Panasonic SC-BT330 review

This 5.1 BD system is good-looking, but lacks grunt

Panasonic SC-BT330
The SC-BT330 is neat and tidy but it wont make your room shake

TechRadar Verdict

Pros

  • +

    Top-notch BD player

  • +

    Easy to use

  • +

    Multimedia capabilities

Cons

  • -

    Doesn't like to be driven hard

  • -

    Low-grade speaker wire and terminals

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Styled in gloss black, this Panasonic's unremarkable main unit could easily pass for a bog standard Blu-ray deck. But the SC-BT330 brings a number of multimedia experiences to the party, including VieraCast 'net video, DLNA networking, SD card playback and a built-in iPod/iPhone dock.

Throw in a 5.1 speaker system with 7.1 virtual surround, the latest HDMI with audio return channel and the option to upgrade to Wi-Fi rear speakers and Wi-Fi networking and you have a system with more cutting-edge features than a chain saw factory.

The speaker array comprises a pair of skinny tallboys, a side-firing sub, a diminutive centre and pair of bookshelf rears. All very tidy and unimposing. Equally tidy is the recessed iPod dock, lurking under a flap on the top of the unit.

Hooking up the speakers using the colour-coded bell-wire is a doddle, whilst the only other cables required are HDMI, Ethernet and possibly digital optical connections for a digibox, etc. Installation is made easy by an auto speaker setup mic and a Smart setup wizard.

There are also plenty of tweaks in the menus, such as manually setting the 1080p24 BD output. The remote control seems sensibly laid out and labelled once you get used to the fact that the curious Start button is the gateway to all non-disc menus.

Blu-ray brilliance

Paired with a Panasonic G20 plasma, the BT330's deck does a dazzling job. The use of 4:4:4 signal technology delivers beautifully detailed and realistically coloured Blu-ray images whilst standard definition DVDs come up a real treat.

Of the BT330's multimedia tools I found the VieraCast internet video service limited but efficient. USB playback of JPEGs and MP3s is pretty decent, if clunky to navigate, whilst iPod videos can only be viewed via composite video, which is diabolical.

Sound quality doesn't match the giddy heights of the picture but isn't bad for a 'lifestyle' system. The best results are achieved with hi-res audio; Fantastic Four's DTS-HD Master Audio mix featured clear dialogue, properly imaged individual FX and explosions are truly enveloping, as the sub dovetails properly.

There are plenty of other formats to play with, including Dolby Pro-Logic II music and movies, which are fine with, say, a movie on TV but low-res audio sources really show up the limitations of the lifestyle speakers. If you like your sound loud then this isn't the system for you.

Overall this is the marriage of an excellent BD deck to a fairly decent audio system.

Follow TechRadar Reviews on Twitter: http://twitter.com/techradarreview

TOPICS
Latest in Blu-ray
The movie Punch-Drunk Love playing a TV, with a logo saying Blu-ray Bounty
3 new 4K Blu-rays to add to your collection from February 2025
4K Blu-ray action movies splayed out on a kitchen counter
Movie sales – including 4K Blu-ray – fell again last year, but if you're going streaming only, you're massively missing out
The Wild Robot on Panasonic MZ1500 screen with Blu-ray Bounty logo in bottom right
3 new 4K Blu-rays to add to your collection in January 2025
4K Blu-ray action movies splayed out on a kitchen counter
I love 4K Blu-ray and although 2024 was a rollercoaster year to be a fan, I'm hopeful for 2025
Godzilla (1954) image of buildings on OLED TV
4 new 4K Blu-ray discs to add to your collection in December 2024
blu-ray disc in player drive
Bad news, Blu-ray fans: LG just discontinued its entire range of 4K Blu-ray players and I’m really worried
Latest in Reviews
Zorin OS 17 main image
I tried the latest version of Zorin OS - here's what I thought of this Linux distro
WatchGuard Firebox T45-CW main image
I tried the WatchGuard Firebox - here's what I thought of this 5G appliance
Ubuntu Desktop 23.10 main image
I tested the latest Ubuntu Desktop release - read what I thought of this popular Linux distro
Rocky Linux 9.3 main image
I tried the latest version of Rocky Linux - read how it compares to other distros
WWE 2K25
I've spent days in the ring with WWE 2K25, and it's like a five-star match ruined by the Million Dollar Man
Reskube Home Pro main image
I tried the Reskube Home Pro - see what I thought of this connectivity device for SMBs