Panasonic DMP-BDT100

Panasonic has been manufacturing various consumer electronic components for many years now and their recent offerings still show that they are top competitor. Their current lineup of VIERA HDTVs has impressed customers as their top models demonstrate breathtaking 3D technologies. However, to take better advantage of these 3D technologies, it is recommended to get a compatible Blu-ray player that supports 3D media. There are an increasing number of titles that have 3D versions so movie fanatics can really get the complete cinema experience in their living rooms. Unfortunately, 3D Blu-ray players in general cost a bit more than the standard models but the Panasonic DMP-BDT100 hopes to make 3D a lot more approachable.

Panasonic DMP-BDT100

Design

The design of the DMP-BDT100 Blu-ray player shows that affordability and slimness can go together and the dark grey finish matches the VIERA HDTV models rather well. It has a very minimal front panel with the disc tray found on the left of the player while the power button and various logos are found just on top. The right side of the panel is just a simple display that shows the playback time. At the very end of that panel is the attractive 3D Full HD logo showing that the DMP-BDT100 is indeed a next generation player. Pulling the bottom panel reveals a USB port.

Features

Panasonic claims that 3D is the third generation of TV technologies following color and HD displays which is why 3D Full HD is the main highlight of this particular Blu-ray player. It is designed to work with VIERA 3D TVs like the ones in the GT25 and VT25 series because the player takes advantage of the same Frame Sequential Technology that the VIERA 3D displays have to ensure that high definition signals are delivered to each eye. It reaches the smooth 60 frames per second alternately so the image quality is retained while the 3D eyewear is worn. These high-precision glasses are sold separately and are required to enjoy the sharp 3D experience. Although VIERA TV owners will get the best experience, the DMP-BDT100 works with displays made by other manufacturers as well so long as they have the 3D logo.

The DMP-BDT100 is clearly targeted to audiences that want a taste of 3D but it also performs well in playing ordinary Blu-ray discs. The player has the ability to decode compressed data found in many of the available Blu-ray discs so it can use the master movie data to yield true cinema image quality. This is significant because it is the quality that filmmakers want their viewers to witness. It is also a rather speedy player as it takes around a half-second to get up and running so titles can be watched right away.

It is even further enhanced by the PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus technology which effectively takes each individual pixel and does its own processing methods so the color data is twice as accurate. If that is too technical, ordinary viewers should simply notice the colors being sharper and more vivid. Viewing 1080p videos demonstrate the results best but even 1080i sources look good thanks to the Adaptive High Precision 4:4:4. Standard definition movies are not left out either because the DMP-BDT100 uses P4HD Enhanced Full HD Upsampling so DVDs can be played back in higher resolution while reducing noise and increasing the sharpness.

Extra Features

The Panasonic DMP-BDT100 can bring the VIERA Cast interface to any connected display so users can plug the Ethernet cable to their Blu-ray player if the TV lacks an Ethernet port. A wireless LAN adaptor can be purchased as well so the player can stream wirelessly. As long as it is connected, the player can access Netflix, Amazon Video on Demand, and YouTube services along with some popular sites like Twitter and Pandora. The USB port can read offline content as well as long as they are in the DivX, DivX HD, JPEG, or MP3 formats.

Another good reason to pair this with a VIERA TV is to take advantage of the VIERA Link Eco Function. When connected through HDMI, the status of the Blu-ray player automatically reflects the status of the TV so it can save energy.

Bottom Line

There are some minor sacrifices made such as the user interface which is not as friendly as the higher-end DMP-BDT300 and the connection ports are basic. But small home theater systems that include a large 3D HDTV make the DMP-BDT100 a great companion priced at under $250.

Average User Rating:
Actual User Reviews:

• “It works fantastically! 3D is excellent, as is 2D blu-ray. DVD up-conversion is even better than the 2D blu-ray Panasonic player I bought a while back. There may be more expensive models with more features, but I’m happy with these.” – R.L.Frank (USA)

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• “Another excellent product from Panasonic. It does everything that you expect it to do. If you have other Panasonic items, TV or home theater for example you can control multiple devices with one remote. (VIERA Link(tm)) This is control over HDMI and is not restricted to Panasonic. My Yamaha home theater works without having to program a remote. A feature of HDMI called CE Control (CEC)enables connected devices to control each other using the same HDMI cables that deliver audio and high-definition video. Turn on the Blu-Ray and the TV and home theater also turn on. I can’t really say that this player delivers better Video/Sound than others, but I don’t see the average person being able to tell the difference. This player also plays most other disk formats and can be connected to the internet for updating and other viewing options.” – S.La Follette (WA,USA)

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