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Panasonic DMP-BD30 - Blu Ray Disc Player - Black Best Buy
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Price - £279.00 Correct as of 11/08/08
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5 Reviews for Panasonic DMP-BD30 - Blu Ray Disc Player - Black
A good value Blu-ray player for the masses? Yes ! - 30 Jul 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful.
This player is, on the whole, good value for money, and a good introduction to the world of blu-ray. The picture quality, when given a good source disc and hooked up to a decent tv is very good. Most commentators who have undertaken an A v B comparison of the BD-30 versus the PS3 feel that this Panasonic model manages to bring out just a bit more detail and its pictures look a bit more vibrant than the PS3, and I have to agree. It is one of the smallest Blu-ray players on the market, by the way, being somewhat slimmer (in height and depth) than most other models, especially the `chunky' Sony ones. Sound-wise, it delivers - if you have the kit to process HD surround sound then you are in for a treat - 7.1 HD quality sound is noticeably crisper with greater dynamic range than `old-fashioned' 5.1 DD or DTS. . If you don't have a 7.1 HD compatible surround processor, don't panic, you can output sound via the optical out to a 5.1 surround processor and it will `downscale' the 7.1 HD soundtrack to 5.1 DD or DTS without a problem (shame the manual isn't very clear on what menu options to set for this to work though). Note that, unlike its more expensive sibling the BD-50, the BD-30 does not perform on-board 7.1 HD decoding, so to get the latest and greatest in HD sound you need a suitable HD-compliant amplifier and speaker set (note also some reported glitches with Onkyo surround amps that may have been fixed in BD-30 firmware 1.7, subject to confirmation).
What about up-scaling of standard def DVD material? Honestly, I have heard complaints about this, but I have found it to do a reasonable job to be honest. If you already have a very good up-scaling DVD player though, hang on to it, and do an A v B comparison between it and the BD-30 before ditching it. But honestly, it's not as bad at up-scaling as some people using test discs and patterns have made it out to be.
Is it worth getting a blu-ray player if your HD-ready TV is only 720p/1080i compatible, as opposed to being capable of `full' 1080p HD? Absolutely - my 32 inch Pannie is only capable of 1080i but you still notice the difference between HD and standard definition.
So, summing up:-
PROS: Great picture and sound quality; frequent firmware updates from Panasonic; 1.1 compliant; small form factor; good value
CONS: Remote design is clunky; no on-board decoding of 7.1/HD sound; build quality feels a little flimsy (sorry, "Made in Slovakia" doesn't instil great confidence - no offence to Slovaks, but I still like "Made in Japan" where possible, even if its old-fashioned)
Good demo discs? Casino Royale, I am Legend, Planet Earth box-set (I know, it's not all shot in HD, but the HD scenes do look amazing, and are presented full-screen, unlike most movies).
Best buy - 27 Jul 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful.
The HD picture is excellent. My tv is a Panasonic Viera 42 (TH-PZ80E),so that combination is great. The BD30 is very easy to set-up and the picture and sound is for the money very good.Very easy operation whith VIERA link.
Forget Profile 2.0 - 25 Jul 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful.
I have a friend who works for Panasonic. He saw a demo of Profile 2.0. It takes forever to download content (perhaps this will ge quicker over time?)and a lot of the content will be superfluous anyway. He said it wasn't realy worth bothering with and 1.1 will be all most people will ever need. So this player is great, the only real downside is the lack of support for the most recent audio formats. As this unit and the BD50 would need connecting to external aplifiers anyway for 5.1/7.1 sound this isn't too much of a concern either.
panasonic BD30 - 29 May 2008
12 out of 12 found this review helpful.
The problems sometimes with new technology is that it is difficult to get the information that the buyer needs for his/her own set up.I was bombarded with all kinds of data when choosing my blu ray player.My tv is a Panasonic Viera 42" but was bought just before the HD and HDMI appeared,so i have now get 1080i with the BD30 as opposed to 1080p which the new tv's will play,so i have bought a QED component cable (around £60)and linked this to the BD30 and on its initial plays it is superb.And audio is a Sony Amp which outputs upto DTS and 6.1 to Bose AM10 sattelite speakers.I have no intension of changing the tv just to get that extra 10% of picture quality or changing the Amp for a likewise improvement in audio,there comes a time when the extra outlay is not worth it (for me).Just remember the player is only one part of your system.
Having read all the professional reviews the BD30 was certainly the best player on the market in this price range,and now its up and running i can see why.With the 1.1 profile and an ethernet connection for easier firmware updates it will take some beating at this price.
But always do your own research,so you end up with what is best for you,and not somebody else.
The only problem at the moment is getting hold of a Pan BD 30 which seem to be in short supply.
panasonic simply the best - 13 May 2008
12 out of 12 found this review helpful.
first of all a big thanks to amazon for a great buy and great delivery as i was struggling to get this machine as every shop in glasgow was sold out or asking to much well what do i have to say about this little cracker from panasonic no much as it does exactly what is says i have it connected to my 42 inch panasonic plasma and the picture is stunning also the sound when connected to a onkyo sr605 reciever the sounds amazing this is the future of blu ray would highly recommend this machine to anyone whos a hi def fan thanks again amazon and panasonic