DMP-BD35

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• Expert Rating

  4.00 / 5

• User Rating

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• Price

  $ 495.00 (AUD)

David Ramli Good Gear Guide 04/02/09 Follow @pcworldau

Pros

• Very good picture quality, stylish, good price, Blu-ray Live

Cons

• DVD up-scaling produces mixed results, no 7.1 analog audio outputs

Bottom Line

If you're in the market for a Blu-ray player and you don't want to spend too much, the Panasonic DMP-BD35 represents excellent value for money.

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Its stylish body is just 50mm tall, with a matte black finish. An SD card slot sits on the lower-right side of the fascia, under a barely noticeable flap. This is good news for users wanting to quickly browse images or movies taken with compatible cameras and camcorders. We would like to start seeing USB 2.0 host ports on BD players, too.

The DMP-BD35 supports Profile 2.0 BD-Live. This means that the RJ-45 port on the back of the unit will let you log onto the Internet with the right connection and access firmware updates as well as extra online content with a compatible movie.

The DMP-BD35 features a HDMI 1.3a output, which is capable of carrying the Blu-ray standard's 7.1-channel uncompressed audio. If you're stuck with using analog you'll be disappointed by the lack of 7.1 analogue connections, but there is an optical digital audio output. An S-Video output and component video outputs are provided as well.

The picture quality when playing Blu-ray movies is nothing short of stunning and fast-motion playback is smooth. Images are detailed and natural. Unfortunately, we weren't as impressed with the DMP-BD35 as a DVD up-scaler. Image noise and jagged edges marred the climatic fight scene from V for Vendetta, with fast motion causing significant blurring. However, the quality is on par for the player's price point and is far better than what a standard DVD player can provide when using a large-screen television such as the Samsung we used for testing.

Sound quality is excellent, with Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD outputted in a bitstream format, making it possible for the latest A/V receivers to pump out cinema-quality sound.

This entry-level Blu-ray player is a good choice for someone looking to dip their feet into high-definition waters without spending too much.