High definition PIP

There's also another catch; you can't have audio to the PIP sub-window if you want to stream an HD audio format. You can only listen to the Secondary Audio feed to the PIP Bonus View sub-menu if you select PCM as your audio output format of choice.

This is irritating, as it means cinephile's will end up watching the movie with one menu setting and then have to go back into the player's setup menus to engage the Secondary Audio mode if they want to enjoy a PIP feature!

I tested the two Panasonic BD30s (one American, the other European) with Resident Evil 3 and the US release of Sunshine; the player managed each Profile 1.1 sub-menu without problem.

Panasonic deal with Java

One aspect that separates top-flight BD players from lesser models is their ability to handle BD Java.

The good news is that this model is significantly faster than its predecessor and many other dedicated models on the market. This means shorter disc-loading times and more responsive menu navigation. The BD30 loads the Java-heavy Day After Tomorrow in approx 54 seconds.

Disc compatibility is extensive. The deck spins both BD-RE and BD-R recordable discs, plus RAM (only caddy-less discs), DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/+RW and DL discs, CD/CD-R/CD-RW, DivX-encoded videos and, of course, Blu-ray and DVD, locked to Region's B and 2 respectively.

It would have been nice to have seen DVD-Audio playback included but then you can't have everything.

Given that you'll need to retain a DVD-Audio disc spinner in your rack (or any other Panasonic DVD player/recorder) you can set the remote control code between one of three positions to avoid zapper conflicts.

Play high-definition videos from your camcorder

Backside connections include an HDMI v1.3 output; coaxial and 50Mbps optical digital audio outputs; component, S-video and stereo phonos; and a six-pack of analogue audio outputs for routing high-res surround tracks to a receiver with matching inputs (required if you don't have a receiver with HDMI v1.3 input).

The BD30 even sports an SD card slot able to display high-resolution digital still images, as well as HD video shot in AVCHD format from a high-def camcorder.

An SD card can also be used with so-called Virtual Package-enabled BD discs. This is where a BD copies data to local storage, so that it can stream both the copied data and on-disc data simultaneously.

We've yet to see an application that uses this, but BD30 owners will find it worth investing in an SD card specifically for the player. This is formatted within the deck and should be left in situ (only swap it out when you want to playback digital images or movies).

Although most will rightly focus on the player's HD playback capabilities, this is actually a very capable CD player as well, offering a high level of sonic integrity.

In our Labs we measured just 91.1ps of audio jitter; an audiophile-grade performance when it comes to stability. The player utilises a 192kHz 24bit DAC and sports Panasonic's proprietary Remastering audio algorithm.

Introduced for CD playback, and now tweaked for use with both DVD and Blu-ray, Remastering restores lost high-frequency detail.

The Blu-ray revolution starts here

Overall, the Panasonic DMP-BD30 is an outstanding piece of HD equipment.

In the past, I've withheld Best Buy recommendations to first-gen Blu-ray hardware because it was clear those machines were heading for early retirement. This player is much more like the real deal. Its audio-visual performance is as huge as its dimensions are slim.

Visually, there's nothing to beat it at present and to finally get a Profile 1.1 machine out in the UK is a major relief.

The only question mark hanging over the player is whether to buy now, or wait for the updated Panasonic BD50 (or similar), which adds Ethernet and online interactivity.

For what it's worth, none of the BD Live applications shown to date are particularly compelling, so you may not feel inclined to wait. The real Blu-ray revolution begins here.