Well, these are the latest players from Panasonic and they have similar cutting-edge technology features, but Panasonic DMP-BD85 is the step-up version of the BD-80. They come in the same slick black design, but what other features do they share?
Both players are leading in picture quality and audio effects with Panasonic’s innovative specifications. They both have PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus for improved color reproduction and picture output making your videos and movies appear vibrant and detailed. Also, the BD80 and BD85 have High Precision 4:4:4 that allow you to watch your 1080i documentaries into 1080p resolution. They give you wonderful picture coupled with superior audio quality.
Since one of these two players is a successor of other model, their audio features are almost alike. Clear sound is delivered to you by the decoders. The Dolby TrueHD, Dolby DTS and Dolby Digital Plus formats can be decoded by the player for maximum audio performance of your Blu-ray discs. For softening audio when your children are already asleep is possible with the Night Surround mode that both players have.
The Viera Cast feature has persuaded people to buy one of these models because of the capability to get Web contents and downloads. The BD80 requires an SD card so that you can save your downloads, while the BD85 has an internal memory of 1 Gigabyte for such purposes. The Viera Cast is indeed a great feature, but it also entails that you have to connect your player to the internet.
For the BD80, there is an Ethernet port for your LAN cord, and this is also present in the BD85. However, the big difference between the two when it comes to connectivity to the Internet, the BD85 can go wireless. With the USB adapter, you can get your signals without wires.
It will be up to you which one you would rather have and which of the two Panasonic models fit right into your budget. Why not cough up a few bucks more and enjoy wireless freedom with the Panasonic DMP-BD85? Or choose the younger brother, the Panasonic DMP-BD65. Let’s be honest – BD80 is already a yesterday.