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Boasting 4K upscaling, 2D-3D conversion, an extra USB slot and many more apps than the cheaper DMP-BDT260, the DMP-BDT360 is a worthy step-up deck.
We liked
Viera Connect, while not the best smart TV platform ever produced, is a welcome addition to the DMP-BDT360's arsenal. With a couple of USB slots, throughly decent 2D-3D conversion, a reasonably polished smart apps platform and effective 4K upscaling, both versatility and picture quality across the board is highly impressive.
That covers digital files, too; it can spin great-looking MKV, AVI, AVC HD (after a few seconds loading), MPEG, MP4, and most MOV files. In fact, absolutely anything in hi-def is upscaled with skill to fit an Ultra HD 4K telly, if you have one. Music is via MP3, M4A, WMA and lossless FLAC and WAV files.
We disliked
The speed of the user interface isn't great – there is some lag – and some apps can take a while to load. Digital file playback is generally good, though we're sad that the DMP-BDT360 can't play AIFF, OGG or APE music files or any of our selection of uncompressed MOV and compressed MP4 files containing native 4K video.
If we were being really picky, we'd say that the upscaling to 4K quality in 24 frames per second can only be considered future-proof in the short-term. Panasonic is set to launch 4K TVs that handle 60fps, so if you're concerned about that then head for the brand's high-end DMP-BDT700 Blu-ray deck. Probably the biggest issue the DMP-BDT360 has in the UK is its lacks of popular streaming video and catch-up apps like Amazon Instant, 4OD and ITV Player.
Final verdict
The DMP-BDT360 is a classic mid-range option that will suit owners of 3D TVs as well as those after some specific apps and Wi-Fi. A simple to control and impressive machine, the DMP-BDT360 is the cheapest Panasonic deck to offer 2D-3D conversion – which works well – and 4K upscaling, which also delivers impressive results. There's an excellent treatment of digital files, too. The poor remote and a basic selection of apps are the downsides, but overall this future-proof deck is impressive and good value.
