Review: Panasonic DMP-BD80 Blu-ray player with 7.1 analog out

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Review: Panasonic DMP-BD80 Blu-ray player with 7.1 analog out »

Published Apr 13, 2009 Dean Winkelspect looks at the latest Blu-ray player from Panasonic. The DMP-BD80 with 7.1 analog out.

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wolvinator

Apr 16, 2009 - CDT 9:40 AM

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I have a 6.1 surround sound system and the DMP-BD60 sounds beautiful on it thru optical.

The Panasonic website says the model 60 has 1 digital optical while the model 80 has 1 optical 1 coaxial and 7.1 analog.

[Post edited by wolvinator on Apr 16, 2009 - CDT 9:46 AM]

Rammer47

Apr 16, 2009 - CDT 9:42 AM

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I believe the new Panasonic players internally decode up to 7.1 channels of lossless sound, but if your older receiver doesn't have HDMi inputs, you will have to transmit the decoded sound to it via analogue cables. Digital or optical connections will only carry lossy audio signals, so you'll only get regular Dolby Digital or DTS through them, not Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio.

John

Thank you for the answer John. Now I need to do some research as to the differences between lossless and lossy audio quality to determine if the $100 + difference in price between the units is worth the added expense.
If anyone has any web pages that delve into this it would be appreciated.
Ramsey

wolvinator

Apr 16, 2009 - CDT 9:48 AM

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You guys have some real sensitive ears if you can tell the difference between optical 6.1/7.1 and true hdmi 6.1/7.1.

Henning

Apr 16, 2009 - CDT 10:41 AM

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Well, if you have a good set of speakers and well setup home theater room you can surly hear a difference. A more full and dynamic sound.

John J. Puccio

Apr 16, 2009 - CDT 12:44 PM

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Usually, I don't like WB's having both Dolby Digital and TrueHD choices announced on their Blu-ray disc menus (with Paramount and others they don't put both formats on the menu because if one's system can't play the lossless TrueHD, the system will automatically switch to the lossy, accompanying Dolby Digital). However, the Warners Blu-rays do make it easy to make comparisons between TrueHD and regular Dolby Digital by simply bringing up the menu screen and switching between them for almost instant comparisons.

In no instance have I ever liked a Dolby Digital track better than TrueHD (any more than I have ever liked standard-definition picture quality over a high-def picture). The TrueHD almost always sounds smoother to me, sometimes wider, sometimes deeper, sometimes more dimensional, and often more dynamic, with tauter bass.

Is it worth the extra $100? Damned right!

John

StevePro

Apr 16, 2009 - CDT 1:19 PM

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Quote:
You guys have some real sensitive ears if you can tell the difference between optical 6.1/7.1 and true hdmi 6.1/7.1.

Sure you can. Even with my aged Denon mixing tracks down to Dolby Digital, I can tell the difference between the optical from my HD-A35 and the 6ch analogue from the same machine. (I have it wired for both). The analogue is definitely much cleaner then the optical. The bd is wired only through analogue, so I can't say there, but I'm sure a comparison between optical and hdmi will be even more pronounced, although I'll probably never hook up the optical when I get the new receiver.

rlm

Jun 9, 2009 - CDT 8:25 PM

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Hello, I've pulled the trigger on the DMP-BD80 based on this and other reviews. It looked like the perfect solution for my HDMI 1.1 TV and Marantz receiver (no HDMI, no DTS).

Perhaps some kind individual can tell me if this following is the expected and correct behavior of the BD80 - I have no 2 channel analog audio when I'm using the HDMI for video only, and also no optical or digital coaxial output. Yes, I've set all the settings and tried multiple cables and different hookups - it is the player that switches the audio (confirmed by pulling & reattaching the HDMI cable while analog/optical/digital coax is attached).

Just doesn't seem right to me - can anyone confirm this "feature"?
Many thanks in advance.

bladerunner1

Jun 9, 2009 - CDT 11:22 PM

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Quote:
It looked like the perfect solution for my HDMI 1.1 TV and Marantz receiver (no HDMI, no DTS).

I assume that you are hooking the player directly to the monitor via HDMI for PICTURE, and then running digital bitstream from the player to your marantz for SOUND???

rlm

Jun 10, 2009 - CDT 8:58 AM

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Sorry, more details: PCM conversion ON (no bitstream for the Marantz & TV), HDMI audio OFF, high clarity audio OFF, both 5.1 analog & 2 channel downmix tried, also optical and coaxial digital output. Spent more than an 90 minutes with Panasonic tech support on this the unit is now at Panasonic Digital Repair where they disagree with tech support and tell me this is how this unit works. I had also confirmed this using a new Panasonic plasma TV (HDMI 1.3a, but hooked up the RCA jacks for analog audio in and HDMI audio turned off on the player) - HDMI connected (no audio), unplug HDMI (audio yes, no video, of course). Seems that the HDMI audio off setting isn't working.

WIth HDMI sound turned off and PCM conversion on, shouldn't you get audio output available on all the analog/optical/coax outputs like every other player I"ve tried? I haven't seen anything online (reviews, forums) to suggest that is not case with the BD80.

BTW, HDMI video does look sharper on the big TV compared to using component video (where all applicable audio output options seem to work correctly) with this unit, even at 1080i , which is why I'm attempting to pursue this.

bladerunner1

Jun 10, 2009 - CDT 10:17 PM

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Quote:
Sorry, more details: PCM conversion ON (no bitstream for the Marantz & TV), HDMI audio OFF, high clarity audio OFF, both 5.1 analog & 2 channel downmix tried, also optical and coaxial digital output. Spent more than an 90 minutes with Panasonic tech support on this the unit is now at Panasonic Digital Repair where they disagree with tech support and tell me this is how this unit works. I had also confirmed this using a new Panasonic plasma TV (HDMI 1.3a, but hooked up the RCA jacks for analog audio in and HDMI audio turned off on the player) - HDMI connected (no audio), unplug HDMI (audio yes, no video, of course). Seems that the HDMI audio off setting isn't working.

WIth HDMI sound turned off and PCM conversion on, shouldn't you get audio output available on all the analog/optical/coax outputs like every other player I"ve tried? I haven't seen anything online (reviews, forums) to suggest that is not case with the BD80.

HDMI cables have an unacceptable failure rate. You should be able to plug the player directly into the monitor and get sound through the monitor's speakers regardless...

The Marantz has seen its day. Time to give it to dad.