Panasonic DMP-BD35K 1080p Blu-ray Player

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Panasonic DMP-BD35K 1080p Blu-ray Player
 
31Ps0DXvqDL. SL160  Panasonic DMP BD35K 1080p Blu ray Player
Manufacturer: Panasonic
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List Price: $299.95
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Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description Panasonic's two new slim, BD-Live compatible, feature-filled Blu-ray players, the DMP-BD35 and DMP-BD55, offer cutting edge technologies focused on producing the ultimate movie-viewing experience.

front viewThe BD35 and BD55 both feature an HD Audio Decoder (Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus and DTSTM-HD Master Audio Essential), delivering 7.1-channel surround sound through a 7.1-channel receiver equipped with an HDMI terminal. The DMP-BD55 features high-end audio components and can also output analog signals for 7.1-channel sound, so even receivers that are not compatible with HDMI can produce the newest 7.1-channel surround sound.

Both models are equipped with an SD Memory Card slot that makes it easy to transfer images from an HD camcorder or digital still camera that uses SD Memory Cards and are compatible with Panasonic’s VIERA Link function so they can be operated by the VIERA HDTV remote control.

The combination of a Panasonic Blu-ray player, Home Theater audio system and a VIERA HDTV converts the home entertainment experience into a true-to-life cinematic experience. Consumers can now view and enjoy movies the way the film maker intended -- in stunning High Definition video and audio – right from the comfort of their own home.


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True-To-Life Colors with PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus

The PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus video processor was developed after more than 15 years of collaboration between Panasonic Hollywood Laboratory and professional cinema studios in Hollywood. With PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus, users viewing content on Blu-ray Discs enjoy crisp, vivid colors that are extremely close to the original.  A high-precision 4:4:4 function creates video signals in which each pixel of the signal from the Blu-ray Disc is color-compensated, so when the player is connected to a Panasonic VIERA HDTV, the colors are even sharper and more vivid.


UniPhier System

UniPhier is a Panasonic-created system LSI developed by applying 45-nanometer processing to a consumer product – a world’s first.  This single-chip integration technology also contributes greatly to the BD35’s world's slimmest height of 49mm.


Blu-ray Video Features

More Picture

1080p compared to 480iSee Everything Your HDTV Can Show You with Full HD.

6 Times the Picture Data on DVDs
See everything your HDTV can show you. Blu-ray Disc's Full HD 1080p resolution produces over 2 million pixels per frame to produce a razor-sharp picture with unmatched depth and clarity that takes full advantage of the capabilities of today's 1080p HDTVs. That's six times the picture data contained on DVDs, which are encoded at only 480p.

24p True Cinema Video Output
Most of all Hollywood movies are shot at 24 frames per second, and Blu-ray Disc movies are mastered at 24 frame per second. Blu-ray Disc Players can output films at 1080/24p for a true film-like experience at home, as well as 1080/60p for more traditional HDTV sets on the market.

Backwards compatible and Upscaling
All existing Blu-ray Disc players will play your standard DVD collection without a problem. And with built-in 1080p video upscaling, they'll look even better.


More Space
Blu-ray Disc has 5x more storage capacity than DVD, which allows more content to fit on the disc. The extra storage capacity also means more room for special features like inline navigation, Bonus View, interactive games, deleted scenes, director commentary and more
Navigate to special features, other scenes, or settings without leaving the content you are watching.
in movie navigation
Bonus View lets you watch special features and commentary inline without leaving the movie.
bonus view

More Bits

more bitsIn the digital world, picture quality is not just about resolution, but also about bit rates. The higher the bit rate, the more data that is processed, typically resulting in higher video quality. DVDs have a maximum video bit rate of about 10 megabits per second (Mbps). In comparison, Blu-ray Disc is capable of video bitrates up to an incredible 40 Mbps. The bottom line, higher bit rates allow for the least amount of data compression for HD video that looks closest to the original video source.


BD-Live

BD-Live screenshotBoth the BD35 and BD55 feature BD-Live compatibility which enables users to connect to the Internet to download images, subtitles and other data, and take part in interactive activities and multi-player games linked to bonus cinema content found on Blu-ray Discs.

BD-Live is a Blu-ray feature that enables you to access  special content via an internet-connected Blu-ray player. Because it's not coded into the disc, BD-Live content is always updated, always fresh. With BD-Live, your Blu-ray disc is different every time you view it.

Check out the latest previews,  download special scenes, exclusive features and ringtones, and participate in online communities or games.

As BD-Live continues to grow and expand, even more features will become available, customizing features and content to your location or preferences.


Life-Like Surround Sound

The BD35 and BD55 both feature an HD Audio Decoder (Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus and DTSTM-HD Master Audio Essential), which supports the 7.1-channel surround sound newly adopted in Blu-ray Discs.  Users can enjoy 7.1-channel surround even with systems that do not support HD Audio -- as long as the DMP-BD35/55 is connected to a 7.1-channel receiver equipped with an HDMI terminal. The DMP-BD55 can also output analog signals for 7.1-channel sound, so even receivers that are not compatible with HDMI can produce the newest 7.1-channel surround sound by simply connecting to the DMP-BD55.


Dolby TrueHD, Dolby’s next-generation lossless technology developed for high-definition disc-based media, delivers tantalizing sound that is bit-for-bit identical to the studio master.

  • Delivers enthralling studio-master-quality sound that unlocks the true high-definition entertainment experience on next-generation discs.
  • Offers more discrete channels than ever before for impeccable surround sound.
  • Compatible with the A/V receivers and home-theaters-in-a-box (HTIBs) of today and tomorrow.
  • Dialogue normalization maintains the same volume level when you change to other Dolby Digital and Dolby TrueHD programming.
  • Dynamic range control (Night mode) enables you to customize audio playback to reduce peak volume levels (no loud surprises) while experiencing all the details in the soundtrack, enabling late-night viewing of high-energy surround sound without disturbing others.


The Panasonic BD55 goes a step further with a high-end audio design and components. Thanks to a 192kHz 24bit audio digital-analog converter and high quality insulators, electrolytic capacitors, copper-foil film capacitors and ultra-low-impedance electrolytic capacitors, the DMP-BD55 delivers the same kind of exciting surround effect and lifelike ambience as today's finest cinemas. The DMP-BD55 can also output analog signals for 7.1-channel sound, so even receivers that are not compatible with HDMI can produce the newest 7.1-channel surround sound by simply connecting to the DMP-BD55.


HDMI Features

x.v Color

Standard RGB Color Profile
RGB Color Range
xvycc Color
xvYCC Color Range
Standard RGB color space allows the display of a portion of the colors that are viewable to the human eye. The next generation "xvYCC" color space (Extended YCC Colorimetry for Video Applications), or "x.v. color" for shortactually offers  an available range of colors that exceeds what human eyes can recognize.
  • Next-generation "xvYCC" color space supports 1.8 times as many colors as existing HDTV signals
  • Lets HDTVs display colors more accurately
  • Enables displays with more natural and vivid colors

Deep Color
deep color eliminates visible color banding So, where x.v. color expands the available range of colors your HDTV can display, Deep Color increases the number of colors your HDTV can display within that range, for smoother transitions from color to color.
  • Lets HDTVs and other displays go from millions of colors to billions of colors
  • Eliminates on-screen color banding, for smooth tonal transitions and subtle gradations between colors
  • Enables increased contrast ratio
  • Can represent many times more shades of gray between black and white


Connectivity

Both models are equipped with an SD Memory Card slot that makes it easy to transfer images from an HD camcorder or digital still camera that uses SD Memory Cards. Simply insert the SD card into the DMP-BD35/55 and it plays AVCHD-format video images or JPEG stills in full 1920 x 1080 resolution on your flat panel HDTV.  The DMP-BD35/55 can also play slide shows, complete with background music.

The DMP-BD35/55 models are also compatible with Panasonic’s VIERA Link function so they can be operated by the VIERA HDTV remote control.

Inputs/Outputs
  • HDMI
  • Component Video Out (Y, PB, PR)
  • Video Out
  • 2ch Audio Out
  • Digital Audio Out : 1 optical
  • SD Memory Card Slot
  • Ethernet for Network



Specifications

VIDEO

PHL Reference Chroma Processor : Yes
P4HD (Pixel Precision Progressive Processing for HD) : Yes
Precise Pixel Generation : Yes
16-Level Motion Detection w/ Pixel-Based Motion Adaptive : Yes
Diagonal Processing : Yes
3:2/2:2 Pull-Down Progressive Processing : Yes
i/p Conversion for 1080p 3 Playback : Yes
Up-conversion to 1080p 4 Playback : Yes
Video D/A Converter : 148.5MHz/12bit
Progressive Scan : Yes
Digital Noise Reduction : 3D-NR/Integrated NR
1080/24p Playback : Yes
Deep Color : Yes
x.v.Color : Yes
Picture Mode : Yes (Normal/Soft/Fine/Cinema/User)
Picture Adjustment : Yes (Brightness, Color, Contrast, Sharpness, Gamma Correction)

s

Audio D/A Converter : 192kHz/24bit
Dolby Digital/Dolby Digital Plus Decoder : Decode and Bitstream output
Dolby True HD Decoder : Decode and Bitstream output
DTS/DTS-HD High Resolution Audio Decoder : Decode and Bitstream output
96kHz Surround Re-Master : (for all formats)
Advanced Surround (V.S.S.) : Yes
Night Surround Mode : Yes
Dialogue Enhancer : Yes
Dynamic Range Compression : Yes
Audio S/N : 115dB
Dynamic Range : 100dB

CONVENIENT

Super Hi Speed Scan : Yes
Audio/JPEG Navigation Menu : Yes
VIERA Link (HDAVI Control 3) : Yes

INPUT/OUTPUT

HDMI: Support features: Deep Color, x.v.Color, High Bit Rate Audio
Component Video Out (Y, PB, PR) : Yes
Video Out : Yes
7.1ch Audio Out : No
2ch Audio Out : Yes
Digital Audio Out : 1 optical
SD Memory Card Slot : Yes
Ethernet for Network : Yes

FORMAT

BD-ROM Playback : BD-Live
BD-RE / BD-RE DL : BD-MV (BD-RE version3), BDAV (SESF), JPEG (HD)
BD-R/BD-R DL : BD-MV (BD-R version2), BDAV (SESF)
DVD Playback : DVD-Video
DVD-RAM Playback : DVD-VR, JPEG (HD), AVCHD
DVD-R/-RW/-R(DL) 1 Playback : Yes
+R/+R(DL)/+RW Playback : DVD-VR, AVCHD
CD, CD-R/-RW 2 Playback : CD-DA, MP3 (CD-R/-RW only), JPEG (HD) (CD-R/-RW only)
SD Memory Card : AVCHD, JPEG (HD)

POWER

Power Source : AC 120V, 60Hz
Power Consumption : 20W (approx)

DIMENSIONS

Dimensions (H x W x D) : 1 15/16' inches by 16 15/16 inches by 9 13/16 inches
Weight : 5.7 lbs

Product Details

  • Blu-ray Player; BD Live
  • Home Theater audio system and a VIERA HDTV converts the home entertainment experience into a true-to-life cinematic experience
  • VIERA Link: Operate with your VIERA Remote Control
  • SD Card Slot
  • 7.1-channel surround sound.

Video Reviews

television Panasonic DMP BD35K 1080p Blu ray PlayerNo video reviews found for this product.

Customer Reviews

user comment Panasonic DMP BD35K 1080p Blu ray Player Which is better? This player or the Sony BDP-S350? (I bought them both!) Differences between the Panasonic BD55K and BD35K?
 
Review Date: October 28, 2008
Reviewer: Home Theater is Fun, Philadelphia, PA USA
I take my home theater hobby pretty seriously, that's why when it came time to invest in a Blu-Ray player (finally the wait is over!!!), I did a ridiculously great amount of research. I was willing to spend much more money on a blu-ray player, but the prices have come down so much, you don't have to! I narrowed down my extensive search for the right player to the Panasonic DMP-BD35K and the Sony BDP-S350. **I BOUGHT THEM BOTH AND DID A "SIDE-BY-SIDE" TEST!**

I have some nice equipment, so I feel that the test was an excellent representation of the capabilities of these two players. My equipment includes a 100-inch Stewart screen with a 1080p Sony Pearl front projector, an Integra 9.8 DTC processor (with all the latest surround sound goodies), a 7-channel NAD amp, 7 Paradigm Signature speakers, and a dual M&K subwoofer (for full 7.1 surround sound).

I do understand electronics, but the Sony manual was really hard to follow. After only one call to Sony, I eventually got the player set up properly. After I set up the Panasonic, everything became much clearer. The Panasonic manual is so much better. But, who really cares about manuals? How do these two players perform side by side?

Audio for BOTH Blu-ray discs and standard DVDs: The Panasonic unquestionably has better audio. Compared to the Sony, the highs were much clearer. The 7.1 surround sound put me right in the middle of the "explosion" (my first test blu-ray disc was National Treasure I) when the Charlotte blew up. The biggest Audio difference was the bass. The bass in the Panasonic was so much better than the Sony. In fact, my old Sony standard-DVD player had better audio than the Sony BDP-S350. I'd give the Sony 3 stars with the audio. The Panasonic had outstanding treble, bass, and surround: 5-star audio!

Video for BOTH Blu-ray discs and standard DVDs: The Sony's video was good, but the Panasonic's video was fantastic! The skin tones were more realistic and the colors were more vibrant with the Panasonic. The Sony seemed to have a thin gray film over everything -- like looking through a filmy-dirty window. The Sony had 4-star video (it looked good, but not nearly as good when directly compared to the Panasonic). The Panasonic and its upscaling gets an easy 5 stars!

Both my wife and I did the "side-by-side" test by going back and forth between Blu-Ray discs and standard DVDs. We didn't discuss any of our thoughts until we each independently formed our own conclusions. After seeing and hearing both players, we were both in complete agreement that in every way the Panasonic DMP-BD35K was superior to the Sony BDP-S350.

By the way, the card slot on the Sony for BD-Live is very hard to get to. I do like Sony as a brand for some things, but not Blu-Ray players.

For those of you who are doing your research, hopefully I can save you some time to answer if you should buy the Panasonic DMP-BD35K or DMP-BD55K. I called Panasonic and asked the differences; besides the price, there are only two differences. The 55K plays DivX's. If you don't have any DivX's like me and most of the people on planet Earth, this doesn't make any difference to you. The only other difference is that the 35K can only output Dolby True HD and DTS HD Master Audio to a receiver/processor that has an HDMI input. If your receiver doesn't have an HDMI input, you won't be able to get them out of the 35K. If your receiver does have an HDMI input and you'll be using an HDMI cable, then you have absolutely no need to buy the 55K. With the 55K, if you have an older receiver that does not have an HDMI input, you can use the 55K's analog audio outputs so that you can have Dolby True HD and DTS HD Master Audio. That's a nice feature of the 55K if you have an older receiver but want the latest surround sound formats.

Also, to save you some research time, I've already checked out all of the professional reviews including the ones on CNet.com: The Sony is considered ok, and CNet liked the Panasonic so much that it is the first Blu-Ray player EVER to receive CNet's "Editor's Choice Award."

I have to go to the store now and return the Sony player that I bought. I'm keeping the Panasonic!! :-)

Hopefully you found this review helpful!
user comment Panasonic DMP BD35K 1080p Blu ray Player Panasonic finally gets it right - stiff competition for the PS3
 
Review Date: October 24, 2008
Reviewer: Rushead 2112-Hemispheres, Los Angeles, CA.
I was very interested to see this unit perform as I had previously owned the BD30 for about a week and it was a piece of junk and I returned it. I bought this unit a week and a half ago and so far no problems at all.

Setup was a breeze as I just connected it to my Onkyo receiver via HDMI. The bootup time seems a little faster than the previous model, and the video performance with Blu-ray discs seems cleaner too. One thing I like is the fact that it will resume playback on SD-DVD and Blu-ray discs (without BD-Live). The sound quality is fantastic and it seems they fixed the issue with an attunated LFE output on the previous model. Upconversion of standard DVD seems very good. I also own a Toshiba HD-A35 and love its upconversion quality and the BD35 is every bit as good if not better. I also like the zoom feature that allows me to see DVDs that are not anamorphic being scaled and still fill the screen. With this zoom feature applied, my Star Wars original version DVD still looks very good. The ethernet port on the back will allow me to do future firmware updates without having to burn a CD. The owner's manual says if I have an internet connection connected all the time, the player will alert me when updates become available - cool!

The manual that comes with it covers the BD35 and BD55 and it looks like the only difference is the availability of analog 7.1 outputs and DviX playback on the BD55. One thing I will say is that these players do not play DVD-Audio or SACD discs. It will play DVD-Audio discs with Dolby Digital and DTS, but not the Advanced Resolution audio stream.

I haven't used the BD-live function yet, but there is a slot on the front of the player for a SD card which make using the BD-live feature possible.

So it looks like Panasonic finally got it right!
user comment Panasonic DMP BD35K 1080p Blu ray Player Great Blu Ray Player
 
Review Date: November 17, 2008
Reviewer: A. N. Weinberg, Jacksonville, FL
I had been looking for a blu ray player for some time, however the prices were just too high. Then I saw the Panasonic BD35K in one of my audio/video magazines. They gave it a great review and the price was $299. I went to Amazon and they had it for less than $250 so I ordered it on a Monday morning and received it on Thursday with no shipping charges. My receiver does not have an HDMI input or output so I connected the player directly to my 55 inch 1080P SONY SXRD TV using the HDMI port and I connected the digital optical audio out on the player to my receiver. The on screen setup menus were very easy to follow and the user manual explained everything. I thought I would try an action movie as the first one to see how the picture looked. I went to Blockbuster and got "The Incredible Hulk" and boy was I pleasantly surprised. The movie loaded in about 30 seconds the picture was just gorgeous and the sound coming from every speaker in my 5.1 surround sound set up was fantastic. My subwoofer definitely was given a good work out. The explosions just completely enveloped me. So far I am extremely pleased with this player and I would recommend this to anyone looking for a reasonably priced Blu Ray player.
user comment Panasonic DMP BD35K 1080p Blu ray Player HDMI Handshake Warning
 
Review Date: December 5, 2008
Reviewer: Kenneth Lin,
First let me talk about the BD35 itself. This is a great Blu-ray player. Good price point, awesome picture and audio quality, reasonably fast load times, very good upconversion of standard DVDs (about comparable to my Toshiba A3 HD-DVD player, which the BD35 is replacing). If you are in the market for a Blu-ray player, this is a great choice (it didn't get a CNET Best Of award for nothing).

For those of you who own non-anamorphic standard DVDs (for example, Tombstone or Backdraft), you will be happy to know that unlike my A3, the BD35 automatically detects the non-anamorphic nature of the DVD and zooms it to fill the screen (no black bars on the sides). Sure the picture quality is less than an anamorphic standard DVD, and much less than a Blu-ray - but at least it fills the screen properly and is better than a sharp stick in the eye.

That being said, I'd like to play the part of educator, so please treat the rest of this review as a Public Service Announcement.

EDITED 12/8/08 TO ADD: avsforum members have figured out that my connectivity issue was not a HDMI Handshake issue. However, I am leaving the Handshake comments in the review as in general they are still applicable.

People getting into the world of HD need to be aware of HDMI Handshake issues. What is HDMI Handshake you ask? Well, you can use Google for a more detailed explanation, but basically HDMI incorporates a Digital Copy Protection called HDCP. Let's say you have a Blu-ray player connected to a AV receiver connected to your HDTV. Well, the Copy Protection basically requires each connection to exchange an authentication key (i.e. the Handshake). Only if all handshakes along the path are successful will video be successfully sent to the HDTV. Unfortunately, it's a complicated subject, and video failure due Handshake issues can be a matter of cable type, older components, firmware not up to date, powering up components in the wrong order, or a whole host of other items. It currently seems to be the Bane of the Home Theater World.

NOTE THAT ANY HANDSHAKE ISSUES, GENRALLY, ARE NOT THE SOLE FAULT OF THE BD35 (which is why I did not deduct any stars).

People with older HDTVs (especially with DVI inputs) seem to be more susceptible to Handshake issues. www.avsforum.com is a great resource if you want to learn more about this.

As an aside, I would like to say that the Powers That Be (whoever is in charge of HDMI) are really doing a horrible job. I personally know what 720p, DVI, HDCP, and HDMI 1.3 means. I also know that the solution to any given problem can be a matter of cabling, or firmware, or settings, or powering on components in the right order. But I can guarantee you that my Mom, or my mother-in-law, or my father-in-law, knows none of these things. I don't possibly see how the HDMI people expect people to buy a Blu-ray player when so many issues abound! It's just too complicated. There is going to be a large subset of the population who don't know about these issues, don't care about these issues, and aren't going to be willing to buy a Blu-ray player when it can be so complicated to get their Home Theater system to work properly.

I went through many headaches trying to solve this problem and learning about this - I hope this is of some use to readers and sheds some light. Best wishes to all, and enjoy the dazzling picture and audio quality on your BD35!
user comment Panasonic DMP BD35K 1080p Blu ray Player Five Stars with the Firmware Upgrade
 
Review Date: November 29, 2008
Reviewer: Terri Christiansen, Texas United States
I bought this product due to the reviews I read on Amazon. What I looked most forward to was the fact that it "upscales" my old DVD's to look "almost HD." Almost?? This player upscales my old DVD's so well that I have found myself wondering if I need to buy the more expensive blu-ray movies at all. Even my old black and white movies on dvd look unbelievable. I was very relieved as I have an extensive collection of DVD's and was upset at the idea of having to replace them all with the new blu-ray format.

Just to be sure I immediately went out and bought several blu-ray movies to play on it. Unfortunately, I experienced what I soon learned was called "audio drop-out." During a few of the movies I purchased, and many of my old DVD's, the sound would cut out many times during playback. If I paused the movie and then continued, it would work until the next drop-out; at which point I had to go through the "pause-play" routine until I was sick of it.

I went to the Panasonic site and tried to get an firmware update as I did not have it connected to my router. No such luck. It was not yet uploaded to their site so no way to download it to a disk and then upgrade from there. I called tech-support and they told me there was indeed an upgrade that would fix the problem, but it had to be connected to the internet.

As my HD-TV is another room than my router, I purchased a 100 ft. ethernet cable and ran the firmware upgrade. It worked better than I could have possibly imagined. Not only is the audio drop-out gone (on all DVD's), the picture is even better, which is hard to believe as it was already magnificent.

I cannot possibly recommend this product any higher. It has saved me thousands of dollars that I feared I would have to spend on replacing my old DVD's. As a matter of point, the only blu-ray movies I will spend the extra money on is perhaps ones made with super special effects. There is no need to buy the blu-ray DVD's with this player for regular movies. Neither my husband, my techie son, or anyone else can tell they are not watching a HD movie with this player.

Thank you Panasonic, and Thank you Amazon reviewers who talked me into this particular player.

Update;
Time has now passed and I must say that the only problem I have had was that when we lost power in the house due to road work in our area, I had to re-download the firmware upgrade. Back to perfect.
I have found no problems with handshake issues. No problems with slow starts. I noticed the price is going up, as I got mine much cheaper here on Amazon. What's up with the price increase?