Group test: Blu-ray players £350-£400 pt2

Overview Price: £350 More info: Panasonic Key features: Profile 2.0 (BD Live); Viera Cast; 720p, 1080i, 1080p upscaling; Dolby True HD, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS HD Master Audio, DTS HD bitstream output and decoding; P4HD; PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus; High Precision 4:4:4 processing; 148.5MHz/12-bit video DAC; Digital Noise Reduction; 1080/24p output; Deep Colour; x.v.Colour; Playback Information Window; High Clarity Sound Sockets: HDMI v1.3 output; Ethernet LAN port; component video output; composite video output; 7.1-channel analogue audio outputs; stereo audio output; optical digital audio output; SD card slot (front); USB slot (front) Playback: BD-ROM, BD-RE, BD-RE DL, BD-R, BD-R DL, DVD, DVD-RAM, DVD-RW/-R, DVD-R DL, DVD+RW/+R, DVD+R DL, CD-R, CD-RW, DivX, MP3, JPEG (HD), AVCHD

Panasonic DMP-BD80
Every Panasonic Blu-ray player we've tested to date has been pretty special, so we were keen to find out how the company could improve them this year. The answer? By offering built-in access to YouTube and Google Picasa through the new Viera Cast feature.

The idea is simple - hook the BD80 up to t'internet using the Ethernet connection on the back, hit the Viera Cast button and a world of bizarre video clips and online photos is laid before your very eyes. The user interface is attractive and intuitive, and when using YouTube you can search for specific clips or browse their recommendations, just like the real Youtube website.

Of course, as Panasonic's current top-end machine (sitting above the £250 DMP-BD60) there are many more strings to its bow. It's the only deck in this test to support BD Live, plus it decodes all of the HD audio formats, upscales DVDs to 1080p, boasts 7.1-channel outputs on the rear panel and features a High Clarity Sound mode that shuts down the video circuits when playing music.

In action the BD80 isn't particularly quick to load a disc, but delivers sensational picture quality thanks to its P4HD picture processing, which makes the image look hypnotically sharp and clean, while the punchy blacks and vivid colours almost pull you into the screen. It's accompanied by a well-orchestrated surround soundstage from the multichannel analogue outputs too.

Overall the DMP-BD80 is a wonderful Blu-ray deck - easy to use, packed with features and capable of delivering top-class pictures.

Overview Price: £350 More info: Pioneer Key features: Profile 1.1 (BonusView); 1080/24p output; Dolby True HD, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS HD Master Audio, Dolby Digital and DTS bitstream output and decoding; 148.5MHz/12-bit video DAC (hi-def); 108MHz/12-bit video DAC (SD); 4 x Wolfson 192kHz/24-bit audio DACs; Home Media Gallery; Precision Quartz Lock System with HDMI; PureCinema Progressive Scan (PAL/NTSC); Video Adjust menu; Super Fine Focus Digital Filter; Noise Reduction; DVD upscaling to 1080p; 36-bit Deep Colour support; KURO Link Sockets: HDMI v1.3 output; component video output; S-video output; composite video output; analogue stereo audio output; optical and coaxial digital audio outputs; 7.1-channel analogue audio outputs; control port Playback: BD-ROM, BD-RE, BD-R, DVD, DVD-RW/-R, DVD-R DL, CD-R, CD-RW, DivX, MP3, WMA, AVCHD, JPEG

Pioneer BDP-51FD
The BDP-51FD marks Pioneer's first attempt to attract Blu-ray buyers on a modest budget. To do this, the company has taken the template laid down by the superb BDP-LX71 deck and stripped out some of the frills - gone are the touch-sensitive buttons, gold-plated terminals and the half aluminium fascia.

But otherwise the only internal difference is the use of a 148.5MHz/12-bit video DAC instead of a 297MHz/12-bit DAC, which means you're essentially getting an LX71 in a cheaper box. Result!

Sadly it also means that the BDP-51FD shares the LX71's Profile 1.1 spec, so if you want BD Live look elsewhere. Otherwise the feature list is sound - it outputs Dolby True HD and DTS HD Master Audio from the 7.1-channel outputs on the rear, while digital media support includes DivX, AVCHD, MP3, WMA and JPEG.

A word of warning - disc loading is slow, so patience is required. But once you're there the picture quality is magnificent. Detail retrieval is second to none, colours look dazzling yet natural and 24Hz motion is fluid. The depth and solidity of the picture is by far the best in the group test - only the Panasonic comes close.

It also delivers a wonderful performance with movie soundtracks, and CD playback is sublime - surely music was never supposed to sound this good on a Blu-ray deck…

So if you're not interested in downloading online extras and simply want top-notch hi-def picture and sound performance this could be the player for you - but the Panasonic edges it on the features front.