Panasonic DMP-BD80 High Clarity Audio Blu-ray Disc Player, Black
From the Manufacturer (March 19, 2009)The Panasonic DMP-BD80 Blu-ray Disc Player combines high quality images with enhanced networking functions. In continuing its commitment to producing products that stress ease of use, Panasonic has equipped the 2009 line of Blu-ray Disc players with VIERA Link, allowing the consumer to operate the audio/video components via HDMI with one remote. And in keeping with Panasonic’s pledge to reduce the planet’s carbon footprint, the new Blu-ray players have been designed to reduce power consumption. BD Live and BonusView so you can connect directly to the Internet to access bonus features, games and movie studio extras. SD memory card and USB slot so you can enjoy precious memories in HD Click to enlarge. Experience Movies Like Never Before The DMP-BD80 employs the PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus. Developed in collaboration with Panasonic Hollywood Laboratory, this high image processing technology reproduces clear, vivid colors that
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With the BD80, Panasonic has taken its popular BD55, with its excellent picture and sound quality, and added the ability to access online content via the new VIERA Cast feature. Currently VIERA Cast is limited to YouTube, Picasa online photo sharing, stocks and weather via “widgets” but Amazon’s on-demand movie service will be available on the BD80 in May. Other internet-based content can be added by Panasonic over time, based on user demand (without the need for a hardware upgrade).
Overall, the BD80 works well as a multi-media player – they added a USB jack on the front for viewing photos, Divx and Xvid videos and listening to MP3 files. This is in addition to the SD card slot (and BTW, an SD card is still required for BD-Live). It would have been nice if the player supported MKV videos, WMV, WMA and M4P files, but I guess we can’t have everything. Viewing YouTube is pretty straightforward – you can even log in to view your favorites – and it’s nice to be able to do that without a PC connected to your TV.
For Blu-ray and DVD playback, the unit performs extremely well. It isn’t the absolute best upconverting DVD player available, but it does a good job wringing detail out of standard def content. And it really shines as a Blu-ray Disc player with top-notch video and audio performance. The player decodes all of the latest surround sound codecs (Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, etc.) to multi-channel PCM and to multi-channel analog outputs (5.1 or 7.1-channel) for compatibility with older receivers and surround processors that lack the latest HDMI audio support. If you do have a newer receiver with HDMI audio support, then you can set the player to bitstream these soundtracks to your receiver for decoding. The player also offers standard coax and fiber optic digital outputs though these do not support the new codecs.
In addition to VIERA Cast and the USB port, Panasonic adds a new “High Clarity Audio” feature which allows you to turn off analog video processing if you’re using HDMI for your video output (improving sound quality) as well as a new “3D NR” noise reduction feature for cleaning up noisy Blu-ray and DVD transfers.
It’s too bad Panasonic could not improve the load times for Blu-ray and DVDs. As it is, they’re pretty much identical to the BD35 and BD55. But at least they did provide a “Quick Start” mode which allows the player to power on/boot up quicker than its predecessors. Even still, the player is a bit slower to load discs than the latest offerings from LG and Samsung.
For those who don’t need the multi-channel analog outputs or Divx support, the less expensive DMP-BD60 may be a better choice as it offers the same audio and video processing as well as the same VIERA Cast feature.
Overall, the BD80 is a solid performer. I would have liked Panasonic to include an SD card in the box for BD-Live access (as well as an HDMI cable, instead of those silly composite video/analog audio cables), and it would have been nice to have a Wi-Fi option, instead of requiring a hard-wired Ethernet cable for internet access, but Panasonic is not the only vendor who omits these things. While the online content offerings are currently a bit light and the operational speeds are only average, the excellent audio and video performance and flexible media playback options make this a strong contender in the 2009 Blu-ray model line up.
You can view our more detailed review on Big Picture Big Sound (dot com).
3.0 out of 5 stars
Question about region playback
Would this player allow playback of Blu Ray and DVD’s from other world regions. There’s no manufacture information on this but from a couple websites only. Please advise. Thanks!
All I have to say is that on the surface, Blu Ray picture and sound is definitely all it’s cracked up to be and then some. I still have my first generation Sony XBR 1080i I bought in 2006 with 2 HDMI outputs and I must say with this player via HDMI (Monster Ultra High Speed 1000)I can really really tell the difference. I used used the same Monster cable and hooked it up to my DirecTV box, and I must admit as a skeptic of HDMI fraud, it definitely gave me a slightly clearer picture than the hdmi cable they provided me when I got the new HD Box a couple of months ago. I have only tested a few regular standard DVD’s on it (The Dark Knight, Constantine, Underworld 2 and Day After Tomorrow) and the picture and sound seemed more enhanced and clearer than on my old regular DVD player. However, Constatine in some scenes seemed a bit grainy and overenhance a bit but still enjoyed it better than on my original dvd player. The frozen scenes on the Day After Tomorrow were spectacular.
I’ve only had this model since April 2 so I haven’t even begun getting into the BD-Live and hooking it up to the internet as of yet. However, I specifically bought Quantum of Solace, Bolt, Wall-E, Night at Museuem and Kingdom of Heaven and I must say the picture is breathtaking. The sound is so clear and crisp I had to turn down the normal volume I usually have my 5.1 surround sound receiver at down several several notches. I don’t have a fancy receiver with hdmi ouput, just used a digital coaxial cable and connected to the back of the bluray player along with hdmi for the stunning picture. I can only imagine what it would look like on a newer 1080p t.v. if there is really that much of a difference than the quality I see now. However, i noticed something about the audio connections or maybe I have it wrong. For some reason it seemed like the sound from the player was slightly louder and when I had audio cables as compared to the digital coaxial cable i’m currently using which seems to be much clearer but compressed. Maybe it’s me I don’t know i’m still new at this blu ray thing.
Cons
The load up times is really really slow. Though this model has a feature for quickload which is actually slightly faster but be prepared to wait a while. It’s a bluray disc with way more content stored so what are you gonna do. By now you’d think they’d work this kink out of Blu Ray after 3 years.
Of course you can’t stop and pick up where you left off. Why, Why has this not been fixed yet. You’ll just have to remember where you left at by hitting the status button to show you the chapter it’s currently at or I think there is a bookmark feature but it hasn’t worked for me as of yet.
The remote looks sort of cheesy and I wish it could have been a universal style remote to allow you work more than one different brand of component (I’ll just buy a Logitech Universal to cure this problem).
If you accidently choose 1080p as your source for your television and you only have a 1080i (which i found out the hard way as the idiot from Tweeter conned me into thinking my televsion would be able to deliver 1080p via some de-interlacing of some sort and suprise, it doesn’t) you will not only lose your picture and won’t get a signal but only audio, in order for me to get the signal back I had to disconnect the hdmi plug from both the t.v. and bluray unit and reconnect them and restart the machine all over again. Of course the instruction booklet didn’t tell you this in the troubleshooting section.
Other than that, I’m really quite happy with the player. Looking forward to getting the “The Day The Earth Stood Still”. I know it was a crappy movie but the special effects was awesome and i can only imagine how good it would look on my big screen. It think the Blu Ray is going for 16.99 on Amazon at last check and you even get the orignal version of the movie included. Can’t beat that no matter how bad the movie is. Can’t wait for Underworld 3 in Blu Ray.
1.0 out of 5 stars
Picture keeps dropping out
Very disappointed with this player. Connected via HDMI to an EPSON 1080p projector that was previously hooked up to a PS3 with the exact same cable.
Panasonic has once again come up with a solid performance player!
I choose the Panasonic 80 after a very through and grueling side by side comparison with it’s main competitor, the Sony S-550.
The Sony and Panasonic player’s PQ where both overall very good on blu-ray playback.
The Panasonic had a very slight edge over the Sony, in producing a more COLORFUL picture with more 3-D POP EFFECT.
Sound quality reproduction between the two players using the 7.1 analog connections was much more dramatic.
Both Panasonic and Sony player’s produced an excellent 7.1 sound field, but the Sony suffered from a lower LFE output than the Panasonic, both at the same settings and volume.
The Sony 550 required a +15 SW increase from my receiver, and still did NOT sound as POWERFUL and DYNAMIC as the Panasonic 80 at +10.
All players suffer from LFE drop using analog connections, but the Panasonic clearly had the edge in the sound department using the analog connections.
BOTTOM LINE: If you are looking for a high performance affordable blu-ray player, and have an older non HDMI AV receiver, this is the player to get.
You can also take advantage of the High clarity output on the Panny 80 if you have a newer HDMI receiver, or opt for the cheaper Panny 60 player.
Either way you won’t be disappointed by Solid Panasonic Performance.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great BD player!
picked up off of Amazon for $260 – practically a steal.
i have a collection of DVD-A’s that required something with HDMI and analog outs – this model fit the bill at…
1.0 out of 5 stars
Horrible Customer Service at Panasonic for Blu Ray Players
I had some trouble setting this player up using analog connections and I called Panasonic. (Their customer service for Plasma TV’s is great).
5.0 out of 5 stars
Super player (so far)
I switched to this player from an earlier Samsung model. The Samsung almost turned me off from blu-ray completely, with its endless problems in playing blu-ray discs…
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very Nice!
I held back on getting a blu ray player for as long as possible. At $270 + shipping I finally pulled the trigger. The picture quality and sound are great.
5.0 out of 5 stars
panasonic bd80 great
The picture is amazing.. the sound terrific and very easy to work the remote control has nice size button with my big fingers its a great touch. overall..
5.0 out of 5 stars
As advertised
I am pleased with both the quality and value of this player. The blu-ray is noticably superior in both visual and sound. It is an attractive
looking item as well.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Panny 80
This is the newer version of the popular Panasonic 55 blu-ray player. It offers excellent image quality and top notch sound quality.
5.0 out of 5 stars
panasonic dmp-bd80 review
[[ASIN:B001V9LA4E Panasonic DMP-BD80 High Clarity Audio Blu-ray Disc Player, Black]i purchased this unit to replace a early samsung unit.