Panasonic DMP-BD55K Blu-ray Disc Player Review
I purchased this deck from Amazon at 5.00 new, along with the Onkyo 706 receiver. The deck performs without any issues right out of the box. Startup and disk loading times are reasonable...a bit longer than a normal DVD player, but much faster than my original Toshiba HD-A1 HD DVD player. I downloaded a firmware update and burned it to disk, then installed it without problems. The on-screen menus are intuitive and well laid-out. At the price I paid - I can recommend it without reservation. At the new price - I would do a bit more research, but after the first couple of months of use with 18 or so different Blu-Ray disks, there have been no problems, and Panasonic products are typically reliable and long lasting.
Panasonic DMP-BD55K Blu-ray Disc Player Feature
- Blu-ray Player
- BD Live / 7.1 Lossless Decode and Analog Output
- VIERA Link: Operate with your VIERA Remote Control
- SD Card Slot
Panasonic DMP-BD55K Blu-ray Disc Player Overview
BD-Live: Enjoy Additional Content via Internet (requires optional SD card) / PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus / Also plays DVD, CD, DiVX
Panasonic DMP-BD55K Blu-ray Disc Player Specifications
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.
The 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
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
 See 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.
| Bonus View lets you watch special features and commentary inline without leaving the movie.
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More Bits
 In 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.
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BD-Live
 Both 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.
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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
RGB Color Range
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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
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Deep Color | 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
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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
- 7.1 ch Audio Out analog
- Digital Audio Out: 1 optical, 1 coaxial
- SD Memory Card Slot
- Ethernet for Network
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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 4 Playback Yes
Up-conversion to 1080p 5 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)
AUDIO
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
CONVENIENCE
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 analog
2ch Audio Out No
Digital Audio Out 1 optical, 1 coaxial
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 DVD Video, DVD-VR, AVCHD, DivX® (DVD-R/-R DL only)
+R/+R(DL)/+RW Playback DVD-VR, AVCHD
CD, CD-R/-RW 2 Playback CD-DA, DivX (CD-R/-RW only), MP3 3 (CD-R/-RW only), JPEG (HD) (CD-R/-RW only)
SD Memory Card AVCHD, JPEG (HD)
POWER
Power Source AC 120V, 60Hz
Power Consumption21W (approx)
DIMENSIONS
(H x W x D) 23/16 inches x 1615/16 inches x 913/16 inches
Weight 5.7 lbs
*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 23, 2009 22:13:07
Slim chassis
See Everything Your HDTV Can Show You with Full HD.
In 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.
Xross (pronounced Cross) is Sony's Technical-Emmy award-winning graphic user interface for Sony WEGA and BRAVIA televisions and PS3 and PSX game systems. The interface features category icons spread horizontally across the screen that organize the viewing options (TV, Music, Internet, Tools, etc...). When a category icon is selected on the horizontal bar, a vertical bar appears showing the viewing options within that category. Using the directional pad on your remote, you can easily maneuver horizontally from category to category, then scroll vertically through individual viewing options to easily navigate through the wide range of programming available on today's televisions.
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.
