Panasonic DMP-BD60 Blu-ray Disc Player (Black)

With the BD60, Panasonic adds VIERA Cast online content access to their previous entry-level model, the DMP-BD35. You would think this makes an excellent Blu-ray Player even excellenter (yes, I know that's not a word), and it does. The BD60 excels in its Blu-ray Disc playback and is very good at DVD upconversion as well, passing difficult tests like the HQV benchmark discs with flying colors (as well as looking good on real movies). The BD60 can decode all of the latest surround codecs (including DTS-HD MA and Dolby TrueHD) to PCM over HDMI or it can stream these to a compatible receiver in their native formats. Also, if past Panasonic players are any indication, the BD60 should prove to be among the best at disc compatibility, something which has plagued many players from other brands.

But there are still a few drawbacks with the BD60 that keep it from getting 5 stars:

* Speed: the BD60 is not quite as fast to load discs as the Samsung BD-P3600 or the LG BD300, though it is faster than last year's Samsung models. (12/03/09 update this is about 20% faster with the 2.0 firmware and above)

* Limited online content: YouTube on a Blu-ray player is cool, but it doesn't compare to Netflix online streaming in terms of quality and selection of content (Netflix is available on LG and Samsung players). Amazon's On-Demand streaming service has been announced for VIERA Cast but is not yet available (update: it is available now). The good news is that VIERA Cast can be enhanced with more content over time without requiring the purchase of a new player.

* Less than integrated operation: moving between Blu-ray and VIERA Cast online content is not as seamless as it could be. You have to completely stop playback and exit back to the Panasonic player's splash screen in order to get to the VIERA Cast "home screen" to access online content. And what's with that annoying BEEP when you go through the VIERA Cast menus?

* SD card requirement: Like its predecessors, the BD60 lacks on-board storage so you'll need to add an SD or SDHC card to enjoy BD-Live content. Panasonic at least could have thrown in a 1GB or 2GB SD card in the box.

Also, while the BD60 adds a USB port to the front panel, it does not support DivX or Xvid video playback so this limits the USB port's usefulness. A USB storage device connected to the BD60's USB port can only be used for playback of MP3 music files and viewing of JPEG digital images.

If your primary goal is to get a reliable, high performance Blu-ray/DVD player then none of the above should really matter to you (except possibly the operation speed, which is really about average as far as the current players go) and you should strongly consider the BD60. But if you're more interested in viewing content online as well as on those shiny silver discs, then you might want to wait to see what else VIERA Cast has to offer over the coming months. Or get the best of all possible worlds by buying the BD60 for Blu-ray and DVD and picking up a Roku box just for online streaming.

In terms of differences between the BD60 and the step-up DMP-BD80 model, the main enhancements in the BD80 are multi-channel analog output (for compatibility with older non-HDMI receivers), Divx playback, vibration isolating feet and "High Clarity Audio" which allows you to disable the analog video processing if you're using HDMI for the video signal, thereby (theoretically at least) improving overall sound quality. If these features are not essential, then save yourself some money and get the BD60 instead.

12/03/09 Update: Some owners of the BD60, BD70V and BD80 have reported a random freeze or pause in playback while watching Blu-ray Discs. While we never saw it during our review of the BD60 and BD80, we did see it on the DMP-BD70V (review available on Big Picture Big Sound web site). Panasonic released firmware version 2.2 this week to address this issue and so far (though it's early), the consensus on the great and vast interwebs is that it may have actually worked.

1/19/10 Update: Netflix is coming to VIERA Cast (yay!) but it will only be available on 2010 players and displays (boooo!). If you've been holding out for Netflix on the BD60, BD70V or BD80, you're out of luck. At CES earlier this month, Panasonic told us Netflix will be available in the 2010 players (DMP-BD65, DMP-BD85, DMP-BDT350) as well as in 2010 HDTV models with VIERACast but they will not be able to retrofit it to the 2009 players.

Update 12/10/2009:

Panasonic recently released firmware revision 2.2. This firmware appears to have resolved the issue that I explain below. If it's not fully resolved, it at least reduces the number of occurrences very significantly. I would urge everybody who purchases this player to update their firmware to the latest revision to prevent potential freezing problems. Although I believe the issues I had were resolved, I am keeping the review at 2 stars. Right now, I believe the player (with the latest firmware) deserves at least 4 stars, and possibly 5. Hopefully, people who are less technically savvy will read this "negative" review, and then make sure that they are running with firmware 2.2 or higher if they decide to purchase this unit. Please read the player's manual to see how to do this.

My original review is below:

I purchased one of these from Amazon, but was experiencing random freezing in Blu-ray discs. The disc would simply stop playing for approximately 10 seconds, and then resume as if there was no problem. I tried to replay over spots where I encountered the freeze, but was never able to duplicate it. After my 4th movie that froze, I returned the unit to Amazon and got a replacement. Even the replacement unit had this problem, so I shipped that one back too. . So far, Panasonic has not issued any kind of statement or even acknowledged that this is a problem. I would recommend people look elsewhere for their player. I am highly disappointed, because this player had the potential to be a great, yet affordable, unit.A quick summary of the facts on this problem:

1. The freezes are random. They don't occur in the same place in a movie. People have reported freezing in MANY movies, not just a select few. If a movie that froze in the past is viewed again, it may not freeze at all.

2. This problem occurs on the BD60 and the BD80.

3. Current firmware (1.7) does not resolve the issue.

4. People have been reporting what their unit is connected to (TV, receiver, etc), and it doesn't matter what it's connected to.

5. Manufacture date doesn't matter

6. Overheating is apparently not the issue. People have reported having plenty of space around the unit to keep it cool and it still occurs.

7. Several people have reported watching several movies without problems, and then having several consecutive movies freeze.

8. About a week ago, one of the editors from that Panasonic MAY have seen the problem, and it has to do with the video buffer not being flushed properly. They didn't give any indication when a fix would be released, or how difficult it will be to resolve.

Edited on 07/28/09:

Firmware 1.9 has been released, and the problem still has not been resolved. Additionally, an editor from a well-respected home theater site has been in contact with Panasonic. According to him, Panasonic has stated that they have fixed all known freezing issues, and that they are unable to find this particular problem. It may still be quite some time before it is resolved. (Amazon edited out a link to another website before, so I don't want to post another link that will just be removed.)

Edited 11/21/09:

Firmware 2.1 has been available for a while now, and people are still reporting freezes. At this point, it looks like Panasonic either cannot or will not fix the problem. I would urge new owners to wait a while before posting a review. There's a good chance that you won't experience any freeze issues, but there's also a good chance that you'll see the problem only after you have watched several movies.

Edited 11/30/09:

Firmware 2.2 has been released for the BD60/70/80 players. This firmware SUPPOSEDLY provides a "workaround" for the random freeze issues. I don't really know what a "workaround" means in this context, but if it prevents movies from freezing, then it's probably sufficient. It may take a while to prove or disprove that 2.2 actually resolves things, but I will update my review again once more concrete information is available.

Edited 12/08/09:

Firmware 2.2 has been available for just over a week, and nobody has reported encountering a freeze in that timeframe. While I'm not quite ready to state that the problem is definitely resolved, things are looking go so far.

Buy Panasonic DMP-BD60 Blu-ray Disc Player (Black) Now

I purchased this player to replace a Samsung BD-P2500 that was giving me major compatibility problems with Blu-ray discs, and so far haven't been disappointed. Picture quality on Blu-ray is stunning and I've had no compatibility issues thus far; upscaling on standard DVDs is great. VieraCast is a novel feature that could someday find greatness if Panasonic expanded support to include Amazon, Netflix and Hulu. (I understand Amazon support is on the way.)

I have not experienced the freezing issues that some describe here, but I think that's due to how I use the player more than anything else. (I watch a disc or two at a time, then power the unit off between uses for a technical explanation of why this apparently sidesteps the problem, see the next paragraph.) In any case, I've read online recently that Panasonic has finally figured out the cause of the freezing issue and is now working on a firmware update to fix it.

(For you techies out there, here's a bit more detailed explanation of the freezing issue, based on what I've gleaned online: Blu ray discs make heavy use of Java, and the BD60 apparently has "garbage collection issues" that cause the freezing. Powering the unit off periodically clears out what's in memory, minimizing the likelihood of another freeze-up. Since I tend to watch one or two Blu-Ray discs at a time and then shut the unit off for between uses, I haven't experienced any freezes.)

The only other quirk I can report is that while the unit does support 24fps playback on DVDs, you have to switch it on manually every time. Kind of a pain, but only a pain if you're a video purist.

That's it. No other issues. Sorry for the boring review, but this player just does everything that it's supposed to without complaints. I consider it one of the best A/V investments I've made in a long time, and would recommend it to others without hesitation.

Read Best Reviews of Panasonic DMP-BD60 Blu-ray Disc Player (Black) Here

This Panasonic DMP-BD60 blu ray player is amazing and a part of their new series of blu ray players. Finally, a quality blu ray player at a reasonable price. Seems the long wait of inflated costs for a player is settling down. Here you pay a reasonable price for high quality.

Just last November I purchased my first blu ray player. I have a high end tv 37" hd LD and a high end receiver Sony STR-DG920. I wanted to get a player at an adequate price so I could explore and see if blu ray was for me. i bought the Memorex MVBD2510. The first 5 movies I played were ok but the machine was big and clunky, took minutes to load and was very difficult to maneuver with the remote. Then discs wouldn't play for I needed a firmware upgrade. Got one 12/18 very difficult process. Some movies played and then all the latest blu ray releases would say I needed another firmware update and Memorex did not have one. My machine was useless. But at least I did see that I loved blu ray when I was able to view it.

So I started my research and ended up with the new Panasonic machines. I read excellent reviews by consumers and critics alike and checked their past pattern with firm upgrades, customer service and overall quality with reviews of their previous players. Seemed Panasonic was the way to go. Again, I am thrilled with this player. Finally I can play all blu ray discs and the loading time for all seems to be under 10 seconds. The picture quality is also so much better than the video I got with the Memorex player. This player is small, sleek and impressive looking and does a superb job all around.

The remote is ever so simple to use, the set up of the machine took a few mere minutes. The player also comes with an actual easy to read instruction manual rather than just providing a cd like many modern electronics do. To hook it up to my computer was so easy and BD Live works flawlessly. Also the machine manually checks for updates every time I turn it on. When a put a disc in I can sit back, relax and not wait minutes for the disc to load or watch a YOU NEED AN UPGRADE screen appear.

I also think it is very important when reviewing a blu ray platyer and its capabilities to remember that the player is only as good as the other equipment you have. The better hd television you have, the better the picture quality. The better receiver, the better video and audio you will have. I found the upconversion of standard dvds here to be amazing. Dvds that were faint and difficult to watch with the Memorex player took on a whole new life here. Finally I don't mind watching regular dvds. The manual says how it will upconvert to 1080p or whatever the highest option is but the piece of equipment the player is hooked to must also be able to display such options or you will not get the quality. My receiver upgrades to all the same levels that the Panasionic player does so I am guaranteed the best video and audio all the time. Also, all my hookups are done simply with HDMI cables and this guaranrtees the highest quality and performance from your equipment. (I just want to again note that if you feel this player does not work as well for you that you take a look at the quality of your other equipoment.)

Blu ray is an investment but now is a great time to build up a high quality home theatre system. Here we have a high end blu ray player with all the whistles and capablities at a great price. It is now possible to get blu ray movies at much more reasonable prices as well and more and more films come out on blu ray every week. I find that a true blu ray experience is better than seeing a film at the movies. The picture clarity is astounding and the audio with all the tru and lossless options on all discs now make the films more than come to life. Even dialogue driven films sound amazing. This Panasonic player also delivers video with great color contrast, crisp detail and a great line between blacks and whites. Audio again is impeccable.

I have only the highest praise for this player and also Panasonic themselves. I has to call them for one question I had and I was on hold only 1 minute and got the most helpful person. Everytime I called Memorex it included at least a 20 minute wait. Here is a blu ray player of the highest quality that will perform for you and it is available at a price that won't break your wallet.

Highly recommend.

Want Panasonic DMP-BD60 Blu-ray Disc Player (Black) Discount?

The Panasonic DMP-BD60K Blu Ray DVD player is an excellent DVD player. It raises the bar on Blu Ray players that other manufactures will have to surpass in order to be able to compete on quality and price. The Panasonic BD60K player features a PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus Digital Video processor. (According to Panasonic website this processor produces crisp, natural colors that are extremely faithful to the original movie and features the advanced encoding and authoring technologies developed by Panasonic Hollywood Laboratory (PHL) in collaboration with film industry professionals.) The beautiful images are complemented by an accurate sound achieved leading-edge audio technologies such as Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD. The player outputs 1080p/24fps. The remote has an excellent layout and easy to use interface.

What led me to buy this player over other players was the Ethernet capability, USB port & SD card slots, Viera Cast and 1080p up-conversion. Some of these features are available in other players but to my knowledge not all are available in one single player as is the case with BD60K. The Viera Cast currently lets one access You Tube videos and Picasa Web albums. Panasonic has announced that Amazon VOD (video on demand) will soon be available on Viera cast. In my experience both the Picasa web albums and the You Tube videos worked very well. The pictures on Picasa website are very crisp and in high resolution (but accompanied every time by the same background music that gets annoying to listen to over and over again). You Tube videos look okay (but grainy when expanded to cover the screen). One cool feature is the ability to continually play videos through your search one after the other. The Amazon VOD is not available yet so I can't comment on it, but I am eagerly expecting its launch through Viera Cast.

I upgraded the player to 1.5 version of firmware using the Ethernet port and I had absolutely no problems after upgrading the firmware. I am using the Panasonic Blu Ray player with the Onkyo 805 receiver and a 1080p overhead Mitsubishi LCD projector (HC4900) on a Carada Precision Series 106" projection screen and the Blu Ray picture quality (PQ) is absolutely stunning. The PQ for standard definition DVD is bearable on a projection screen and not the same quality as the Blu Ray DVD. I also played this DVD player through a 42" Panasonic Plasma TV (720P) and the PQ for standard definition DVD or Blu Ray DVD is outstanding. There can be no guarantee for technological obsolescence in today's fast changing world but the Panasonic BDP-BD60K holds promise.