Official Panasonic DMP-BDT 220/320/500 Owners Thread - Page 78

We had to do the reset to factory settings via page 31 of the manual, then BDT220 could "see" all wireless networks in our area. Once connected we setup our Netflix account (again) and all seem well.... for now?

With the current amazon deal is the 220 a great buy for bluray,dvd, and music playback only? My streaming will be done through my PS3. TIA!

Haven't used it to play music but it's an excellent video disc player.

My movie watching came back to life after getting this player. My PS3 finally crapped out so it needed a replacement. I stream netflix and amazon (wired) and it does that very well. I didn't know what I was missing on sound quality until I got this, I thought my PS3 and Onkyo receiver combo sounded great, boy was I wrong! Upconversion of DVDs works very nicely also.

Panasonics have done well with Blu-ray PQ for awhile, streaming doesnt compare to lossless audio for sure.

I bought the DMP-BDT 320 model in Aug. specifically to obtain TuneIn. I discovered the same thing -- no TuneIn. Called Tech Support. They put me on hold. After several minutes the guy came back on and told me my next firmware support will include it. Apparently, new apps appear via firmware updates. (LG told me the same thing.) Since then, I've received one firmware update. No TuneIn. I'm hoping TuneIn arrives soon. Although the player has ShoutCast on it, I prefer TuneIn; it has more of the stations my kids prefer, most notably Radio Disney (USA), so come on, Panasonic, can't you help us out? I suspect it will appear, but to promote it and not have it ready...geez. At least, give us a "delivery date." Otherwise, it appears like false advertising.

Do you have a Samsung set? I have the BDT310 and PN64D7000 plasma. The same thing happens on my setup when I used 4:2:2 color space. On my set, both 4:2:2 and 4:4:4 look and test great in 2D, but 4:2:2 in 3D gives the green cast. I posted several places about a year ago about this with no responses. I even exchanged TV and player. I have no issues at all in 4:4:4 in either 2D or 3D and it looks excellent. Being that 4:4:4 was so beautiful anyway I had really forgotten this until finding this thread as well as the thread I link below:

http://www.avsforum.com/t/1412248/4-2-2-3d-output

Is this normal for 3D playback? I thought it was the Samsung TV but maybe it's the Panasonic player. Can folks with other TVs or BDP combos use 4:2:2 for 3D? I'm really just curious at this point as the IQ is so stunning in 4:4:4 anyway and it's really a non-issue.....or is it?

edit: I also run HDMI straight to TV and 2nd HDMI to receiver as my receiver doesn't support 3D. BDT310 >>> PN64D7000.
Edited by Pothog - 9/20/12 at 8:50pm

Netflix works wonderful for me. I just open the red envelope and pop the BluRay discs in. Perfect IQ and bitstreamed lossless audio every time. Being that this is a BluRay disc player I use it to play BluRay discs as it was designed to do, I never have problems. I generally don't entertain gimmicky features. My computers' especially, or even my xbox, or even my TV itself do all these things better. Of course I don't stream anything as the horrid audio and video quality is unacceptable to me. Even on a 25Mb down.

Ever heard the phrase "The right tool for the job"? I really feel sorry for anyone looking for info or advice, or who is having a problem with actual BluRay playback. This whole thread is people complaining about things that this device wasn't designed to do. It's meant for marketing. Nobody with have a brain or high-end gear actually uses those features, nor would they....ever.

Purchase, rent or borrow BluRay discs and be happy. Pretty simple really.

It doesn't work for me. It crashes all the time. It locks up and I can't even shut it off. I have to pull the plug and start over.
It was also designed to stream internet content. That is what it is sold as and that is what it is designed to do.
It has nothing to do with something doing it "better." It shouldn't crash, period.
Yes, I have. It means don't use a butter knife as a screwdriver. But if the butter knife is also advertised as having the ability to cut steak, I expect it to be able to cut steak, even if it doesn't do it well.
It was designed to do many things. I expect it to be able to do those things at least marginally well. Constantly crashing and locking up to the point where I have no choice but to pull the plug is not even marginally acceptable.
In other words, Panasonic lies. Okay, I got it. How about this: Nobody with half a brain buys something on the premise that it is capable of performing its advertised features and then accepts the fact that half of the features will not work based on some ludicrous idea that "oh, it was never really designed to do that anyway."
Fix what doesn't work or don't advertise that it is capable of doing things it clearly is incapable of doing. Pretty simple really.

(I reallly don't know why people waste their time and ours by posting this sort of thing ). The device was designed to do everything its documentation claims that it can do. As an engineer whose worked on consumer electronics firmware, I'm certain that many hundreds of man hours were spent making it operate as a platform for streaming players, play video and audio files from various types of media and to operate as a DLNA client. Tons of time and effort were spent regression testing these features as it was developed. If people didn't actually use those features, a lot of effort was wasted.

People bought it expecting it to be able to do the things that it says it can do on the box and they have every right to complain if it can't do them properly. I just looked at the box my BDT220 came in and it actually says, clearly and in no uncertain terms, that it features Viera Connect and plays Netflix, VUDU, Amazon, YouTube, CinemaNow, etc. It also states that it's a DLNA client and that it can be remotely controlled by a smartphone app. Having read that on the box and bought it, I have every right to expect it to be able to do those things correctly. If it's lying about its ability to do those things, why should I believe the box's claim that the product can play BDs???

Actually it was not. This is why they don't fix it over multiple generations. The majority don't use these things. Other companies sell dedicated devices for streaming. They work if you have cheap gear and don't need the quality. Purchase one of those. This is a BluRay player with gimmicks thrown in for marketing. In your mind they designed these around streaming media and throw in the BD drive? Seriously, Enough already. There's a reason why it doesn't work and they don't fix it. It's tiring hearing about it.

The device does do all those things on the box, as you said, not correctly. The fact that it does them is all they need to print a badge on a box. Technology has always been this way. Your trying to make gold out of lead. As I said before, there are devices that do these things correctly. They are much more expensive and require a much higher end infrastructure as well. And even then they can't touch the pure quality of physical media. Maybe in 5-10 years streaming media will be viable in a cheap box such as this. The fact of the matter is, this is a disc media player, with streaming crap half ass thrown in. The hardware and disc drive are what you are paying for. Not the half ass apps.

I guess what I'm saying is if you come to a forum like this you are probably too picky to be satisfied with the "features" offered by a fairly cheap BluRay player. I know I am. You should know better by now. Jack of all trades = master of none. And If I came off a little raw I apologize.
Edited by Pothog - 9/21/12 at 12:07am

My SOP is Blu-ray player for optical media, Roku 2 for streaming. Roku2 just works and looks great.

Agreed; so long as that means blu-ray discs.

I've seen this repeatedly from many other posters on the whole subject of "streaming" (mainly 5.1 movies?)

Meaning that a dedicated streamer is the best choice, if streaming is first on your wish list.

Pothog - I do not expect my bluray player to be as good a streaming player as my appleTV. I don't expect the same quality interface. I don't expect the same ease of use. But I do expect it to be CAPABLE of doing everything it is advertised to do without breaking down. That is what it is designed to do. That is what I expect it to do. Crashing and locking up is UNACCEPTABLE, PERIOD. I don't expect a Chevrolet to do everything a Ferrari does, but I do expect both to drive down the road and not break down in five miles. It is supposed to go from point A to point B. None of that is an unreasonable expectation out of what both a Ferrari and a Chevrolet are supposed to do.

How nice for you. Funny, I own a Panny TC P55VT50 plasma and BMP DBT-220 BD player, both capable of streaming video quite nicely. But, you think I'd be happier buying a Roku also? I seriously doubt that, since I'm more than pleased with the units I have and can't justify adding another component to my system. I agree with those that expect a device to perform as advertised at some reasonably adequate level. Saying another device could do it better totally misses the point. There is always something better. If not today, it will surely be available in the near future. Yours and Pothog's position would require folks to dump their equipment every couple of months. That's just fine if you're a 1%er; unfortunately, most folks I know are in the other 99% group like me.

I just made a statement. No need to be an ass.

You're right, very sorry. I should have directed my comment to Pothog exclusively.

No problem. My post wasnt meant to say my way was right, it's just been my experience. I fully agree that an advertised feature should work, but Ive found that specialized devices tend to be more stable for their task

Yes, I have no doubt you're correct, but I seriously like the job my Panny BD player does. I did have to reset it once, but I've enjoyed hours and hours of uninterrupted stallar performance. I am curious, however, how much better it could be???

There was a recent firmware upgrade which I applied and managed to watch an entire movie without incident. Perhaps Panasonic has finally addressed the issue. I certainly hope so. I don't mind an occasional hiccup, but it shouldn't be every time.

The new firmware update finally allows my 220 to connect to both the Serviio media server on my workstation and the standard Media Server on my WHS 2011 box and actually be able to stream video from either. Until now all I would get was 'cannot play' regardles of the format I used. It wasn't the servers as nothing has changed and my Samsung HTR and WD Live never had problems streaming those same video's.

Now I can finally fully enjoy this player. .

And yes, I bought this player mainly to play BD discs and bought it for the excellent reviews on here. However, one of my other requirements was the ability to stream home video from my media server. Although impressed with BD capability (less so with DVD's as most of the menu's seem not to work) I was severely irritated by the fact it woudl not stream my home video's. I tried akmost every server on the market, and Serviio actually states it works with Panny. I bought it a few months back and was about to relegate it to BD play duty only and hook my WDlive back up to my living room system when tonight the firmware upgrade propped up and really 'queue empty chair' Made My Day! :-)
Edited by MrBOFH - 9/21/12 at 9:06pm

The new firmware update finally allows my 220 to connect to both the Serviio media server on my workstation and the standard Media Server on my WHS 2011 box and actually be able to stream video from either. Until now all I would get was 'cannot play' regardles of the format I used. It wasn't the servers as nothing has changed and my Samsung HTR and WD Live never had problems streaming those same video's.

Now I can finally fully enjoy this player. .

I'm seriously considering upgrading the media server on my WHS box to teh free version of Serviio (I'm testing it on my workstation) As the free version I am using has more features and seems to work better overall.

Does anyone mind trying to stream the movie "Take Me Home" (not "Take Me Home Tonight") on netflix and report if you see any lipsync issues? Of all the movies I've tried to stream recently, this one persistently exhibits awful lipsyc problems (and if you turn on 24p it becomes even worse). I am wondering if it's something with specific to my player or are other users experiencing the same issues? Otherwise, haven't had lipsync issues in a while (except for some mild lipsync issues on "The Rebound").

Thanks Pothog for your insights! Yes so true, the streaming media player is just one gimmicky feature found in my Panny 500 that reminds me of my Dell from hell laptop. The first thing I did was uninstalled all that useless crapware. Yes, 'The right tool for the right job!' And so everyone knows too, 'Beggars can't be choosy!' The stripped down streaming media players found in all these blu-ray players like the 500 are nothing more than free handouts. One way for all these sad stories that I have to sift through and read here in this thread to have a happy ending, if you, those of you who find that you like streaming media, is to go out and get yourselves a standalone player that is up to the job. That way, we can get back to being on topic about problems other people are having with using the blu-ray player for its intended purpose: blu-ray disk playback.

I'm sorry but, "have to"? You can go and start your own "Panasonic DMP-BDT220/320/500, BD Playing Issues Only" thread and never read the "sad stories" posted here again.

Your and Pothog's complaints about people discussing their problems with the advertised and documented functions of these devices are not useful and totally off-topic here.

Is there an AVS forum for streaming media players?

If not, perhaps an AVS thread that you could provide a ref to?

I just flat out dislike the streaming interface on the 220. You can't even choose movies to put on your watchlist in amazon prime. Plus, you can only view two rows of selections at a time. There is significant lag with the interface in general as well.

Unless you are a heavy and/or picky dvd watcher, I cannot recommend the panasonic at all. Get a sony.

Different products have different interfaces for the various streaming (though most Netflix players now have identical UIs and all VUDU players do except on the Xbox). The Amazon player in the BDT220/320/500 is not one of the better ones; for one thing, it has no support for 5.1 sound. On the other hand, though the Sony BDP-S390/590/790 does support 5.1 sound, for me it can take more than a minute to start playing a stream and its UI, though improved in the last update, still features tiny little grainy unreadable thumbnails. I do like the Sony's implementation of the Netflix player better; same UI, but much more responsive to navigation commands, though its stream start-up is also slower. It does have a cool stream status display overlay that you can bring up in Netflix and you can turn subtitles/captions on and off with the remote subtitle button. The BDT220 uniquely features the ability to output 24p from the VOD players (the vast majority of streams are encoded as 24p) for those people with televisions and other equipment which can take advantage of that. It's BD playing function has a 1.5x-with-unaltered-pitch-sound FF mode which the Sony players do not (I'm not sure that it can do that with DVDs or not). The Sony players have much more capable DLNA streamers.