Philips BDP3000 Blu-Ray Disc Player Review
Most people have an impression that Blu-Ray’s growth has been very slow and probably would die out. However, here is a shocker. Its success has been downplayed and it is more popular than the DVD in its early days, with over 400,000 players already sold. It is already branded as the future of the DVD, storing up to 10 times more than an ordinary DVD.
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
| Manufacturer | Philips |
| Model Name | BDP3000 Blu Ray Disc Player |
| Product Type | Blu-Ray Discs Player |
| Dimensions ( H x W x D) in cm | 435 x 58 x 237 |
| Form factor | Table top |
| Number of disc trays | One |
| Weight | 3 kgs |
| Playback Media | BD Video, BD-R/RE 2.0, DVD, DVD-Video, DVD+R/+RW, DVD-R/-RW, DivX, Video CD, CD, CD-R/CD-RW |
| Compression Format | H.264, MPEG2, VC-1, DivX Ultra, WMV, XviD |
| Disc Playback Modes | Standard Play, Pause, Search forward/reverse, Slow Forward, Resume Playback from Stop, Skip, Disc Menu, Repeat, A-B Repeat, Zoom, Angle |
| Video Enhancement | Deep Colour, x.v. Color, Video Upscaling, Progressive Scan |
| Sound System | Dolby True HD, DTS 2.0 + Digital out, DTS, Dolby Digital |
| D/A converter | 24 bit, 192 kHz |
| Rear Connections | HDMI output, Component Video output, Digital coaxial out, Composite video (CVBS) output, Analog audio Left/Right out, Ethernet, USB:firmware upgrade & BD-Live |
| EasyLink | One touch play, One touch standby |
| Upscaling | Yes |
| Digital audio format | Dolby Digital output |
| MP3 compatible | Yes |
| Remote control | Infra red remote control |
| BD-Live(1GB USB memory needed) | Yes |
| Cables included | Audio/Video cable, User Manual, CD-R (User Manual), Quick start guide, Product Registration Card, Remote Control, 2 x AAA Batteries |
| Power consumption | 25 w |
| Warranty | 1 Year |
Leave a Reply