Panasonic DMP-BDT330 Pro Reviews

We're not convinced that there are better options if you want to introduce smart stuff to your living room, but this Panasonic Blu-ray player is nevertheless a great all-digital option. It's the easiest to use of any Blu-ray deck we've tested, and though it lacks some apps in among a rather old-fashioned GUI, it's also the fastest working. We've got no complaints about Blu-ray playback, either in 2D or 3D, while DVDs and online video are skilfully upscaled. However, since there are no analogue outputs we wonder who the Panasonic DMP-BDT330's key feature - Ultra HD/4K upscaling - is really aimed at.

Whilst the DMP-BDT330 appears quite similar to last year's model, it uses a disc drawer rather than a slot, which frankly we prefer. The build quality was reasonable but didn't feel quite as solid as last year and it was definitely noisier during playback. Panasonic has also dropped a surprising number of features and whilst we're glad to see the back of the touch pad remote, the loss of a remote app was unexpected. The rear connections have also undergone a purge with only an optical digital output and Ethernet port, although Panasonic have added a second HDMI output which is good to see. The menu system is identical to last year, making the BDT-330 easy to setup and navigate and the player also includes built-in WiFi. As is usually the case with Blu-ray players, they use the previous year's internet platform - which in the case of Panasonic's VIERA Connect offers a reasonable set of features and file support but pales when compared to some of the competition.