Panasonic DMP-BD65 Blu-Ray Disc Player (Black)

Panasonic DMP-BD65 Blu-Ray Disc Player (Black) Review

This unit has exceeded all expectations. I bought this unit to view content from Netflix. The BluRay, DVD, Cd player aspect was the secondary purpose. Thus, my review is weighted 65% to Netflix performance and 35% the other features.

[Netflix] Only one word covers this: superb! Continuous HD quality. Resolution, colors, textures, movement, audio, etc... all are 100% superb and perfect. The controls are extremely responsive, which is a real treat after dealing with cable on demand the past few years. During playback, pause and play are instantaneous; like lightening.

[Streaming FF and Reverse] Time lapse is displayed in minutes, which is refreshing. After FF/Rev, you may have to pause for 2 seconds for content delivery to continue. So, if you hunt and peck for a spot more than 3 times, that will be frustrating. But, it is very responsive overall with very cool display features while you are using the FF and Reverse.

The onscreen Netflix Queue ops were also superb. You will still need your computer to manage your Queue but with this player you can rate, delete, and view your INSTANT entries. You also get a graphic of the dvd cover and a summary of the movie while you are scrolling through your queue. One feature I really liked is how TV series are handled; ei: one queue entry represents and gives drill down into say all 14 episodes of a TV series: very efficient and smart.

[Remote Control] It seems allot of thought went into the remote control. It will take a few times of use to become accustomed to it as some buttons stand out more than others. It is small, well balanced, and no thrills but effective. Also, while using Netflix, become accustomed to using the back or return button. Upon initially going to Netflix, there is a pause for the queue to load into memory. I have over 450 movies in my instant queue and the queue load time is about 5 seconds. So, if you go too far, you wait 5 seconds, then another 5 seconds, etc... I learned to use the back button after a few 5 second pauses ;-) Also, a nice feature, when you press stop and then resume a film later, playback resumes where you left off. This works even after shutting the unit off.


[BluRay/DVD/Cd] DVD/BluRay performance was excellent and boot up time was the fastest I've ever seen. The colors are rich as you would expect from a well built player. The 5.1 etc audio is identical to every other DVD player I've ever owned. One note, you cannot play a data/non video DVDs containing VOB, Avi, Divx, etc... type files. I was disappointed in this aspect but it wasn't a deal breaker for me.

[Network] Network setup was a breeze. I have a complex firewall finally tuned for high security. I was expecting a real wrestling match here. But, this device auto configured in no time. From the time I plugged it in to the time I was watching Netflix was literally under 5 minutes without reading the manual. I use a DHCP server on the firewall which made the auto configuration a breeze. My Network is setup to perfection. I use Fast Ethernet (10/100) devices with cat 6 wiring. To date, Netflix streams 100% HD!!!!!

Side note: this will not work out of the box as a wifi device. But, this is the main reason I choose this unit: I do not use nor do I want wifi in my house. If you want wifi, there is a separate accessory you have to buy. Also, there is a higher end model with wifi built in.

[Other features] Make sure to set your city as your default for the weather channel. I didn't think I would use the weather, but it is very useful. To me, youtube and Picasso almost put me to sleep. The additional features (usb/sd) were tested and work as expected. Also, the stock market screen is pretty cool too.

[Other Streaming: Amazon] I love Amazon. However, at .99 to watch 1 episode of a tv show, I will not be giving them much business... They have a great selection though, and the service works great through this unit.

[Other Streaming: network] This is a sore point for me: you cannot stream dvd content from a usb drive nor a network server... Research reveals these features are available in non US markets on this identical unit.

[Bottom line] I would highly recommend this unit if you desire Netflix streaming with a superb BluRay/DVD player attached.

Panasonic DMP-BD65 Blu-Ray Disc Player (Black) Feature

• Ultra-fast 0.5 second startup
• VieraCast enabled including Amazon Video on Demand and Netflix streaming movies
• Wireless ready
• More compact Design
• More efficient energy consumption

Panasonic DMP-BD65 Blu-Ray Disc Player (Black) Overview

With the DMP-BD65 from Panasonic, the Full HD video and 7.1-channel studio-quality audio for which Blu-ray Disc is know is only the beginning. Use the ethernet port in conjunction with VIERA Cast and BD-Live and dive into online audio and video: stream Pandora radio or Netflix movies, tweet on Twitter, explore online bonus features or participate in online gaming, and more. On the audio side of things, Dolby TrueHD, dts-HD Master Audio, and advanced Panasonic technologies serve up an extraordinary 7.1-channel surround sound experience. Further, support for formats ranging from AVCHD to MP3 to JPEG allows for optimal versatility.

Available at Amazon Check Price Now!

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Apr 24, 2010 21:25:17

My Links : more details & Buy Best Price at Amazon