ON TEST / BLU-RAY PLAYER

Verdict Approx price 900

Panasonic DMP-BD10A

New rmware now gives the format a reason to be cheerful
BGreat HD video performance, quality upscaler for DVD, great audio ENo Ethernet port for BD Live, clunky remote, over-priced
THERES LITTLE DOUBT that the makers of Blu-ray machines are playing catch-up with HD DVD. A cursory glance at the hardware specication reveals it is still in ux and that feature specs are uid. So how does this updated version of Panasonics innovative DMP-BD10 compare with its predecessor? offering compatibility with lossless 7.1 audio formats Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD High-Resolution Audio. While there are precious few Dolby lossless soundtracks on BD discs, Fox appears to have standardised on this high-spec DTS variant as its preferred 7.1 sound system; consequently, this update can be considered vital. It follows an update which adds AVCHD (H.264) compatibility. Slip in a DVD, recorded on an AVCHD camcorder and youll be able to enjoy gorgeous HD home movies. /// While rmware may have been upgraded for the 10A, theres no change to the actual chassis. So theres still no Ethernet connector, denying online access to interactive Blu-ray content. However given that there are no BD Live discs available (or even planned in the short term) this may not be an issue. Unfortunately, neither are there media card reading slots on the player. This is very much a disc spinner, and not a general entertainment hub with delusions of grandeur. Visually, the player is a little bland, hiding most of its buttons behind a wide, transparent fascia, which needs to be lowered to access the disc tray. Connectivity includes a single HDMI output, component video, a Scart, 7.1 phono outs, supplemental stereo phono outputs and a pair of digital audio outputs (one optical, one electrical).

The rivals

/ Samsung BDP-1000
Cheaper, but no match for the BD10A for pure performance. Reviewed: Issue 315

Ease of use

The DMP-BD10A is a relatively easy machine to live with, thanks to

Features

Curiously, not all BD players are created equal. Consequently, buyers need to be sure that the player they shortlist performs the way theyre expecting. Even if it does, when you buy into BD at the moment, you can expect an ongoing series of rmware updates and revisions. The DMP-BD10 player, launched at the back-end of 2006, and reviewed in issue 316, is already subject to a series of rmware updates. The newest patch will install a spanky new audio decoder,
The stunning stylised cinematography of Black Hawk Down looks at once rich and denuded///
its wide ranging disc compatibility, and a nifty new feature called Viera Link. Essentially a buffed up version of HDAVI system control, this offers system-wide user control. Hook up compatible Panasonic components, such as a receiver and screen, via HDMI, and youll be able to direct all from one remote via a seamless

/ Toshiba HDE1

Bargain HD DVD player that comes within a hairs breadth of the BD10As picture performance and has Ethernet port. Reviewed: Issue 317
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Want more Blu-ray players? See the Buyers Guide on p115

Fact le

/ Blu-ray disc player / Upscaling to 1080p / Dolby TrueHD/DTS Master Audio capable / AVCHD home brew hi-def discs capable / Viera Link system control
/ Time in Lab: 14 days / Serial No: KV7 AA01038R 430mm
multi-component GUI. For example, with One-Touch Home Cinema Playback, pressing a single button on the remote switches on the TV, BD player and receiver at the same time and starts playback of the disc. Operationally, there are few quirks, although we found the large remote control rather clunky. For the record, the player takes about 30 seconds for the player to ready a BD for playback (a consequence of all the heavy copy-protection handshaking it must complete). Compared to most modern DVD players, this seems quite slow.

Picture

Image quality is in line with our expectations of the Blu-ray format. Thats to say, well encoded discs far exceed the clarity of DVD and tend to offer less artefacts than SkyHD. Helping things along is a raft of picture modes, best of which is Panasonics proprietary P4HD processing. This has enough silicon muscle to handle more than 15 billion pixels per second and apply processing to every one. Of course, Blu-ray is, by denition, a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to picture quality. BD discs can come in a variety of avours and formats. The majority of movie material is encoded at 1080/24Hz. However material can also be encoded at three additional frame rates: 59.94i, 50i and 23.976p. It can also come in MPEG2, MPEG4 AVC or VC-1 formats. P4HD can work with any and all combinations, guestimating new pictures from information gathered from up to 60 surrounding pixels and correcting diagonal errors. It can also up-convert to
1080p from 1080i, 720 and standard-denition sources. Its worth noting that the player itself up-converts BDs 24Hz frame rate to 60Hz, before squirting this out of the player. This can lead to some motion judder on pans. Behind it all is a cutting-edge 297MHz, 14bit video DAC (digital to analogue converter) from Analog Devices. This is used for 4x oversampling for 1080i/720p and uses NSV (noise shaping video) processing to edge non-essential digital garbage out of the picture area. Colour delity is just breathtaking: the stunning stylised cinematography of Black Hawk Down looks at once rich and denuded in a way that weve never seen from the DVD release, while the explosive actioner SWAT is all glint and gorgeous gradations.
Playback Test Video jitter: Audio jitter: S/n ratio: Chroma am: Chroma pm: Crosstalk:
Reading 4ns 181.1ps 72dB -74.3dB -66.4dB 55dB

Rating

Frequency response at 5.8MHz S-video: -0.3dB Composite: -0.6dB Component: 0dB Lab notes: Solid scores in the lab add up to an impressive overall performance

Spec check

BD/HD DVD playback: Yes/No HDMI/DVI output: Yes/No Prog scan output: Yes DVD-A/SACD: Yes/No Multiregion BD/DVD from box: No/No / Disc playback: BD-Video; AVCHD; DVD-Video; DVD-Audio; DVD-RAM; DVD-R/RW (including Dual Layer); DVD+R (including Double Layer)/ +RW; CD-R/-RW; MP3; Video CD; SVCD; JPEG Dimensions: 430(w) x 85(h) x 331.6(d)mm Weight: 4.5kg / Other features: 1080p playback; Dolby TrueHD/ DTS Master Audio; 297MHz, 14bit video DAC; NSV processing / Sockets HDMI (v1.2) output ; component video output; RGB Scart output; S-video output; composite video output; 7.1 audio line outputs; optical & electrical digital audio outputs; stereo audio output / Contact: www.panasonic.co.uk

Sound

The deck also makes a cracking audio player, using a 192kHz/24bit DAC for each of the eight available channels, as well as Panasonics own Advanced Segment processing. The lossless sound format offered by most BD discs is simply sensational. Offering a dramatic step-up from Dolby Digital, Blu-ray movie soundtracks are expansive and dynamic. The player can even handle DVD-Audio discs, which sound great.

Value

The DMP-BD10A is effectively the most advanced Blu-ray deck you can buy. And while still ferociously expensive at around 900, it offers an enviable level of picture and sound performance Z
Excellent audio and hi-def video make it a super performer, but the lack of an Ethernet port denies it a future if interactive Blu-ray software takes off
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Blu-ray player<TEST

Video output is available up to full 1080p for both Blu-ray and upscaled DVD discs Picture quality is largely dependent on the quality of the disc in question
The DMP-BD10A is fairly drab to look at, with pedestrian styling

RATINGS

Panasonic DMP-BD10A
When we tested Panasonics original Blu-ray player, the DMP-BDP10, we were blown away by the excellence of its hi-def picture and PCM sound quality. This version is physically identical to its predecessor but has been upgraded so that it can handle Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD High-Resolution soundtracks, the latter of which is used on all Fox Blu-ray discs. Other improvements include playback of AVCHD DVDs, the HD format found on some camcorders and Viera Link, which means you can control several Panasonic components with one remote handset, and a seamless multiple component menu screen. The only other difference of note is a 300 price reduction, which improves the value rating marginally.
Stunning images and improved audio cant quite persuade us to part with so much money to join the HD revolution
like to have seen a 1080p/24Hz mode, since nearly all Blu-ray discs are mastered in this format. The DMP-BDP10A converts the frame rate of 1080p material to 60Hz, which can lead to motion judder. At least the deck doesnt have to upconvert from 1080i to 1080p, like the Samsung BD-P1000. Other features carried over from the original deck include CD playback, upscaling of regular DVDs (to 1080p) and DVD-Audio playback, plus DTS HD and Dolby Digital Plus decoding. To get the most out of the picture, Panasonic has thrown a raft of picture processing into the fray, including Pixel Precision Progressive Processing, automatic 3:2/2:2 pull down progressive detection and processing, and 16-level Motion detection. It pays dividends on our Blu-ray test discs, delivering sumptuous images that simply demand a large screen 37in at least. The extra detail that is presented onscreen compared with DVD is often mesmerising. Subtle colours and extra detail bring a lifelike quality to skin tones, and the effect is of a living, breathing, near three-dimensional picture.
STYLE EASE OF USE FEATURES PICTURE SOUND VALUE OVERALL

TEST SCENE

>S.W.A.T.
IT PAYS DIVIDENDS WITH BLU-RAY DISCS, DELIVERING SOME SUMPTUOUS IMAGES
Portions of this movie, especially the shooting range scene, showcase the potentially stunning picture quality possible with this Blu-ray player

Mother superior

Audio is unarguably superior to bog standard DVD too, with clearer, more expansive and engaging soundtracks generated from the best Blu-ray discs. Minor niggles include the failure to provide an HDMI cable and a rather slow initial disc-loading process of around 30 seconds. Its tough to argue against that incredible picture, of course, but it is also tough to swallow that hefty price tag when HD DVD is so much less expensive and LGs dual-format deck is only 100 more

AT A GLANCE

FEATURES Blu-ray/DVD/CD player 720p/1080i/1080p output 720p/1080i/1080p upscaling 7.1-channel audio DTS HD/Dolby Digital Plus support MP3/JPEG playback DVD-Audio playback Firmware upgradeable CONNECTIONS HDMI output (1.2) Component video output RGB Scart output S-video output Composite video output Optical digital audio output Electrical digital audio output 7.1-channel analogue output Stereo output www.panasonic.co.uk 08705 357357

Not far enough

Its all well and good so far, but Panasonic hasnt gone far enough in our eyes with the specication. The absence of an Ethernet port means this player will never be able to access online interactive Blu-ray content (then again, there arent any BD Live discs yet, but this could just be a chicken and egg situation). Ideally, wed also
Drop-down ap reveals basic operation buttons
The essential HDMI output is supported by component video
A tried and trusted design for the remote

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