Excellent Blu-ray Player, Clueless Tech Support
By Yahoo! Shopping User Jul 23, 2007 | 11 out of 11 found this Panasonic DMP-BD10AK review helpful
Pros: Excellent Audio Features, Great looks
Cons: Clueless Technical Support People
I just got my Panasonic DMP-BD10AK from Best Buy using my 12% Off Coupon. These players are sold out everywhere probably because they come packaged with 5 free BD movies + 5 more by mail-in coupon. I already own 3 of pre-packaged movies, but I bought... the player anyway. I connected the 5.1 Analog Output to my three Acurus RL-11 preamplifiers, which are connected to my three Acurus 200X3 amplifiers, which are connected to my two Definitve Technology BP7000SCs (Front L/R) and three SM450s (Center, Sur.Left, Sur.Right). The Panasonic is capable of 7.1 Surround via Analog 7.1 and HDMI. Note: If you want to use the Analog output, you must turn the HDMI Audio to OFF. I normally set my volume dial (on all three of my Acurus RL-11) to the 9 O'Clock position, which is about 80 dB (C weighted). But when I watched Underworld Revolution and Hellboy using the Uncompressed Audio PCM, this volume setting was way too loud (90 dB-C). I had to turn the volumes down to the 8 O'Clock position. You can fine tune your speaker setup for each of the 8 channels (7.1), including Large, Small, No Speaker,Sound Level dB, and distance delay adjustments. You can't even do this with the Sony Blu-ray! Yes, the sound was extremely clear. I love it. I also listened to 2-Ch music, and it was as good as any CD Player I've ever owned. So overall, I would give the Sound a perfect 10/10 rating. The picture was, of course, 1080p and crystal clear. The panasonic also allowed you to fine tune the picture Sharpness, Contrast, Brightness, Color, which is great. I would give the Picture a perfect 10/10 also. When you press STOP or even turn OFF the player, the very last scene of the movie is still retained! Yes! You don't have to start all over again. Start Up and Load time are not bad--same as the new Sony BD player. The player itself also looks fantastic! I also saw Apocalypto Blu-ray on the DMP-BD10AK using Uncompressed LPCM 5.1. It was very clear---as clear as Underworld and Hellboy. Because the scenaries are in the jungle, I could hear a lot of clear distinct animal sounds in the surround speakers. It made me feel like I was right there in the jungle. Uncompressed audio is so awesome. The volume for Apocalypto was not as loud as Underworld and Hellboy, so I again set my volume at the usual 9 O'Clock. I was actually thinking of returning this BD player and get the new Sony BD for $480 plus a 12% discount at Best Buy, but for the great speaker + bass management, the Dolby TruHD & DTS-HD HR audio, and the DVD-Audio, I can put that notion to rest. I just purchased two DVD-Audio online: Sheryl Crow Globe Sessions (not the DTS-CD, but the DVD-Audio) and Vivaldi 4 Seasons DVD-Audio and I'll see with how they sounds on the Panasonic DMP-BD10AK. Technical support is another story. They are helpless. I spoke to two different guys, and neither one knew anything about the DTS-HD formats. I wonder if they even knew anything about blu-ray! Although this player can decode just about anything under the sun, it cannot decode the DTS-HD MA from Fox studios (Fantastic 4, X-Men, Alien Vs. Predator, etc.). The question is can a firmware upgrade the DTS-HD to include the MA format, which is more robust in size. I actually talked to one of the DTS engineers and he didn't know either, but at least he knew everything about DTS-HD. He said it all depends on the DTS chip used in the player. Some may be able to upgrade via firmware. Read more Less
