Panasonic DMPBDT350 Single-disc 3D Blu-ray Disc player

3D-ready . . . need we say more?

If you've been to the movies at all in the past few months, there's a good chance you've caught a 3D movie or two. And if you've seen a 3D movie, chances are you're sold &mdash you thought Full HD was pretty good, but the vividness and realism of 3D are beyond compare. Accordingly, you've done everything necessary to equip your home theater to deliver the new, the revolutionary, the incredible . . . 3D experience. That means you've got the new 3D HDTV, the high-speed HDMI v1.4 cables, and now the DMP-BDT350 3D Blu-ray player from Panasonic. Combining advanced video-processing capabilities with new, high-bandwidth HDMI v1.4 output, this single-disc player is fully capable of filling your living room not only with the Full HD video and studio-quality surround sound for which Blu-ray Disc is known, but also with cutting-edge, immersive 3D viewing. No need to say more: 3D speaks for itself.

VIERA Cast goes wireless

Try this on for size: your home theater should be an oasis, a media oasis . . . a Grand Central Station for your home audio and video experience. Now, while you never tire of the Full HD audio and lossless surround sound served up by the Blu-ray Disc format, it is somewhat irksome to have to abandon your spot on the couch and head to the home office whenever you want to hop online. Whether you want to catch flick on Netflix, update your Twitter account, or nap while your custom Pandora internet radio station plays, you'd really rather do so from the luxuriant comfort of your living room. It's a natural response. Now, while other Blu-ray Disc players only play Blu-ray movies (the nerve!), and probably DVDs and CDs, too, the DMP-BDT350 from Panasonic does something different. Very different. Presenting VIERA Cast technology. Using either the DMP-BDT350's ethernet port or its built-in Wi-Fi connection, VIERA Cast lets you tap into your pre-existing internet connection. From there, the possibilities are astounding. Stream movies or TV shows from Netflix (with separate subscription). Keep everyone up to date with real-time tweets on Twitter. Listen to an online radio station customized to your tastes with Pandora. Watch the latest craze on YouTube. You can even stream video from Amazon Video on Demand. Whether you use a wired or wireless internet connection, VIERA Cast takes your home theater experience to the web.

Wait! There's more online with BD-Live

Don't worry — when it comes to the DMP-BDT350's internet capabilities, Blu-ray movies can play along, too. The magic, in this case, is thanks to a little something known as BD-Live. With the DMP-BDT350 connected to your home's internet service — via ethernet or Wi-Fi — and an SD card or USB device plugged into the Blu-ray player for data storage, BD-Live functionality gives you the ability to explore tons of online bonus features related to your favorite Blu-ray movies. The list is impressive: Watch deleted scenes, shorts, and trailers. Participate in online gaming. Chat with other BD-Live users using audio and video messaging. Additionally, DLNA certification allows for fast, reliable multimedia networking with other DLNA components. Discover a new dimension of the Blu-ray experience with BD-Live.

The new color of home theater: Blu

Okay, so Blu-ray discs look just like DVDs . . . so how much different can they be, really? Let's just say a trampoline and a mackerel have more in common. While DVD technology uses a wide red laser to encode and read data onto a disc, Blu-ray Disc technology uses a much finer, blue-violet laser. And because the Blu-ray laser is so much narrower than the DVD laser, it is able to encode significantly more information into the same space as a DVD. How much more information? Try five times more! As a result, Blu-ray discs can store both Full HD 1080p and 7.1 channels of lossless, studio-quality surround sound on the same disc. And, on top of that, there's still room for plenty of bonus features like deleted scenes and director commentary. (DVDs, on the other hand, scarcely have room enough for standard-definition video and 5.1 channels of compressed audio.) And not simply content to bring you Full HD video and studio-quality audio, the folks at Panasonic have outfitted the DMP-BDT350 with an impressive repertoire of video-reproduction technologies. First, a PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus serves up color data with twice the accuracy of conventional systems for sharp, vibrant color. Second, Adaptive High Precision 4:4:4 processing reproduces color signals in the horizontal direction with greater resolution, ensuring high-fidelity color purity. Third, P4HD processing delivers precision pixel processing for optimized HD viewing. The best that Blu-ray can be: the DMP-BDT350 from Panasonic.

Exceptional HD audio

When discussing the Blu-ray Disc format, it's easy to be distracted by the splendor of Full HD 1080p video. But that's only half of the true Blu-ray experience. Naturally, the other half is audio . . . and here Blu-ray continues to shine. Unlike DVDs which only offer 5.1 channels of compressed surround sound (i.e. audio that has had high and low frequencies removed to make the data more compact), Blu-ray Disc delivers full 7.1-channel lossless, or uncompressed, surround sound. In other words, the soundtrack you hear on a Blu-ray movie is faithful to the master audio recorded in the studio . . . it's the soundtrack that the director intended for you to hear. And as we're talking about the DMP-BDT350 here, it should come as no surprise that this BD player takes extra measures to ensure that your Blu-ray audio experience is exceptional. First, on-board Dolby TrueHD and dts-HD Master Audio decoding technologies fully unleash the 7.1-channel surround sound audio track. Second, the DMP-BBDT350 offers an HDMI Jitter Purifier, reducing error in HDMI audio-signal transfer, and guaranteeing high-fidelity transmission of Blu-ray audio. Third, a Digital Tube Sound Simulator revives technology used in classic vacuum tube amplifiers to reproduce full, warm, dynamic sound. Finally, if you're using an older receiver without digital-audio input, the DMP-BDT350 offers 7.1-channel analog audio output for versatile system integration. With the DMP-BDT350 from Panasonic, Full HD isn't just for video.

Beyond BD

Some people call them "specialized" or "dedicated", but these days, home theater components that only do one thing are limited, and aren't that useful. As you go about building a complete home theater system, you want A/V components that can fulfill multiple roles, keeping costs low and minimizing clutter in your living room. Accordingly, Panasonic has designed the DMP-BDT350 to do more than play Blu-ray movies. Of course, this BD player also plays a variety of DVD and CD formats, allowing you to continue enjoying your old movies and albums. But that's just the beginning. Ensuring that you can share digital HD home-video footage with friends and family, the DMP-BDT350 supports AVCHD video recorded onto DVD discs or an SD memory card. Further, giving you access to video downloaded from online sources, the DMP-BDT350 also supports DivX and DivX HD-formatted video recorded onto BD-R, DVD, and CD discs or onto a USB thumbdrive. Finally, this Panasonic Blu-ray player even lets you listen to MP3 audio or view JPEG photos stored on DVD, CD, or USB.

Up, up, and away!

Speaking of the DMP-BDT350's ability to play video from sources other than Blu-ray Disc . . . it doesn't just play DVD, AVCHD, and DivX video as is, it does so with style. You see, this BD player is equipped with video-upconversion technology. In short, the DMP-BDT350 is capable of enhancing standard-definition video sources to near-HD, 1080p-equivalent levels when connected to your video display via HDMI. You probably should go dig all your DVDs out of the trash before garbage day . . . they're about to look better than ever.

Keepin' connected

Earlier, we mentioned that any A/V device worthy of the modern home theater needs a healthy dose of versatility on its spec sheet. With Blu-ray Disc players, this principle applies as much to supported audio and video formats as it does to A/V connectivity options. And just as the DMP-BDT350 delivers when it comes to versatile playback options, it outdoes the competition with its repertoire of connections. First and foremost is the HDMI output. Offering Full HD audio and video signal transmission along a single cable, the HDMI output is the most advanced home theater interface. And thanks to the DMP-BDT350's dual HDMI outputs, you can configure a dedicated HDMI audio connection for ehanced signal-transmission fidelity. Second, as already mentioned, 7.1-channel analog audio output ensures compatibility with older, non-digital receivers. Third, for all-digital home theater, the DMP-BDT350 sports optical and coaxial digital audio output. Fourth, component- and composite-video output allow for connectivity to non-HD display devices. Finally, the built-in SD card slot and dual USB ports offer fast, universal access to digital photos, MP3 audio, and AVCHD or DivX video. Oh, and of course, the ethernet port and built-in Wi-Fi connection dial you into the internet for advanced VIERA Cast and BD-Live viewing.

Your HD lifeline

High Definition Multimedia Interface, or HDMI, is the only home A/V connection that allows for both Full HD 1080p video and 7.1-channel studio-quality audio to be passes along a single cable. In other words, in order to take full advantage of your home theater's high definition potential, you need to HDMI cabling to link HD-capable components. It's only natural that you might have questions regarding how best to outfit your personal HD system. Vann's sales representatives are here to explain all of your options. Call the 800 number at the top of this page for expert advice.