Review: Panasonic DMP BD85K Blu Ray Player

23 Responses to “Review: Panasonic DMP BD85K Blu Ray Player”

1. Anonymous says:

   May 9, 2010 at 8:26 pm

   Excellent DVD player and network streaming
   Agree with all the positive reviews, plus some.

   Set-up was a breeze – no hassles with firmware upgrade, network settings, Netflix connection, Picassa, You Tube etc.

   Worked great with both wired and wireless conenctions (using my old Linksys G router).

   DVD quality and sound are both excellent.

   GD Star Rating
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2. Anonymous says:

   May 7, 2010 at 10:13 pm

   Panasonic DMP-BD85K
   I paid more for the Panasonic BluRay player as I have been very impressed with my Panasonic Plasma TV and was very disappointed in my past DVD players (Samsung problem: It takes several pushes of buttons on the remote to get the player to recognize the command even standing 3 feet away. Toshiba problem: Movies would freeze and skip ahead) These were not problems with the Panasonic BD85K. This BluRay player has an excellent picture, very crisp and smooth. It was not very difficult to get the WiFi connected to my wireless router either. We have watched several instant BluRay movies off Netflix and several from disk. For both kinds of movies the player will hesitate about 2 second and need to catch up on buffer. (message comes on the screen saying “reading”) It isn’t a big deal as it only occurs about once during a movie. I dismissed it as networking bandwidth overload for the instant movie, but was very surprised when it occurred when playing a BluRay disk. This is a VERY minor issue. On the positive side, the BD85K starts up instantly and both types of movies load in about 10 second which is very fast considering they usually take several minutes. This was so much faster than I expected that the pause of 2 to 5 seconds once during the show is pretty much a wash. The one thing I am somewhat disappointed about is the sound. We have to turn the volume up quite a bit to get the volume to normal listening. Our TV is usually on 28 volume and we hike it up to around 40 to get the same volume. I also recommend getting the BD85K if you think you may use WiFi. The USB dongle is at cheapest $80 if you buy it separate. The price difference between the BD65K and BD85K was only $46 at the time I bought it ($165 vs $211), so having the USB dongle come with the BD85K saved money.

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3. rkc73 says:

   May 7, 2010 at 12:40 am

   Quality Blu-Ray Player
   If I could have rated it 4.5 stars I would have. Recently purchased the Panasonic and have been very pleased. It is set up in a family room attached to a Sony sound bar and Samsung DLP. I am using a PS3 in my main home theater, but wanted a more basic player with wifi for the wife to work easily. The picture is excellent and the Wi-Fi set up was pretty easy. Signal connection is strong to my wireless G network…the route is directly beneath the TV in a basement so the signal probably travels about 12 feet. Can’t comment a great deal on the sound quality since it is hooked up to a soundbar, but the 7.1 analog outs gives it great hook up flexibility that can’t be found on some of the similar models.

   Netflix with built in wi-fi (OK…it uses a dongle, but not a big deal hooked in the back where you can’t see it) and the price were two of the main reasons I chose the Panasonic. The other was to play back AVCHD Lite video files from my Panasonic digital camera. I can play directly off the SDHC card or save the files to DVD and play. I believe Panasonic and Sony are the only two brands to offer the playback of AVCHD files (maybe OPPO…not sure on that).

   The only things keeping it from a five star review are the Viera Cast interface and the somewhat confusing, outdated looking menu system. The Viera Cast setup is ok, but is a little slow. Also, would be nice if Pandora was ready to go out of the box. Apparently that is going to be a firmware addition later. The Netflix interface is pretty basic and you can’t do any searching through Netflix on the interface.

   Otherwise, very happy with purchase. Recommended unit.

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4. Anonymous says:

   May 6, 2010 at 9:02 am

   Great player, great deal
   picture quality is fantastic, wi-fi works excellent for netflix. It’s just superb, great price from 6th Ave. Electronics.
   
   love it, thanks, Jim

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5. Anonymous says:

   May 4, 2010 at 7:54 am

   Great Player! Loaded with Options
   I don’t really have much more to add to the other review praises, but I just talked to Panasonic 15 minutes ago, and they said that Pandora is to be released in a firmware update this summer. I’ll take the chance.. I also asked,
   
   DMP-BD85K versus vs DMP-BD85 the only thing the K denotes is the color of the unit. Some better deals can be found searching without the K. I paid $218 for mine delivered 2nd day air.

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6. diablo_984 says:

   May 2, 2010 at 5:18 pm

   Panasonic LIES
   After a great deal of research I bought this Panasonic unit (BD85K) with great expectations, I even called Panasonic directly to confirm it would connect to Pandora, they ensured me it would… Wrong! after receiving it and hooking it up it did get Nexflix and a bunch of useless internet apps. I called Panasonic and was told I received wrong information and Pandora would not be available until MAYBE June or July. They are not to be trusted, the unit is going back to Amazon and I’ll try another manufacturer. Do not trust Panasonic, they will tell you anything to make a sale.

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7. diannerq says:

   April 26, 2010 at 1:39 am

   Great internet-ready Blu-Ray player
   I was so happy to receive my new Blu-Ray internet-ready player. It has added a lot of variety to my entertainment at home. I can now watch YouTube videos, stream Netflix and Amazon movies and TV shows from my couch.

   Great price and fast excellent service. Arrived as advertised.

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8. phxdaniel says:

   April 25, 2010 at 7:06 pm

   Super Clear !!!!!!!!!!!
   Just watched Avatar last night.
   
   Picture quality is very excellent.
   
   Flawless no color washout. Pristine
   
   picture.And of course the Audio is
   
   A+. And I am referring to the High
   
   Clarity Audio;Running through a
   
   high end ONKYO receiver.
   
   Features are great also. A definite
   
   step up from the DMP-BD80
   
   Awesome Panasonic !!!!!!!!!!

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9. Anonymous says:

   April 24, 2010 at 4:36 am

   New Panasonic Blu Ray
   This Panasonic has the best overall feature set including easy hook up Wireless, Netfilix without the discs and a front loading SD card slot. This feature ties a lot of devices together and is great for showing all your digital camera pictures in HD.Just take the SD card out of the Camera and slide it in the slot..Amazingly,it also plays your HD camcorder videos, again by simply taking the SDHC card directly from the camera to the Blu Ray Player.No wires,no making DVDs on some computer, no adapter hassle, just beautiful home HD movies instantly. I have a Canon VIXIA HF10,so there are no brand compatibility issues. Every AVCHD file plays quickly in full HD.I have been waiting for Panasonic to release a Blu Ray player with Net Flix and Amazon movie downloading to match the feature set of their competitiors. THe DMP 85 has this and more through the Viera Cast button. The difference with the DMP 85 and 65 is the wireless networking. The DMP 85 found the network on the second try and hooked up to my Cisco wireless “N” network without any problems. I was able to view Netflix Movies after visiting the Netflix site and entering a code number that popped up on the instruction screen. Since I am a current Netflix by mail subscriber, Movies were available immediately after I entered them in my seperate “Download” que on line. Video quality was excellent and exceeded my expectations for wireless video transmission. I did not try the Amazon rentals or the other features yet. The Blu Ray picture quality on my 65″ was excellent, and passed the torture tests from problem discs with flying colors. Importantly,it actually loaded fast enough to not irritate me as my previous Blu Ray players always did.
   
   I strongly reccomend this player for both it’s picture quality , quick loading time, and wireless downloading capabilities. Also if you own a Digital Camera that uses SD/SDHC cards, you will never go back to looking at your pictures on a computer after you see them in full HD on your big Screen.If you are even considering buying a HD camcorder that uses SDHC cards, this unit future proofs you. Just putting the card in the front of this unit and seeing your broadcast quality home HD movies appear on your big screen without a single connection will really make you smile. This player finally provides some of the long delayed promises of the digital future where everything actually works without endless wires and adapters.

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10. jbaglien says:

    April 23, 2010 at 3:36 pm

    Solid improvement over predecessor Panasonic BD players
    I bought this unit to replace a Panasonic BD-35 that is part of a fairly elaborate home theater, with projection system and audiophile sound.

    PROS:
    
    Much faster loading
    
    Significantly better upscaling of DVDs
    
    Incrementally better audio
    
    Solid broadband connectivity

    CONS:
    
    The wireless broadband connection needs 4 or 5 bar signal strength to access network functions. My initial router location (3 bar signal) allowed me to connect to the Internet and download a firmware update, but not to access video streaming content. After moving the router into the same room as the player, everything worked flawlessly.

    The amazing thing about this unit is that despite major improvements, it sells for 2/3 the price of the BD-35 I purchased 20 months ago!

    GD Star Rating
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11. bill35773 says:

    April 23, 2010 at 8:53 am

    Great Blu-ray Player
    What a great player. After entering the SSID and encryption key the wireless hooked right up the my network. No problems at all. the wireless is done through an external thingamajig that attaches to the USB port. It has a cable so you can put it outside of your component cabinet for better reception. That is a nice touch I thought.

    The player does indeed remember the SSID and key. There is a review that said it didn’t so they must have fixed it in the firmware. Speaking of firmware, after I got it hooked to the network, the player told me that there was a firmware update available if I wanted to update it. How neat is that? Gone are the days when you had to live with the little firmware glitches that plague may electronic components.

    Streaming HD movies from netflix is way cool too!

    This player will play anything, CD, MP3, DVD, Blu-ray, …, the list goes on and on.

    GD Star Rating
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12. Anonymous says:

    April 22, 2010 at 6:53 pm

    DMP-BD85K
    Love this equipment – the netflix wifi connection is the best. Now I can watch netflix rather than having to hook up my laptop to the tv..

    love this system – no complaint so far. Enjoying every minute of it.
    

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13. kbiermann@innoveda.com says:

    April 22, 2010 at 5:02 am

    Very Nice Blu-Ray Player
    I knew the picture quality would be an improvement over DVD and it is but what really stands out with this player is the sound. I am using the 7.1 analog out and the sound is fantastic.

    Internet connection was quick and easy. I have only sampled streaming movies from Netflix but so far they have been smooth with only one small interuption (~5 seconds). I am using Wirelessl-G so I assume it would only be better with Wireless-N.

    Would have given it 5 stars if it had DNLA support. I would also like to see more on-board memory but this is easily worked around with external storage.

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14. peter1280 says:

    April 19, 2010 at 7:53 pm

    love Netflix downloading
    Got this player in just a few days Hooked it up wireless in moments and was downloading movies and TV from Netflix.
    
    I’ve watched a lot more movies downloading then by playing blurays or DVD’s Movies stream to this uninterupted via my dsl

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15. boambs2 says:

    April 18, 2010 at 4:44 pm

    Excellent High End Player
    I recently purchased the LG BD550 Blu-Ray Disc Player and returned it due to disc compatibility issues and a lackluster set of audio output options. Once I set up this new Panasonic player, I was pleasantly surprised to see an improvement in picture quality. I was reluctant to pay the higher price for this unit, but the bump in capabilities are well worth the extra money. The streaming content on this player also work very well (tested out Netflix, Amazon VOD, etc.) and seemed to show a slight improvement in video quality as well. I’m not sure if the more vibrant and realistic colors and increased detail are due to the superior processor on this player, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that better players do in fact produce better picture quality. I also own a Samsung BD-P1500 and 2550 and have used all of these players on the same tv with the same picture settings in place. The picture quality is noticeably better on the Panasonic, though of course it’s not as drastic as the difference between DVD and blu-ray.

    In addition to the picture quality, I was able to attain much more impressive sound with the analog audio outputs transmitting lossless audio to my old non-hdmi home theater receiver. Taking advantage of the Panasonic’s 7.1 channel analog outputs (only using 5.1, but it works just fine), the lossless audio can be decoded in the player and sent to the home theater receiver. The only reason I took off a star from the sound quality is because there was a significant audio lag with my setup which consists of an HDMI connection between the TV and blu-ray player for video, and the aforementioned analog outs between the player and the AV receiver for sound. The lag was fixed with an adjustment in the menu that allows for an audio lag compensation to sync it up with the video. It took more than a few attempts to find the proper millisecond setting, which was a bit tedious, but this should only have to be done once. I’m not sure if this was an intrinsic fault of the player, and I’m sure that other players use a similar fix for the problem. I just took off a star since it wasn’t completely flawless.

    As far as features and the interface are concerned, everything works pretty well. There have been no Netflix streaming playback issues or disc incompatibilities like those that plagued the Samsung and LG players respectively. I haven’t used the wireless functionality, so I can’t speak to that. Overall this player has not disappointed, but just be warned that all of the features and fiddling with the settings and connections require a bit of experience and patience in order to get the most out of this player. The interface could be a bit more streamlined and user-friendly, but it’s perfect for people who enjoy tinkering and tweaking things to perfection rather than those looking for a simpler plug and play product.

    GD Star Rating
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16. Anonymous says:

    April 17, 2010 at 1:47 pm

    A decent player…for ME, at least
    I spent a lot of time looking for a blu-ray player. I REALLY wanted something that would record, too, but those are either unavailable or outrageously expensive. I looked at the Consumer Reports reviews and decided that the Panasonic they listed was the one I wanted. It turned out that their review is somewhat dated, and this unit seemed to be the “replacement”, so I bought it.

    Installation was a breeze (but blu-ray manufacturers really OUGHT to include a 4-foot HDMI cable), set-up was easy, and wireless hookup went smoothly (as did the subsequent firmware update).

    A few notes:

    1. Firmware update takes a while, so be patient.

    2. The picture with blu-ray discs is everything you’d expect it to be with 1080p resolution, but the up-conversion using regular DVDs is pretty spectacular, too.

    3. “Price vs. quality” only gets three stars because I suspect that one could get an equally good picture with a less expensive unit (and one that doesn’t need a dongle for wireless hookup), but brand quality is a consideration, and the advertised “quick” initialize for playing is a good thing (though their definition of “quick” seems to be somewhat different from mine). All in all, it’s a good unit but may be a little expensive for what you get. That said, it’s commonly available at prices substantially lower than retail.

    4. Sound gets all the stars because there’s no reason it should be less than wonderful with all this digital technology. The more important consideration is whether your existing audio system is up to the task.

    In short, a fine unit. If you want it, don’t be afraid to buy it.

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17. Anonymous says:

    April 17, 2010 at 8:23 am

    Everything I asked for !!
    I’ve had this player for the past 4 weeks and have given it a pretty good workout. I would have to say that it delivers everything that I was looking for in a WiFi enabled BlueRay player: BlueRay disc capability, WiFi connectivity and effortless connection to Netflix. A lot of reviewers of other players complain about the long lag time for the player to startup when a disc is inserted. This player has a feature that can be turned on or off that makes loading almost instant. It works very well and loads the disc very quickly.

    I was surprised to see that the WiFi connection was a USB dongle and not built in, but never-the-less, it works great and did not get in the way of the installation on the shelf unit. From the time that I pulled the player out of the box until I was enjoying that rich, eye-popping BlueRay picture was about 10 minutes, and that was with the setup of the internet connection. The connections were well laid out and the diagrams in the manual were helpful. As soon as I got an internet connection, the player automatically downloaded an update for the firmware – all easy and behind the scenes.

    The BlueRay picture quality is excellent. DVD picture quality is somewhat better than the Philips player I had, but nothing very special – average. The sound setup is easy and the surround is excellent on both BlueRay and DVD. (I could not get sound to the Sharp Aquos TV through the HDMI cable regardless how I enabled it at both the TV and the player – still working on that one.)

    Netflix works great. The picture quality and the sound capability are excellent. I have not tried too many other features. I am very happy with the overall performance of the player and would highly recommend it.

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18. Anonymous says:

    April 16, 2010 at 5:51 pm

    Great Blu Ray Player for Price Point!
    This is my second Blu Ray player, I upgraded from a Samsung P-1500 model and I am very please with my purchase. Picture quality is better, especially with 24p setting enabled. No audio problems, no video problems to speak of yet and it was a very easy set up. Connecting to the internet at first was a hassle using the WiFi if you have a protected WiFi network. Before starting the connection, check you settings for protection strength and type other wise it will be a long trail and error. Once it was connected to the internet, it was very easy to navigate the online content such as NetFlix of YouTube. NetFlix took literally 45 seconds to set up, if anyone has an X-Box 360 and has NetFlix, same exact process. There is no WiFi built in adapter, it comes with an adapter that plugs into the rear USB port of the player. Updating firmware was very simple and quick… no complicated steps or anything.

    As far as picture quality, I could not be more happy. Very crisp, clear, and bright picture. I have compared this Blu Ray player to my old Samsung P-1500 and our downstairs player, the Samsung P-1600 and out of the 3, this player has the best picture, and audio quality of the 3.

    I like the remote, compact and has everything clearly laid out, but I use a Logitech Harmony 900 universal remote.

    Whether this be you first Blu Ray player purchase, or upgrade from another one I would highly recommended this player to anyone.

    GD Star Rating
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19. Anonymous says:

    April 15, 2010 at 4:21 am

    Beware if you own a Westinghouse TV
    IF YOU ARE GOING TO USE THIS BLUE RAY PLAYER WITH A WESTINGHOUSE BRAND TV… DO NOT BUY!

    These two brands apparently have compatibility issues.

    I hooked this blue ray up yesterday and the first thing I got was no video through HDMI and an error code of U73. So, I figure it’s a firmware issue. I hook up component cables and set up everything I can and download the new firmware. This did nothing to help.
    
    So, I decide to get a little enjoyment out of it and try to watch Netflix through the component cables. The picture was distorted like I was watching a pay channel I didn’t pay for.
    
    I then go online to see what Panasonic can do for me, they tell me that the 2 HDMI cables I hooked up to it must be defective or my TV, that uses HDMI fine on other devices, must be defective. So, now I look up error U73 in multiple forums, and low and behold almost every post about this error includes a reference to Westinghouse TV’s.

    ONCE AGAIN, DO NOT BUY THIS PLAYER IF YOU PLAN TO USE IT WITH A WESTINGHOUSE TV.

    Unfortunately I had to give the player 1 star because of this one issue. I never really got to use it and never will. If you do not own a Westinghouse TV then please disregard this review.

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20. Anonymous says:

    April 8, 2010 at 5:06 pm

    Small solid wireless Blu-Ray player
    I was waiting for Panasonic to come out with a player that connects to Netflix and for a first attempt, this is great. I’ve used PS3 and Xbox 360’s Netflix features and this one is just as good or better than both. Set-up was a breeze. I had 10 minutes and I got it out of the box, connected to my tv, wireless hooked up, and watching YouTube before dinner. It took my wife and I a while to actual put a disc in. There are areas in Viera Cast where it reads coming soon, so maybe some of the additional features will be available with a firmware update. I got it for movies, so it doesn’t bother me.

    The player is as small as most regular DVD players. It starts up really fast. It’s always a little different depending on the amount of loading a BD has to do. Most are as fast as DVDs. I have yet to lose a place on a disc I’m watching. No matter how much network content I watch and how many times I turn the unit off and on, it still keeps your place. I have a Sylvania player and a PS3 and if there’s any Java content, both these units fail at this seemingly simple task. All this and the Panasonic looks and sounds amazing.

    I have one very small annoyance. When you watch YouTube and click the chapter forward button, it doesn’t skip to the next clip. You have to click one of the arrows in the circle to get a menu to pop-up with the skip back and ahead options. It’s very nit-picky.

    I bought it through Amazon for $[...]. Even if it’s a little more, it sure beats the full $[...] + tax you’ll pay at Best Buy. It still confuses me on why people do that. Also, buy cables (HDMI, optical, etc) at [...]. Great quality without the absurd mark-up.

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21. Anonymous says:

    April 8, 2010 at 6:54 am

    Panasonic Bluray
    Solid Blu-ray ,stylish looks. Extemely easy to setup & connect to the internet.
    
    Currently use Netflix and works great. Remote a little hard to use if you are searching on Youtube, but overall Nice product.

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22. Anonymous says:

    April 8, 2010 at 6:32 am

    Great buy
    I just picked this product up from a store, but I know alot of people read reviews on here before they buy it here or anywhere else.

    I love the player, works great, upscaling of DVD’s is pretty good, makes DVD movies look nearly HD, but obviously there are limitations on what any BluRay player can do, you’re trying to push a 480p to 1080p. But it does a great job, the movies look great and can play burned/ripped DVD’s just fine.

    I noticed the 24fps was turned off by default. This MINIMALLY affects the quality, but you can easily turn it on, and the quality goes up slightly. It is in full HD though, so it’s not really a big deal even with it turned off.

    Online content, netflix, and youtube, stocks, and weather. No pandora, kind of a bummer.

    Overall I would definitely recommend buying this product.

    GD Star Rating
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23. Anonymous says:

    April 7, 2010 at 10:18 pm

    Excellent DVD/Bluray AV quality
    Enough said about pros (all 5 stars on Picture/Sound quality from me) so I’m only listing the cons here:
    
    . No DLNA support – this was expected by I’m really looking forward to (possible) firmware update that support this feature.
    
    . DIVX files are not playable on USB drives though the Owner Manual stated otherwise (I had to burn them to a DVD to play them).
    
    . Viera Cast is somewhat sluggish still even with the latest firmware installed (V1.14, IIRC).

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With the DMP-BD45 from Panasonic, the Full HD 1080p video for which Blu-ray Disc is know is only the beginning. On the audio side of things, Dolby TrueHD, dts-HD Master Audio, and advanced Panasonic technologies serve up studio-quality multi-channel surround sound to your home audio system. Further, while HDMI output offers optimal single-cable, HD system connectivity, support for formats ranging from AVCHD to MP3 to JPEG allows for optimal versatility

• Superior Video and Audio Performance
• Wi-Fi enabled with super sensitive antenna
• Ultra-fast 0.5 second startup
• More compact Design
• More efficient energy consumption

Dimensions

• Height: 2.19''
• Length: 9.81''
• Width: 17''
• Weight: 5.7 lbs