Panasonic DMP-BD85K WiFi Enabled Blu-Ray Disc Player (Black)

by Panasonic

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 17 x 2.2 inches ; 5.7 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 7 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B0038KR8WM
• Item model number: DMP-BD85P-K
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (325 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,192 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
  • #56 in Electronics > Televisions & Video > Blu-ray Players & Recorders > Blu-ray Players

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Start watching your favorite high-definition movies almost instantly with the Panasonic DMP-BD85 Blu-ray Disc player, which features an ultra-fast 2-second boot time. You'll also enjoy BD-Live and Panasonic's VIERA Cast functionality for accessing Internet video content thanks to the included Wi-Fi connectivity (via included Wireless LAN adapter) as well as wired Ethernet networking.

It also includes both a USB port and a Secure Digital (SD) memory card slot, making it easy for you to view and share both digital still images and HD video recorded with an HD camcorder in the AVCHD format (DivX movie format also supported). Other features include compatibility with a wide variety of disc formats (including standard DVD movie discs), HDMI Jitter Purifier, 7.1-channel audio decode analog output, Energy Star certification, and Panasonic's VIERA Link function--allowing you to operate multiple audio/video components using a single remote via HDMI.

Additionally, Panasonic's lineup of 2010 BD Players are designed to reduce power consumption and also feature a slimmer, more efficient design to reduce packaging waste.

Key Features

• High-quality image processing via PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus technology for clear and vibrant color reproduction that is faithful to the original film (learn more).
• High-definition audio decoder (Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio Essential) takes advantage of the 7.1 channel surround sound now incorporated in Blu-ray Discs.
• HDMI Jitter Purifier provides clear, robust bass sounds faithful to the original
• Digital Tube Sound Simulator produces the warm, realistic sounds associated with a tube amplifier.
• 7.1 channel analog audio output to produce a true 7.1 surround sound experience that rivals the movie theater.
• VIERA Link utilizes HDMI to enable control all VIERA Link combatable products with one remote.
• SD memory card slot enables you to play your photos and movies taken with digital cameras and camcorders by just sliding in an SD memory card into the SD slot.

What's in the Box
BD Player, remote control (with batteries), Wireless LAN adapter, power cord, operating instructions

VIERA Cast Online Content

Panasonic's VIERA Cast service allows you to stream movies, TV shows and music from a variety of sources without the need of either an external box or a PC. Powered up with Netflix and Amazon Instant Video, you can also access YouTube, Picasa, Bloomberg, and other Internet sites from the special VIERA Cast screen. And as additional sites are added to the 2010 VIERA Cast service, they are added automatically. You'll need to be connected to your home network via Ethernet or Wi-Fi (using the included Wireless LAN adapter).

Specifications

Wireless LAN system: Wi-Fi enabled with included adapter 3:2/2:2 Pull-down progressive processing: Yes Up-conversion to 1080p playback: Yes Video D/A converter: 148.5MHz/12bit Digital noise reduction: 3D-NR/ Integrated NR Deep Color: Yes x.v.Color: Yes Picture mode: Yes (Normal/Soft/Fine/Cinema/User) Picture adjustment: Contrast, Brightness, Sharpness, Color, Gamma Correction Dolby Digital Plus/ Dolby TrueHD: Decode and Bitstream output Audio D/A converter: 192kHz/24bit Dialog enhancer: Yes

Audio/JPEG navigation menu: Yes Playback information window: Yes Dimensions: 16.95 x 2.2 x 9.8 inches Warranty: 1 year parts and labor Input/Output HDMI output Component video output (Y, PB, PR) SD memory card slot USB port Ethernet Analog audio output (7.1-channel) Optical digital audio output Coaxial digital audio output

Disc/Media Compatibility

BD-ROM: BD-Live, BONUSVIEW BD-RE / BD-RE DL: Version3; JPEG BD-R/ BD-R DL: Version2; DivX/DivX HD DVD-ROM: DVD Video disc DVD-RAM: DVD-VR; JPEG; AVCHD

DVD-R/-R DL/-RW: DVD Video; DVD-VR; AVCHD; JPEG; MP3; DivX/DivX HD DVD+R/+R DL/+RW: DVD Video; AVCHD CD: CD audio disc CD-R/-RW: CD audio; MP3; JPEG; DivX/DivX HD SD memory card: AVCHD; MPEG2; JPEG USB: MP3; JPEG; DivX/DivX HD

Learn More

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Experience Movies Like Never Before

The DMP-BD85 employs the PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus. Developed in collaboration with Panasonic Hollywood Laboratory, this high image processing technology reproduces clear, vivid colors that are faithful to the original film.

Panasonic's Blu-ray Disc players employ high precision 4:4:4 signal technology, which working in tandem with PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus processes each pixel of the Blu-ray Disc video signal in the horizontal direction to compliment vertical direction processing. P4HD (Pixel Precision Progressive Processing for HD) is another technology that contributes to the superior picture quality of the Blu-ray players. P4HD processes more than 15 billion pixels per second and applies the optimal processing to every pixel.

Panasonic's Blu-ray Disc players further utilize 16-level motion detection to categorize the image motion of each pixel into one of 16 levels; diagonal processing to detect diagonals and correct the pixels accordingly; 1080p up-conversion to up-convert content recorded in the 480i/p or 720p format to 1080p.

This Blu-ray Disc player also provides 1080/24p output, reproducing cinema images from a Blu-ray Disc and DVD in their original 24p form with no need for conversion--enabling you to enjoy cinema images in the same format used in cinema with a 1080/24p-compatible TV.

Complimenting the HD audio codecs, the BD85 Blu-ray Disc player features 96kHz surround re-master, a function that enhances the sound quality of CDs and other sources, and even improves the quality of the multi-channel audio data on Blu-ray Discs and DVDs.

Product Description

The Panasonic Blu-ray Disc player DMP-BD85K brings you original movie quality. It can play Blu-ray and regular DVDs, CDs as well as JPEG and MP3. But it can also play MP3s and JPEG images. You’ll marvel at the clarity and full-color spectrum of every scene, while Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Digital TrueHD, and DTS-HD Master Audio Essential/High Resolution Audio decoding pulls you into the action.

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

434 of 442 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Picture and Sound, but Ergonomically Challenged, June 3, 2010

By 

Chris Boylan "MrBoylan" (Astoria, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Panasonic DMP-BD85K WiFi Enabled Blu-Ray Disc Player (Black) (Electronics)

There is a lot to like about Panasonic's latest high-end Blu-ray player, the DMP-BD85: excellent video and audio performance, a rich assortment of streaming media options (Netflix, Amazon VOD, YouTube, Pandora Internet Radio and now VUDU via a recent firmware upgrade), and a highly customizable assortment of tweakable parameters for audio and video hobbyists. Also, with built in Wi-Fi via the included USB adapter, it's easier than it used to be to reap the benefits of an internet-enabled player. However, the bland text-based menus and operational idiosyncrasies of the player make it feel a little bit behind the times.

DVD upconversion is very good to excellent, with some enhancements to Panasonic's Uniphier video processor that are only available in the BD85 and in the new Blu-ray 3D players, the DMP-BDT300 and DMP-BDT350. The entry-level BD45 and BD65 players include a slightly lesser quality version of the Uniphier processor, equivalent to Panasonic's 2009 players. Diagonal lines are clean and free from jaggies, 2:3 film cadence is easily detected by the player, preventing the tell-tale moire distortion that can occur on lesser players, and edge detail is smooth and fairly free of aliasing and any combing or tearing artifacts.

Turning to high def Blu-ray Disc playback, advances to the player's chroma (color) upconversion processor enable outstanding color reproduction and color detail from 1080p Blu-ray Disc, superior to Blu-ray playback on some other more expensive players. To be honest, these improvements are only really visible on larger screen sizes (e.g., large screen projection systems) but home theater hobbyists and videophiles will appreciate the exceptional Blu-ray playback quality of the BD85.

Audio quality is also excellent, with some innovative enhancements to the way digital audio is handled that can improve the sound quality, even over HDMI PCM and bitstream connections (specifically the "Jitter Purifier" and "High Clarity Audio" features). By providing more accurate data for the audio clock, the BD85 minimizes jitter that can detract from the sound quality, even when your receiver or preamp does the audio decoding. For those who have older non-HDMI receivers, the BD85's multi-channel analog outputs and on-board decoding for DTS-HD and Dolby TrueHD can provide outstanding lossless audio from Blu-ray Disc (just be prepared to spend some time tweaking the player's speaker settings and your receiver to get the sound dialed in just right).

In our testing, the included 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi adapter worked well. Also with the WiFi adapter is a 3-foot USB extension cable which allows you to place the wireless antenna module outside the audio cabinet where it can get better WiFi reception. We were easily able to stream Netflix in HD using the WiFi adapter one floor away from our 802.11g Linksys wireless router. Access to Netflix, Amazon and YouTube was pretty reliable (though we tested YouTube and Netflix much more heavily than Amazon VOD), and BD-Live features worked well on the player (as long as you give it a couple of minutes to fully connect to the network). Also, for those with the firmware 1.23 applied, as of June, 2010, Pandora is now available in the VIERA Cast screen on this player, and firmware 1.51 (11/2010) brought VUDU to this and other 2010 model year Panasonic players.

But Panasonic made some ergonomic choices here that are a bit questionable. They shortened the remote vs. last year's models by about an inch. And while this does make the basic functions like transport and menu navigation a little easier to operate (at least to my thumbs), the smaller size meant removing the "Set-up" button entirely, and making the frequently used "Display" button much smaller and easy to miss. And although there is a VIERA Cast button the remote, which allows access to all the IPTV streaming goodies, the player lacks an integrated splash screen (as seen on recent LG and Samsung players) which would give you the option to select between disc-based, USB-based on web-based content in an integrated and logical way.

Also, within the "Functions" menu, there is an option called "Network" which actually launches the VIERA Cast screen (why not call it "VIERA Cast" to be consistent?). Perhaps most frustrating to those who watch a lot of foreign films (or non-native English speakers), there is no subtitle button on the remote. Instead subtitle controls are buried deep within the "Display" menu, where you'll also find the nifty 24p mode switch for DVD playback. This is nothing new in the BD85, but it is a questionable choice for a fairly commonly used function.

In the area of loading speed, the BD85 carries on the tradition of earlier Panasonic players being a fairly sluggish disc loader. Sure, there is a "fast boot" option (Quick Start), which can take you from powered off to the basic splash screen and "no disc" message in under 2 seconds. But after that initial boot, you'll still be waiting a while to view your discs - we clocked the disc loading times at about 20 seconds to load a standard DVD, 36 seconds to load a Blu-ray and 39 seconds to load a BD-Java Blu-ray (the first "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie). A BD-Live heavy title ("Inglourious Basterds") can take over two minutes to get to a visible screen, though we did find that using an SDHC card instead of a standard SD card, did speed up this load time significantly, exposing more of the BD-Live content that we did not see when we used the standard 1GB SD card. And that's one more knock - why does Panasonic still require customers to buy and insert an SD card in order to use BD-Live? Why not load the unit with at least 1 GB of on-board memory so that customers are not disappointed to find they need an additional purchase just to use BD-Live?

In terms of disc compatibility and reliable operations, we were only able to find a single disc that was problematic on the player - the first disc in the "Alien Quadrilogy" boxed DVD set. The default Dolby Digital track plays fine but the DTS track on the extended cut of the film emits nothing but silence. Apparently this is an improvement over earlier Panasonic players, some of which were not able to play this disc at all. We also saw the machine shut itself down a couple of times when playing Xvid-encoded AVI files from a connected USB drive. But thanks to some follow-up testing from Panasonic, confirmed by us, this turned out to be media-specific: in other words, if you use a decent quality name brand USB flash drive (instead of the cheap promo USB drive we initially used), the player plays these AVI files fine.

All told, the operational idiosyncrasies of the player are easy enough to get used to, and will be more annoying to hobbyists who like to get into the set-up menus to test various options and settings and perhaps less annoying to the average consumer. It's the performance that matters, and at the moment, this is one of the top performers available for under $300. So if you don't mind a few less-than-sexy menus and operational quirks, then the BD85 will make an excellent choice for a high performance, affordable Blu-ray Disc player.

Our detailed review is available on Big Picture Big Sound (dot com).

146 of 154 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great quality, good features, different than press release, March 1, 2010

By 

K. Kauffman (Herndon, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Panasonic DMP-BD85K WiFi Enabled Blu-Ray Disc Player (Black) (Electronics)

BluRay quality is outstanding. I use HDMI with 1080P/24 active. The 24 is OFF by default. DVD upscaling is very good. AVCHD and DIVX playback is very good. The interface for the networked features is somewhat clunky but usable. NETFLIX, DIVX VOD and Amazon video services work the way they should. YouTube integration works just great. I had previously purchased (and returned) a Sony BDP-N460 because it was unstable, required reboots and YouTube personal playlists were limited to 6 videos per playlist. I'm happy to say that the Panasonic is stable (heavy duty Elmo rotation) and the YouTube playlists are not limited like on the Sony. Wired networking is straight forward. I used a wired drop, so I have not used the wireless connection yet. The one thing I'm disappointed about is that DLNA features are NOT present on this unit and there is no music services included. There is a "coming soon" block on the NET screens, so maybe its coming in the future. I'm very happy with quality of the unit and its output.

88 of 93 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great player got even better -- A new benchmark?, March 12, 2010

By 

A. M. Kini "Arv51" (Columbia, MD) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Panasonic DMP-BD85K WiFi Enabled Blu-Ray Disc Player (Black) (Electronics)

I have had this player for about a week now to get familiar with all of its features and capabilities. The picture quality of BD video is simply stunning, even with my Panasonic 720p projector (which is soon to be upgraded to 1080p). I can only imagine how good the picture will be with 1080p projector! Since all my connections are via HDMI, the sound quality is also outstanding. However, unlike the Oppo and few other bluray players, this one is not SACD and DVD-Audio capable (not a big deal with me). I watched Star Trek twice and this regular DVD seemed to have acquired a new life with the terrific upscaling by this player. Colors and the picture look a lot like in movie theatres, thanks to Panasonic's proprietary video processors developed in collaboration with Hollywood studios. Wi-Fi is not exacly built-in, but with a supplied dongle which is connected to a USB port in the back. USB extention cable is also provided for optimal placement of the dongle and better signal strength. Wi-fi set up was fairly easy, although I wish the instructions in the user's mannual were a bit more clear. Once connected to the internet, currently active services include Netflix, Amazon Video on Demand, You Tube, Picasa, local weather, and Bloomberg stock ticker. Navigating via on-screen menus is a breeze with a decent remote (wish it was back-lit). Movies streamed from Netflix worked flawlessly and the picture quality was surprisingly good! More video and music sites are likely to be added as there is a "Coming Soon" area, which is currently blank. I also don't understand why DLNA feature is not available on this North American model, but is reported to be available on the European model. Hope DLNA will be made available via future firmware updates. Boot times and disc-loading times are pretty quick, on par with non-bluray players. Thus, one of the long standing negatives of bluray players no longer seems to be an issue.
All in all, a great player. Too bad Panasonic was a late-comer to a player with these feature sets (wi-fi, internet video streaming etc.), but I am glad that they did finally. In fact, by adding these features to their previous flagship model BD80, Panasonic has indeed delivered a potential benchmark in this price/feature class. I would have given it five stars, but am giving it only four because of the lack of DLNA and limited number of currently availabile video/audio sites (compared to other manufacturers). If Panasonic addresses these issues with future firmware updates, this is clearly a five-star player. Panasonic, hope you are listening!