Compare Prices : Panasonic DMP BD30EG-K - Expert Reviews

Review summary: Now that the Blu-ray format has been available for a year and a half, we're starting to see lots of second- and third-generation players with enhanced functionality and reduced prices. Among them is the DMP-BD30, Panasonic's second-gen model with many ...

Verdict: The DMP-BD30 represents a significant improvement over Panasonic's previous Blu-ray player, and it's less expensive to boot. I'm bummed that it doesn't play DVD-Audio, and I don't care much for the menu system, but otherwise, it's a superb Blu-ray ...

Review summary: We've almost become jaded with the rapid rollover of high-definition disc players. Some manufacturers are now on third generation models, and ready to launch a fourth generation at the January 2008 CES. But even with that, Panasonic surprised everyone ...

Pros: Superb audio, superb video, Full bitstream access to Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, Good remote and ergonomics

Cons: No onboard Dolby TrueHD decoding, Mediocre scaling when upconverting 480i to 1080p, Would not provide a good HDMI link with all displays, Dense, poorly organized manual

Verdict: s While I found no compelling advantages to the Panasonic's higher Java profile level than current competing players, that may well change as more fully-featured discs hit the market. Its lack of onboard Dolby TrueHD decoding, however, will be more ...

Review summary: While the majority of home movie watchers avoids Blu-ray because of the ongoing format war and high costs, AV enthusiasts lately have been hesitant to pick up a new Blu-ray player for another reason: They've been waiting for the impending Blu-ray ...

Pros: Excellent picture quality on Blu-ray discs ; 1080p output at 24 frames per second ; DVD upconversion up to 1080p ; HDMI 1.3b output ; can output Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio in bitstream format ; first Blu-ray Profile 1.1 player ; SD card slot ...

Cons: No built-in decoding for high-resolution audio formats ; no Ethernet jack for firmware upgrades or future interactive content

Verdict: The Panasonic DMP-BD30 offers excellent video quality and is Blu-ray Profile 1.1 compliant, but those who want high-resolution audio will need a cutting-edge AV receiver.

Pros: Excellent picture quality on Blu-ray discs ; 1080p output at 24 frames per second ; DVD upconversion up to 1080p ; HDMI 1.3b output ; can output Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio in bitstream format ; first Blu-ray Profile 1.1 player ; SD card slot ...

Cons: No built-in decoding for high-resolution audio formats ; no Ethernet jack for firmware upgrades or future interactive content

Verdict: The Panasonic DMP-BD30 offers excellent video quality and is Blu-ray Profile 1.1 compliant, but those who want high-resolution audio will need a cutting-edge AV receiver.

Review summary: Panasonic enters the Blu-ray arena with a costly killer.

Pros: Amazing pictures; 7.1 surround output

Cons: Hefty price tag; No HDMI 1.3; Ugly

Verdict: Impressive but insanely overpriced