The Philips BDP7600 scores highly in the style stakes. The remote control is neat, as is the fact you can download Philips’ MyRemote App from iTunes and control the player through an iPod Touch or iPhone over a wireless home network.
The set of eight-channel analogue audio outputs on the back of the machine is a rare sight on a budget Blu-ray player, and a useful addition for owners of older home cinema amps with no HDMI inputs.
Online functionality isn’t the greatest. Video on demand and catch-up TV services are extremely limited (there’s no BBC iPlayer) but there’s access to some social networking sites and a basic web browser. Wireless connectivity is included.
The front USB socket plays back various media files including DivX HD and MKV. You’ll find an SD card slot – found often only on Panasonic players – on the rear.
The BDP7600 will handle 2D and 3D Blu-ray titles. Loading times are quick
while the responsive remote makes short work of the movie menu screens.
Bold images, but some artefacts
Images are bold and colourful, and movement is handled well. Detail levels are decent enough, but the presence of digital artefacts prevents the Philips reaching the same levels of insight and clarity as rivals at this price.
The usually impeccable transfer of Monsters looks a little less pristine and clear-cut when viewed through the Philips.
Watching 3D is rather disappointing. We found watching Drive Angry harder on the eyes than the some rival machines. Unfortunately, there’s no adjustment you can make to the intensity of the 3D image, so what you see is what you get.
Exciting is one word we’d use to describe the Philips’ sound, but it can move into
the realm of brashness. There’s decent weight to action, but high frequencies can find themselves exposed when faced with Drive Angry’s car crashing and screeching.
The Philips is a stylish-looking machine, but its performance won’t worry the very best at this price point.
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