One of Panasonic’s four new Blu-ray players for 2010, the DMP-BD45 is the least expensive. It is an entry level Blu-ray player that has only the basic features and functions. It is a 1.1 profile, so there is no Ethernet port for an Internet connection. Therefore, you cannot access any BD-Live content that can be found on a Blu-ray disc. This is particularly strange given that almost all of its competitors’ new Blu-ray players support BD-Live. Panasonic seems to have made a conscious decision to leave this item out in order to keep the price of the DMP-BD45 down.

The DMP-BD45 has a slim look with a non-glossy black finish. The control panels are located on the front of the player. Just below the drive tray is a drop-down cover that hides the SD card port. Supports 4GB to 32GB SDHD cards and 32GB to 2TB SDXC cards. Here you can access JPEG images or AVCHD data on HD camcorders, or play DivX and MP3 files. All other inputs and outputs are located on the back of the player. It is equipped with Panasonic’s ultra-fast 0.5 second start-up function. While it may not be as fast, it does help speed up the boot process and drive load times.

video quality: Even for a basic entry-level Blu-ray player, the DMP-BD45 still has very good video quality when playing Blu-ray discs. It is capable of Full HD 1080/24p output on a capable HDTV. You can achieve good quality images because it has the same imaging technology, developed by Panasonic Hollywood Labs, found in previous Panasonic players. Like the PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus. This function, which works in conjunction with High Precision 4:4:4, processes each pixel of the Blu-ray Disc video signal in the vertical direction. It produces colors that will be twice as accurate as normal systems and maintains original, sharp colors.

The DMP-BD45 has the new version of P4HD (Pixel Precision Progressive Processing for HD). It processes 15 billion pixels per second and optimizes each pixel for the best reproduction of details and colors. It also detects motion, diagonal processing that removes jitter, and is responsible for upscaling DVDs to levels near HD 1080p.

Audio quality: You can connect the audio from the DMP-BD45 via the following: HDMI, 2.0 analog channels. and digital audio outputs. You can output Dolby® Digital Plus/ Dolby® TrueHD and DTS™-HD Master Audio Essential/ DTS™-HD High Resolution Audio in bitstream form to an A/V receiver. It does not have multi-channel analog outputs, so this would be the only way to get high-resolution sound.

Although the DMP-BD45 doesn’t have many of the extra features you’d find on some of the other Blu-ray players, Panasonic has made an effort to reduce the DMP-BD45’s power consumption. reducing consumption from 19 watts to 14 watts and when in standby power consumption is reduced from 0.6 watts to 0.1 watts. This is a very cool feature that you won’t find on many Blu-ray players.

THE PROFESSIONALS: With the help of features like the PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus and Adaptive High Precision 4:4:4, the Panasonic DMP-BD45 has very good video quality for an entry-level Blu-ray player. It has internal audio decoding for Linear PCM, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, DTS. It also has a fast startup mode and fast load times. Low energy consumption.

THE CONS: No Ethernet port, so this Blu-ray player has 1.1 profile without internet connection. It is not compatible with BD-Live content.

THE FINAL WORD: The Panasonic DMP-BD45 works very well in playing Blu-ray discs. Its video and audio quality is very good for an entry-level Blu-ray player. It lacks an internet connection which may not appeal to some people. However, the low price of the DMP-BD45 Blu-ray player may make up for it. Add to this its low power consumption, the DMP-BD45 can be the perfect starting point for someone to begin experiencing the wonders of high definition. — Price to look for when buying — Under $150.00 —