's finest cinemas. The DMP-BD55 can also output analog signals for 7.1-channel sound, so even receivers that are not compatible with HDMI can produce the newest 7.1-channel surround sound by simply connecting to the DMP-BD55.


HDMI Features x.v Color
RGB Color Range

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Vizio VBR120 Blu-Ray Disc Player - Black Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)It's frustrating to hear how well this Blu-Ray player works for others, but it's also consoling to realize that I'm not the only one who's experienced problem after problem with it. I won't dwell on the glue issue, since it's been covered well enough by other reviewers. My main complaint is with the seemingly random hardware issues with this model. From day one, powering on the player has always been a crap shoot, and to date I've never been able to turn it on, or eject a disc, using the buttons on the machine itself. Thank goodness for the remote!
Sometimes it will play a disc quickly and without any problems; other times it will click and grind for one to two minutes before getting started. I want to be clear, however, that it's not so much the slowness that bothers me, but rather its inconsistency. Every day is a surprise, because I don't know whether it will turn on and hum smoothly away, or turn on and grind, or simply not turn on at all.
The coup de grâce came tonight, when I settled down to watch an evening film. Picture, but no audio. The user manual, a tome of wisdom, suggested that I either turn up the volume or double-check the mute button. Right. Thanks for the tip. Nor do I have any headphones or external devices plugged in, but the manual doesn't offer any suggestions beyond that.
I plan on returning this unit as soon as possible and exchanging it for something else. My recommendation to potential buyers? It's a great deal if you manage to get one that works as well as the models some of these other folks picked up; but it also seems like quite a few of us have run into a number of similar problems that you may want to avoid by dropping a few more dollars on a different brand.

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