Just bought an 850U plasma with Viera Cast and finished watching The Matrix in HD via Amazon's VOD service on it. Great great technology and worked perfectly without a single blip. Just wondering if anyone else has used this service because I was confused about the "Connection" meter on the bottom of the screen. I got four full green bars which I guess is a good connection, but next to these four green bars it says "HD" but it was greyed out, the same color as the word "Connection" below it. Just wondering if it is possible that the "HD" next to the green bars also turns green too. Want to know if I need to boost my connection speed or if four green bars is full. In other words, has anyone with a crazy fast connection seen the "HD" turn green? Or is it always grey?

Thank you!

No one!? No one is using Viera cast in here? :(

the question i have is are you getting 5.1 audio and if so how?

My bar turns green but i am paying for a 20mb down internet package from FIOS>

I am in the process of purchasing a plasma and the Viera Cast is a big factor in my choice as to weather I choose a Panasonic or Pioneer (both floor models).

an 50" 850U or 50" 5020FD - gadgets, internet connectivity etc is a big deal to me - can you guy's tell me if the Viera Cast is worth it....?

Just bought the new Panasonic 54G10 54' HDTV with Vieracast from Beach Camera for ~$1,800 including shipping. The picture is stunningly beautiful, the audio isn't bad either, and Vieracast is very cool - great for watching Youtube .. and Amazon's movies on demand works very well with a broad selection of movies to select from. Don't forget, broadband of greater than 3 Mbps is recommended.

I tried the Amazon VOD using Viera cast on a T1 modem and the connection bars on the bottom of the screen were Blue. Picture was awesome too.
Then another day they all were green, picture was still HD quality but I could tell it was because there was alot of use on the internet line, and less bandwidth. I took this to my house with a 14mb download cable modem speed and at that time only one bar was green and the rest grey. I could tell this wasn't HD. I guess Verizon's FIOS they will soon install will clear this issue.

I am in the process of purchasing a plasma and the Viera Cast is a big factor in my choice as to weather I choose a Panasonic or Pioneer (both floor models).

an 50" 850U or 50" 5020FD - gadgets, internet connectivity etc is a big deal to me - can you guy's tell me if the Viera Cast is worth it....?

I'm using a roku box (wireless connection to internet) with my slightly older panasonic (without vieracast) to do almost the same thing. $100 for the box, and you can stream amazon, netflix and who knows what next. So, not sure I'd decide on my next tv based on just vieracast option -- there are other ways to do almost the same thing -- but it would be handy.

I'm curious - is there a wireless option for the vieracast (via an adapter?) .... or does it need an ethernet connection?

Also, how the YouTube feed looks on large screen -- is it worth bothering with such small video?

I tried it but it didn't work for me :(

Viera Cast uses ethernet, they provide instructions for connecting over wireless.

We don't have wifi in the house and I probably won't get one until I get a new laptop or PAnny picks up Netflix. Amazon just doesn't have the kind of movies we are interested in on demand.

I've got the WD HDTV but I did consider Roku for a minute but I'm holding out that Netflix and Panny make a deal.

You might like it - not all netflix movies are available, of course, but there's an interesting mix, especially if you enjoy old/classic and foreign films. Also, some tv programs can be streamed now, too. The quality is pretty good on the netflix feed - some are available in HD , others only sd (but they look okay on my panny most of the time). I definitely have gotten my $100 worth on the roku box while "waiting" for that deal - I use HDMI connection to the panasonic but there are a lot of options. You can connect via ethernet or wireless. We don't bother ordering online movies from amazon unless there's absolutely nothing else to watch, or if I want a very new release not yet available on Netflix.

If they make a deal it may make me swing to netflix over blockbuster.

Hey all,

Wanted to cycle back to “TheLoveone” post’s on whether the text “HD” next to the four bars connection meter is greyed out for you all or is it green or blue? Often enough greyed out means disabled; i.e.the streaming is in SD and not HD even though you might be getting a 4 bar signal (is that a true statement?)

And my other question, with Amazon VOD through Viera Cast the audio is coming from my TV; is there a way to redirect the audio to my AV receiver instead?

And lastly: any word on Panasonic’s plan to include Netflix streaming to its Viera cast lineup of offerings.

Thanks

Hey all,

Wanted to cycle back to “TheLoveone” post’s on whether the text “HD” next to the four bars connection meter is greyed out for you all or is it green or blue? Often enough greyed out means disabled; i.e.the streaming is in SD and not HD even though you might be getting a 4 bar signal (is that a true statement?)

And my other question, with Amazon VOD through Viera Cast the audio is coming from my TV; is there a way to redirect the audio to my AV receiver instead?

And lastly: any word on Panasonic’s plan to include Netflix streaming to its Viera cast lineup of offerings.

Thanks

Just to clarify, are you saying that you are feeding the audio out from TV to the receiver but NOT getting the streaming video audio, or have you just not connected tv to receiver yet?

Artwire,

Thanks for your response, I got the sound streamed to the AV receiver, the TV audio out was connected to the receiver via audio optical cable but I wasn’t switching the output audio to the proper channel on the receiver end. So I am good in that department.

I saw in a prior posting that you have the Roku box; are you happy with the Netflix streaming quality? Is that close to HD or more like SD up converted to 1080 or worse? My Viara Cast Amazon on Demand from the Panasonic TV looks crappy, I guess because I have a 768kbps DSL line and I wasn’t sure whether I’ll get a big boost in picture quality that merits the DSL upgrade cost to 3mbps.

Thanks.

I've only done a few Amazon "HD" movies, and in almost all cases they looked worse than Roku. Not all Roku offerings are in HD though -- I'd say on average, they are generally equivalent to viewing an upconverted DVD. I watch a lot of older movies -- the newer releases are offered in HD. I'm connecting Roku via HDMI.

I've used it over a fast comcast cable connection and also with a DSL 3 mbps connection, and rarely have lower than **** quality on the box -- occasionally if there's a network slowdown (comcast) it will pause to reload itself but it seems much smoother than amazon. I haven't noticed any difference in quality of image wtih varying speeds -- it just triggers a pause/reload and then resumes. 768 might be a little slow -- it might just give you a longer load time -- it should not interrupt the flow of the movie (at least it hasn't for me)

Glad to hear you resolved the audio out issue !

We watched our first Amazon on demand movie tonight through our Panasonic G15 Viera. None of the Panasonic's play/pause/ff/rewind buttons worked. How does one enable those features on the remote? Thanks.

As I recall, the physical "play/pause/rewind/etc" buttons on the remote don't do anything, but their functionality has all been mapped to the D-pad on the remote (up/down/left/right/select).

Not very impressive from a usability standpoint, but it probably has to do with limitation of Viera Cast.

As I recall, the physical "play/pause/rewind/etc" buttons on the remote don't do anything, but their functionality has all been mapped to the D-pad on the remote (up/down/left/right/select).

Not very impressive from a usability standpoint, but it probably has to do with limitation of Viera Cast.

Thanks. I'll try it tonight

Just answering OP re: bars...
I have a TH-50PZ850U, VOD form amazon HD is awesome. HD and the 4 bars are blue when it is true HD. 4 green bars and gray HD is close to HD, but lacks that "looking through a window" quality that the BlueHD does. I have noticed that sometimes, if the stream starts with 4 green bars, it sometimes will jump up to BlueHD. I have not noticed it ever going the other way, but I suppose it is possible.

Setup:I have broadband cable. I don't know what speed I am paying for, but I consistently get 4.5 to 6 meg down. Stream is sent to TH-50PZ850U by way of Wireless-N access point plus an N-bridge back to cat-5 (through a dumb hub shared w/ dir.TV reciever and network printer.)

anyone have any use for an amazon VOD code??

I haven't been able to get any Amazon VOD to play at all. If I click play for an TV episode, it jumps out of the Amazon VOD screen and back to the Main Menu.

YouTube works fine. Bloomberg, The Weather Channel seem O.K. The samples in Picassa work.

anyone have any use for an amazon VOD code??

If you're not going to use I'd take it :) Send me a PM if you've still got it.

Thanks,
Rob

Has anyone been able to get Amazon On Demand to work?

I still have not been able to get any Amazon On Demand content to play.

I can access my libraries, but when I select "Watch Now", nothing happens.

Anyone have luck with this?

Thanks.

I bought a Panasonic Blu-ray player with Viera cast for about $150. Have now used Amazon on Demand multiple times, and it works great. It's in HD most of the time, although it briefly dropped to SD over the New Year's weekend, when I'm sure net traffic was very high.

I got some free credits when I purchased the player, along with some other credits, so I haven't actually paid for a movie yet.

I bought a Panasonic Blu-ray player with Viera cast for about $150. Have now used Amazon on Demand multiple times, and it works great. It's in HD most of the time, although it briefly dropped to SD over the New Year's weekend, when I'm sure net traffic was very high.

I got some free credits when I purchased the player, along with some other credits, so I haven't actually paid for a movie yet.

Thanks.

I hope I can get it working on my TV.

I have a Viera Cast enabled Panasonic TV. Initially, I thought of it as a cool gimmick, but gimmick nonetheless. However, now that Netflix has its stupid 28-day purchase window for WB titles, Amazon VOD has become my goto place for HD titles. For example, we watched "Whiteout" last night in HD and it streamed flawlessly. On Netflix, you'll have to wait until February 16th to see it. Also, Amazon VOD was a $1 cheaper than Cox OnDemand. The only gotcha was that it came down in 2.0 instead of 5.1. I don't know if Amazon or my equipment was at fault though. It's only my second rental on Amazon. The last one was "A Perfect Getaway" and I didn't check the sound format.

I'm hoping that Panasonic will upgrade their existing TVs to support Netflix (more choice is always better), but in the meantime I like Amazon VOD. Definitively happy I have it now!

I am having the same issue. I can stream Netflix from my PS3 with a digital signal, but Amazon VOD HD does not come with digital audio. And that just ticks me off.

Anyone having success with digital audio from Amazon VOD on Viera Cast?

I have constant problems with Amazon HD video streaming. I have Comcast ISP with average download speeds of 15-18 Mb/sec. When I stream Amazon VOD the highest streaming speed I get is 2500kb/sec. While this is fast enough to play in HD, it constantly drops to a lower speed and rebuffers to non HD. It does not matter if I am wireless N or connected through ethernet cable. Also, when I stream Amazon VOD through my Roku, I get digital audio (5.1). When I stream it through my Panasonic Blue Ray Vieracast, it is stereo 2.0. Not sure why the audio is streamed differently- played with all settings and connections on my receiver and cannot get it to play in digital. I've sent an email to customer support. Will report back on what I hear.

Update for me. I called both Panasonic and Amazon about not being able to play content, through my Panasonic plasma. Panasonic was able to duplicate the problem, using the same model TV. They will be issuing a firmware update 2/2/10 to correct it. This update may be model specific, not sure.

I'd also love to know what's up with the 2.0 sound instead of 5.1.

I'd immediately buy a season pass to Supernatural, since the local CW affiliate stopped broadcasting 5.1 sound back in September/October of last year. But since AzVOD is only two channel as well over my VieraCast BD player, not much point to it.

Update for me. I called both Panasonic and Amazon about not being able to play content, through my Panasonic plasma. Panasonic was able to duplicate the problem, using the same model TV. They will be issuing a firmware update 2/2/10 to correct it. This update may be model specific, not sure.

Awesome. Did you get this impression the firmware will go out to all Viera-Cast-capable TV's?

I'm going to be impressed if this actually works. Thanks for taking the initiative to call in - I'm cynical and would have assumed that no way would Panasonic respond - especially with that speed.

Awesome. Did you get this impression the firmware will go out to all Viera-Cast-capable TV's?

I'm going to be impressed if this actually works. Thanks for taking the initiative to call in - I'm cynical and would have assumed that no way would Panasonic respond - especially with that speed.

On my second call I happened to get someone in the tech area that cared. He was able to test a plasma (another model) and it was ok. A couple of days later, they were able to test my model... it didn't work... exact same issue as mine.

I'm not sure if this firmware will be for all models. I responded to them today and asked about the 5.1 audio issue.

Maybe I'll get lucky on that, too. You have to get the info while you can. :)

The firmware update was available and it worked! I can now stream video. Not the greatest PQ, but it works.

The Panasonic tech answer about the 5.1 audio is:

"The digital audio output from the TV of Amazon VOD content is 2 channel. You will need to use the virtual surround functionality (Pro Logic, Pro Logic II, etc) of your receiver to have the receiver send the audio to all speakers."

I am following up on this, since Amazon does state they offer 5.1 audio.

I am trying to find out if the Panasonic DMP-BD80 will be able to stream 5.1 audio from Amazon VOD.

called both Panasonic and Amazon about not being able to play content, through my Panasonic plasma. Panasonic was able to duplicate the problem, using the same model TV.

called both Panasonic and Amazon about not being able to play content, through my Panasonic plasma. Panasonic was able to duplicate the problem, using the same model TV.

Maybe Panasonic will issue a new firmware for you. That is what they did for me and it worked. They were able to duplicate the issue on the same model plasma, in my case, as well. If I clicked on "Watch now", instead of playing the video, it would jump to the Viera Cast main menu screen.

With the new firmware, it works fine.

Unfortunately my G10 plasma TV doesn't seem to see or want to see any firmware upgrades available. :(

Unfortunately my G10 plasma TV doesn't seem to see or want to see any firmware upgrades available. :(

Have you ever been able to update your firmware? While connected to the Internet, when you go into Viera Cast, it should automatically detect the firmware update.

Have you ever been able to update your firmware? While connected to the Internet, when you go into Viera Cast, it should automatically detect the firmware update.

Yes, it has updated once since buying the TV about a month ago.

Yes, it has updated once since buying the TV about a month ago.

Ok, so the update feature does work.
You may need to contact Panasonic's tech support for your TC-PxxG10.
Apparently, there are issues with Amazon VOD with different products. They seem to be fixed with firmware updates. If you do call, make sure they try to duplicate your problem on the same model. That is how they found my issue... and corrected it.

From Panasonic:

We have received a response from our engineers that, as of today, Amazon
VOD is not providing 5.1 channel audio in their streaming video, only
2.0 channel audio.

Once Amazon VOD does begin providing 5.1 channel audio in their
streaming video, the TV will be able to pass through the audio via the
optical cable.

We hope you find this information to be beneficial.

Thank you for choosing Panasonic.

Panasonic Customer Call Center (PCCC)
Voice of the Customer (VOC) Team
TEL: 800.211.7262
Mon - Fri, 9 AM - 9 PM EST
Sat - Sun, 10 AM - 7 PM EST

Amazon DOES stream video in 5.1 audio. I can stream through my ROKU and get 5.1 Digital. When I play the same content through Panasonic Vieracast, it outputs 2.0 stereo. I think it is a limitation of the player vs. the stream. I called Panasonic, and they were unable to provide any information that would lead me to believe that the player is capable of outputting 5.1 audio with Amazon VOD. I guess until they offer a firmware update to fix this, I will be streaming through ROKU only. Kind of sucks, as I get a little better picture through my Panasonic.

I wonder why I can stream Amazon VOD thru my ROKU then with 5.1 audio. The stream is coming from Amazon. I think it is a limitation of the player vs. the stream.

+1

I sold off a lot of my DVD collection two years ago as I was working my way off my credit card debt. Now that I'm debt-free, I'm rebuilding my movie collection via Blu-Rays and AzVOD.

Partly due to the no-5.1 issue, I'm only picking up TV seasons of older (Lost in Space, Man from UNCLE) or less important (Two and a Half Men) shows through AzVOD.

What I consider the important stuff (24, Lost, Supernatural, Galactica), I'm picking up on Blu-Ray.

And as for my movie rentals, I get them thru DirecTV rather than AzVOD. Not only is the sound 5.1, the picture is 1080p!

If Panasonic and/or Amazon fix the no-5.1 issue, I might rethink the less important movie rentals, since AzVOD is 2 bucks cheaper than DirecTV.

AzVOD is currently running a bunch of SD movies for $5 purchase, not rental. I did scarf up some of those that I suspect won't be on Blu-Ray any time soon.

From Panasonic:

We have received a response from our engineers that, as of today, Amazon
VOD is not providing 5.1 channel audio in their streaming video, only
2.0 channel audio.

Once Amazon VOD does begin providing 5.1 channel audio in their
streaming video, the TV will be able to pass through the audio via the
optical cable.

We hope you find this information to be beneficial.

Thank you for choosing Panasonic.

Panasonic Customer Call Center (PCCC)
Voice of the Customer (VOC) Team
TEL: 800.211.7262
Mon - Fri, 9 AM - 9 PM EST
Sat - Sun, 10 AM - 7 PM EST

So I shouldn't bother calling Panasonic to get the TV tested and hopefully get them to work towards a firmware update?

So I shouldn't bother calling Panasonic to get the TV tested and hopefully get them to work towards a firmware update?

If you are unable to stream video from Amazon VOD, I would call. They can issue a firmware update to correct that.

If the 5.1 audio issue is settled, that can be fixed later.
I need to call Amazon, again to see what their take on the 5.1 audio is.

If you are unable to stream video from Amazon VOD, I would call. They can issue a firmware update to correct that.

If the 5.1 audio issue is settled, that can be fixed later.
I need to call Amazon, again to see what their take on the 5.1 audio is.

Alright, please do let us know. I can stream fine from Amazon VoD - just no 5.1 audio.

(Sorry for the confusion - I thought you were addressing the 5.1 problem. Went back and read the thread and realized you had an entire "playing content" problem!)

Thanks!

AzVOD is currently running a bunch of SD movies for $5 purchase, not rental. I did scarf up some of those that I suspect won't be on Blu-Ray any time soon.

So sure enough, three of the ones I bought last week got announced for Blu-Ray release this week. :mad:

I just picked up a dmp-bd65 yesterday and did a quick test of an SD show from Amazon VOD. Worked great, but what I'm wondering is why my BD player gets Amazon widescreen SD content as widescreen but my TiVo gets it as 4:3 letterboxed.

If you visit Amazon on Demand with your web browser and look at some programs, at the very bottom of the page they show you what formats the program will take in whatever device you're using. For PC's and "connected devices," it's widescreen. For Tivo's, it's letterbox. It's apparently a deliberate choice on Amazon/Tivo's part.

Picked up a DMP-BD65 today too... running into problems streaming a SD movie. I only get 2 green bars (on a 20 mbps cable connection) and frequent stalls to rebuffer. Any tips on how to improve things?

Picked up a DMP-BD65 today too... running into problems streaming a SD movie. I only get 2 green bars (on a 20 mbps cable connection) and frequent stalls to rebuffer. Any tips on how to improve things?

Wired connection?

Link (http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200256920)

Wired connection?

Link (http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200256920)

Thanks for the link. Yes, wired w/ cat6. Anyway, this morning the player has 4 blue bars and an HD flag, so there isn't an intrinsic problem with my setup, I guess. Will have to play with it more. I noticed that if you let it run a little and then rewind back to the beginning it gets more stable.

Anyone know if the vieracast hardware can make use of sdcard memory for buffering space?

Thanks for the link. Yes, wired w/ cat6. Anyway, this morning the player has 4 blue bars and an HD flag, so there isn't an intrinsic problem with my setup, I guess. Will have to play with it more. I noticed that if you let it run a little and then rewind back to the beginning it gets more stable.

Anyone know if the vieracast hardware can make use of sdcard memory for buffering space?

Good. Nice that you seeing an improvement.
If you see issues, again, contact Amazon. My experience with them is that they will do whatever they can to help... it's in their interest. :o

Some connection speed issues may happen during heavy traffic times.

During the day yesterday, I watched a couple of HD episodes of "V" via Az and VieraCast (Panasonic BD605) with zero issues.

Just got done watching a third episode tonight. Unfortunately, barely a minute into the episode, it stalled to reload, then streamed in SD for the rest of the episode.

I checked my connection at speedtest.net and there's no problem at my end. Connection speed is identical to what it was yesterday.

So I'm guessing the issue was on Az's end? Is this typical for Friday nights?

Thanks!

@Robert I had a similar problem last night. It doesn't please me and I'm inclined to avoid Amazon VOD for most of my rental needs. I'm especially displeased when I have to watch a significant portion of a movie (10 minutes or more) ratched down to a low-quality internet stream level. Standard quality is not the proper description for this quality. And meanwhile Amazon doesn't ratchet down my HD charges or credit my account the $1 difference. The least they could do.

Tonight trying to stream an HD episode of The Office was even worse. Started out as SD in the first place. 10 minutes later, still SD. At that point, I shut it off.

Played several more HD episodes on my BD605 tonight. All played in SD from the start.

Speedtest.net confirms my connection is fine. And those same episodes play in HD fine and dandy on my PC tonight.

Any ideas why these HD episodes play in flawless HD on my PC but only in SD on my BD605?

Same connection, same modem, same router. Wired.

Thanks!

Problem continues this morning.

Episodes that play in HD just fine on my PC play in SD on my Panasonic player. Right from the start. They don't even try to start in HD then drop to SD, they start in SD from the very beginning.

http://www.speedtest.net/result/810884208.png (http://www.speedtest.net)

Further update.

Just tried an HD episode on my OTHER BD-605 in the bedroom. Started in HD, stuttered badly, dropped to SD within 30 seconds.

Tried another HD episode. Started in SD in the first place.

Tried another HD episode on my PC, played fine in HD.

Here's my speed:

http://www.speedtest.net/result/810915374.png (http://www.speedtest.net)

I've sent an e-mail to AZ asking why the PC's are fine but the Blu-Ray players aren't. I suspect I'll be returning the players.

Further update.

Just tried an HD episode on my OTHER BD-605 in the bedroom. Started in HD, stuttered badly, dropped to SD within 30 seconds.

Tried another HD episode. Started in SD in the first place.

Tried another HD episode on my PC, played fine in HD.

Here's my speed:


I've sent an e-mail to AZ asking why the PC's are fine but the Blu-Ray players aren't. I suspect I'll be returning the players.
Something seems strange with this comment... it was my understanding that HD was only available on Amazon VOD compatible devices, and not online via PC at all?? Maybe that only applies to HD movies and you can stream HD TV episodes online?

Yep, I answered my own question. You can stream HD TV but not HD movies online.

Well this service looks useless to me at this point with no HD or very little and no 5.1 audio

I just filled out the "contact us" link at panasonic.com about the Az VOD (lack of) HD issue. Will post when I get a reply.

Re: The (sudden lack of) HD issue streaming from Az VOD....

Still no reply from Panasonic.

Last night I replaced my family room BD605 with a Sony BX37. Ran 2 HD TV episodes from Az VOD last night and a third HD episode this morning. The Sony takes quite a bit longer to load a program than the Panasonic. But all three episodes were HD and flawless.

Went to the bedroom, fired up the other BD605 there, and started up the same HD episode that just finished playing flawlessly on the Sony. Played in SD on the 605.

Could be the Sony's longer load time is a benefit... bigger buffer, maybe?

Anyway, the family room 605 is only three months old and it's getting returned today. The 605 in the bedroom is quite a bit older than that, so I'll probably just give it to my girlfriend (who doesn't care about streaming).

I'm thinking the issue is the latest firmware update breaking something with Az VOD, and an upcoming upgrade will hopefully fix it. But Panasonic's lack of reply to my question is not a good sign.

Haven't tried the Netflix on the Sony yet.

Bob,

The results from your experiment are interesting.
It looks like consistency with HD streaming is still not "there", yet... at least with not Panansonic products.
Most HD streaming is only 720p. I can't wait until 1080p streaming takes hold.

I should also mention the Sony has a vastly different interface for Az VOD. I much prefer the Panasonic's interface.

And the Sony shares the Panasonic's annoying output of 2.0 channel sound even on programs that Amazon says are 5.1.

But I played another Az VOD HD TV episode on the Sony tonight and it was flawless. No buffering, no pausing, no dropping to SD. Started in HD and stayed HD all the way through with no problems at all. If it does this on a regular basis, I can live with the crappy Az interface on the Sony.

Oh, and I tried a few things on the Sony's implementation of NetFlix tonight. From the player, all you can do is play programs in your instant queue. To add shows to your queue in the first place, you have to do it from your PC. And even though NetFlix and Az VOD are both 720p, Az looks quite a bit sharper than NF.

BTW, I got a reply from Panasonic to my e-mail today. It asked me to call them. Maybe tomorrow.

Re: The (sudden lack of) HD issue streaming from Az VOD....

Still no reply from Panasonic.

Last night I replaced my family room BD605 with a Sony BX37. Ran 2 HD TV episodes from Az VOD last night and a third HD episode this morning. The Sony takes quite a bit longer to load a program than the Panasonic. But all three episodes were HD and flawless.

Went to the bedroom, fired up the other BD605 there, and started up the same HD episode that just finished playing flawlessly on the Sony. Played in SD on the 605.

Could be the Sony's longer load time is a benefit... bigger buffer, maybe?

Anyway, the family room 605 is only three months old and it's getting returned today. The 605 in the bedroom is quite a bit older than that, so I'll probably just give it to my girlfriend (who doesn't care about streaming).

I'm thinking the issue is the latest firmware update breaking something with Az VOD, and an upcoming upgrade will hopefully fix it. But Panasonic's lack of reply to my question is not a good sign.

Haven't tried the Netflix on the Sony yet.

I know the SD card is supposedly for BDlive but did you have one installed in the 605?
Just curious to see if perhaps the SD memory may be used for buffering.

Yeah, the 605 in the family room (the one I returned) had a 16gb SD card in the slot. It was no help in the buffering department.

I watched a movie last night on my BD65 on a 7MB DSL ISP and had 3-4 bars indicating HD in the lower right hand corner of the screen.
No buffering issues but the PQ is no where near blu-ray but close to OTA broadcast HD.
Audio was only 2.0 but my AVR compensated with Dolby Pro Logic II.
$5 is kind of steep for "average" HD PQ & 2.0 audio.

*BD65 also has the latest FW.

Guys, i wonder what WLAN dongle are you using to connect to your home WiFi? Does it require a propriety dongle?

Will the internet be required to be connected all the time?

I have a Panasonic TC-P50G10 HDTV. When I got it last summer, I hooked it up to my home computer (ethernet cable), and had no trouble accessing things via Viera Cast like Amazon, etc. (though I only did it a couple of times, and haven't all year). I've just tried again this week and keep getting the error message, "Invalid DNS Name: Check DNS Setting." I got both the primary and secondary settings from my internet provider (and verified the numbers twice), and put those in manually -- same error message. I did get the DNS server number (a different one from the others) from my computer, but I don't know what that means, or what to do with it. Any ideas?

(Absolutely nothing has changed during the year -- that I know of. Same computer, internet provider, TV, cable company, etc.)

I likewise have been having problems with Amazon VOD and Vieracast.

I can stream SD fine but when I purchase HD it always drops to SD quality. I called Amazon and they said everything was fine on their end and there was plenty of bandwidth on my internet connection to stream HD. They also said they have had various problem of exactly this type with my model of player (Panasonic DMP-BD605) and were working with Panasonic engineers to resolve the problem.

I then called Panasonic and there response was that unless my internet connection measures a minimum of 6.0 Mbps the player won't even try to stream HD. This requirement seems excessive to me as Amazon's HD stream (720p) comes in at only 2.5 Mbps, and Amazon web site requires only 3.5 Mbps in order to stream HD (although the guy on the phone said 4.5 Mbps). Also I can stream VUDU HDX (1080p) to my LG HDTV over the same connection with no problems. (My connection measured 4.7 Mbps on speedtest.net at the time I was investigating these problems.)

It is also disappointing that Panasonic does not publish this requirement anywhere.

I'm thinking I might scrap this player and try a Sony. Also I don't recommend Vieracast to anyone wanting to stream Amazon VOD high def unless your internet connection is way in excess of 6 Mbps.

I likewise have been having problems with Amazon VOD and Vieracast.

I can stream SD fine but when I purchase HD it always drops to SD quality. I called Amazon and they said everything was fine on their end and there was plenty of bandwidth on my internet connection to stream HD. They also said they have had various problem of exactly this type with my model of player (Panasonic DMP-BD605) and were working with Panasonic engineers to resolve the problem.

I then called Panasonic and there response was that unless my internet connection measures a minimum of 6.0 Mbps the player won't even try to stream HD. This requirement seems excessive to me as Amazon's HD stream (720p) comes in at only 2.5 Mbps, and Amazon web site requires only 3.5 Mbps in order to stream HD (although the guy on the phone said 4.5 Mbps). Also I can stream VUDU HDX (1080p) to my LG HDTV over the same connection with no problems. (My connection measured 4.7 Mbps on speedtest.net at the time I was investigating these problems.)

It is also disappointing that Panasonic does not publish this requirement anywhere.

I'm thinking I might scrap this player and try a Sony. Also I don't recommend Vieracast to anyone wanting to stream Amazon VOD high def unless your internet connection is way in excess of 6 Mbps.

I had the exact same experience with MY Panasonic 605. Moving it to the bedroom and replacing it with a Sony BX37 (Costco version of the 370) was one of the best moves I ever made.

I came across this thread looking for an answer to why my play/pause buttons didn't work on AZ VOD. Last night I watched my first HD movie on my Panasonic TC-P65V10 and it worked flawlessly. My connection speed is always around 5.5 mbps. Looks as if some of the issues with respect to needing 6 mbps commented in previous posts have been addressed. Audio was only 2.0. At first I thought I was getting 5.1 but I have a new A/V receiver and it "tricked" me into thinking it was multichannel, although it sounded excellent.

I get pause with Az VOD on my Panasonic BD-60 by hitting the OK button. Hitting the OK button again resumes play.

Still have never gotten 5.1 sound from Az, though, on my Panasonic BD-60 or my Sony 370 (both connected to my receive with S/PDIF). Maybe it's an HDMI-only thing.

I havent tryed amazon VOD on vierra cast yet....however I just tryed vudu last night and was floored with the HDX stream on the Panny DMP-BDT300. I am on 6mbit att dsl and it was not having any issues at all. I just watched 2 minute previews though.

Am anxious to see if Boxee works out HD on the PC in the coming months. Would love to see this.

I too love viera cast,

Have vizio apps in the spare bedroom over wifi, Soon to be run over cat6 though, as well as the video over cat6 to hdmi so i dont have to pay for another dvr with directv monthly.

I signed up for THE WALKING DEAD in HD through AZ, since DirecTV doesn't carry AMC in HD.

I've mentioned before how movies and shows that are supposed to have 5.1 sound only come through as 2.0 stereo (which my receiver processes in Pro Logic surround). S/PDIF optical connection to the receiver, BTW.

THE WALKING DEAD is billed by AZ as "Stereo" but it's only coming through in mono (in other words, center channel only). Anyone else noticing this?

Has anyone been able to stream Amazon VOD in HD reliably lately? I have a BD-60 and haven't been able to get any HD lately. I know I used to be able to, though. I wonder if it has anything to do with finally upgrading to the latest firmware.

What's the point of paying for HD movie rentals if they're always in SD? (It'd be nice if I could stream HD movie rentals through my HTPC, but alas that is not permitted.)

I believe Panasonic players are having an issue with Az VOD. My BD-605 hasn't streamed any program in HD from Az for months. Nothing but SD, even on programs specifically labeled HD. Meanwhile, those same programs stream in HD just fine on my Sony BX-37 in another room.

I've given up on using my Panasonic bd65 and amazon hd.
I never get hd PQ and the audio is always 2.0
The PQ actually looks below DVD PQ.

Panasonic needs to fix this crap if they want people to use their product for streaming.

As I recall, the physical "play/pause/rewind/etc" buttons on the remote don't do anything, but their functionality has all been mapped to the D-pad on the remote (up/down/left/right/select).

Not very impressive from a usability standpoint, but it probably has to do with limitation of Viera Cast.

Old news to some but something I didn't manage to figure out for myself last night... thanks

I too have had issues streaming HD quality movies from amazon. It always starts in SD. I have a wired connection to both my TCP-46G10 and DMP-BD60. Both behave the same. I did stream HD before the last vieracast update to my tv last fall. My internet routinely tests 6.5 Mbps.

I talked to Amazon today. They told me that the issue is with the last update from Panasonic. He stated that Panasonic has set a level of 7Mbps during the last update for HD content. He made it out that this was not intentional and would probably be fixed by a firmware update. I am not going to hold my breath though.

He stated tha that all devices really need different throughput to prevent buffering. He did state that Sony requires a lower level. He said like 6.

When I called Panasonic Customer Support they were no help and simply wanted to tell me it was not their problem and I should call my ISP. THey couldn't seem to comprehend that my internet could stream HD fine from my computer (TV episodes from Amazon).

Not sure how I am going to go forward. Does anyone have cable internet with an initial speed boost? It seems that this would fool the speed test that Viera Cast runs. NOt sure if it still wouldn't buffer though. Don't know if I want to switch from my DSL.

Maybe I will sell my panny blu ray and buy a Sony blu ray :) .

Maybe I will sell my panny blu ray and buy a Sony blu ray :) .

That's what I did a few months back, and I've been a happy camper ever since.

Okay, I didn't really sell the Panasonic, I gave it to my girlfriend who doesn't do the streaming thing at all. She's happy about having an upconverting DVD player (she rents DVD's from RedBox on nights I'm not around), and I'm happy to have a Sony Player that streams Amazon in HD with no issues.

I'm having similar problems running Amazon VOD through Viera Cast on my Panny P54G20 TV.

I initially had a 6 Mbps connection and was only getting the 4 green SD bars.

I then upgraded to a 12 Mbps connection as my ISP was running a promotion. Running a speed test on the same Cat5 cable that my TV is on yields consistent 11.5 Mbps throughput.

...now I only get two green SD bars for the connection when watching Amazon VOD!

Amazon VOD streams in HD without any problem to the PCs on my network.


Also, have you guys heard anything about them adding VUDU to Viera Cast (for TVs) ? I would love to try that service out.

Use Vudu instead of Amazon. I've given up on Amazon until Panasonic and Amaon get their requirements figured out.
With the same ISP, VuDu looks great and never drops down to SD.

*I've only used VuDu HD(720p) with 5.1 DD+ audio but it looks great for an HD stream even to my 117" screen.

Use Vudu instead of Amazon. I've given up on Amazon until Panasonic and Amaon get their requirements figured out.
With the same ISP, VuDu looks great and never drops down to SD.

*I've only used VuDu HD(720p) with 5.1 DD+ audio but it looks great for an HD stream even to my 117" screen.

The Panasonic BD-60 does not support VUDU. What is your internet speed that you are watching HD VUDU movies on? The amazon CSR told me that panasonic set a requirement to 7Mbps for HD. I assumed that the same restrictions were placed concering speed by Panasonic on both VUDU and Amazon services. Any Idea?

I get an average speed of 6.2mb.
That's not good enough for Amazon HD.
From the speculation I've seen, the requirement for Amazon HD was 6mb and the last FW update changed it to 7mb.

Btw, you can get a free $5.99 credit from VuDu through your VuDu capable device for new subscribers. Basically, try it for free.

My Amazon VOD connection has turned to crap as of late. Anytime other than early morning results in a two-bar macroblock festival. The same video piped through my pc comes out in 720p HD at 2500 kbps.

I have a 20mbps connection. In real terms, that means a 15-16mbps connection. That's still six times as much as I should need for Amazon, and easily double that of the suspected 7mbps floor imposed by the application. My G25 is connected through ethernet, I've set QOS specifications for the TV and netmasking for the Amazon address range. It particularly doesn't make sense that I can watch a video in HD before 10am, but not at anytime after, up until maybe three am, the earliest I've been up to check.

I have a Panasonic TC-P54G25 and get no audio at all via the optical cable on Panasonic VOD. I get two channel audio on Panadora, Netflix and YouTube, but zip on Amazon.

As far as video quality, I have download speeds of 6to 8 Mbps and only get three green bars and lots of artifacts on "HD" from Amazon.

I'd also love to know what's up with the 2.0 sound instead of 5.1.

I'd immediately buy a season pass to Supernatural, since the local CW affiliate stopped broadcasting 5.1 sound back in September/October of last year. But since AzVOD is only two channel as well over my VieraCast BD player, not much point to it.

its insane how can we get netflix and vudu in 5.1 and not amazon. i bought the player on amazon and no mention. they refused to refund me when i complained about no 5.2

its insane how can we get netflix and vudu in 5.1 and not amazon. i bought the player on amazon and no mention. they refused to refund me when i complained about no 5.2

5.1 is really only common on Vudu. Netflix has some titles, but only with a couple of specific devices. Panasonic doesn't get 5.1 from Netflix either.

Panasonic and Sony BD players only give 2.0 sound from Amazon, but Roku boxes give the whole 5.1.

Yea, I use the Roku in my HT for Amazon now since it gives me 5.1.