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Sharp’s New Five Color LCD Display Faithfully Renders Real World Images
Tue Jul 07, 2009 at 01:00 PM ETTags: Sharp, Product Announcements, HD Gear, Hardware (all tags)
In the quest for the ultimate picture quality, it was only a matter of time before an LCD manufacturer added cyan and yellow into the mix.
According to a press release issued by the company, their five-primary-color LCD is able to accurately reproduce over 99% of colors. Formerly difficult to render colors such as the golden yellow of brass instruments, the emerald blue of the sea and crimson red of roses are now able to be created on the screen without issue.
At the moment the technology is focused on industrial uses such as digital archiving and remote medical care, but Sharp is hard at work making the display cost efficient enough for practical applications. We’ll certainly be waiting with baited breath for the day this technology is available to consumers.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
Sony's Blu-Ray Players Go Wireless
Thu Mar 05, 2009 at 01:00 PM ETTags: Sony, Industry Trends, Hardware (all tags)
Four new Blu-Ray players will soon be added to Sony’s product offering. Two stand-alone players, the BDP-S360 and BDP-S56, and two home theater systems, the BDV-E300 and BDV-E500W BD come equipped with full HD 1080/60p, BD Live capability, and the ability to decode the latest audio codecs.
The BDP-S360 (SRP $300) and BDP-S560 (SRP $350) both use upscaling technology to convert DVDs to near HD experiences. In addition to the robust audio and video compatibility, these devices each have a USB port, and use Precision Drive Technology to stabilize bent or scratched discs during playback. These players will be released during the summer.
The BDP-S560 is designed to cut down on wires, as it has Wi-Fi network capabilities that allow it to access online content through you home wireless network. It is Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA(R)) capable, allowing it to transfer digital photos to other (DLNA(R)) devices.
The two home theater systems are S-AIR ready, meaning that they can project audio to external speakers. The BDV-E500W (SRP $800) has S-AIR wireless compatibility with its rear speakers, while the BDV-E300 (SRP $800) can use S-AIR with the purchase of external modules.
These systems include a Digital Media Port, which comes equipped with an iPod cradle. They are also compatible with several other media connections, such as a Bluetooth adapter and a PC client device, sold separately. These units will ship this June.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
Amazon Offering Sony BDP-S300 for Under $200
Mon Sep 22, 2008 at 03:00 PM ETTags: Hardware, Blu-ray Players, Sony, High-Def Retailing, Amazon (all tags)
Amazon is offering the Sony BDP-S300 for just under $200 while supplies last.
We haven't been given any specifics on this deal or how long it will last (assuming the players don't all fly off the shelves in the next hour), but folks in the market for some early holiday bargains may want to check out the special pricing Amazon has just rolled out on the Sony BDP-S300 Blu-ray player.
According to the Amazon page, tech specs on the player include the following: Full HD 1080/60p and 24p True Cinema Video Output, DVD Upscaling to 1080p via HDMI, BRAVIA Theatre Sync (HDMI-CEC), BD/DVD/CD playback(4) and AVC-HD with x.v.Color output, and Multi-channel Linear PCM & Dolby Digital Plus Decoding.
This one looks like a pretty good deal. What else is there to say? It's less than 200 bucks! Check it out here!
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- Sony BDP-S300 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player [Amazon.com]
Memorex Announces Blu-ray Player For Less than $300
Fri Sep 19, 2008 at 01:00 PM ETTags: High-Def Retailing, Hardware (all tags)
Memorex has announced a new entry-level Blu-ray player at an affordable price.
In a press release yesterday, Memorex announced a new Blu-ray player which the company says offers a broad range of format features for the suggested price of $269. The player is expected to arrive in retail locations by November.
"Our customers want products that bring entertainment into their homes, but at a family-friendly price," Carla Pihowich, Memorex brand director said. "With this in mind, we have introduced a Blu-ray Disc player that offers consumers the full High-Definition viewing experience, but at a price that almost anyone can afford."
According to the press release, the new player will feature 1080p video resolution, 24p and 60p frame rates, and Bonus View 1.1. Audio features include Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS-HD High Resolution Audio decoding and bit stream output, and Master Audio bit stream output. Outputs include 7.1 HDMI digital audio output and 5.1 analog audio output. Compatible video formats include BD-ROM, DVD+ROM, DVD-R/DVD-RW, DVD+R/DVD+RW, CD-ROM, CD-R/CD-RW and JPEG on DVD/CD recordable media.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- Memorex Introduces Full-Featured Blu-ray Disc Player For Under $270 [Memorex.com]
Panasonic Details DMP-BD50 Pricing and Features
Tue May 06, 2008 at 03:00 PM ETTags: Panasonic, Hardware (all tags)
Panasonic has announced the spring debut of its much-touted DMP-BD50 player, which boasts BD-Live among other expanded capabilities.
As reported in January and further detailed via press release today, The BD50 adds BD-Live functionality, which lets viewers access online content such as images and subtitles to further enhance the viewing experience.
The BD50 also offers next generation sound capabilities using integrated decoders for lossless Dolby True HD and DTS-HD Master Audio.
"Panasonic was the first to bring a Blu-ray player with Bonus View (Final Standard Profile 1.1) to market and now with the DMP-BD50 we are again leading the industry with the inclusion of BD-Live," said Paul Sabo, Panasonic, National Marketing Manager Entertainment Group.
The Panasonic DMP-BD50 will be available this spring and has a suggested retail price of $699.95.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
PS3 BD-Live Update Now Available
Tue Mar 25, 2008 at 11:19 AM ETTags: PlayStation 3, Firmware Upgrades, Sony, Hardware (all tags)
Sony launched Firmware Update v2.20 for the Playstation 3 Monday night, officially upgrading the game console to a BD-Live (aka Profile 2.0) Blu-ray player.
As we've previously reported, this latest PS3 update was announced by Sony last week, and earns the PS3 the distinction of being the first Blu-ray player in North America to include BD-Live, enabling users to experience interactive features via specially-encoded Blu-ray discs, including downloadable video content, ringtones, live "interactive movie-based" multi-player online gaming and more.
The full list of Firmware Update 2.20's announced features are as follows:
- BD-Live (Profile v2.0) Upgrade
- "Resume play" will enable PS3 system to start playing a Blu-ray disc and DVD at the point it was stopped, even if the disc had been removed (BD-J format not supported)
- "Audio Output Device" will be a new Remote Play setting, enabling PSP to serve as a remote control for music played through PS3
- PS3 system's Internet browser will be enhanced: Video files directly linked from a Web page will be able to be streamed, and the browser's view speed will be improved
- DivX and WMV format videos larger than 2GB will be playable
- "Mosquito Noise Reduction" will be added as an AV setting in the control panel of the DVD/BD player for improved movie playback (BDMV format not supported)
Sony's press release for the PlayStation 3 Firmware Upgrade Version 2.20 can be read in full here.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- PlayStation 3 to Support BD-Live [Press Release]
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- PS3 BD-Live Firmware and Blu-ray Discs Due This Month (Mar 20, 2008)
- High-Def FAQ: Blu-ray Profiles Explained (Nov 23, 2007)
PS3 BD-Live Firmware and Blu-ray Discs Due This Month
Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 03:00 PM ETTags: Firmware Upgrades, Hardware, PlayStation 3, Sony (all tags)
Sony Computer Entertainment today announced a late-March launch for the latest firmware upgrade for the PlayStation 3, which will bring BD-Live and a host of additional interactive capabilities to the console.
Dubbed Firmware Upgrade Version 2.20, it will bring BD-Live (aka Profile 2.0) to the PS3, enabling users to experience interactive features such as downloadable video content, ringtones, live "interactive movie-based" multi-player online gaming and more.
Though Sony has not set an exact availability date for v2.20, it is due in "late March," which will make the PS3 the first Blu-ray player in North America to include BD-Live. (Panasonic previewed a stand-alone BD-Live Blu-ray player, the DMP-BD50, earlier this year at CES, with the unit expected to hit stores this May.)
"With Blu-ray established as the high-definition optical disc standard, more consumers are ready to jump in and take advantage of everything the format offers," said Scott A. Steinberg, vice president, product marketing, SCEA, via press release.
"Whether you want to download movie extras, send ringtones to your phone, or play interactive games, BD-LIVE will offer exciting new ways to enjoy a Blu-ray movie. With these regular firmware updates and future-proofed technology, SCEA is making the 10-year lifecycle of PS3 possible."
To inaugurate the release of the PS3's BD-Live upgrade, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has also announced the addition of exclusive BD-Live content to the upcoming Blu-ray releases of 'Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story' and 'The 6th Day.' Exact details on the additional BD-Live features have not yet been specified, but we'll keep you posted. (Note that these two titles are not the first BD-Live-enabled Blu-rays to be released, however, with Lionsgate's 'War' and 'Saw IV' having hit stores earlier this year with BD-Live features already on the discs.)
The full list of Firmware Update 2.20's announced features are as follows:
- BD-Live (Profile v2.0) Upgrade
- "Resume play" will enable PS3 system to start playing a Blu-ray disc and DVD at the point it was stopped, even if the disc had been removed (BD-J format not supported)
- "Audio Output Device" will be a new Remote Play setting, enabling PSP to serve as a remote control for music played through PS3
- PS3 system's Internet browser will be enhanced: Video files directly linked from a Web page will be able to be streamed, and the browser's view speed will be improved
- DivX and WMV format videos larger than 2GB will be playable
- "Mosquito Noise Reduction" will be added as an AV setting in the control panel of the DVD/BD player for improved movie playback (BDMV format not supported)
Sony's press release for the PlayStation 3 Firmware Upgrade Version 2.20 can be read in full here.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- PlayStation 3 to Support BD-Live (Press Release) [High-Def Digest]
- Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
- Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (Blu-ray)
- The 6th Day (Blu-ray)
- Saw IV (Blu-ray)
- War (Blu-ray)
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- CES: Panasonic Intros First BD-Live Blu-ray Player (Jan 06, 2008)
Sony Unveils First BD-Live Players
Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 03:00 PM ETTags: Sony, Hardware, Industry Trends (all tags)
Primary Blu-ray backer Sony Electronics announced today that it will release its first web-enabled Blu-ray players later this year.
Priced at around $400, Sony's BDP-S350 Blu-ray player is due this July, while its BDP-S550 player (priced at around $500) is expected to ship this fall.
Both players will be Bonus View (aka Profile 1.1) and BD-Live capable, although according to Sony's press release, the BDP-S350 will require a firmware upgrade to enable the player's BD Live functionality. (For more information about Bonus View and BD-Live, see Josh Zyber's column, "High-Def FAQ: Blu-ray Profiles Explained.)
Each of the two models are also set to include an external port for local storage, allowing users to add USB flash-based memory. The higher-priced BDP-S550 will ship with a 1GB storage device.
Both players will support 7.1 channel Dolby TrueHD and Dolby Digital Plus decoding and bit-stream output, as well as dts-HD High Resolution Audio and Master Audio bit-stream output. The BDP-S550 adds dts-HD High Resolution Audio and dts-HD Master Audio decoding as well as 7.1 channel analog audio output.
"Sony’s next-generation Blu-ray Disc models bring exciting interactive features to life and offer consumers a ground-breaking experience," said Chris Fawcett, vice president of marketing for Sony Electronics’ Home Product Division. "These new devices bring home movie experience beyond the cinema and into a whole new realm of entertainment."
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- Sony Adds New Blu-ray Players With Advanced Interactivity [Press Release]
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- High-Def FAQ: Blu-ray Profiles Explained (Nov 23, 2007)
Samsung: Dual-Format Blu-ray/HD DVD Player Now Shipping
Thu Dec 06, 2007 at 01:00 PM ETTags: Samsung, Hardware, Dual-Format Players (all tags)
Despite reports to the contrary, Samsung says its BD-UP5000 dual-format high-def disc player is shipping "as we speak," and will hit stores at a price lower than previously announced.
Rumors of a delay for the manufacturer's first dual-format player surfaced earlier this week after a listing at Amazon bumped the player's release to January 15, but a Samsung spokesman told Dealerscope on Wednesday that the player is currently shipping to stores, and that it should be on shelves by "mid-to-late December."
The spokesman added that due to "recent activities in the marketplace," the player's suggested retail price has been dropped to $799 (it was originally announced with a $1,049 price tag, but that price was reduced to $999 in early September).
As we've previously reported, Samsung will be the second manufacturer to market an dual player capable of playing HD DVD and Blu-ray discs, following the introduction of LG's BH100 in January of this year.
Samsung says its BDP-UP5000 will support both BD-Java and HDi, as well as web-enabled supplements on both formats, via an Ethernet connection. In late October, the manufacturer noted that the player will require an upcoming firmware update to actually play back Profile 1.1 discs.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- Samsung Says Dual Player Still on Track For December, at Reduced Price [Dealerscope]
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- Samsung Confirms Profile 1.1 For BD-UP5000 Dual-Format Player (Oct 24, 2007)
- Samsung Lowers Price on Upcoming Dual-Format HD DVD, Blu-ray Player (Sep 07, 2007)
- Samsung Plans Dual-Format Blu-ray, HD DVD Player (Apr 16, 2007)
Hardware Review: Panasonic DMP-BD30
Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 01:03 PM ETTags: Joshua Zyber, Panasonic, Hardware (all tags)
Is the first Profile 1.1 Blu-ray player worth your high-def dollar? High-Def Digest reviewer Joshua Zyber puts Panasonic's DMP-BD30 player through its paces. |
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By Joshua Zyber
Hitting store shelves at an MSRP of $499.95, Panasonic's new DMP-BD30 is one of the more affordable Blu-ray players currently on the market, as well as the first to be compliant with the format's Profile 1.1 specification (more on this below). That makes for a pretty winning combination, but does it live up to its potential as a category killer?
Cosmetics, Connections, and Setup
The BD30 is rather small for a Blu-ray model. The front of the unit has a flip-down panel, beneath which is an SD Card slot (useful for displaying JPEG images or creating a slide show). Next to this is another motorized panel that will automatically flip down when the disc tray is ejected. Like many Blu-ray players, positioned above the front LED display is a bright blue light, as if to announce, "Hey, this is Blu-ray!" This one is brighter and more distracting than most. Fortunately, the LED can be dimmed in the player's Setup menu, and the brighter light can be turned off with the setting labeled "SD Card LED Control".
On the back are located the expected assortment of video and audio connections: Composite and S-video (both useless for High Definition, so don't bother with them), Component Video, HDMI, and both Coaxial and Optical S/PDIF. The HDMI output is Version 1.3 compliant (more on this below). There are separate sets of stereo and 5.1 analog audio outputs. Disappointingly, the unit does not have 7.1 analog outputs as found on Panasonic's earlier DMP-BD10 model.
The remote controller is one of the ugliest I've ever owned, with a frustrating button layout featuring no fewer than three separate Menu commands. There's a button for the Pop-up Menus available during Blu-ray playback, a button for jumping straight to the Top Menu (if the disc offers one), and another button called Sub Menu that brings up an on-screen menu of other menu options. Neither the Pop-up Menu nor Top Menu buttons work during Standard-Def DVD playback. The only way to access the main menu on a DVD disc is to hit the Sub Menu button and scroll down to the "Menu" command, which is aggravating and far from intuitive. Also annoying is the player's reliance on the Return button (a command I'd never had to use on any previous player) any time you're done with a menu screen and wish to exit it. At the bottom of the remote are two new buttons called "PIP" and "Secondary Audio" that are specific to Profile 1.1 features.
A word of caution about the initial setup: The player defaults from the factory to a resolution setting of "Auto," which will output 1080p60 video if connected by HDMI, or 1080i if connected by Component. If your HDTV doesn't support 1080p input signals (not all do), connecting by HDMI may lead to either a blank screen or garbled video. The Troubleshooting section of the owner's manual advises pushing the Stop and Play buttons simultaneously to reset the resolution. If that doesn't work, try connecting a set of Component cables for the preliminary installation so that you'll be able to navigate through the setup menus to change the resolution.
The BD30 boots up very quickly for a next-gen player. I clocked the time from power on to disc tray ejection at 20 seconds. Loading time for a disc is not much better than my last Blu-ray player, however. One of my slowest Blu-rays ('Dirty Dancing') took a solid minute from tray retraction to the first appearance of the disc menu. Navigation of disc menus is also rather slow and clunky.
The player's setup screens are pretty straightforward for the most part, though again the unit does require use of the Return command to navigate them. During movie playback, the Display menu will provide information on the video and audio codecs encoded on the disc (a feature we disc reviewers find very helpful), but will not distinguish between the DTS-HD High Resolution and DTS-HD Master Audio formats.
As with all High Definition disc players of either the Blu-ray or HD DVD formats, the DMP-BD30 is perfectly capable of transmitting HD video up to 1080i resolution over the Component Video outputs so long as the software being played allows it. Should a Blu-ray disc be flagged with an Image Constraint Token (ICT), the player will be forced to downscale the video output to 480p Standard Definition. Fortunately, at the time of this writing no Blu-ray discs have yet been burdened with an ICT flag. Per restrictions set by the DVD Forum, Standard-Def DVD playback is always limited to a maximum 480p resolution over Component, and can only be upscaled to higher resolutions over HDMI.
Using the HDMI connection, video may be output at resolutions up to 1080p60 or 1080p24 (the latter on Blu-ray discs only). For more information on the distinction between these two formats, see my earlier What's the Big Deal About 1080p24? column. Selecting the "Auto" resolution setting defaults everything to 1080p60, except when the 1080p24 function is also activated, in which case suitably encoded Blu-ray movies will output at that rate. Standard-Def DVDs or 1080i Blu-ray content will all be upscaled or deinterlaced to 1080p60 unless a different resolution is specifically chosen.
Since my projector is compatible with 1080p24 resolution, I chose that for my testing of Blu-ray movie playback, all of which looked terrific as expected. I've read comments from owners claiming that the BD30 outputs a sharper picture than the Playstation 3 console. I wasn't able to make that comparison myself, but to my eyes video quality looks identical to my previous Sony BDP-S300 player, appearing neither sharper nor softer to any noticeable degree. That's far from a complaint, as I was always perfectly satisfied with the S300 and anticipated no less here.
Picture controls including Contrast, Brightness, Sharpness, and Color are available through the Display menu. Generally speaking, I advise adjusting these in the display device if possible, not the disc player. Also provided are Noise Reduction enhancements. I played around with these a bit, but didn't care for the results. They didn't seem to affect noisy video content much at all, but did visibly soften real picture detail. Use of these functions is likely to come down to a matter of personal taste.
For Standard-Def DVD playback, it's worth noting that 4:3 aspect ratio discs will be automatically pillarboxed into the center of a 16:9 screen. Using the "Screen Aspect" setting in the Sub Menu, the player does have an option to zoom those in non-anamorphic letterbox format to the appropriate dimensions.
I'm saddened to report that deinterlacing of 1080i Blu-ray content (music concerts, nature programs, etc.) and upconversion of Standard-Def DVD are both seriously flawed. After testing with the Silicon Optix 'HQV Benchmark' (in both DVD and Blu-ray varieties) and the 'Spears & Munsil VRS Evaluation & Optimization DVD', the player failed just about every deinterlacing test I threw at it. There were terrible jaggies visible on all diagonal lines, waving flags, racecar tracks, hockey videos, and more. On film-based material with a simple 3:2 cadence, the unit performed acceptably, but any badly-flagged or complicated content just fell apart. This is simply not the unit's strength. I would recommend outputting 1080i Blu-ray content as 1080i and letting the HDTV display handle the deinterlacing, and I would not advise using the DMP-BD30 as a primary upconverting DVD player at all.
Like all Blu-ray players, the BD30's Coaxial and Optical S/PDIF outputs can be used to transmit standard Dolby Digital and DTS audio, or PCM up to 2-channels. Advanced codecs such as Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, and DTS-HD cannot be transmitted over S/PDIF and will be downconverted to standard Dolby or DTS using those connections. For more information on these new audio formats, see my Blu-ray and HD DVD Audio Explained article. The player also has 5.1 analog outputs useful once again for standard Dolby Digital or DTS, as well as PCM 5.1 soundtracks.
In a major disappointment, the BD30 does not incorporate DD+, TrueHD, or DTS-HD decoding, as Panasonic's prior DMP-BD10 model did. The feature was likely left out to meet the lower price point. As a result, this means that those advanced codecs cannot be decoded internally for output over the 5.1 analog connections in full quality. As with S/PDIF, they will be downconverted to standard Dolby or DTS. This also applies to the HDMI output if connected to an A/V receiver by any version of HDMI up to and including 1.2a.
On the other hand, the DMP-BD30 does have an HDMI 1.3 output, and will transmit the raw bitstreams for any of these audio formats to a compatible receiver for external decoding. This requires that the receiver have its own HDMI 1.3 input and the necessary decoders. Since those are relatively new features, anyone with a receiver more than a year old is basically out of luck, and will not be able to listen to the full high-resolution quality of DD+, TrueHD, or DTS-HD without upgrading to a new receiver.
In a positive development, the unit offers full speaker size, delay, and level calibration controls for the analog audio outputs, which gives it a big leg up over comparable models from Samsung and Sony. Strangely, the controls for this are not located in the Audio section of the setup menu, but rather under the "TV/Device Connection" section.
[Important Note: Extensive testing by users revealed that, in its early firmware versions, the DMP-BD30 had incorrect LFE levels when using the HDMI output. PCM soundtracks, or any other audio format decoded to PCM within the player, suffered –5 dB LFE suppression over HDMI. This problem was corrected with Firmware Ver. 1.6, issued on February 25, 2008. Users relying on the HDMI connection for audio are strongly advised to apply the latest firmware update.]
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For more information on the meaning of each of Blu-ray's hardware Profiles, please see my separate Blu-ray Profiles Explained column. In short, Blu-ray players released before November 1st, 2007 were all classified as hardware Profile 1.0, which did not require inclusion of secondary video or audio decoders for use with interactive Picture-in-Picture bonus features. Blu-ray Profile 1.1 adds those functions, and the DMP-BD30 is the first model compliant with the new specification.
Since this review is being published in advance of the availability of any Blu-ray discs with actual Profile 1.1 features, my coverage of this area must rely on the limited documentation present in the owner's manual. I assume that Picture-in-Picture and similar content will be accessible from the disc menus, as traditional bonus features are. The player also has "PIP" and "Secondary Audio" buttons at the bottom of the remote, so it seems that the video and audio for these features can be brought up independently.
Under the "Digital Audio Output" section of the player's setup menu and in the owner's manual are some confusing notes on how to configure the settings for use with BD-Video Secondary Audio content. The player's menus imply that you should leave the Secondary Audio setting "Off" until needed. If you leave it "On", all high-resolution audio formats including DD+, TrueHD, and DTS-HD will be automatically downsampled to standard Dolby or DTS quality (even if using the HDMI 1.3 bitstream transmission method) so that the secondary content can be mixed in. On the other hand, the owner's manual states "When playing BD-Video without secondary audio or clicking sounds, the audio is output as the same format as if 'BD-Video Secondary Audio' was set to 'Off'." What isn't clear is whether the high-resolution audio on Profile 1.1 discs will be downgraded automatically only when you turn on those features, or regardless of whether you use them or not. The whole thing seems a little overly complicated for its own good, but hopefully will be cleared up once the first discs start coming out.
The Bottom Line: Is It Worth It?
Each potential buyer will judge the importance of Blu-ray Profile 1.1 based on their own personal priorities. Previous Blu-ray models will continue to play all discs and traditional bonus features, so if you don't find support for interactive content all that important, this feature may not necessarily be a deal-breaker.
In any case, for the first Profile 1.1 compliant Blu-ray player, the Panasonic DMP-BD30 is a well-priced deal that offers excellent video quality on Blu-ray discs and the capability to bitstream advanced audio codecs to a compatible receiver (still a rare feature in Blu-ray players). On the other hand, it lacks the ability to decode those audio codecs internally as prior Panasonic models could, and has very poor deinterlacing and DVD upconversion quality. The BD30 isn't quite a perfect Blu-ray player, but it performs strongly in core areas and rates a worthy recommendation.
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Joshua Zyber's opinions are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of this site, its owners or employees. To view a complete collection of Josh's commentaries for High-Def Digest, click here.
- Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
- Dirty Dancing (20th Anniversary Edition) (Blu-ray)
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- High-Def FAQ: Blu-ray Profiles Explained (Nov 23, 2007)
- High-Def FAQ: Blu-ray and HD DVD Audio Explained (Oct 12, 2007)
- High-Def FAQ: What's the Big Deal About 1080p24? (Sep 28, 2007)
- High-Def FAQ: Is HDMI 1.3 Really Necessary? (Aug 10, 2007)
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