Circuit City online has gotten the new Panasonic players in a bit earlier than expected and the first orders are shipping today. Those that opted for "express" shipping (like me
) will begin receiving players on Tuesday the 14th. It is time for a new owners thread.
I have owned the previous Panasonic BD30, as well as numerous other models. I currently have the LG BH200 and PS3 in my system for comparison and I'll be posting my comments on the new Panasonic BD35.
Quote:
Originally Posted by biodegraded /forum/post/15071739
Thought I'd report my not-so-hot BD35 experience. I didn't read the whole thread (~3000 posts!), but at least one other person, wyliec2, seems to have had the same problem. Here's the description I sent with a request for an RA# to send it back.
Here are the relevant devices involved, all of which were purchased new within the past three weeks:
Panasonic DMP-BD35K blu-ray player
Onkyo TX-SR805 AVR
Samsung LN52A650 LCD TV
The devices are connected via HDMI, player to AVR and AVR to TV. The problem is sporadic screen flashes while at the player's splash screen and when playing back standard definition discs. Bafflingly, there is no flashing when a blu-ray disc is playing.
I did the following tests:
...Swapped HDMI cables between player to AVR and AVR to TV. I have five 1.3b cat2 cables from two different manufacturers. The screen flashes with any combination of cable swaps.
...Hooked the player to all of the AVR's HDMI inputs. All flash.
Updated the player's firmware to v1.5, the most recent released (player came with rev 1.1). Still flashes. The AVR came with the vendor's most recent firmware, v1.08.
...Hooked an Xbox 360 with HDMI to the AVR. No flashes.
...Hooked a laptop computer with HDMI to the AVR. No flashes.
...Hooked component video (not HDMI) and optical audio from player to AVR. No flashes.
Also of note is that the flashing gets much worse as the player warms up from playing a disc. The unit has completely unrestricted airflow for heat dissipation.
The tests indicate HDMI packet dropping between the blu-ray player and the AVR. I don't have any other HDMI devices to source with to further test the Onkyo AVR. I don't have another HDMI capable A/V receiver to further test the Panasonic player. I think it's fairly conclusive, however, that something is wrong with the player.
I also have the A650 iss your firmware 2007? I had to go back to 1003 due to the fact of the pink or purpilish flashing and also because of the audio periodically getting off with the picture. Going back to the older firmware seems to have helped. If that doesn't fix it switch it out for a new one. I had to do that also. But that was for other reasons.
Quote:
Originally Posted by snsguy /forum/post/15072532
I also have the A650 iss your firmware 2007? I had to go back to 1003 due to the fact of the pink or purpilish flashing and also because of the audio periodically getting off with the picture. Going back to the older firmware seems to have helped. If that doesn't fix it switch it out for a new one. I had to do that also. But that was for other reasons.
Quote:
Originally Posted by boylan13 /forum/post/15005914
For those who bought their BD35 online (from a store in a different state than your address), Panasonic *will* honor the rebate form for the two free Disney Blu-ray Discs ("Ratatouille" and "Nightmare Before Christmas"). In fact they tell me they are going to try to update the PDF to take out the line about store receipts emanating in the same state as the consumer's address.
This comes straight from the horse's mouth - the marketing person at Panasonic (not Disney) who inadvertantly put that line into the form (and boy is she embarassed).
I will respect her right to privacy and will not be publishing her name here.
Try taking it back to 2003 ifyou have it if you don't I can PM you a link after I put it up on my site. Let me know if you need it. I haven't experienced any changes from the user menu when I have chagned the firmware but you may need to write all your settings down just in case.
Quote:
Originally Posted by biodegraded /forum/post/15071739
Thought I'd report my not-so-hot BD35 experience. I didn't read the whole thread (~3000 posts!), but at least one other person, wyliec2, seems to have had the same problem. Here's the description I sent with a request for an RA# to send it back.
Here are the relevant devices involved, all of which were purchased new within the past three weeks:
Panasonic DMP-BD35K blu-ray player
Onkyo TX-SR805 AVR
Samsung LN52A650 LCD TV
The devices are connected via HDMI, player to AVR and AVR to TV. The problem is sporadic screen flashes while at the player's splash screen and when playing back standard definition discs. Bafflingly, there is no flashing when a blu-ray disc is playing.
I did the following tests:
...Swapped HDMI cables between player to AVR and AVR to TV. I have five 1.3b cat2 cables from two different manufacturers. The screen flashes with any combination of cable swaps.
...Hooked the player to all of the AVR's HDMI inputs. All flash.
Updated the player's firmware to v1.5, the most recent released (player came with rev 1.1). Still flashes. The AVR came with the vendor's most recent firmware, v1.08.
...Hooked an Xbox 360 with HDMI to the AVR. No flashes.
...Hooked a laptop computer with HDMI to the AVR. No flashes.
...Hooked component video (not HDMI) and optical audio from player to AVR. No flashes.
Also of note is that the flashing gets much worse as the player warms up from playing a disc. The unit has completely unrestricted airflow for heat dissipation.
The tests indicate HDMI packet dropping between the blu-ray player and the AVR. I don't have any other HDMI devices to source with to further test the Onkyo AVR. I don't have another HDMI capable A/V receiver to further test the Panasonic player. I think it's fairly conclusive, however, that something is wrong with the player.
I have the LN52A650 (fw 2007) and the BD55 instead of the 35. I have the player directly connected via HDMI to the TV (with analog to the AVR) and have had no problems.
Quote:
Originally Posted by hellerbrewing /forum/post/15072126
What is the factory warranty on these? Also, if I pick up the extended sevice plan through best buy is it still valid if the UPC is removed for rebate purposes?
It's extremely unlikely that you would need the box to get warranty service. I had warranty service on my Panny 800 plasma only a few weeks after I bought it (no don't freak if you have one, I screwed something up and Panny was kind enough not to blame me and serviced it quickly) and all that was required was a copy of the receipt.
According to the manual, the warranty is one year for parts and labor (the player).
Quote:
Originally Posted by chripuck /forum/post/15072353
Anybody having issue with the 55 not sticking to 1080p/24? I'm getting my first Blu Ray titles tonight, but I've been watching regular DVD's and I can force 24 by using options when clicking Display on the remote, it just won't stick. Is this something that only defaults to 1080p/24 when watching Blu Ray and DVD won't default to it?
Also, I'm using the analog out and I'm looking for a good website to calculate the delay needed to set my rear speakers at. My Denon receiver does it automatically based on speaker distances, but it only works on digital inputs. Thoughts or address I can go to?
EDIT: Thirdly, can anyone tell me if I can tell if and when Deep Color is being utilized? I have a Deep Color capable set (Samsung 61a750 DLP) but I have an HDMI cable that I'm not sure if its rated to handle 1.3
This has been discussed. The player will stick to the 24p setting for blu-ray, but for dvd, it has to be set in the display for each dvd. Apparently, some dvds will look awful at 24p, so Panasonic wants the player to be idiot proof (not have a disc look awful and then have the consumer blame the player, when the 24p setting is to blame).
Quote:
Originally Posted by jayridescarbon /forum/post/15073692
This has been discussed. The player will stick to the 24p setting for blu-ray, but for dvd, it has to be set in the display for each dvd. Apparently, some dvds will look awful at 24p, so Panasonic wants the player to be idiot proof (not have a disc look awful and then have the consumer blame the player, when the 24p setting is to blame).
Quote:
Originally Posted by chripuck /forum/post/15072353
...I'm using the analog out and I'm looking for a good website to calculate the delay needed to set my rear speakers at. My Denon receiver does it automatically based on speaker distances, but it only works on digital inputs. Thoughts or address I can go to?
To calculate the delay, subtract the distance from the primary listening location to a surround speaker (or the center speaker), from the distance from the primary listening position to a main speaker, and multiple the difference in distance in feet by .885 ms.
(This assumes that the distance to the mains is greater than the distance to the surrounds or center channel, and the speed of sound is 1130 ft/sec)
It takes sound .885 ms to travel 1 foot. ( 1 foot/1130 ft/sec x 1000 = .885 delay in ms)
Feels like i missed something in the set up. My picture is better when watching cable (non hd) then blu-ray (BD55). The background is grainy when watching blu-ray. My tv (Panna PV60) has some issues (purple snakes) but i have a good picture when watching cable. Even if the tv has issus there should not be better picture when watchen cable (comparing to blu-ray).
Wrote earlier that i have som problem, that the picture gets gray/lighter, but thats not the BD55. Saw the problem when watchin cable so its the tv not the BD55.
Still dont know why my BD55 switch back to "auto" in HDMI out. I want to set it to 720p not auto.
I remember when i judt got my BD55 and i set the HDMI out to 1080i. Got terrible picture (grainy). Switched to 720p and got good picture. Now its set to auto and maybe "auto" is 1080i?
I just got my Panasonic DMP-BD35K today and hooked it up using HDMI directly to my Panny Plasma. The picture looks really fuzzy and or grainy. I messed around with it for an hour and reduced the graininess using the user picture adjustment putting 3D NR and the other NR all the way up. It improved it a little but still looks worse than the PS3 I just sold because I thought this Blu Ray player would look just the same or better. Am I missing something here..setting? I don't understand why a Blu Ray disk should look fuzzy, Although animated films like Disney's Happy Feet, Met The Robinsons, etc look good.
Quote:
Originally Posted by boylan13 /forum/post/15070216
If you want to get the Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA logos on your receiver, then select bitstream for DTS and Dolby in the Digital Audio Output menu option and turn Secondary Audio OFF (with Secondary Audio ON it will send the lossy audio formats when you have menu clicks on the disc or Secondary Audio in the stream). But with Secondary Audio OFF you won't get audio from PiP commentary (BonusView content).
If you set it to PCM instead, then you can leave Secondary Audio ON and the BD55 will extract the encoded PCM track from DTS-HD MA and Dolby TrueHD, and mix in the menu clicks or Secondary Audio when it is present without having to resort to the lossy audio tracks. This is more important for titles with menu clicks than it is for Secondary Audio since BonusView comentary tends to lower the main soundtrack in the mix so much that it doesn't much matter whether you're getting it in full lossless surround that that point.
What is the best audio setting if you dont have a receiver that passes through Audio, I have to use Optical for audio, Pluse please see my post 2 post ago about Picture Quality.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dennis A /forum/post/15074748
Feels like i missed something in the set up. My picture is better when watching cable (non hd) then blu-ray (BD55). The background is grainy when watching blu-ray. My tv (Panna PV60) has some issues (purple snakes) but i have a good picture when watching cable. Even if the tv has issus there should not be better picture when watchen cable (comparing to blu-ray).
Wrote earlier that i have som problem, that the picture gets gray/lighter, but thats not the BD55. Saw the problem when watchin cable so its the tv not the BD55.
Still dont know why my BD55 switch back to "auto" in HDMI out. I want to set it to 720p not auto.
I remember when i judt got my BD55 and i set the HDMI out to 1080i. Got terrible picture (grainy). Switched to 720p and got good picture. Now its set to auto and maybe "auto" is 1080i?
Dennis, your set probably has different setup memories for SD and HD, and through luck (good or bad depending on your point of view) or circumstance, the one for SD is doing a better job with its material. Try using a calibration disc with the player, such as the free AVS one available for download.
HDMI sources will automatically set to the highest resolution the display reports that it can accept and that the player supports. In my case, my display takes 1080i but the HDMI--RGB converter I use reports 1080p. I had to access the player's setup using composite video to set it to 1080i, but the setting has stuck. In your case, I'm guessing that your set might be reporting its native resolution, which isn't directly output by the player, and that the player is automatically sending its next higher supported resolution (probably 1080i) to be downscaled by the display.
Have you tried contacting Panasonic support about your issue?
The audio quality should be the same either way. The track is decoded into PCM by the player or by the receiver. The same PCM.
With player decoding, secondary audio (menu sounds, PIP commentary) can be mixed with the PCM before it is sent to the receiver. That's the primary advantage of decoding in the player. Bitstreaming can only send the main audio track, not the secondary sources.
Some people say they get better audio when bitstreaming. It shouldn't be that way. But, that's the claim.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chripuck /forum/post/15072353
EDIT: Thirdly, can anyone tell me if I can tell if and when Deep Color is being utilized? I have a Deep Color capable set (Samsung 61a750 DLP) but I have an HDMI cable that I'm not sure if its rated to handle 1.3
It's essentially pure marketing, no one uses it for blu-ray. The only thing currently where you could take advantage of it is by using a camcorder that handles Deep Color and you connect it directly to your TV via HDMI. You shouldn't have any problems with your current cable.
I just got my Panasonic DMP-BD35K today and hooked it up using HDMI directly to my Panny Plasma. The picture looks really fuzzy and or grainy. I messed around with it for an hour and reduced the graininess using the user picture adjustment putting 3D NR and the other NR all the way up. It improved it a little but still looks worse than the PS3 I just sold because I thought this Blu Ray player would look just the same or better. Am I missing something here..setting? I don't understand why a Blu Ray disk should look fuzzy, Although animated films like Disney's Happy Feet, Met The Robinsons, etc look good.
Also.
What is the best audio setting if you dont have a receiver that passes through Audio, I have to use Optical for audio, Plus please see my post 2 post ago about Picture Quality.
Auto is the output resolution but tried 720P and 1080i
My TV model is the TH-58PX60U
I did not check the what input resolution it was showing but I can later.
Thanks
Bruce
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