Shopping Product Reviews

Panasonic Blu-ray Players: Getting the Right One

Today we are looking into 2 different Panasonic Blu-ray players that I think are of good quality but are good for different people for different reasons. The DMP-BD70VK and DMP-BD65K are newer models recently released by Panasonic. Again, I like both, but I want to help you make your selection.

We will first talk about the DMP-BD70VK. It doesn’t have CD-Rom capabilities like many of the other models. All models play DVD videos, but DVD RAM is not included in this particular model. That’s not to say it’s not a beast in its own right. It will play your MPEG, CD and CD-R/W, which is a big plus. It also has a USB port that supports JPEG and MP3 in true HD. This is a big jump from previous years models that had the USB but couldn’t watch in HD. Another note is that it does not have the image adjustment function like the others. I think this is a great product and in the $400 price range you really can’t go wrong. The DMP-BD65K is the predecessor to the BD70VK, but it offers a lot of bang for your buck in the $100 price range. You won’t get all the fancy features of the 70VK version, but you’ll get everything you might need and more as a regular Blu-ray user. It has all the basics plus a USB for MP3 and JPEG. Also, you’ll find that it has DVD RAM playback, which is great if you’re looking for a beefy machine. This is the product for you if you are looking to get a lot without paying a lot.

You can’t go wrong with either selection as it all depends on what your pocketbook can handle.

However, Panasonic Blu-ray players are now adding Vudu to their growing list of hardware partners. As if that wasn’t enough, Skype video calling is on the way. Yes, Panasonic and Skype have become partners and plan to launch the new Panasonic Blu Players in 2011. Voice and video calls will be completely free, however standard rates will apply for calls to landlines and mobiles. No computer required, but an HDTV and webcam are. These features are made possible through Viera Cast and will include Netflix, Amazon, YouTube, Pandora and of course 3D output.

Viera Cast is a smart TV platform from Panasonic, which enables multimedia streaming from the Internet directly to a Viera Cast HDTV. Blu-ray players and HDTVs with Viera Cast have a Wi-Fi and network interface.

Vudu is also offered on Samsung, Vizio, Sanyo, Sharp, Toshiba on HDTV and Blu-ray players. Vudu offers HD 1080P video and audio quality with over 4,000 movie titles. They also offer new releases the same day they are released on DVD and are updated weekly. Vudu also has hundreds of apps to access free videos from popular sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Flickar. There is no monthly subscription or contract. You only pay for what you see. To take advantage of Vudu, you will need at least a 1 Mbps broadband Internet connection and a Vudu-enabled device. Panasonic gives a credit of 5.99 to Vudu.

The following Panasonic Blu-ray players have Viera Cast and Vudu update: DMP-BDT350, DMP-BDT300, DMP-BDT100, DMP-BD85, DMP-BD65, DMP-B500.

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