I think I speak for all hardcore home cinema fans in saying that this is the dedicated Blu-ray player the world has been waiting for.

Created to deliver the highest possible quality video and audio standards, as well as finally unlocking the forbidden pleasures of BD Live (whatever the heck they might be) via an Ethernet port and local storage, Panasonic's DMP-BD50 appears to offer it all.

Superior functionality

We've already seen Panasonic's precursor to this deck in the shape of the award-winning DMP-BD30.

That was a Profile 1.1 player which sold out shortly after its introduction (purely because when stock was ordered from Panasonic's Japanese factory, the disc world was still embroiled in a format war and demand was expected to be subdued).

This is ostensibly the same player with some superior functionality that brings it bang up to date. But the extra features come at a cost, and while Panasonic has been prepping the BD50 for launch, Sony has been stealthily upgrading its PlayStation 3.

A programme of regular firmware updates saw it beat the BD50 to the Profile 2.0 post. So has Panasonic's thunder been stolen? Actually, no.

Advanced technology

While its BD Live functionality will probably help garner the deck headlines, there's more to this player than a talent to go online.

It features state-of-the-art silicon capable of advanced audio-visual signal processing. Picture-wise,
it outputs up to 1080p24 from Blu-ray and boasts the same processing power that made the BD30 HCC's favourite player.

Lurking within Panasonic's reference UniPhier chipset is the P4HD pixel processor for detail retrieval, as well as a PHL (Panasonic Hollywood Laboratories) Chroma Processor that up-samples colour data to max out the nuances in the BD format.

Superior audio

However, while the chipset is the same as that on the BD30, the software is different. Consequently, the player does not give exactly the same performance as its predecessor.

And, unlike Panasonic's BD30, the BD50 now offers in-built decoders for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. Where the BD30 could bitstream the high-definition audio formats to a HDMI v1.3-capable amplifier, the BD50's internal decoders will also allow owners of amps without HD audio decoding or HDMI inputs to reap the benefits.

However, you will almost certainly get better bass management if you use the bitstream.

Extensive connectivity

The DMP-BD50 is a sleek-looking machine, hiding its bulk in a slim but deep unit. A drop-down front flap conceals the disc tray and buttons.

At the back you'll find the Ethernet port that makes BD Live content accessible for the first time, along with the Viera Link-capable HDMI output.

For those with older AVRs lacking HDMI inputs, six phono analogue outputs are provided. These can be hooked up with the analogue inputs previously supplied on older AVRs for use with SACD and DVD Audio players.

Note that 7.1 soundtracks are down-mixed to 5.1 channels. Those that want to enjoy 7.1 mixes will need to invest in an HDMI-enabled receiver.

User friendly

Despite the sophistication of the player, setup is straightforward.

Panasonic is generally rather good at GUIs and the friendly-looking remote control simplifies the process, too. Just take the time to work out whether you need to squeeze the HD audio soundtracks out as Bitstream or PCM.

Annoyingly though, like the BD30, the new player still has its disc opening and power buttons in the wrong place. I guarantee that you'll turn the deck off when you mean to eject the disc, on a regular basis.

Sluggish with Java

When it comes to handling discs with heavy Java content, the BD50 is relatively sprightly, although not as fast as a PS3. Sometimes working through disc menus feels like running through treacle.