The Panasonic DMP-BD75 ($120) is a relatively basic component Blu-ray player . It supports output resolutions up to 1080p, and offers wired (but not wireless) access to Netflix, CinemaNow, Napster, and Vudu, but lacks support for Hulu Plus, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pandora, and other common...

Unsurprisingly, 3D will continue to dominate home cinema in 2011, with a flood of 3D TVs and Blu-ray products hitting the market as the year unfolds. Indeed, Panasonic's new range of Blu-ray players includes four 3D-ready models, such as its flagship DMP-BDT310 .

The Panasonic DMP-BD75 is a basic, entry-level Blu-ray player. This model isn't 3D compatible, but it can still be hooked up to a network or to the web for access to BD-Live content and DLNA connections.

Low power use; Clear; user-friendly menu; Accurate image quality

More effort could have been made with the design; Build and finish could be better

We have no complaints about the Panasonic DMP-BD75's performance, but we think it's too expensive compared to the competition. The excellent Sony S370 , for example, can now be found for around £120, and has BBC iPlayer, Demand 5 and LoveFilm streaming built-in.

Compact; Good picture quality; Excellent media-playback capabilities

Too expensive; No online portal

Panasonic recently unveiled its 2011 product line-up at Excel in London and among the hordes of brand spanking new home cinema products on show were three 3D-ready Blu-ray players – the DMP-BDT310, DMP-BDT210, DMP-BDT110 – and two 2D players, the DMP-BDT111 and DMP-BD75.

Cracking picture quality; Excellent new operating system; DLNA networking on an entry-level deck

No built-in BD Live memory; Light on features and connections; No AAC; WMA; WMV support

Once again, the early adopters have benefited us all. Proof, if any were needed, is here, in the shape of Panasonic 's new DMP-BD75 Blu-ray player. True, it's not compatible with 3D content, and it has only a minimum of connectivity.

Televisions, home theatre systems and Blu-ray players these days are usually crammed full with the latest whiz-bang technology - if you buy a player from one of the half-dozen ‘big brands', it'll likely have the ability to decode 3D video, connect to the Internet, stream video on demand, Skype your...

Cheap; Fast operation

No Web features

When it works, it produces great video both on DVD and Blu-Ray. The firmware issues, freezing, and very, very, very slow Network features (Netflix especially) make this a terror to use. I was expecting, at the very least, a functioning product even for an entry level blu-ray player from Panasonic.

Compact

Did not meet expectations; Difficult to use; Poor quality

I was looking for my first Blu Ray player and this guy came across my bow at a very good price--not much more than an upscaling DVD player. Its a flimsy little metal box, but in the month Ive had it, its performed very nicely indeed. Given a good DVD source, it upscales beautifully and sharply.

The entry-level range for Blu-ray players, which would be under the10 grand mark, wasn't even around three years ago. Today, thanks to the reduction of Blu-ray components across the globe, manufacturers can safely lower their price and offer a buyer a range in this entry-level segment.