Design:

Unique design:
The one aspect the BDP 4600 differs from the BDP 3600 is its unusual design. At 1.7 inches, it is relatively flat and is amongst the thinnest players in the market. Its aesthetic round corners, glossy finish and translucent red highlights are amazing. The player perches on an included stand on an angle sloping downward. The player lacks hard buttons; instead it has soft touch sensitive buttons which light up when the player is switched on. When power is unplugged, it appears to be completely button-less and smooth. Because the player is slim, it lacks an ordinary standard disc tray. Instead, it features a slot design system on the side of the system (similar to the PS3).

Connectivity:
Under the unit, are the connectivity ports.  They are relatively lesser in number because of the lesser space on the unit. It lacks multichannel analogue outputs and component video outputs.  However, there are a HDMI output, an optical digital audio output, composite video/stereo outputs and an Ethernet port.  There is also a USB port and a power port, the latter is in the compartment, leading to external power supply. That is a reason why this player is so slim.

Wall Mountable:
Its wall mount ability is evident in its rulebook – rewriting design, making it an attention grabbing high deck.  The deck comes along with hardware for its wall mounting which is where the slim design rules.  On the deck’s front panel are a row of touch sensitive buttons and a small display panel that shows the elapsed time. So, is it worth to shell out more money for a better design? If you think a wall mountable blu-ray player is cool, then this is perfect for you. If you are not fascinated by design, there is the cheaper BDP 3600.

Remote Control:
The remote of the BD-P4600 Blu Ray Disc Player is a tremendously better designed than its previous players.  It has an alluring gloss finish and is probably inspired by the Panasonic models. Its design is pretty much similar to the remotes of the BDP 1600 and BDP 3600. It has big chunky buttons, an intuitive layout and is well labelled. The numeric buttons are at the top of the remote control and the play back functions are right under it. The channel and volume buttons are in the middle of the remote control and the BD J disc buttons at the bottom.  The BD J buttons are colour coded in red, yellow, green and blue and each have their special features. There is also a separate button for subtitles and audio. However, important buttons like the Pop-up Menu, Title Menu and the Disc menu could have been more strategically placed.  There also could have been easy access buttons for NetFlix and Pandora.

Features:

Formats Supported:
Perhaps, the real strength of a Samsung model is its ability to support a huge range of formats. DivX and DivX HD files can be played using either the USB port or on a DVD. The Non DivX files can be read even from a CD and JPEG, JPEG HD, HD and MP3 files can be read from USBs, Hard drives, DVDs and CDs. off this selection, the BDP4600 Wall mountable Blu Ray Player can play AVCHD files from camcorders stored on CDs or DVDs. This wide range of compatibility makes this device a great digital media hub.

Audio Formats:
The BD-P4600 Slim Blu Ray DVD Player is compatible with every HD formats from 1.0 to 7.1 channels, which it can produce HDMI output ready to send to you Television. It supports Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD, and DTS-HD Master Audio Essential. As mentioned early, it lacks an analogue multi-channel audio output; however, it handles audio formats as a bit stream.

PC Streaming:
An impressive feature of the BD-P4600 Blu-ray player is its PC Streaming. When the P4600 joins a network, be it wired or wireless, it can search other computers to find MP3, JPEG and DivX files. Something similar to what the DLNA offers, though not the same guarantee of success.

User Interface of BD-P4600:
The User Interface is visually appealing with vibrant colours and HD graphics. The onscreen menu has a decent layout. It has plenty of options for handling all the audio and video modes and is easy to navigate.  It is really easy to scroll through content, making it a great medium to view digital snaps and watch downloaded videos. There is no slideshow option though. One minor irritant is that the player defaults to dynamic range compression making the dialogue more intelligible at a lower volume and compressing louder explosions.  It does not offer any user adjustable picture controls or HDMI colour space options. Advanced options such as adjusting gamma levels and noise reduction filters are not present either. However, this would not make much of a difference to users who want to keep things simple. The video output resolutions include 1080p (60/24), 1080i, 720p, and 480p. The BD Wise feature sets the optimum resolution when connected to BD wise Products.

Netflix and Pandora Interfaces:
NetFlix allows you to stream over a large number of movies and TV episodes anytime you want to.In the Netflix interface, the instant queue is arranged horizontally on the screen. Like on a computer, you need to find movies and them on the instant queue. That is how you do it on all Netflix Instant Streaming devices, including the Netflix player by Roku, to which the Netflix interface s bears similarity.

Pandora is a free Internet radio service that allows you to program stations to be able to listen to your favourite music. Pandora’s interface is very simple, easy to use and full access is possible from the onscreen menu. Samsung could try going a step further by offering a larger album art images and more information on the artists.

Wi-Fi:
With the BD-P4600 Full HD Blu-Ray playback Player, you can access Internet using Wi-Fi. But for that you need to buy an 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi dongle, which Samsung sells separately. This is one area where LG and Sony fall behind, they do not offer this feature. However, the model has problems connecting through Wi-Fi. It fails to connect to a network sometimes and we think that the Ethernet port is a more valid option to surf the Internet.

Profile 2.0 Compliant:
The Samsung BD P4600 is Profile 2.0 compliant, which means you can receive extra features like sub-titles in other languages, additional terminals, film trailers, game endings and other bonuses. It offers consumer access to different places on DVD and other Blu-ray offers. However, there has not been great content on BD Live as of yet. Hopefully, Samsung will try providing more features. There is a 1 GB in-built Memory provided to store all the downloads from BD Live.

Performance:

Video Playback:
The BD P4600 delivers rewarding hi-def pictures and can play every track available on Blu-ray, with Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD Master Audio inside the player and delivered over HDMI It handles colours with a deft hand, while managing to convey gentle and soft tones effectively and stronger colours with deep saturation equally good. The colours are punchy; however, the player seems to struggle on certain occasions to keep motion under control.  The GUI is impressive, while it is not as good as the Sony’s Xross Media Bar., it still is reasonably fast and the graphics are crisp and vivid.

There is sufficient vividity to skin tones and the edges are well marshaled and the field depth is acceptable. However, the overall depth and sharpness of the image is not as impressive as some other players and the movement is not exactly smooth- there is consistent juddering. It offers clear and a radiant presentation; however some shots show minor flickering as well. Chapter skipping was slower than its counterpart the BD 3600. The Silicon Optix HQV Disc instantly detects the correct cadences on the Film and Resolution Loss tests and reproduces them as rotating bar patterns.
Overall, the playback is fine, with its high levels of colour and detail and its low noise levels.

Load speeds:
Speed wise, it is a strong performer managing to take only 18 seconds to power on and load times for Java intensive Blu-ray discs were equally impressive. The PS3 might be faster, but it would not matter much to an ordinary user.

Competent upscaler:
When it comes to upscaling, The BD-P4600 manages to upscale the DVD with similar competence. There is picture noise but the DVD clarity is fine when upscaled to 1080p. The BDP 4600 seemed to be picky about its HDMI handshake when linked to a screen or a multichannel receiver. Another drawback is the fact that sound is just satisfactory; it does not have a low frequency presence or dynamic potency to make the most of great action films. The CD playback reminds you of highly compressed MP3 playback.

Power Consumption:

The BDP 4600 consumes less energy. It uses a mere one watt when on standby and 16 watts while watching movies.

Warranty:

The Samsung BDP 4600 comes with a warranty of one year from the date of purchase.

Verdict:

The USP of the Samsung BDP 4600 is its wall mount-ability.  It might not be what most people are looking for, but if you want your Blu-ray player to look as good as the picture quality it delivers, this is a fine choice. The Blu-ray playback is great; however, upscaling is just not one of the model’s strengths. It has good streaming capabilities and offers Internet Access through WI-FI.  The inbuilt memory of 1 GB and good loading times are added bonuses.  The remote design and the picture quality could have been way better. It is very similar to the Samsung BD P3600, and lacks a 7.1 channel analogue output which is present on the BD P3600.But, if you do not mind shelling out a few more pounds for its design; the player would not disappoint you.

Check Latest Blu Ray Disc Players, Samsung Blu Ray Player Reviews, Specs in this website.

Samsung BD-P4600 Blu-Ray player - Technical Specification Table

Philips, a late entrant, has finally launched a trio of BD Players: The Philips BDP9100, the Philips BDP 7300 and the Philips BD3000. Amongst the three, the Philips BDP 3000 is targeted at the price conscious consumer. The Budget baby lacks some of the high-end features, but it does the basics pretty well. And in the following review, we will be seeing in detail about this model.

Design:

The Body and the Front Panel:

The Philips BDP3000 Blu Ray Disc Player is simple and very attractive. Its clean and minimalist lines gives it a unique look and makes it look a lot pricier. The case is 435 mm and a foot deep and its width roughly about half a meter. Its size and sturdy casing makes it well suited to stacking it under your Television. Its rounded edges are a relief from the harsh lines of most players launched this year. It’s brushed black chassis and a glossy black front panel makes it look a class apart.  The front panel has a disc tray, a one line LCD screen and 4 plain buttons for play, eject, pause and power. The unit has a pretty much featureless front side compared to its other siblings. Its tray loading mechanism is strong enough to resist clumsy treatment. Being a replacement for a DVD Player, it not only plays Blu-ray discs but also all DVD (Region 2) Discs and home recorded discs as well. It lacks a USB port on the front panel that the other expensive models have.

The Back Panel:

The back of the BDP 3000 Blu Ray DVD Player has a host of useful ports, the most universal of which is a HDMI output socket that allows anyone to plug their player into their HD TV. The Composite video port along with the stereo audio RCA ports is just what cinema buffs need. A Digital Coaxial socket (with support for Dolby 7.1 surround) is also included. Like most Blu-ray players, it outputs 1080/24p and HD audio bit streams. There is an Ethernet port included which allows you to connect your Blu-ray player to the broadband router. Expecting Wi-Fi perhaps at this price point is unreasonable. The built in memory is not large enough to store downloads, so keep a USB flash drive plugged into the port. To allow BD-Live to connect, you must plug in a memory stick of at least 1 GB size. It is messy and incredibly stingy; however it works without a hitch.

The BDP 3000 lacks multichannel analogue outputs which will be a problem if you want to enjoy sounds with a high resolution and the receiver lacks HDMI inputs.

Remote Control:

The remote control of the BDP 3000 looks akin to those high end plasma TV remotes. It is smaller in built than most of them. It has the usual buttons that your DVD player remote control has. So if you know to use a DVD Player, it would not take much time for you to get a feel of the controls. It looks uncluttered and is very easy to use. The buttons are carefully arranged and the controls are instinctive. The Remote is compatible with all the Philips ‘Easylink’ devices as well.

User Interface:

Surprisingly, the interface of the BDP3000 is great. Philips has used the same interface as it has in the other models of BDP series. The Home menu is a bright colourful screen and the options are limited to Play Disc or settings. Selecting settings will give way to an eye catching screen with signpost like options. Since the controls are close by to each other, it is easier to use them.

Features:

Enjoy the Blu-ray experience:

With the BDP 3000 Full HD 1080p Player, you can enjoy your favourite movies with more details than you have ever seen before. The HDMi 1080p upscaling makes playing ordinary DVDs better.  The Dolby TrueHD is a great add on to the player. It plays CDs and has an Easy Link that can connect to other EasyLink products and control all of them with one remote.

Sharper Images:

Since Blu-rays have high storage capacities, they store pictures in the 1920 x 1080 resolution which translates to crystal clear high definition images. The uncompressed surround sound delivered makes the audio experience unbelievably real.  Exciting features like pop in menus and seamless navigation add a whole new dimension to entertainment. The BDP3000 Player plays videos at 24 frames per second, providing you a unique image texture.

BD Live 2.0:

The BDP3000 features BD Live 2.0, an online function that allows you to download HD Movie trailers, quizzes, games and more from the Blu-ray title menu. You can store all this on your Blu-ray player hard drive or an USB flash drive and re-watch it whenever you want to, allowing you to build your personal movie library.

DivX Ultra:

DivX ultra enables you to play DivX Media files along with great features like integrated subtitles, multiple tracks, multiple audio languages and menus into a convenient file format.

The USB Drawback:

The BDP 3000 lacks a USB port on the front, the first casualty of the low price of the player. It has a USB port at the back, but that is only for storing data from BD Live or accessing it. This port cannot play media files like DivX, JPEG and MP3, which is why they have placed the port at the back, to prevent confusion. If you want to play your media files, copy them to a CD/DVD instead.

Media Supports:

The player supports BD Video, BD-R/RE 2.0, DVD, DVD-Video, DVD+R/+RW, DVD-R/-RW, DivX, Video CD, CD and CD-R/CD-RW. It is also a DivX certified device. Its EasyLink HDMI-CEC functionality allows you to control the other Philips products that are connected via HDMI.

Performance:

The performance of a Blu-ray player determines its saleability. After inserting a disc, playback started in 30 seconds, pretty much the same as the Panasonic BDP7300. The user interface is responsive and easy to navigate. In terms of picture quality, the player is simply outstanding. The Images are bright with solid contrast, vivid colours and well defined edges. Sure, the Pioneer BDP-LX52 offers pristine output. But for its price tag, the Philips BDP 3000 is very impressive. The detail reproduction is perhaps its greatest talent. It portrays the tiniest of shrubs with great details. However, juddering is quite evident in 24fps mode and the picture is noisy sometimes. These are not major downsides, but they stop the player from scaling the same heights as the best decks in the market. The Standard DVDs are upscaled to 1080p resolution making the details look crisp. The Dolby TrueHD is pretty decent and the stereo outputs are warm and detailed.

Warranty:

The Philips BDP3000 comes with a warranty period of one year from the date of purchase.

Verdict:

The Philips BDP3000 might lack a variety of features like the Built in Memory, USB Media Playback or DTS HD Master audio recording; however, its cool styling, simple onscreen menus, fast disc playback and excellent build quality should give it a mass appeal. The USP of the Player is excellent quality picture and a decent audio for a reasonably cheap price. Its decent range of video and audio ports and an Ethernet connection are great. Yes, the BD Live arrangement is cumbersome, it lacks a wireless network support and the only way you can play your media files is by a CD/DVD. However, its strengths outweigh its weakness. And for price conscious consumers, this is the perfect choice for your first blu-ray player.

Check 2010 Best Blu Ray Players, Philips Blu Ray Player Reviews in this website.

Philips BDP3000 Blu Ray DVD/Disc Player - Technical Specification Table

The Samsung BD-P1600 has taken all the best features from its predecessor, like great value and sleek design, improvises on them and also upgrades it with the latest next generation features. The player now literally possesses all the features one would expect out of a Blu ray player like, on-board decoding for Dolby True HD and DTS-HD Master Audio, BD live and Profile 2.0 compatibility. In addition to this the player has gone beyond basics by including the internet streaming services like Netflix and Pandora streaming, a much improved operational speed and also the ability to add the WiFi functionality with the USB dongle. Of course, the main functionality of the device is to play Blu-ray discs and we are glad to say that, despite the addition of all these bells and whistles, the player does not lose focus on its main functionality. Though it seems to have some black spots in the design of the player, the player seems to be offering excellent value in performance and features.

Let us have a detailed look at the Samsung BD-P1600 Blu-ray Disc player.

Design:

Sleek player:
The Samsung BD-P1600 Blu Ray Player somewhat resembles the traditional design of Samsung with a glossy smooth finishing, a perfect match for the Samsung TV sets. By measuring (H x W x D) 2.1” x 17” x 7.8”, the device has a sleek design that has been updated design when compared to the previous models which were very attractive themselves.

Annoying Front Panel:
With the uncluttered design of the front panel, you will be left wondering where the disk tray will be. This is basically because the tidy and sleek front panel folds down to give access to the disc loading tray, playback buttons and a USB port. This set up similar to the one that was found in last year’s Panasonic model, the DMP-BD10. But the good news in this model is that, BD-P1600’s tray opens and closes automatically when the disc is ejected with the remote control.

Yet, this panel is something that we did not prefer because the main buttons like open, close and power have been hidden behind it and this means that you have to flip it down manually to make any adjustments. And since the USB port is also hidden behind the panel, if you are going to use the BD live storage, the panel has to be left open permanently, which is certainly not going to look that good. One of the reasons why Samsung must have placed the USB port in the panel is perhaps because the back port is occupied by the WiFi adaptor. In addition to this, the flip door does not seem to be strong either, we would not be surprised if the panel breaks or stops popping out automatically after a while.

The player gives audio confirmation for the Touchkey and Power buttons which can be disabled when required. The screen scrub bar and the LEDs in the front too are adjustable.

The redesigned remote control:
Of course, the flip down panel will not be a big issue for you if you are going to use the clicker, if not the buttons, for most of the commands. The remote control that comes with the player has had a substantial makeover over its earlier design, but in some ways, the makeover has gone wrong. Most of the buttons have been intuitively and logically placed and there is a good amount of space left between the buttons. But the annoyance is that, some of the most commonly used menu buttons like the Disc menu, Title menu and the Pop-up menu have been moved to the bottom of the remote and very confusingly labelled. It would have been great if Samsung had included easy access buttons for Netflix and Pandora; in order to activate these services, you have to dig deep into the menu system. The glossy plastic finish feels a bit cheap, but it is still an improvement on the styling of Sammy’s older players.

Standard connectivity:
The connectivity offered in Samsung BD-P1600 Blu-ray Disc player is quite standard. HDMI for handling 1080p HD Video and High resolution multichannel audio and component video output that outputs Blu-ray at 1080i and standard DVDs at 480p are available. The player also sports the basic audio connections like optical digital audio output and analogue-stereo output. You will also find an Ethernet port and a USB port to be used with the WiFi adaptor in the rear and as we had mentioned above, there is an additional USB port in the front panel.

Upgraded Interface:

The BD-P1600 Prifile 2.0 Blu Ray Player has a very attractive GUI with the combination of HD graphics and some vibrant colours. Being attractive does not mean that the interface was user-friendly and intuitive. The vertical alignment of the layout and set-up menus are very confusing and resembles the menu system of some of the high end Denon receivers like the AVR-3808CI. However, you will be rarely digging so deep into the set-up menu system, and so the issue is very minor. The interfaces of Netflix and Pandora are better, with the interface of Netflix being similar to that of its own player by Roku. The instant queue is arranged horizontally on the display, the movies have to be added to your instant queue using your computer. The interface of Pandora is extremely easy to use and you will be getting full Pandora access from the onscreen menu. Samsung could have improvised this menu system by providing a larger album art pictures and some information on the artists.

Features:

Compliance with Profile 2.0:
As in the case of most of the Blu ray Disc players that came to market in the year 2009, the Samsung BD-P1600 too complies with Profile 2.0. This indicates that the Player can playback Internet enabled BD live feature that is available in some of the latest Blu ray players. To make use of these features, BD-P1600 must be connected via either the Ethernet or WiFi with the help of a USB WiFi adaptor which is not included in the package, and a USB flash drive also has to be connected for the sake of storage. The player only has 256MB of on-board storage, so any extras you download will realistically have to go on a separate USB memory stick.
The BD Live files are so small, that we cannot explain why they are not already on the Blu-ray disc itself. This is not Samsung’s fault, but it is looking increasingly as if BD Live compatibility is just not a good enough reason to choose between Blu-ray players

Impractically Wi-Fi ready:
The fact that BD-P1600 is Wi-Fi ready is appreciable, but the disappointment is that the option is not very practical for everybody. The USB WiFi dongle is quite expensive and when that cost is added with that of the player, it comes to a tag that is close to that of Samsung BD-P3600 which is a step up version, which includes a WiFi adaptor in the package. And this step-up version also has features like 7.1 analogue outputs, onboard memory and PC streaming. So, we would advise you to go for this model if you are particular about WiFi access.

Netflix Streaming in BD-P1600:
Coming to the highlight feature of BD-P1600, the Netflix streaming, we can say in short that its functionality is identical to Roku. This feature allows you to stream anything from the “Watch Now” section of Netflix. A major gripe with this feature is that, most of the SD content is not Wide-screen. The initial catalogue of movies and TV shows lacked lustre, however, with the recent deals with CBS and Disney, the content section of the site has been improved significantly. Each set of services have their own set of advantages, and we prefer Netflix over Amazon Video On Demand that is offered by the rival DMP-BD60K of Panasonic. The overall user experience is great.

Audio Features:
Having the on-board decoding feature for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, the soundtrack formats can be decoded to be played back on almost all the HDMI capable AV receiver. Bit stream output is also supported, if you would rather the decoding be done in your AV receiver. The legacy DTS formats like Neo:6, ES Matrix, DTS 96/24 and ES can be decoded by the formats available in BD-P1600, unlike the players featuring DTS-HD Master Audio Essential.

Formats supported:
If you have ideas of transferring digital media from your PC to blank discs or a USB disk, Samsung BD-P1600 does play AVI, DiVX, MPEG video, MP3 music and JPEG images.

Performance:

Blu-ray Playback performance of BD-P1600:
As we know, the picture quality of the entry level models is always not that great, so we were really keen to see how Samsung BD-P1600 performs. We were really surprised by its performance as the player depicted the full details without any sort of jaggies and crisp. The performance of BD-P1600 is in par with its step up model the BD-P3600 and also its rival Panasonic DMP-BD60. Skin tones look natural and gradation in colours is reasonably good, though there is some visible picture noise in backgrounds. It’s not serious and pictures remain watchable at all times.

When the video is flicked to the 24fps mode in order to create a more cinematic feel by slowing down the disc a modicum, but it is really hard to discern any appreciable difference as it can occasionally introduce some lip sync problem.

Speedy Response and Loading Times:
If there has been one thorn in the side of the recent Blu ray players, it is their painfully slow and irresponsive loading times and navigating discs. The latest series of the Samsung players has made a great progress in this issue. For instance, the BD-P1600 loaded “Confessions of a shopaholic” in just 16 seconds, whereas the rival Panasonic model took 21 seconds. The difference will be much higher in the discs with elaborate menus. While the Samsung model loaded “Spiderman 3” in just 63 seconds, DMP-BD took 87 seconds. Apart from disc loading, BD-P1600 was much more responsive than most of the models in the market; as speedy as the PS3 reference model.

DVD playback:
We cannot deny the fact that there are a lot of movies that are still available in standard DVD than in the Blu ray format, hence, the performance of Standard DVD is still an issue of concern. The BD-P1600 did a very good job in upscaling to 1080p by resolving all the details of the initial resolution pattern without any issues of image instability. But the player let us down with jaggies. As far as the DVD playback is concerned, we would prefer the Panasonic model as it was much cleaner and sharper.

Average sound:
The Samsung BD-P1600 Blu ray DVD player is more about pictures than sound as the soundtracks lack a bit of the punch. The Samsung digs up a fair amount of detail from high-definition soundtracks, but the overall sound is dynamically flat. The dialogue throughout the “Australia” movie is not as clear as it is on the player’s closest rivals, and the film’s musical score needs greater punch. That being said, playback of simple MP3 files from a USB flash memory stick delivers plenty of mid-range and treble detail, while CD playback is on a par with most DVD players and by that we mean basic.

Power consumption:

The power consumption of BD-P1600 is much less when compared to some other players. It consumes less than 1Watt in standby mode, 13 Watts at the home screen, 19 Watts in playing movie and 14 Watts playing Pandora.

Warranty:

Samsung offers its BD-P1600 Blu-ray player one year limited warranty.

Verdict:

The Samsung BD-P1600 Blu ray disc player is a great performer in all the areas. Though this player is not the best player around, but importantly, its improvement over the BD-P1500 is great. The best part is that, even though the model is an upgrade from the one of last years, you are paying less for it. It will be very mean of us to criticise the very small issues that the player has, for the price tag it is available in. We are very happy with the list of features in this entry level player. If you are after a decent player that can handle some digital media types, the BD-P1600 will be a great option.

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Samsung BD-P1600 Blu Ray Player - Technical Specification Table

BD60EB- A fantastic unique design:

The Panasonic DMP-BD60EB-K Blu-Ray Disc Player has a unique look that makes it stand out from the rest of the crowd. The unit has a glossy black finish that is dominated for its appearance. The basic functionalities and controls are not that obvious as the controls like open, close and play must be triggered by black rectangle in the middle of the unit and the power button is a silver circle in the centre. Though they are not that easy to figure out in a single look, they do a great job by keeping the front panel of the unit sleek. The Panasonic BD60EB attains an excellent balance between the tacky gloss of Samsung  blu ray players and the more conservative balance of Sony players.

Connectivity:

Normally there is nothing much to criticise about design of a disc player’s back panel, but the unusual USB port in the design of BD60EB’s is worth pointing out. Surrounded by a plastic wrap, the port is deep-set into the unit; however the small opening may not hold some of the fat USB thumb drives which lie around. Panasonic Blu-ray Disc theatre and player models are equipped with an SD Memory Card slot and USB terminal. You can immediately view motion images recorded with an HD camcorder in AVCHD format, and JPEG images taken with a digital still camera. It also plays disc recorded data on to USB memory device.

Hefty remote control:

The sturdy remote control of BD60EB is quite long and hefty too. Unlike the metal remote controls that come with its TVs, this one is made out of plastic and hence it is not as hefty as that one. The remote is pleasant to use and is quite well laid out. A full feature remote is included in the pack which has the capability of executing every command from any angle with certain limits.

Features:

Briefly, the major Video features of Panasonic DVDs are PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus, High Precision volume in the ratio of 4:4:4, Pixel Precision Progressive Processing for HD, 1080/24p Blu-ray Disc and DVD Playback whereas for audio, Built-in Dolby True HD, Dolby Digital Plus and DTS-HD Decoder, 192kHz/24bit Audio D/A Converter, 96kHz Surround Re-master for All Formats like BD, DVD, CD and MP3 are mainly features that comply with the player.

BD-Live supporting Internet enabled content:

Panasonic BD60EB is the first standalone Blu-ray player that is compatible with an even more advanced Profile 2.0, which is also known as the BD Live. BD-Live can connect to the Internet and play Blu-ray movies that have Internet-enabled content, such as interactive multi player games, trailers and extra features that can be download from the Internet to local storage, e.g. on exchangeable memory like an SD memory card. The technology gets you the most from your movie watching. In the near future BD-Live will enable users to join in quizzes and challenge each other in super interactive games.

VIERA CAST gives you access to YouTube, Picasa and other selected internet content directly through your Viera TV and the BD LIVE feature gives you access to interactive features linked to bonus features on Blu-Ray Discs.

Blu-ray Clarity in Sound:

Hear the details you may have been missing for so long with Panasonic’s outstanding sound clarity. Eliminating the analogue video signal output prevents noise from being generated by analogue video signals allows for crisp, clear sound recreation from digital sound signal. Eliminate unwanted noise and enjoy the same true, rich sound quality from the DMP-BD60EB-K Blu-ray player as it delivers in high-quality Blu-ray video. True to life sounds that surround you as if you were really there. You can feel and hear the difference that only Panasonic Blu-ray disc players can deliver.

When the analogue video terminal is not being used, the electrical current that flows through the analogue video circuit can be stopped. This prevents adverse effects on the audio signals and produces an even clearer sound.
The results are astounding.

The Blu-ray Disc theatre and players feature decoders that are compatible with all of the latest 7.1-channel surround sound formats used by the Blu-ray Disc standard. The 96 kHz Sound Re-master function enhances the sound quality of CDs and other sources. It even raises the quality of the multi-channel audio data on Blu-ray Discs and DVDs. By increasing the amount of sound information the Surround Re-master can produce highly realistic sounds. The 7.1-channel analogue signal converted by the new 192 kHz D/A converter is transmitted in high quality. This signal can be connected to a receiver that does not support HDMI.

Brilliant picture quality:

The unbelievable detail delivered by Blu-ray disc is enhanced by Colour technology which has almost doubled the range of colours that can be accurately produced on screen. As a result, we can see the natural colours visible to human eyes like, vivid reds, blues and greens for brilliant life-like images. You will be able to see how close the pictures match in real life by just plugging the BD60EB Blu-ray DVD/Disc Player cable.

P4HD and PHL Reference Chroma plus Technology:

PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus is one of the high quality image-processing technologies which are developed by Panasonic in order to precisely process each pixel of the Blu-ray Disc video signal in the particular vertical direction. It reproduces colour data with twice the accuracy of conventional systems which keeps colours as said faithful and sharp.

The BD60EB Blu Ray DVD Player is also equipped with an SD memory card slot and USB Terminal, so you can immediately view motion images recorded with an HD camcorder in AVCHD format, and JPEG images taken with a digital still camera. AVCHD-format on USB devices cannot be playback.

The Panasonic’s reference UniPhier chipset is the unique P4HD technology processes more than 15 billion pixels per second, generating each pixel correctly according to information obtained from up to 60 surrounding pixels, and applies the optimum processing to every pixel in the video data on the disc. The result is images with exceptional resolution.

Implementation by Know-How:

Panasonic has collaborated with Hollywood filmmakers for more than 15 years through the company’s Hollywood Laboratory, in order to accumulate the know-how and expertise for the need to achieve faithful colour reproduction between original movie footage and Blu-ray media. This allows Panasonic to bring outstanding images which approaches towards original cinema quality right into your living room.

Input and Output methods:

There is certain standard collection for Panasonic blu-ray disc players. HDMI AV Output, Component Video Output, Video Output, 2ch Audio Output, Digital Audio Output (1 Optical), Ethernet for BD-Live, VIERA CAST and Firmware Update are the output capacities of Panasonic BD60EB player. It also has a legacy composite video output, which is bounded to 480i standard-definition resolution.

User Interface:

Despite the sophistication of the Panasonic BD60EB Disc/ DVD player, setup is straightforward. As far as the interface is concerned, the BD60 features the same lacking user interface. In terms of navigation and ease of use, there is not anything much to complain, and in fact, it is very good. But, it does not match with the eye candy that the other competing models possess.

A whole new range of interactive entertainment possibilities
The start of the Blu-ray revolution is the outstanding high definition picture quality; Blu-ray technology which also enables a new range of exciting and interactive entertainment possibilities. If you wanted to watch your favourite film with the director or lead actor by explaining significantly captured moments in the film, the backstage pass to the world behind the silver screen is its Bonus view.

DMP-BD60EB Blu-Ray performance:

Coming to the part of performance, all the details were well presented and no minuses will be noticed. The overall picture quality is very good and in par with the high end models that it had been put in comparison with. The disc loading performance also seemed to be much better than what was expected out of it. The discs will take 23 seconds to load with the player left on and also takes just a little more than half a minute with the payer switched off. Though these speeds are quite good, they are very well suitable for consumption due to its unbeatable quality and branded product service for long years in the market.

DVD performance:

The Panasonic BD60EB displays the full resolution of DVD with no visible image instability. Though, some of the video based features are disappointing, DVDs are still the ones that are widely available and cheap and so, this is one of the major factors that is to be taken in to consideration while reviewing a Blu-ray player.

Warranty:
Panasonic BD60EB blu-ray disc player comes with one year limited warranty period.

Verdict:

Panasonic BD60EB has a very high end and durable design, good performance and a great deal of features. If you are not willing to invest so much on a blu ray player, you can consider the Panasonic BD60. BD60 is also a good option, which you can get for reasonable price but then if you are looking for the absolute picture quality then stick to it at no cost compromise.

Panasonic BD60EB’s big plus its solid rock performance, if you are looking for some latest and high technical features, then you will have to look elsewhere, the best choice go ahead in purchasing disc player is Panasonic BD60EB blu-ray disc player. The player is inexpensive, exceeded expectations, convenient, easy to use, best picture and sound. It has all the basic features that work perfectly. Firmware updates are a tremendous asset of this BD player. These are the statements from BD60 consumers. This is proven success for Panasonic’s BD60EB blu-ray disc player for its compatibility and flexibility.

Thus from our point of view, the Panasonic BD60EB had been the landmark for the blu ray format, being its first player that could actually be recommended whole heartedly.

Check other Panasonic Blu Ray Disc Players reviews in our website.

Panasonic DMP-BD60EB-K Blu Ray Player - Specification Details

At the very initial stage, Blu-ray DVD Players may have popped out as a mess, with befuddling “profile” and distressingly very slow load times. But this is the first year, the standalone players have finally kept together their efforts to bring out an excellent player. The following review is on Sony BDPS360B Blu-ray player and let us see if this player lives up to the expectations.

Sony BDPS360B is the entry level Blu-ray player which is distinctive among the new breed of Blu-ray players. Even in the BDPS360B the rudiments are covered with Profile 2.0 support and on board decoding for DTS-HD Master Audio Essential and Dolby TrueHD. Besides all the rudiments, Sony BDPS360B does not have much to offer. Like its rivals, Sony BDPS360B is not able to deliver any streaming of internet content, such as Amazon video on demand, Youtube, Netflix or Pandora. The model lets us down because of some stumbles in the design like the recessed USB port and the deficiency of eject button on the remote.

On the positive side, the player has an occupying feature in the interface that is of great interest to the purchasers, the polish that went into BDPS360B’s XMB inspired menu system. Sony BDPS360B Blu-Ray DVD Player, indeed has got a very stylish exterior design and also offers an authentic Blu-ray playback.

Design:

Front Panel Design:

The Sony BDP-S360B attains an excellent balance between the tacky gloss of Samsung players and the more conservative balance of Panasonic players. A glass like shimmering look is given to the design, with the front panel’s dark and semi transparent appearance. Similar to Samsung’s BD-P1600’s design, when tried to open the disc tray the entire front panel flips down, but it is found that Sony’s implementation is less clumsy. The BDPS360B’s dimensions are also appreciable giving it a very small footprint, a slim 16.9 inches wide, 22 inches high and 8.1 inches deep.

Back Panel Design:

Normally there is nothing much to criticise about design of a disc player’s back panel, but the unusual USB port in the design of BDPS360B’s is worth pointing out. Surrounded by a plastic wrap, the port is deep-set into the unit, however the small opening may not hold some of the fatter USB thumb drives which lie around.

The Remote Control:

The remote included in the pack has a great layout and a very simple design, but it is lacking the open/close button to operate the disc tray which is a disastrous flaw to it. If you are one those people who pops open the disc tray before you get off the couch to change discs, you will find it quite foiling. It could be overcome by purchasing a quality universal remote, as BDPS360B is capable of receiving an open/close IR command.

Sony’s XMB User Interface:

Sony’s own XMB user interface is used by BDPS360B Blu Ray Player, which is now available on almost all Sony products with a video output. There is no problem zipping around the BDPS360B’s menus, but everyone may not find the layout interesting. If you are not used to Sony’s XMB interface, it is not irrational as said, the large icon’s on the LG BD370’s menu system, the learning curve is not very hard. Apart from the graphics, the polished feel of BDPS360B surpasses the other Blu-ray players. You will enjoy the small modifications done like screen fading to black when you stop the movie and the player navigating quickly among the Blu-ray Disc menus.

Features:

BD-Live:

Like almost every other 2009 latest Blu-ray players, the Sony BDPS360B is Profile 2.0-tractable, which gives it the capability of playing back BD-Live features that are available on some Blu-ray movies. BD-Live features must be downloaded from the Internet for which you need to make an Ethernet connection and also plug in the USB memory drive to save it. The BD-Live content is not very obligating, even though the technology is relatively new.

On-board Decoding:

Sony BDPS360B is featuring onboard decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio Essential through which the soundtrack support is gratifying. Which means, it can decode all those soundtrack formats so that they can be played back on almost every HDMI-capable AV receiver. If you have decoded in your AV receiver, bit stream output is also supported.(DTS-HD Master Audio Essential differs from standard DTS-HD Master Audio in which it lacks decoding for few legacy DTS DVD soundtracks formats such as DTS 96/24, ES, ES Matrix, and Neo:6.Still it decodes all the high resolution Blu-ray DTS soundtracks.)

Output Capacity:

Sony BDPS360B Profile 2.0 Blu Ray Player has a standard collection of outputs. There is an HDMI output which is capable of outputting Blu-ray movies at 1080p, and also upscales standard DVDs to 1080p.  Even though you got an older HDTV, there is a component video output, which will handle Blu-ray at 1080i and DVDs at 480p. It also has a legacy composite video output, which is bounded to 480i standard-definition resolution.

Audio Features:

As aforesaid, the player has HDMI output for high resolution; multichannel audio can be used for an effective sound. BDPS360B consists of both the types of digital audio outputs optical and coaxial, which is really a nice bonus, as many Blu-ray players only include optical. If you have an older AV receiver there is a stereo analog audio output, but there is no multichannel analog output in this model.

Internet Streaming:

Like the other entry level players from Panasonic, Samsung and LG, the BDPS360B does not offer any streaming internet contents, such as Netflix, Amazon Video on Demand, Youtube, CinemaNow, or Pandora. The output quality is adding a lot of value to BDPS360B, especially it is significant for people who do not feel the image quality leap from DVD to Blu-ray. It is storming that why the Sony’s Bravia Internet Video Link which is providing similar functionality is not added into the new Blu-ray players.

Brilliant Picture Quality And Master-Quality Sound:

The unbelievable detail delivered by Blu-ray disc is enhanced by x.v. Colour technology which has almost doubled the range of colours that can be accurately produced on screen. As a result of which, we can see the natural colours that we can see like, vivid reds, blues and greens for brilliant life-like images. You will be able to see how close the pictures match in real life by just plugging the BDPS360B Blu-ray DVD/Disc Player into HD ready TV using HDMI cable. The same applies in the case of audio.  This model can support a wide range of audio formats, from stereo right up to uncompressed 7.1 multichannel surround which presents master quality sound and music through best playback.

Bravia Theatre Sync:

The “one-touch play” feature of the remote control allows you to manage easy selection of BRAVIA televisions and Sony HDMI audio and video components with the included remote control.

Multi-format Versatility:

BDPS360B plays Blu-ray discs of formats BD-ROM/R/RE, DVD, DVD+R/W, CD, CD-R/W, MP3 AND JPEG. The player allows you to playback all your favourite DVDs in high resolution as it is backward compatible.

Component Video Output:

When player is connected via component output to your projector, plasma and/or LCD/CRT televisions it achieves greater colour accuracy and high resolution playback capability.

Expanding Technology:

The new model integrated rigorous licensing control, powerful encryption and other content protection. The Blu-ray disc Technology provides power to copy its data-content to your compatible components. And also to enjoy music and movies on your PC it offers flexibility to make managed copies across a home network.

Quick Start Mode:

This device provides faster loading times by using the Quick Start Mode. By using this mode you can operate BDPS360B within just 6 seconds from the moment it is powered on.

Parental Lock:

The BDPS360B’s menu features a parental lock and rating system adjustment for parents who wants full control of media content played back through player.

Full Featured Remote:

A full feature remote is included in the pack which has the capability of executing every command from any angle up to ±30°.

Performance:

Blu-ray players incline to provide very similar picture quality and they all look much better than DVDs, but definitely, there you can find some difference in the entry level players. If BDPS360B is connected to Sony KDL-52XBR7 via HDMI and set to1080p mode with 24 frames per second, the output is disabled.

Video and Film Resolution Tests:

If you pop in Silicon Optix’s “HQV” test suite on Blu-ray and browse the test patterns, the initial Video Resolution Test looks good, with full resolution and no excess jaggies on the rotating white line. The BDPS360B Blu Ray Player also comes out successfully the other two jaggies tests, without showing any of the jagged edges we sometimes notice on budget players. Even in the film resolution tests, BDPS360B does not show any shortcomings.

Operational Speed Test:

Some tests on the operational speeds of have already commented on how fast BDPS360B is at navigating menus, which brings high hopes on its disc-loading performance. Unfortunately, BDPS360B came out as the slowest of the new 2009 models, when tested by loading “Mission: Impossible III”, it played in 23 seconds with the player already on. Where the Samsung BD-P1600, LG BD370 and Samsung BD-P3600 loaded the same movie in less than 16 seconds, and the Panasonic DMP-BD60k takes 21 seconds. Discs with elaborate menu systems like “Spider-Man 3” and “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” took 1 minute and 28 seconds and 1 minute and 56 seconds respectively to load which is same as the DMP-BD60. The Samsung and LG players loaded these titles 30 seconds faster.

Standard DVD Performance:

As most of the home theatre friends will pile up significant library of DVDs, we will go through the results of standard DVD test suite. The BDPS360B passed the initial resolution test, clearly showing all the resolution in the test pattern, but some image instability is noticed. In the video based test, plenty of jaggies on a rotating white line were noticed along with three pivoting white lines. In the part of high concern, the BDPS360B passed the 2:3 pull down test, with no wavy surfaces visible in the grandstands as the race car drove by.

BDPS360B Pack Details:

The packing of the Sony BDPS360B comprises of the Sony BDP-S360B Profile 2.0 Blu-ray Player itself, Mains lead, Remote commander (remote), R6 (size AA) batteries and Owner’s Manual.

Warranty:

Limited warranty is provided for the parts and labour for 1 year.

Verdict:

Sony BDPS360B holds Blu-ray basics with ease and with its added new features, like Profile 2.0-compatible, on-board decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio Essential, its excellent video and sound quality on most Blu-ray movies compared to its competitors, its sleek design proves that it is an excellent value for the money paid. Though there are some disappointments, they are quite minor. It is simple and fast set up. It got good connection options, simple controls and menus. It works extraordinarily with Sony Television. We at bluraydiscplayers.org.uk recommend this player is best choice for a shopper when looking for a compact, portable, affordable Blu-ray player with modernised features, excellent sound and video quality.

Sony BDPS360B Blu-Ray Disc Player - Technical Specifications, Features

A high end, stylish and durable design:

Aesthetically, the BDP-LX71 Blu Ray Player has got Pioneer’s fingerprints all over it, and thanks to its glossy black fascia it will soon be covered in yours too. But it is a very small price to pay for such a seriously good looking player that boasts heaps of classy touches such as a silver trimmed play button, an alluring blue light and a row of touch-sensitive buttons that cause a white light to flash momentarily. The display panel is also a cut above the usual budget fare, showing title, chapter and time information in big, bold digits and it even shows you the current output frequency.

Having packed in a great deal of features, the Pioneer BDP-LX71 Blu Ray Disc Player is big in its size too. It has about twice the height of most of the modern day blu ray players, having its dimensions as (H x W x D) mm 124 x 420 x 360mm. And yet, it is a stylish looking unit. Overall, the player has been designed stylishly and despite its size, the finish is quite classy and has got expensive look and feels extremely durable. Pioneer has put in some efforts to maintain the symmetry of the device.  For instance, the power button on the left is mirrored with an identical looking play button.

Pioneer maintains its standards:

The AV receivers and DVD or blu ray players will all fit together perfectly as they are designed to work better with each other, instead of mixing and matching the components. Pioneer has almost set this to be one of its standards for its range of home cinema devices. The BDP-LX71 Blu Ray DVD Player has included almost all types of outputs that you will ever need. Its set of outputs include an HDMI socket, component video out, S-video and even composite outputs. While the HDMI socket is the best way that you will be able to enjoy high definition 1080p video to your TV, whereas composite outputs are also included which is hardly ever going to be used.

For audiophiles:

Pioneer has completely flattered us by including analogue 7.1 audio outputs, which take the form of RCA jacks. Hence, with the help of these jacks you will be able to pass decoded audio from Blu-Ray to an AV receiver. This set up will be extremely handy if you do not intend to use HDMI for audio, or your receiver does not support the latest lossless codecs. Though BDP-LX71 from Pioneer has also got the coaxial and optical digital audio outputs, and as they do not carry enough data, they will not be of much use for high def sound. But when it comes to DVD, they are the perfect ones for conveying sound to surround-sound receiver.

Sturdy remote control:

The remote control offered is not different from the one that comes with the other pioneer electrical. It is quite long and hefty too. Unlike the metal remote controls that come with its TVs, this one is made out of plastic and hence it is not as hefty as that one. The remote is pleasant to use and is quite well laid out.

Well designed user interface at BDP-LX71:

The user interface of Pioneer BDP-LX71 certainly deserves the appreciation. It is simply wonderful as the menus are extremely easy to navigate and got ample options that are more than enough to control player without confusing the user. The basic set up that Pioneer has offered is quite good and does not require any adjusting to be done. With the help of the output resolution button, you will be able to choose the sort of video output that you would need, whose options include auto, 480i, 480p, 1080i, 1080p or source direct. The source direct setting sets the output to whatever is recorded on the disc. The videophiles will be having a great time with the player as it comes with an extensive range of video adjustments. The adjustments that you can make includes black level, gamma correction, hues and colour intensity, sharpness and many more.

Features:

Pioneer BDP-LX71 is unfortunately a profile 1.1 blu ray player and hence you will not be getting an Ethernet socket for downloading additional content from the internet. And this is going to be one of the major disadvantages of the player. The BDP-LX71 has something special in its bags for the audiophiles. It has got a built-in system that aims to reduce audio jitter over HDMI, but to enjoy this feature to the fullest; you will need a set of top-of-the-range speakers and a pioneer AV receiver. And of course considering the fact that this blu ray player is fully aimed at the class of people who expect to get the best out of everything.

The BDP-LX71 also features DIVX playback, which has become standard on most DVD and Blu-Ray players recently. This feature will be extremely handy if you have got a good collection of standard definition videos that are downloaded from the net. But then if you are MKV HD freak, you have nothing in offer.

One of the best features of BDP-LX71 is its picture processing modes. They have included a lot of them such as the default ones like LCD TV to plasma TV and special pioneer plasma setting, which is optimised for pioneer’s own TVs. The device has also got custom modes that would allow you to tweak the settings to your wish.

Picture quality:

The deepest blacks are very pure, with rich colour rendition and naturality. The motion handling has also been phenomenal. The DVD quality is pretty good, though there are some noise artefacts. The video has a lot of detail and is sharp. The DVDs are upscaled and processed correctly. The audio is very impressive. It is well balanced, speeches are crystal clear and the sound effects are great.

A slow starter:

So far, the blu ray player that has got the fastest loading time is Sony PS3 as it takes just 43 seconds to load and start playing and the fastest stand alone player is Samsung BD-P1500 that starts to playback in just 1 minute and 9 seconds. Hence, when compared to these models, the BDP-LX71 is quite slow as it takes almost 2 minutes to start a playback.

Warranty:

Pioneer BDP-LX71 comes with one year limited warranty.

Verdict:

As we mentioned in the introduction, Pioneer BDP-LX71 is not the one for you if you are looking for a budget blu ray player. Otherwise, it has a very high end and durable design, good performance and a great deal of features. Though it is of profile 1.1, it is well suited for most of the people. If you are not willing to invest so much on a blu ray player, you can consider the Panasonic DMP-BD35, which is equally a great choice. PS3 is also a good option, which you can get for half price but then if you are looking for the absolute picture quality, then stick to the other alternative.

Though the Pioneer BDP-LX71 has a list price of about £600, this model is still available for about £500, which is a good deal of price reduction. This piece of player is an absolute value for money.

Pioneer BDP-LX71 Blu-Ray DVD Player - Technical Specification Details

The LG BD370 Blu-Ray player has very similar features of its predecessor but its major upgrades are, onboard decoding for DTS-HD master audio essential and much quicker loading times. Yet, it still proves to be having issues with the image quality on both the areas of Blu Ray playback and DVD playback.

BD370 - A completely unique design:

The LG BD370 Blu-Ray DVD Player has a unique look that makes it stand out from the rest of the crowd. The unit has a glossy black finish that is dominated by a silver square. The large silver button on the facia of the player adds to its handsome looks as it has got an engraved blu ray logo and glows blue when the player is turned on. The display panel is large and easy to read. You will not find an exposed tray as it hides behind an automatic door on the left hand side of the player. This arrangement is much better and wiser than the one found in the latest Samsung model. The basic functionalities and controls are not that obvious as the controls like open, close and play must be triggered by silver rectangle in the middle of the unit and the power button is a silver circle in the center. Though they are not that easy to figure out in a single look, they do a great job by keeping the front panel of the unit sleek.

The other additional front panel controls including an USB port are accessible under a flip-down panel. One thing that you have to keep in mind is that, this is the only USB port available and hence, if you insert a thumb drive for the sake of BD-live functionality, then  the front panel has to be left open. The disk drive of LG BD370 is very slow and jerky which has nothing to do with the practical use of the unit but then this surely raises a question on the durability of the player.

Standard connectivity offered:

The connectivity that is offered by LG BD370 Blu-Ray Disc Player is very standard and it would have been great if an additional USB port had been included. The connectivity options include a HDMI port, a component video and for the sake of audio, there is a standard stereo analog output, with both optical and coaxial digital-audio outputs included. This a good move as most of the players tend to stop with just an optical output. And finally, a USB port in the front and an Ethernet port in the rear, but there is no WiFi option on offer. With the USB port included, it can not only be used for BD live purposes, it can also be used to playback DivX, MPEG-4, MP3, WMA and JPEG files.

Fine Remote control:

The remote control that is provided is one of the best ever ones that is provided with a blu ray player. Some of the controls like disc menu and Home have been separated appropriately and most of the playback controls fall very comfortably under your thumb. And the most like and appreciated part in the remote is that, some of the seldom used buttons are hidden under a slide down cover on the bottom half of the remote. This is a great thought and gives the remote a very simple look.

Snazzy graphical user interface:

The user interface that has been employed in the LG BD370 Blu-Ray and HD DVD player is similar to that of its predecessor. That is a wise move not to change it as it is good. It makes use of snazzy, bright and fashionable high definition graphics and easy to understand icons. The BD370 makes all its functionality available for the user right from the initial set-up. When you hit the Home button on the remote, you are presented with a gorgeous main menu, decked out in a bright, vibrant background skin which can be changed in the setup menu. In the foreground the different types of media available such as Movie, YouTube, Photo and Music, are presented with eye-catching icons.

Netflix:

The Netflix experience does not differ from the one that you could possibly get from the Netdlix player by Roku. You can watch all of the “watch now”videos. But we have to admit that there are a few flaws too. For instance, most of the standard definition content are not widescreen. But overall, it is a pretty good user experience. Though the initial catalogue of movies and TV shows are not that interesting, their recent deals with Disney and CBS have greatly improved the selections.

YouTube:

The LG BD370 Blu-Ray player also offers CinemaNow access which allows pay per rental pricing same as that of satellite and cable video on-demand services. As expected the YouTube functionality has been included and is surprisingly very responsive. It just takes a fraction of a second to get the featured, most viewed and the top rated videos. A search functionality has also been offered. Initially the videos are played in a small window but you can always see it widescreen by clicking over the Display button. The bad news here is that, it does not have an aspect ratio control. It is worth a few clicks.

Other features of LG BD370:

As in the case of all the other blu ray players in the market, the BD370 is too Profile 2.0 compatible. Profile2.0 compatible means it has the capability to play back the internet enabled BD live features that are available on some of the new Blu-ray movies. As you might be already aware, an Ethernet cable has to be connected for the access and a flash drive for its storage. You will be able to see an array of logos in the player, including the support for Dolby TrueHD  and DTS-HD master audio.

As we had mentioned in the introduction one of the major upgrades in LG BD370 is its support of on board decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio Essential. This allows the player to decode these soundtrack formats so that they can be played back on almost all the HDMI capable AV receiver. If you are not happy with the range of features offered by LG BD370, then you may choose the LG BD390 that offers built-in WiFi, 1GB of onboard memory and even 7.1 analog outputs, with a great operational speed.

Blu Ray and audio performance:

Now let us move on to performance. Now a days, the image quality of many of the high end players have become virtually impossible to differentiate. Yet, a slight variation can be noted in the entry level models. LG BD370 had a lot of jaggies and hence fails on part of film resolution and video resolution. But practically while watching real time movies these shortcomings are not that dominant. Hence, it is worth mentioning that these issues occur only the player is set to 1080p with the 24fps mode disabled. Said that, if your  HDTV accepts 1080p/24fps signal then the BD370 would give you a pristine image quality. As for sound quality, the LG does a fine job at transferring HD audio bitstreams and converts to PCM without compromising the dynamism of the original soundtrack.

Quick loading:

Though the LG BD370 does not have the best image quality in this price range, it makes it up with its swift load times. The player takes an average of 15 seconds to load the disc when switched on and this value increases when movies with extensive menu options are inserted.

DVD performance:

DVD performance is also another very important factor to consider before purchasing a Blu-ray player. The initial resolution is very good and the LG BD370 displays all the details very clearly sans any image instability. Jaggies are a problem again in the DVD playback too.

Verdict:

The BD370 is one of the most exciting Blu-ray players to emerge in quite some time. This player has encountered an equal amount of hits and misses. If you find the netflix feature too hard to miss, then LG BD370 is itself the best choice. Else if you find the issues with the image quality too pricking, you could opt for Samsung BD-P1600 and Panasonic DMP-BD60K , both of these models exhibit a better performance. So finally, what we have got to say is that, if you are a videophile and would accept only premium image quality, then you would surely want to look for another player.

LG BD370 Blu-Ray DVD/Disc Player - Technical Specifications, Features

Sleek design:

Design wise, Panasonic DMP-BD50K Blu-Ray Disc Player has a lot of similarities to the BD30K model. On the whole it is slimmer and lighter, having its dimensions as, (W X D X H) 430mm x 313mm x 59mm, weighing 3.3kgs. It has a sleek and glossy design as the Samsung and LG players. It possesses a black and silver theme with the blu ray logo towards the left end followed by the Panasonic logo and model name. In the center lies the LED display, which has an appreciable large size, making it visible from across the room.

Unlike its brother, which had a pedestrian look, the DMP-BD50K Blu Ray Player adds on some style factor too. The disc tray is in the middle part of the unit, behind an automatic flip door. Far, towards the right end you will find a manual flip down panel that reveals the other ports such as, SD card slot, a USB port, and some minimal playback controls which are of great use when the remote control goes missing. There is also a bright light located toward the top of the front panel, which is an indicator for the SDHC card slot. Annoyingly though, as in the case of its predecessor BD30, BD50K has its disc opening and power buttons in the wrong place. We guarantee that you will turn the deck off when you mean to eject the disc, on a day to day basis.

The same remote control:

Though there are slight tweaks made with the design of the player, the design of the remote control remains stagnant. There is nothing to criticise on retaining the remote control as it had been designed logically and for most of its parts, we liked it. The important playback controls are big and blue, with the main directional pad surrounded by unique functions like that of the pop-up menu. The clicker can also be used to control a TV and AV receiver if programmed to do so.

Input and output:

DMP-BD50K from Panasonic offers most of the main inputs that you would ever need. At the back you will find the Ethernet port that makes BD Live content accessible for the first time, along with the Viera Link-capable HDMI output. The most important connection includes the HDMI output which is capable of handling high definition video of up to 1080p and the high resolution audio too. For analog high-definition video, there is also a component video output, but Blu-ray Discs are limited to 1080i over component and DVDs to 480p. For audio, there are 5.1 multichannel analog outputs, and with the on board decoding, you can enjoy high-resolution audio even on older receivers that lack HDMI connectivity. It would have been very handy if 7.1 multi-channel analog outputs were included, but this will be an issue only if you have a 7.1 audio system setup.

Interface:

Despite the sophistication of the DMP-BD50K DVD player, setup is straightforward. As far as the interface is concerned, the DMP-BD50K features the same luster lacking user interface. In terms of navigation and ease of use, there is not anything much to complain, and in fact, it is very good. But, it does not match with the eye candy that the other competing models possess.

BD-Live:

Panasonic DMP-BD50K is the first standalone Blu-ray player that is compatible with Profile 2.0,which is also known as the BD Live. Having the BD Live feature, it is capable of accessing the internet enabled features that is available in some of the movies like Walk hard and Rambo. The lack of built-in memory, makes the players seem quite cheap for its kind of price point. Hence, an empty SD card has to be kept as handy in order to access these features. The card is not supplied and the feature will not work without one. Another thing that you will have to keep in mind is, the player has to be connected to internet via the Ethernet port. The bonus content is nothing much but some trailer downloads and clunky remix this movie software. The PS3 handles the BD live content much quicker and is very evident especially while working with the interactive content. The DMP-BD50K, being compatible with the Profile1.1, otherwise called bonus view, can access the picture-in-picture commentary tracks in some of the discs such as Sunshine. Another small unique feature of DMP-BD50K is that, it is Deep Colour-compatible.

Other features of DMP-BD50K:

Panasonic DMP-BD50K Blu-Ray Disc Player features state of the art silicon capable of advanced audio visual signal processing. When it comes to picture, it outputs up to 1080p 24 from Blu-ray and boasts the same processing power that made the BD30 HCC’s favourite player. Lurking within Panasonic’s reference UniPhier chipset is the P4HD pixel processor for detail retrieval, as well as a PHL (Panasonic Hollywood Laboratories) Chroma Processor that up samples colour data to max out the nuances in the BD format. However, while the chipset is the same as that on the BD30, the software is different. Consequently, the player does not give exactly the same performance as its predecessor.

Audio features:

Panasonic DMP-BD50K blu-ray player has an outstanding support for sound tracks. On board decoding facility is available for most of the high-resolution soundtrack formats like Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, which eliminates the need for any new receiver in order to take advantage of an improved audio quality. This Blu-ray player also has the ability to output high-resolution soundtracks in bit stream format, which gives you an option of letting your AV receiver handle the decoding duties. You will be able to get a better bass management if bit stream is used.

Memory card slot:

The SDHC card slot under the flip down panel on the front will allow you to read different media types including MP3s and JPEGs with resolutions up to 1,920×1,080. And another thing to be noted is that, it can play back high-definition AVCHD video from high-definition camcorders that record on SD cards.

DMP-BD50K Blu-Ray performance:

Coming to the part of performance, all the details were well presented and no jaggies will be noticed. The overall picture quality is very good and in par with the high end models that it had been put in comparison with. The disc loading performance also seemed to be much better than what was expected out of it. The discs take 23 seconds to load with the player left on and also takes just a little more than half a minute with the payer switched off. Though these speeds are quite good, they are not as good as that of the LG BH200.

DVD performance:

Though the DMP-BD50K is a Blu-ray player, DVDs are still the ones that are widely available and cheap and so, this is one of the major factors that is to be taken in to consideration while reviewing a Blu-ray player. The DMP-BD50K displays the full resolution of DVD with no visible image instability. But, some of the video based features are disappointing.

Warranty:

Panasonic offers DMP-BD50K one year warranty for parts and labour.

Verdict:

Panasonic DMP-BD50K is Profile 2.0-compliant with excellent image quality with the Bluray discs, onboard decoding for all high-resolution soundtrack formats SDHC card slot can play high-definition AVCHD video. But the player is expensive when compared with the PS3. The standard DVD playback lacks luster and the operational speed is still sluggish. Panasonic DMP-BD50K’s big plus its solid rock performance, but if you are looking for some latest and high tech features, then you will have to look elsewhere, for some other strong competitors like Sony. The main rivals that were released in par with DMP-BD50K were the Samsung BD-P1500 and the Sony PlayStation 3.

Check other Panasonic Blu-Ray Disc Players, Latest Blu-Ray Player Reviews in this website.

Panasonic DMP-BD50K Blu Ray Player - Technical Specification Table

The Pioneer BDP-LX91 Blu-Ray Disc Player has lot of its features taken from its last years BDP-LX71 model that had set a trend. As soon as you unbox the product, you would get the feel that a real treat is waiting for you straight away.

Built like a tank:

Pioneer describes the design of the player as, “ Built like a tank” and the player’s design justifies it being a square glossy tank. It is a bulky device weighing 13.8 kilograms and mimics the current series of the LX-AVR in terms of balance and finish. This player is made out of solid aluminium and the design is quite modular and the unit possesses a unique architecture such that each board is designed to perform a specific job which is unlike the current Panasonic Blu-ray players that do all their functions using a single chip. May be its that, having dedicated parts for each job, makes the job done to be perfect.

Pioneer BDP-LX91 BD-Live Blu Ray Player is certainly not a style icon, but has an interesting bulky look. The facia of the unit has a glossy black finish. This gloss black that the player is having cannot be compared to that of the other gloss blacks of that of the cheap players or even that of the PS3. This gloss black is less reflective and is completely scratch proof, finger prints are unavoidable though, but you will be able to wipe them off with a soft cloth and hence not ruining the delicate appearance of the unit. A great deal of attention has been paid to built quality and the components, for instance the choice of the capacitors used and the copper plated screws, which hold the entire system together. The wiring of the system has been twisted in a way that it minimises the noise.

Remote control:

The Pioneer BDP-LX91’s remote control is a good looking one and suitably functional. The brushed steel appearance adds a lot to its good looks, so good that it makes us wonder why Pioneer did not use it on the front of the player instead of going with the glossy black finish. The directional pad has a clicky feel and the ‘OK’ key in the middle of it too.

Hefty selection of outputs:

The rear of the unit has a quite a large selection of video and audio outputs. There are two HDMI outputs of which, one can be used to send video to a display and another to output only the audio to your speaker system. You might be wondering what is the need of two separate outputs, it is because HDMI packets the audio and video signals together and hence, this kind of a set-up will reduce distortion in the audio signal. The other connectivity available are, analogue Component video outputs and standard definition S-Video and Composite outputs. The availability of the analogue 7.1 surround outputs will make the owners of slightly older versions of audio equipments happy, that would allow them to enjoy high definition output in their existing device. There are eight Wolfson digital to analogue converters which means, one for each channel, but usually the other players in the market have one digital to analogue converter (DAC) which will be shared by the channels. A feature called Precision Quartz Lock System ( PQLS) is employed which is highly significant, which allows to control the clock frequency of the Blu-ray player. The audio clock has been entirely redesigned the audio clock to reduce jitter across all the outputs. The pure audio mode shuts down the video board maximising the performance. In addition to all these audio enhancing capabilities, the analogue audio board has a dedicated power supply which would give a final touch to the finishing.

The standard definition digital outputs are available, which means one optical and coaxial outputs are available. Being a profile 2.0 player, it supports a port for LAN, which enables the device to be connected to internet and also in firmware updates. The proprietary Pioneer control jack in the rear aids in the integration with the other Pioneer products. It has an internal memory of 4GB and so completely eliminates any need of memory cards. You will be able to view the BD live downloads and corresponding features with no fuss.

Clear menus:

The Pioneer BDP-LX91 Blu-Ray DVD player’s own on-screen menus are clear, concise and easy to navigate. The videophiles will be having a great time with the player as its comes with an extensive range of video adjustments. The adjustments that you can make includes black level, gamma correction, hues and colour intensity, sharpness and many more. The adjustments that you had made can also be saved to the memory in areas call “user banks”, three of them are available in Pioneer BDP-LX91 Blu-Ray DVD Player for your use. you you do not know that well about all these terms, Pioneer has offered you an excellent option, it has offered you modes that are designed specifically for different kinds of displays like projectors, LCD screens and Plasmas and it also has a specific video output optimised for its ninth generation Kuro PDPs.

Menu description:

Having included a lot of video adjustments, we will discuss about a few of them here. The prog motion adjusts the motion detection. This option is not effective for 1080p/24 BD movies. The pure cinema has its options as, Off, On, Auto1 or Auto2. The off will keep the player in the video deinterlasing mode, the on will consider the content as progressive weather or not it is so and the two Auto modes will attempt detection of the correct film cadence. YNR and CNR are temporal noise reduction options. Sharpness High and Sharpness Mid boost the sharpness of the High frequency and Mid frequency respectively. Using the Anamorphic Zoom mode, the player can be instructed to vertically stretch 2.35:1 material to remove letterboxing, so that an anamorphic lens can be placed in front of the projector to restore correct aspect ratio on a dedicated 2.35:1 projection setup.

A master in all the three playbacks:

The videos that are played using BDP-LX91 Blu-Ray Player from Pioneer cannot look better else where and with is DTS HD Master Audio soundtrack, the whole experience will be breath taking. If this is the case with the blu-ray side of performance, the LX91 is an excellent DVD player too having no jaggies and just the perfect quality. Its abilities as a CD player are surprising. With the absence of PQLS compatible amp, the details were very smooth and the images were at their best. With PQLS switched on the results are stunning audio fiesta of sound that is rich, crisp, potent and articulate.

The player is a breeze to use. The disc loading times have been improved considerably when compared with the previous Pioneer models. Though the speed is not as much as that of the PS3, it is still doing a great job.

Picture quality:

The deepest blacks are very pure, with rich colour rendition and naturality. The motion handling has also been phenomenal. The Pioneer BDPLX91’s unique Adaptive Length Expansion technology can reproduce the colours of a movie in their purest form, as they were originally recorded in which is done by restoring the eight bit video signal from a blu-ray disc back to the higher sixteen bit deep colour signal. The above processes produce high definition (HD) images with deeper colour tones in a natural range, with smooth colour graduations through the HDMI forty eight bit deep colour format. The seller point of the player is its audio quality with its high bit rate audio. DTS-HD Master Audio are encoded at 24bit/96KHz which is a gorgeous option adopted.

HDMI implementation:

Coming back to the implementation of the HDMI, you can use the High Speed HDMI cable to maximise performance. The HDMI organisation now categorises HDMI into Cat 1 which guarantees delivery of 1080i and Cat 2 which accommodates Deep Colour and 1080p. Setting the High Speed mode to On in the player will enable a 10/12/16bit output, a value that will depend on the kind of display used.

Warranty:

Pioneer BDP-LX91 comes with one year limited warranty.

Verdict:

The Pioneer BDP-LX91 is more than just another high end player in the market. BDP-LX91 is a brilliantly constructed machine which plays 1080p/24 Blu-ray Disc as well as the best of them via HDMI. It has emerged out to be a champ in all the three departments of Blu-ray, DVD and CD with excellent audio capabilities. This is a royal player which will be a must needed addition to your home theatre. The LX 91 is expensive, but the performance, especially with picture and audio, fully justifies that price tag.

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Pioneer BDP-LX91 Blu-Ray Player - Technical Specification Details

Subtle but stylish design:

Sony BDP-S550 Blu Ray Player is having a chunky but a sturdy design. It is neither too big or sleek with its dimensions being (W x H x D) 430 x 70 x 220 mm and weighs 3.3 kg. The style factor has been obtained with the help of the attractive glossy blue-black facia and top panel. The glossy finish is little and not tacky as the other rivals which should be appreciated. When you look from the front, the player has a very basic design. The disc tray is placed in the center of the player which is concealed by an automatic flip down door. On the right of the disk tray, there is a LCD display that is quiet small and further towards the right, you have some of the basic playback controls sans the chapter forward and backward buttons. Strangely, the power and the disc open/close buttons are placed towards the top of the player bringing in some inconveniency.

Ample connectivity:

Ample connectivity is provided by Sony for its BDP-S550 Blu Ray Disc Player. The HDMI output, component-video output, legacy composite-video and S-Video connections are available for you to enjoy high-def video up to 1080p resolution. For audio enhancements, you are provided with both, optical and coaxial digital-audio outputs. But, if you are possessing older receivers, you need not worry as the player also has the 7.1 analog-audio outputs. Ethernet port is available using which you can get firmware updates and will be able to download BD-live content. You must keep in mind that there is no Wi-Fi.

One of the design blots that this player has retained form its predecessor is that, the USB port is recessed deeply inside, which means many of the standard USB drives might not fit in. However, the player comes with a 1GB USB drive that fits in perfectly in the port and so this should not be an issue of great concern for most of you.

Logically designed remote control:

The remote control that comes with the Sony BDP-S550 Blu-Ray DVD player is quite good. The main navigational pad is in the center of the control and is surrounded by other important controls such as, home, menu and options. The channel changing rocker and the volume rocker are separately available below and hence this remote can also be used to access your TV. The layout is logical and the buttons are differentiated with enough space that you will be able to access it even without seeing and just feeling. It is certainly backlit.

X-cross media bar menus:

Sony has stuck to the X-cross media bar menus which is seen in PS3 which is Sony‘s customary PS3-style menu system, which not only looks slick but is also intuitive and easy to navigate. The set up of the unit is also very simple and basic.

Features:

Video features:
Coming to the features, the Sony BDP-S550 Blu ray player is profile 2.0 complaint. And hence, you will be able to access the BD-live features, ie, the internet enabled features. This is usually available in some selected movies. In order to access these features, the BDP-S550 has to be connected to the internet via the Ethernet and have the USB connected. You might be wondering for what is the USB port? Since there is no internal memory, this is a must and rather a compromise.

Audio features:
The audio support that is provided by the player is quite comprehensive. BDP-S550 offers onboard decoding for formats such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio that are of high resolution and so, you will not have to go in search of a new receiver that allows you to enjoy the complete quality. The tracks of this format can also be output in the bit stream format. You will not be able to find even the slightest degradation in the sound quality.

Supported media type:
The media types supported by this player are, CD , DVD , BD-R , CD-R , BD-RE , CD-RW , DVD+R , DVD-R , BD-ROM , DVD+RW and DVD-RW.

Miscellaneous:
Other features that distinguish it from the cheaper player are the inclusion of a dedicated set of eight-channel analogue outputs and onboard DTS-HD Master Audio decoding.

Sony BDP-S550 special features:

Sony has incorporated the new Precision Drive HD that helps to detect and correct wobbling discs from three directions, stabilizing playback of bent or scratched Blu-ray Discs and DVDs. The BonusView functionality is also available that allows you to view two separate video streams from the same Blu-ray Disc on screen at the same time. BRAVIA Sync technology makes connecting the players to BRAVIA televisions and Home Theatre systems from Sony a piece of cake.

The list of other convenience features include the easy set up, PhotoTV HD, Frimware update via Ethernet, Local Storage for BD-Live, Child Lock (Tray Lock), screen saver, Video Bit Rate Indicator  and Parental Control.

Sony BDP-S550 as a Blu-ray dic player:

The performance of the player as a Blu-ray player is good. Colours and contrasts are clean and punchy, offering a vitality to images that is a match for its rivals. All the pictures were detailed and no image instability will be noticed. Jaggies will be completely absent. The image quality is excellent when compared to BDP-S550’s rivals in the same price range. But, when it comes to the disc loading speed, the Blu ray players always suffer and BDP-S550 was no exception. The disc loading speed differs from disc to disc, while some load in 25 seconds, some of the discs take as long as one minute 40 seconds. However, you have the Quick Start-up mode, that enables you to enjoy your Blu-ray movies already after just six seconds

Sony BDP-S550 as a DVD player:

There will be no movie enthusiasts without and DVD collections. The performance of  Sony BDP-S550 as a DVD player is good but cannot be said as excellent. Though you will be able to witness some instability in the images, they will be jaggie free. 1080p images are punchy, displaying good levels of detail.

Verdict:

Features like being profile 2.0 complaint, 7.1 analog outputs, onboard decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio and image quality that is equivalent to that of the top tier players is a great deal of specification for a Blu-ray player for this price range. And the price has also dropped by 100 pounds within six months. Unlike the game console, you need not sacrifice much in terms of the movie watching quality. If you are in need of all these functionalities, then, the Sony BDP-S550 is the best choice. If you are not cared about the analog outputs, then you can choose Panasonic DMP-BD35 that offers all the functionalities of the BDP-S550 at a lesser cost. The Samsung BD-P2550 has more in their offer like HQV video processing, plus Netflix and Pandora streaming for the same price. Sony’s BDP S350 is also a good choice if you do not need any analog outputs or DTS-HD Master Audio decoding.

Sony BDP-S550 Blu-Ray Disc Player Comes with 1 year warranty.

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Technical Specification Details of Sony BDP-S550 Blu-Ray Disc Player