Panasonic DMP-BD35 & DMP-BD55 Features (1 Viewer)

[Lew Crippen]

RCA will work fine, assuming you have 7.1 inputs

 

[Paul Hillenbrand]

Please let me try to explain this again.

It's true for certain configurations. It depends on what hi res mechanism you choose and the mechanics of the Blu-ray specifications.

In other words:

The player can send a Bitstream or it can decode a Bitstream, but it can't make a Bitstream.
The Panasonic DMP-BD55 has a "decoder" to decode (un-zip/uncompress) the hi rez codec Bitstreams of DTS-HD MA and Dolby TrueHD into PCM. It also just uses PCM if it's recorded directly on a Blu-ray disc.

It can combine PCM audio tracks (a hi rez PCM sound track & a PCM commentary track) and send them out together as PCM to a receiver/processor.

The Panasonic DMP-BD55 can also send ALL hi rez bitstreams that are on a Blu-ray disc via HDMI 1.3, but the player does not have an "encoder", so it can't make a Bitstream (combine two PCM tracks (zip-up/compress) into a new Bitstream) and send it directly to a receiver/processor.

Hope this is clearer.

Paul

 

[mark.wo--]

I have an older Onkyo 5.1 receiver with no HDMI input. Can someone please confirm that I'll be able to connect a DMP-BD35 to the optical audio input and get 5.1 DTS (non-HD audio)? My understanding is that the analog audio outputs on the DMP-BD55 are used by someone with an older 7.1 receiver without HDMI inputs, who wants HD audio. Is that correct?

Do optical audio inputs only support 5.1, or do they support 7.1 (non-HD) as well? I haven't been keeping up with the latest AV standards


Also, does anyone know the difference between the DMP-BD35K on Amazon and the regular DMP-BD35?

Thanks.

 

[Rob Willey]

The BD-35 can handle an optical digital audio hookup for 5.1. I'm not sure about 7.1, since I have a 5.1 receiver.

I came across the BD35K designation when I was shopping for my BD35 but as far as I can tell, there is no difference.

Rob

 

[Paul.S]

Just to be clear--I don't think this is something that Panasonic once offered on one of their previous BD players yet dropped from the 55 (like DVD-A support). My DMP-BD10 doesn't have a subtitle button on the remote either and frankly I haven't missed it. I, too, often backpedal and flip on subtitles to clarify what someone said (much to the sometimes chagrin of fellow viewers). But the just as big, if not even bigger, PITA than the "huge effort" that requires is the fact that what was mumbled often isn't accurately transcribed in the subtitles. IMO the absence of a subtitle button is nettlesome but hardly a "deal killer."

 

[Ray Chuang]

I have an interesting question about the DMP-BD35--is it closely-related to the old Panasonic DVD-S35 DVD player in terms of a related drive mechanism?

(I have the DVD-S35 and the only downside was the fact the player when it moves between menus makes a lot of noise. )

 

[Paul Hillenbrand]

Here is a good practical explanation from "Boylan13" at AVS, of how to set the Panasonic DMP-BD35 or 55 to output both hi resolution audio and secondary audio continually. It has different procedures for HDMI & Analog and it recommends selecting PCM (Not Bitstream) to get ALL the audio ("menu Clicks, and secondary audio and lossless surround.") together:
Reference: Accessing the post directly from here is not allowed. The link is located at the following address:
AVS Forum-->
Blu-ray & HD DVD Areas-->
Blu-ray Players-->
Official Panasonic DMP-BD35/55 Owners Thread-->
Post #2243


Paul

 

[mark.wo--]

(duplicate post deleted)

 

[mark.wo--]

Thanks for the reply.

I just ordered a BD-35 from Amazon (they've got a pretty good deal going)and want to order the appropriate cables. My receiver (an Onkyo 5.1 HTIB unit) doesn't have HDMI inputs. It has component video and optical audio inputs.

I assume I should use an HDMI cable to connect the BD-35 directly to my tv (a 720p Panasonic plasma) and the optical audio to connect it to the receiver. Is this correct?

Would there be any major advantages to upgrading to a mid-priced 7.1 surround system (other than the additional separation)? Or would the improvement (from high-res audio) only be noticeable with high end components and speakers? Is there any advantage to having a newer receiver through which the video signal passes (via the HDMI), or does the BD-35 pretty much "do it all"?

 

[Jeff_HR]

Lately I've been considering the purchase of the Panasonic BD55. But like Mr Sanjay Gupta, the lack of a dedicated Subtitle button on the remote & the need to "dig" for it in the menu structure is a Deal Killer for me!!
I will not consider the player any longer. I use Subtitles a lot. I MUST have a dedicated button on the remote. :frowning:

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

The omission of a subtitle button does seem pretty lazy, especially if discs are being programmed to play automatically (another dumb idea IMO). Have these engineers never seen a DVD player before?

 

[Jeff_HR]

I doubt it. I'm feeling that way about all engineers these days.

I'm going back to my 1st choice, the Sony S550. I'll use it as my pick for a BD-Live player. I won't consider the PS3, as it doesn't display time expired/remaining. That's always been a BIG ergonomic consideration for me.



My feelings about how DVDs are programmed to play is a RANT for another day & thread!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Sanjay Gupta]

Seriously, you have no idea, how much better the PS3 is overall, compared to the BD55 and I presume any other standalone BD player. Displaying on screen, the time expired/remaining is a simple button press and is instantaneous unlike on the standalone players, where you have to wait for a response after having pressed the button, sometimes making you wonder if your button press registered or not. Then you end up pressing the button again, only to realize that it's just the damn slow processor taking it's time to respond. As already mentioned previously, the BD55 does not have a dedicated subtitle button, but it does have one for audio. That's a different matter altogether that unlike the PS3, where if you press the audio button the audio track changes almost instantaneously, the BD55 shows in the display that the track has changed, but there is no sound for what seems like ages, before finally you hear the selected track, making one think at times maybe there is something wrong with the disk or player or whatever. The PS3 also displays the audio and video bitrate information unlike the BD55. Oh, by the way, the BD55 also cannot do frame by frame reverse.

 

[Rich Allen]

"Oh, by the way, the BD55 also cannot do frame by frame reverse."

Who cares? Can't you get it through your head that other people have different priorities than you do? And there is nothing wrong with that?

 

[Cees Alons]

A post (and a reaction to it) was removed.
This is a thread dedicated to the features of the new Panasonic DMP-BD35 & DMP-BD55. It's not the "oh but I like the old so-and-so much better" thread.

Posts that only seem to be posted to praise another piece/brand of equipment are considered thread crapping or spamming.
This is especially true if one or more threads about the so mentioned equipment have already been featured extensively on this forum.


Cees

 

[Jeff_HR]

I talked to a Panasonic Rep at BB yesterday about the DMP-BD55 remote/Subtitle button issue. He said he had no idea why this button was left off the remote. I guess it was "too much to expect" him to have any knowledge of engineering/ergonomic decision making priorities. He agreed to report to Panasnic my concerns about the issue. I will be VERY surprised if he follows thru since I asked him if anyone else had raised this concern. He said "NO".

So, consequently, I have purchased the Sony S550 - even though I probably would have purchased the DMP-BD55 should it have had the desired dedicated Subtitle button on the remote.

 

[Sanjay Gupta]

I think this refers to a post that I made. Unfortunately I can't remember in detail exactly what all I wrote. But my post was most certainly not intended to 'crap on' or to 'spam' this thread. The only objective was to share my dissapointment with the BD55, having waited very patiently for a fully featured profile 2.0 BD player with analog audio outs for the purpose of Hi-Rez sound. I decided upon the BD55, after having deliberated carefully between it and the Sony S550. As pleased as I am with the sound from the analog outs of the BD55, the overall experience with the BD55 and its lack of some very basic features, has left me very dissapointed. This is specially so, considering that it is quite a task for me to even get a player from the US, having to wait months at times for a friend to visit from the US so that he/she may carry the player for me. The fact that I find myself with a product that I don't feel like using and not even having the option to return or exchange it due to obvious reasons, has made for a very frustrating experience. Since I have already been using the PS3 and have been more than satisfied with it for well over a year, I think it is but natural for me to have ended up comparing the BD55 to it. Not so much as to 'crap on' the BD55, but more so to point out it's shortcomings, to those who might be considering buying the BD55. Even then, if my post came across as 'spam' then I apologize for the same. But the fact is, that my sole purpose of posting here is to help inform others of the rather strong shortcomings of the BD55. Shortcomings such as:

No dedicated Subtitle button.
Instead it takes 'SIX' button presses on the remote to turn on the subtitles and another 'SIX' button presses, to turn off the subtitles. Now this might not be as important to all, but to myself and I am sure quite a few others, this or rather the lack of this feature is a very major issue.
What I am wondering though is, why should pointing out the fact, that this is a feature that has existed on every single DVD & BD player that I have had experience with, be considered as simply "oh but I like the old so-and-so much better", specially considering that there is no 'New' replacement feature on the BD55 to compare with.

White Bands on the sides of 4x3 encoded material.
I am sure most here would agree with me, that to have 'white' bands instead of the regular 'black' bands is not just distracting but outright stupid on Panasonic's part. I am just thankful that atleast the top and bottom bands, on material wider than 16:9, are not white.
EDIT: This can be worked around by switching the 'screen saver' feature off. Why the connection between the two? Beats me, but this workaround does work. Ofcourse you then lose the 'screen saver', but i'd rather lose that feature, than have the 'white' bands.

No Menu Button to bring up the Menu while playing a DVD. Instead it takes 'Four' button presses to simply go to the menu.

The Display button.
It does not Display anything. Rather it brings up a menu from which several player settings can be made including turning on the subtitles. But it would make more sense for most of these setting to be in the Setup menu.

Status button.
This is the button equivalent to a normal 'Display' button. But even this needs to be pressed 'twice' before it will display the Chapter, Time Elapsed & Total Time. By the way, there is no way to see the 'Remaining' time and this goes for onscreen and the LCD display on the player itself. Thus you have to do the math yourself by subtracting the Elapsed time from the Total time to get the 'Remaining Time'. I am sure all avid movie watchers will be thrilled with the idewa of having to do maths, as simple as it might be, instead of watching the film.

No display of Audio/Video bitrate.

Settings Menu - GUI.
This is so poorly designed that it takes a while to figure out where the most basic of settings are. I personally have never felt the need to ever refer to a manual for such things, but I can imagine the average persons frustrations with setting up this player.

Overall sluggish performance.
Having been used to the PS3 it is hard to overlook the fact that the BD55 is horribly slow compared to the PS3 and I am not merely referring to Power On, Power Off, Disc load times etc., but rather the painfully slow response to button presses while playing Blu-ray discs. Here I must point out, as Paul Hillenbrand has done earlier in this thread, that compared to other standalone players the BD55 is actually faster. But, since my personal experience has only been with the PS3, I can only compare the DB55 to it.

I am sure there are a few more irritants with the BD55, but I just don't feel like using the player enough to remember them. I wonder how the Sony S550 compares to this and if I might have been better off buying that.

 

[Paul Arnette]

While I agree it shouldn't have to be, this can be worked around by turning the screen saver off according to some posts I've read on another site.

 

[Yumbo]

Hi,

I have just ordered the Panasonic 55, as I was not too satisfied (similar reasons given by Sanjay) with the Sony 350, after using the PS3.

Given Sanjay's comments, I was hesitant.
I too have to make similar decisions given my location in Fiji - freight, taxes, no warranty etc.

I went ahead just to compare against the Sony, and to discover for myself whether the picture is better than the Sony (as claimed by some), and simply test the Panasonic offerings with my Panasonic projector.

The Amazon $100 off promo (Panasonic players) made it an easier decision after that PS3 promo did not work, and is still not working.

It will be tested on our Yamaha Z9, to see if it makes any difference at all in sound, compared to the Toshiba A35 (which did NOT on 5.1 analog).

Hopefully it does.
Thereafter if the user interface annoys me (PS3 one also does with all the extra buttons and things on-screen), we'll sell it off and order in the Sony 550 (which someone said the picture ain't as clear as the Panasonic - the OSD and Menu is certainly soft).

We'll know next Tuesday.

 

[Paul.S]

Paul:


Could you either elaborate or link to that other site for more info please?