What Hi-Fi? Verdict
There’s not much to fault here – good quality,nicely responsive and compact design – but the DMP-BDT500 edges it out at this price
Pros
- +
Clear and detailed picture
- +
compact design
- +
easy to use
- +
responsive player and remote
Cons
- -
Price
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Panasonic’s DMP-BBT01 3D Blu-ray player has some interesting features – it’s slot loading like the DMP-BDT320, and it comes with a stand to position it in various ‘floating display’ effects.
Compact doesn’t even cover it – it’s a square box only just bigger than the disc itself, and comes with a separate power supply of course.
There’s no display, but on the plus side, operational response is pleasingly quick.
Panasonic DMP-BBT01: Tech specs
The power and eject buttons are touch sensitive, leaving the small player uncluttered and with a neat finish. The touch pad remote is easy to use (once you know the swipe controls) and sits well in your hand.
HDMI and optical digital outputs are all the connections you’ll need, with wifi and ethernet connections giving you access to Panasonic’s Viera Connect and a whole host of online video content, BBCiPlayer included.
And as with all other current Panasonic Blu-ray players, you can stream your stored media via home network, USB and SD Card.
Panasonic DMP-BBT01: Picture & sound quality
Picture is crisp and detailed, with colour balance lending a natural tone. There is some motion instability, but overall the 3D experience of Monsters vs Aliens is enjoyable.
Upscaling of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers DVD is up to Panasonic’s impressive standards, with minimal noise.
It may not be as muscular as the Panasonic DMP-BDT500, but the DMP-BBT01's sound quality is direct and has lots of impact. Play the Blu-ray of Moneyball, and Aaron Sorkin’s brilliant script is delivered with all the sharpness and swiftness that it deserves, keeping you immersed in the film.
Quality-wise, it’s on par with the budget Panasonic DMP-BDT220 – which is a steal for a lot less money.
Panasonic DMP-BBT01: Verdict
At £279, we’d expect this player to rival the DMP-BDT500, but it simply doesn’t have the same outright clarity and smooth motion. Design-wise, it’s a nice alternative to the regular rectangular box, but the BDT500 wins out at this price.
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