Panasonic DMP-BDT220 Review

[jsmithe]

Rightly said but I want to be absolutely sure if I want to go firmware route. I have a DVD that plays my xvid files. The newer ones will be mkv so upcoming ones will be taken care of.

If you do not need to play region-coded BD's, DVD's on the DMP-BDT220 then don't bother with the enhanced firmware unless you want PUO, UOP removed and a few other audio, video features to be made available by the enhanced firmware.

Plus I heard every firmware release is paid and im not sure what benefits are made available in every update.

Yes, updates for enhanced firmware cost additional. However, you only update the firmware if you need to, (i.e.) Panasonic releases a new firmware for the DMP-BDT220 that contains some features you need and therefore you update with the Panasonic firmware blowing away your enhanced firmware OR your player updates automatically from Panasonic due to your BDP settings and your enhanced firmware is now overwritten. In these cases you will need to get the corresponding enhanced firmware version once again so that your region free BD, DVD playback continues to be available.

Keep in mind that Panasonic have released the DMP-BDT320 which is the successor to the DMP-BDT220 and are rather unlikely to keep releasing updates for the older model unless the stupid studios come up with some new mad DRM scheme on a new BD which then requires a firmware update for the BD to play.

 

[just4kix]

Rightly said but I want to be absolutely sure if I want to go firmware route. I have a DVD that plays my xvid files. The newer ones will be mkv so upcoming ones will be taken care of.

Plus I heard every firmware release is paid and im not sure what benefits are made available in every update.

Official firmware updates from Panasonic are free. Only the region-free firmware from the respective website can be made available after a donation to the website.

Firmware updates are required from time to time because Java implementation is still an evolving platform. New BDs that implement latest Java code may not work on players with old firmware.

A note on region-free firmware and official Panasonic firmware: If you update/overwrite the region-free firmware with the official firmware, the region free capability and unlocked enhancements will be lost. So once you are region-free, stay with region-free upgrades only.

 

[goodsound]

Last S'day I got the BDT220 here in Mumbai (with 2 DVD Free). But due to some unfortunate sad problem at home, I was not able to enjoy or check the BDP properly. Just to forget the bad incident, I tried to play some old movies (which are normal CD/DVD bought here in India). But every time I got massage that the format not compatible. Even the free DVDs are also not playing. Not sure why. Those CD/DVDs were fine in my old sony BDP. Any solution?

One more problem I found that when I'm switching off the player, it is not switching to the AV for TV transmission. How to do it?

 

[jsmithe]

Last S'day I got the BDT220 here in Mumbai (with 2 DVD Free). But due to some unfortunate sad problem at home, I was not able to enjoy or check the BDP properly. Just to forget the bad incident, I tried to play some old movies (which are normal CD/DVD bought here in India). But every time I got massage that the format not compatible. Even the free DVDs are also not playing. Not sure why. Those CD/DVDs were fine in my old sony BDP. Any solution?

Is the BDP a US import or is it the Indian version of the BDP? If the DVD's are PAL and/or region coded and the BDP is the US version then the DVD's will not play. You will have to get the enhanced firmware update if this is the case.

One more problem I found that when I'm switching off the player, it is not switching to the AV for TV transmission. How to do it?

Turn off Viera Link and try, see my post #351 on this thread.

 

[goodsound]

Is the BDP a US import or is it the Indian version of the BDP? If the DVD's are PAL and/or region coded and the BDP is the US version then the DVD's will not play. You will have to get the enhanced firmware update if this is the case.

I bought it here in mumbai and few CD/DVD are working few not.

 

[jsmithe]

I bought it here in mumbai and few CD/DVD are working few not.

Look at the rear of the BDP and see if there are one or two letters following DMP-BDT220. In the attached picture it is EB from the model number DMP-BDT220EB. What does it say on your BDP? If you don't find this on the rear panel, look on the cardboard box where the UPC barcode and Serial No. are printed.

Also look at the rear panel of the BDP or on the cardboad box for information about what the region code should be. In the attached image, the DVD region code and BD region code are highlighted with a red square. What does it say on your BDP?

 

[just4kix]

For India, the complete product code is Panasonic DMP-BDT220GW

 

[just4kix]

Wishlist: What would have made this BDP a killer is provision of 2nd HDMI out.

 

[goodsound]

Look at the rear of the BDP and see if there are one or two letters following DMP-BDT220. In the attached picture it is EB from the model number DMP-BDT220EB. What does it say on your BDP? If you don't find this on the rear panel, look on the cardboard box where the UPC barcode and Serial No. are printed.

Also look at the rear panel of the BDP or on the cardboad box for information about what the region code should be. In the attached image, the DVD region code and BD region code are highlighted with a red square. What does it say on your BDP?

In the Box it is written DMP-BDT220GW (I'll check the back of BDP). But the thing is that some VCD/DVD are playing and some are not:sad:. And all the VCD/DVD I bought here in India only. That means if the BDP is not meant for India, then none of the VCD/DVD should have worked, isn't it? Then why some?

 

[soamz]

So on the firmware website, we write DMP-BDT220GW ?

 

[saketb]

So on the firmware website, we write DMP-BDT220GW ?

Yes, its correct... for the Indian version.

But for the US one its DMP-BDT220P

 

[just4kix]

So on the firmware website, we write DMP-BDT220GW ?

Ho! Don't jump the gun. Check exactly what is the correct model number for your BDP. As stated above, the model number is written on box, back plate of BDP, manual, etc. Make any mistake on the firmware site and your registration will be deleted without notice or reason.

 

[jsmithe]

And all the VCD/DVD I bought here in India only. That means if the BDP is not meant for India, then none of the VCD/DVD should have worked, isn't it? Then why some?

IIRC an FM indicated that VCD's will not play on this BDP. I think it's somewhere on this thread.

Second, check that the region code on your DVD's match the DVD region code on the back of the BDP. Even if it does, it's no guarantee that the region code on the DVD is correct. Many DVD's released in India by our media distribution houses contain inaccurate information such as wrong region code, wrong format (PAL/NTSC) etc. It does happen that foreign releases also sometimes have inaccurate information, but the incidence is less.

That means if the BDP is not meant for India, then none of the VCD/DVD should have worked, isn't it? Then why some?

Not exactly true, I too have a DVD that will not play on this BDP but played fine on a cheap and cheerful Phillips. On the other hand some FM's indicate the DMP-BDT220 played all their DVD's without a problem.

 

[just4kix]

IIRC an FM indicated that VCD's will not play on this BDP. I think it's somewhere on this thread.

Second, check that the region code on your DVD's match the DVD region code on the back of the BDP. Even if it does, it's no guarantee that the region code on the DVD is correct. Many DVD's released in India by our media distribution houses contain inaccurate information such as wrong region code, wrong format (PAL/NTSC) etc. It does happen that foreign releases also sometimes have inaccurate information, but the incidence is less.


Not exactly true, I too have a DVD that will not play on this BDP but played fine on a cheap and cheerful Phillips. On the other hand some FM's indicate the DMP-BDT220 played all their DVD's without a problem.

I think I wrote it clearly in my post # 21 that this BDP does not play VCDs. It is also not able to play Kodak Photo CDs directly (and I do have quite a few of them). But one can navigate to the Photo CD folder where photos are located and it can display them.

Also, don't expect it play vinyl records. :lol: hyeah:

 

[narenkum]

Is there different setting for the different inputs that we try to play in this player?

For e.g when I use the DLNA client to play the MKV file it does not play at all, but the same file plays if I copy and play it through the USB(But without the subtitles and the subtitle option stays "Off" - not able to change it).

similarly a vob file is not played via usb, but played through the DLNA client?

Also how does the upscaling feature works and what setting needs to be done?

I have purchased it from the US and yet to apply the region free firmware.

 

[just4kix]

Is there different setting for the different inputs that we try to play in this player?

For e.g when I use the DLNA client to play the MKV file it does not play at all, but the same file plays if I copy and play it through the USB(But without the subtitles and the subtitle option stays "Off" - not able to change it).

similarly a vob file is not played via usb, but played through the DLNA client?

Also how does the upscaling feature works and what setting needs to be done?

I have purchased it from the US and yet to apply the region free firmware.

It all depends upon the codecs installed and the DLNA implementation. I faced problems streaming .mkv via DLNA. The same file played well when HDD was directly connected. When I renamed the .mkv to .avi, the DLNA streaming worked.

For upscaling, no particular setting is required. The upscaling is done by default over HDMI.

 

[goodsound]

I think I wrote it clearly in my post # 21 that this BDP does not play VCDs. It is also not able to play Kodak Photo CDs directly (and I do have quite a few of them). But one can navigate to the Photo CD folder where photos are located and it can display them.

Also, don't expect it play vinyl records. :lol: hyeah:

There are many old movies which are available in VCD but not in DVD. What to do with them:sad: copy in pen drive and play? I think it is a big drawback of BDT-220. Then I'll have to keep my old sony player also!

Y'd I checked the firmware 1.21 in my player. Need to update it. But I don't have wifi router now. How exactly should I connect the net with it? The wire from modem is connected to the laptop. Then how to connect the BDP with laptop/modem. The modem is password protected, so I need the laptop to control the connection. Am I right in my assumption or something else can be done?

 

[Vishu_fbd]

Look at the rear of the BDP and see if there are one or two letters following DMP-BDT220. In the attached picture it is EB from the model number DMP-BDT220EB. What does it say on your BDP? If you don't find this on the rear panel, look on the cardboard box where the UPC barcode and Serial No. are printed.

Also look at the rear panel of the BDP or on the cardboad box for information about what the region code should be. In the attached image, the DVD region code and BD region code are highlighted with a red square. What does it say on your BDP?

The section where EB is mentioned is covered by a sticker for BD player I recently got from US. I am not looking for regionfree update else would have taken off the sticker to see if it contained the complete model info.

May be Panasonic is making some updates on this front if they are hiding the number with sticker or may have removed it completely. Not sure! :indifferent14:

 

[just4kix]

There are many old movies which are available in VCD but not in DVD. What to do with them:sad: copy in pen drive and play? I think it is a big drawback of BDT-220. Then I'll have to keep my old sony player also!

I understand your predicament. What I say now may sound harsh and bitter but please know that I sympathize with you.

• VCD is a dead format - available only in India and the streets of China/HK, and some limited countries. The world has given up on it.
• Today is the age of HD. Even DVDs are on their way out.
• VCD was never released as an official format in many regions such as North America, Europe, Japan, ANZ, etc.
• VCD with a resolution of "NTSC: 352x240" and "PAL/SECAM: 352x288" is very poor in quality. Can one imagine zooming a 352x288 frame to 1920x1080? The result would be disastrous.
• There may be few regional contents that are not available on DVD but otherwise nearly everything is available on DVD.

Y'd I checked the firmware 1.21 in my player. Need to update it. But I don't have wifi router now. How exactly should I connect the net with it? The wire from modem is connected to the laptop. Then how to connect the BDP with laptop/modem. The modem is password protected, so I need the laptop to control the connection. Am I right in my assumption or something else can be done?

You can download the firmware from Panasonic.co.jp (you will have to search) on your laptop and burn the .FRM file to a CD-R in the root directory. Pop the CD-R into the BDP and the BDP will recognize it as a firmware and update itself. Note that firmware update is not necessarily required. 99.99% of the stuff will still work.

 

[goodsound]

[*]VCD is a dead format Then I've to copy all my old VCDs to my external HD:sad:- available only in India and the streets of China/HK, and some limited countries. The world has given up on it.
[*]Today is the age of HD. Even DVDs are on their way out. Thats good.
[*]VCD was never released as an official format in many regions such as North America, Europe, Japan, ANZ, etc.The problem is that here in India: which is not required are done and which are required, not done :lol:
[*]There may be few regional contents that are not available on DVD but otherwise nearly everything is available on DVD. Is there any procedure to convert VCD to DVD?