Blu-ray players are now gaining traction as consumers replace old DVD players with blu-ray machines. With mass market acceptance, prices have been dropping steadily. A good case in point is the new Panasonic DMP-BD75 which retails for just $99. But do not look down on this entry level player. It may not have the bells and whistles but it sure is good enough to let you enjoy the latest movies in pristine high definition. It is a comprehensive player with specs that improve on last year’s models, most notably disc load speed.
Panasonic DMP-BD75
Design & Connectivity
The sleek looking Panasonic DMP-BD75 comes in glossy black and occupies a small footprint. Operation is simple with just the stop, play and eject button on the front face. A USB port is provided on the front panel for convenient playback of stored media.
The back panel is another utilitarian affair with just one HDMI output, composite video and stereo audio outputs. Connection to the internet is possible via the Ethernet LAN port for BD-Live, Viera Cast and firmware updates. For wireless connections you need an optional wireless adaptor. There are no digital audio outputs.
Panasonic DMP-BD75 Back Panel
Features
Although basic in connectivity and appearance, you’d be glad to note that Panasonic did not cut corners under the skin. You get the same UniPhier chip as the higher models. This new video processing chip improves image quality as well as reduce power consumption by 48%. Vertical color reference process was increased by 1.5 times to portray finer specifics and detailed aspects in movie scenes with the Adaptive Chroma Processing.
To accompany the fine picture quality are 192kHz/24bit DACs. The HDMI Pure Audio improves the audio quality allowing natural bass sound reproduction with reduced noise.
The new GUI is very user friendly. Large menu icons makes navigating easy and intuitive thanks to its one-click action. Simply place the remote control cursor onto the menu icon that you want to choose, and the menu proceeds smoothly to the next screen. It’s easy, even for first-time users.
You can also access multimedia options through Viera Cast. Popular sites like Netflix, Amazon VOD, You Tube, Pandora, Twitter, Bloomberg News, a weather channel and Skype are available. Coming along in Viera Cast’s 2011 roster are apps such as CinemaNow, Napster and popular sports sites including the NBA, NHL, MLB and MLS.
Features such as the Home Screen Wallpaper, Touch-Free Sensor and Skype allow you to effortlessly personalize your entertainment experience to suit your preference. Simply insert an SD card into the player to transfer an image to use as your screensaver or wallpaper. A bit gimmicky perhaps but these might just be the deal clincher for the technologically initiated.
Performance
For an entry level blu-ray player, does the performance of the Panasonic DMP-BD75 measure up to its pricier counterparts? Using The A Team blu-ray release, the answer might not be a resounding yes but it still managed to give a commendable account of itself.
To start off, the facial details and textures were impressive and lucid. Cooper’s unkempt stubble and Neeson’s wrinkles were startlingly visible. The brilliant combination of the vibrant, rich colors and the contrast brought about a nice touch of naturalness to the background, be it the desert or the lush countryside. While issues such as slightly blurry images during action-packed scenes threatened to plague the DMP-BD75, it is nonetheless a small blemish on an otherwise solid visual performance.
The audio quality of the DMP-BD75 is well complemented by the film’s DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack. It managed to capture the significance of the battle scene excellently. The hovering sounds of the helicopter, barrage of gun shots and rockets zooming past, are brought to life with the earth shattering bass. Despite the loud booming sounds, the dialog found a way to fit in clearly. It might be a lightweight entry level blu-ray player, but it is certainly no pushover in the audio and visual department.
Conclusion
For $99 you can’t ask for more of this player. There is no 3D support but what you get is a basic player that does an excellent job of extracting every bit of information from blu-ray discs and giving you high quality, high definition playback you will enjoy. Having access to multimedia content online is a bonus.
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