Panasonic DMP-BD10 Blu-ray Disc Player: Sneak Peek

Started by Starred, November 30, 2006, 21:51:03

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Starred


$1,300
Digital Video Output: HDMI
Video Upconversion: 720p, 1080i/p
Feature Highlights: Blu-ray Disc Player, upconversion of standard-def DVDs to 720p or 1080i/p via HDMI

It's no secret that Blu-ray stumbled badly in its launch this past summer. So much so that it was impossible for reviewers to say much about Blu-ray as a format, other than noting that it worked. Were the problems most of us observed due to the Blu-ray disc (BD) transfers, the first player (a much criticized, early version of the Samsung BD-P1000), or the MPEG-2 coding used for the first releases combined with their single-layer, 25GB capacity? Or were the concerns the result of some fundamental flaw in the Blu-ray system itself? These questions would only be answered after seeing a better player.

With the release of the Panasonic DMP-BD10 it's easier to see through the fog of the format war. My current position: the Blu-ray system is not the issue. It works, and can work beautifully. MPEG-2, per se, is not a problem, either. I've now seen BDs on the Panasonic that will knock your socks off, including examples of all three authorized video codecs—single and dual layer MPEG-2, VC-1, and AVC/ MPEG-4.

At $1,299.99, the Panasonic is no impulse buy. It falls roughly at the median of the current or announced prices for the first generation of BD players. But it is, arguably, the first BD player out of the gate that legitimately deserves a rave review.

The DMP-BD10 produces an outstanding picture on the best discs. It's elegant yet unpretentious in appearance, and it does a good job upconverting standard DVDs. It offers a number of video controls, though I find these largely redundant when the player is used with a video display having its own adjustments. And its operation is notably less clunky than other HD players I've tested. Though it's still not as fast as most DVD players, it does offer faster startup from the time the drawer closes to play time.

Not that it can't be improved. Your 1080 itch can only be scratched with 1080i or 1080p/60—there is no direct 1080p/24 HDMI output. It does not go below black but will go slightly above white without clipping.

The player will decode the uncompressed 5.1-channel PCM soundtracks offered on some Blu-ray discs and play them back from its analog outputs, or transmit them over its HDMI 1.1 link. Although this is extremely useful if your pre-pro or AV receiver can extract 5.1-channels from an HDMI audio/video connection—beware that not all HDMI-equipped AVRs or pre-pros are HDMI 1.1 or later; earlier versions of HDMI lack this capability.

But the Panasonic will not yet decode either of the new lossless audio codecs—Dolby TrueHD or DTS HD Master Audio. Panasonic is, however, working on a firmware update that will allow the player decode both of these formats to multichannel PCM. Once this occurs, HDMI 1.1 is sufficient for transmitting these transcoded PCM signals to an AVR or pre-pro.

The non-illuminated, multifunction remote is adequate, but the jog-shuttle dial is annoyingly sensitive. The dial can be shut off, however, and when I did so I never missed it.

What you want to know now, of course, is how the Panasonic performs. Spectacularly well, I'd say. In the days I've lived with the player so far, I've watched parts of about 15 different BD titles on Sharp's new XV-Z20000 1080p DLP projector (review pending) and a 78-inch wide screen.

True, we're still seeing disappointing releases. But I've now seen too many superb discs to view the misfits as typical of either the player or the Blu-ray format.

All three codecs are capable of excellent performance, including MPEG-2 on both single layer (25GB) and dual-layer (50GB) BDs. Check out Kingdom of Heaven (Fox, 50GB MPEG-2), Haunted Mansion (Disney, 25GB MPEG-2), or Tears of the Sun (Sony, 25GB MPEG-2). The detail on all of these is stunning, but also natural. The detail is there if you look for it, but doesn't jump out at you.

And the other codecs? Try Behind Enemy Lines (Fox, AVC), Corpse Bride, or Phantom of the Opera (the last two from Warner in VC-1).

On the Panasonic and a first-rate display you won't come away disappointed with any of these titles, at least with respect to their picture quality. I can't vouch for how you'll like these five very different films!

I did briefly compare the Blu-ray and HD DVD release of Phantom of the Opera, both of which use VC-1 coding. With the Panasonic Blu-ray player set to its maximum resolution of 1080p and Toshiba's HD-A1 HD DVD player set to its peak of 1080i, my impression was that the transfers were closely matched, but the HD DVD looked very slightly sharper—a difference unlikely to show up on a smaller screen.

I have yet to hook up the analog outputs to check out the 5.1-channel uncompressed PCM tracks provided on many of the early BD titles. That will come in the full review. In general, however, the Dolby Digital on most of the discs, heard from the player's digital output, sounds much like the DD audio we've been hearing on DVD for years. (The Fox titles do offer DTS; more about that in the full report.) This isn't a criticism in any respect, only an observation that we now have better sounding alternatives that need to be supported by the hardware and software manufacturers.

On the music side, the Panasonic will not only play back CDs, but DVD-Audio as well. The latter may be on life-support (as is SACD, which the Panasonic does not play), but DVD-Audio is a nice bonus, nevertheless.

I'll have more to say in the full review, but as of now, it looks to me like the Blu-ray format, and Panasonic, has a winner in the DMP-BD10.

But it's an expensive winner, to be sure. You pay your money and take your choice, which will be largely dictated by price and by which format offers more of the titles you're interested in. Or you could buy both if, like me, you're a terminal early adopter. I doubt that you'll regret either purchase, even if (or when) there's a victor in this silly format war.

http://www.ultimateavmag.com/hddiscplayers/1106panasdmpbd10/