I have had a weekend to play with the 310, and was very impressed with picture and sound quality. For the record, this is my first Blu-ray player, and I think it was worth the wait. With this player, BD's load as quickly as DVD's do on my Denon DVD-1920.
It is nearly identical to the 210, except it has a second HDMI output so you can bring HD audio into your non-3D-ready receiver. If your receiver has HDMI spec 1.4 (or if you don't care about 3D), then go with the 210.
The setup process was simple with the exception of the trial and error process of getting the right audio signal to my receiver. First, make sure that you send the 'main' HDMI to the TV and the 'sub' HDMI to your receiver. In order to get full resolution, surround sound audio out of the second HDMI output you will need to disable the second video signal. Which means no video going to your receiver. This is less than ideal since I will rarely be watching 3D content and would have preferred to route video through the AVR most of the time for simplicity. I guess they set it up this way to save a few pennies per unit but it stinks.
I have watched a couple of movies so far, and was truly blown away by the sound. I don't want to neglect the picture quality here, but honestly while the picture was quite clear and detailed, it didn't impact me quite as hard as the jump in sound quality did. I probably fall into the audiophile category, and have invested a lot in my surround sound system. The clarity of the dialog, and the raw impact of the effects and soundtrack are truly outstanding.
Some Blu-ray discs (including the two I have watched) include DTS-HD Master audio tracks. To compare, the audio on DVD's tops out at 448kbps* (data transfer rate) and standard Dolby Digital on Blu-rays is about 40% better at 640kbps. But DTS-HD Master streams at 25Mbps (25,000kbps). That is 50 times as much detail in the audio signal! Check for the DTS-HD Master logo on the back when you buy or rent BD's.
To enjoy the DTS-HD Master audio stream, you will need a receiver that can decode the digital stream. Since the new panasonic blu-ray players don't have 5.1 analog outputs, you will have to use the HDMI cable to send the digital signal to your receiver for processing.
I will probably do a bit more tweaking with the settings, and as I learn more I will update my review. I will play around with 3D soon, as my glasses should arrive tomorrow. I also do not have Netflix at this point but plan to add it in the future.
All and all, I couldn't be happier that I chose this player as my first dive into Blu-ray. It isn't as big a jump as VHS to DVD was, but if you want to take full advantage of your flat screen HDTV or surround sound setup then I highly recommend taking the plunge.
*Source: wikipedia "Comparison of high definition optical disc formats"
*Here is a tidbit from the Netflix blog "Currently, our top HD streams are about 4800 kilobits per second" (kbps). If you are picky about your picture or sound, keep in mind that this is about half the fidelity as a standard DVD. I'm not a netflix hater, and I'll join for the unmatched convenience but this is one reason I haven't joined yet. Low-fi is fine for sitcoms and cartoons but for movies and shows like Lost and Heroes, quality trumps convenience in my living room.
***UPDATE***
Still loving this player. It is quick to start up, and resumes playback on discs that don't have blu-ray live content (such as Advertisements on the menu screens......yuck!)
I have also joined Netflix and tried out a couple of streams. One was a Thomas the Train movie for the kiddo. The SD picture was okay, but motion was very jumpy (really bad with moving trains!). We are currently watching Heroes S4 in Blu-ray. The other night we finished a disc and wanted to watch another episode so I streamed it in Netflix HD with 5.1 Dolby Digital. The picture was quite good, though obviously not as crisp as the 1080p from the Blu-ray. Same was true with the audio...The dialog wasn't quite as clear and we had to turn it up a bit louder to catch everything that was said. Missed out on some of the "thereness" experience of Blu-Ray discs, but still quite good. Keep in mind this is coming from a certified audiophile, my wife didn't notice the difference (but asked me to turn it up and rewind so she could hear the dialog).
This player continues to impress me with its features. On my son's 'movie night' we pulled up youtube, watched some trailers of 4 or 5 kids movies, and let him choose which one he wanted to watch. Jumped straight over to netflix (dedicated button on remote, but you have to be on the home screen (?) for it to work) and had the movie running by the time the popcorn was finished popping! Very nice!! Still highly recommended
***UPDATE***
Update on the 'resume' feature of Blu-Rays. Since discs with online content won't automatically resume, Some studio (ABC?) has come up with a nice feature (I forget what it's called!). The only disc I have seen this on is Lost season 5. It allows you to set up a viewer profile (takes 5 seconds), and when you get to the main menu there is an option to continue where you left off. I haven't tried it with multiple profiles, but that is a nice feature for if the wife and I were watching it separately. Another nice feature is when you finish a disc and put the next one in right away, it will skip all the legal stuff/menus and jump straight into the next episode! Nice!! Too bad this isn't standard!?! Panasonic DMP-BDT310 Integrated-Wi-Fi 3D Blu-ray DVD Player
Using this blu-ray player with a non-3D HDTV and a Sony receiver that doesn't handle 3D signal passthrough but does playback HD sound, I was a bit concerned about the 2nd HDMI connection for legacy receivers like mine. No worries, I just used the HDMI main out to the receiver's HDMI input, then the receiver's HDMI output to the HDTV. Worked fine, but to get HD audio, I had to switch the audio to PCM, not bitstream. The reason I bring this up is because the instructions ignore those who don't have a 3D HDTV. But this works fine without 3D.
"Easy Setup" involved location of my wireless network and a few other minor settings. Easy setup was truly easy. I went directly to the setting to upgrade the firmware. Updating the firmware (highly recommended) which took about 10 minutes total, is essential for proper function. I cannot emphasize this enough.
Pressed the red Netflix button on the remote, and it took me to the main VieraCast screen. It does this only the first time, since you have to agree to some terms and log into your Netflix account. Easy to do, no issues (firmware 1.6.3 needed for smooth operation). On my 802.11n wireless network, HD Netflix movies played back okay, except for a few black flashes. Can't imagine that being my network. Also tried Pandora and it worked flawlessly. Weather was quite nice, as was several other apps. Nice collection, and VieraCast menu is easy to customize. Didn't try Skype. Gotta buy Panasonic's cam? Forget it.
Blu-ray 2D was gorgeous and disc boot up was faster than Playstation 3. Believe it. That is, if you enable the quick start feature, which makes the player use a bit more electricity. HD audio was supreme, but had to adjust the audio setting to PCM output from the Panasonic. My first test disc was Billy Joel Live in Shea (2011 release). Haven't tried a DVD yet, but I anticipate the usual.
I don't have 3D anything, but wanted a new blu-ray player to reduce use of my Playstation 3 and its noisy fan. This Panasonic is quiet, quick, tiny, and works with old and new. If this 3D thing does become mainstream, at least I am future proofed with this player. Highly recommended. - Wifi - Panasonic - Amazon'
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