Competition among mid-tier Blu-Ray players is fierce. Most of them offer us the key features we came to except built-in Wi-Fi, 3D capability, Netflix streaming, and of course great picture and sound quality. However, the Panasonic DMP-BDT210, despite not having any major features that set it apart from other Blu-Ray players, has managed to stand out from the crowd by doing just about everything right. New features it has added to the 2011 model include a touchless sensor to open the disc tray and Skype capability. But it’s the DMP-BDT210’s blazing fast disc loading speeds, simple and easy user interface, and a great suite of online streaming services that make it one of the best Blu-Ray players for 2011.
Panasonic has designed the DMP-BDT210 with a normal glossy black front panel. To load a disc, the front panel opens, revealing the disc loading tray, some basic control buttons, and an SD card slot and USB port. The front panel closes once a disc has been loaded, giving the DMP-BDT210 a clean, modern look. However, if you’re using a USB device, the front panel will need to remain open and you’ll be forced to look at the unappealing interior. A unique feature of the DMP-BDT210 is the touchless sensor that opens the disc loading tray with a wave of your hand above the player. This innovative feature may just be a gimmick, but it can come in handy in a dark room or if you have your hands full.
VIDEO QUALITY: The picture quality of the DMP-BDT210, like most players, is excellent when playing Blu-Ray and DVD. Get Full HD 1080p/24 video resolution on Blu-Rays and upscale DVDs to near HD levels. Panasonic has equipped its player with a new depth controller and 3D enhancer and the latest UniPhier chip to enhance 3D effects (it can control the depth of 3D images and convert 2D images to 3D) and produced clear and sharp high-definition images. . And Panasonic has increased vertical color data by 1.5 times compared to its 2010 players. Video connections for the DMP-BDT210 include HDMI output and composite video outputs. Missing component outputs. Which isn’t really a major issue, as component video is now regulated to only 480i resolution due to AACS rules.
AUDIO QUALITY: The DMP-BDT210 is capable of decoding and bitstreaming the latest high-resolution audio formats: Dolby® TrueHD, DTS™-HD Master Audio Essential. It also has a new HDMI jitter purifier to improve sound quality. Audio connections include HDMI output, 2.0-channel analog outputs, and a digital optical output.
The simple UI design is different from other players, but it’s easy and quick to use as there are fewer buttons to press. And the remote is also streamlined in design, with quick and direct access to both Viera Cast and Netflix. You can download a free app to let your iPhone control the player, but unfortunately you can’t use a keyboard to enter text commands.
Viera Cast provides access to Panasonic’s online streaming features. They include Netflix, Amazon Instant, CinemaNow and Vudu. You get access to social networking sites like Twitter, as well as other popular sites like YouTube, Pandora, and Picasa. Hulu Plus and MLB.tv are missing; which are two of the major streaming media services. However, it does have Amazon Instant, which is not available on some of its competitors (Samsung BD6500, PS3 Slim). Amazon Instant brings you the most complete range of TV shows (both network and cable shows). Also, Panasonic has added Skype to Viera Cast.
Other features of the DMP-BDT2100 include built-in Wi-Fi, Blu-Ray 3D playback, DLNA (digital media streaming over your home network) capability, and USB playback. Media files supported by the DMP-BDT210 include DivX, MP3, MKV, and JPEG. The player does not have internal storage memory available for downloading BD-Live content. But it does provide an SD card slot if you want to take advantage of this feature found on certain Blu-Ray discs.
THE PROFESSIONALS: The Panasonic DMP-BDT210 may be this year’s “Best Budget Buy Player”. Image quality is excellent and is helped by the new UniPhier chip. As well as being able to display 1080p images on both Blu-Ray and 3D Blu-Ray (for both eyes), it’s packed with great extra features. It includes Skype video calls, built-in Wi-Fi, DLNA certification, a touch-free sensor that will open the disc tray with just a wave of your hand, and Viera Cast (streaming online like Netflix, VUDU, Pandora, CinemaNow, YouTube, Twitter, etc.). Amazon and many more). It also has innovative 3D features like 2D-3D conversion and 3D effect controller.
THE CONS: The player lacks component video outputs. This can be a problem for those with an older HDTV with limited or no HDMI inputs. There is no internal memory present for BD-Live features. You will need a USB stick dip of at least 1 GB. Most 3D HDTVs offer 2D-3D conversion, so this feature on a Blu-Ray player may be redundant. The DMP-BDT210 is missing some high-profile online streaming services like Hulu Plus and MLB.tv.
THE FINAL WORD: By purchasing the DMP-BDT210, you are sure to get the most out of your investment. It has many video and audio features that will give you the best HD pictures and sound possible, both in 2D and 3D. Packed with features like Skype, streaming, DLNA and BD-Live, it will give you many hours of entertainment beyond just watching Blu-Ray discs. Add to this its eco-friendly design, simple user interface, faster loading times, and you have one of the best Blu-Ray players of 2011.
– Price to look for when buying a Blu-Ray player – Under $200.00