Panasonic's DMP-BD55 Blu-ray player gets reviewed

For you slugabeds who missed out on seeing the DMP-BD55 get priced and dated, it's probably a bit backwards to start at the review first. Nevertheless, those mildly interested in making this their next standalone BD deck should certainly give CNET's review a glance. Put simply, this unit was deemed "a perfect example [of a solid Profile 2.0 player], hitting almost all the essential features we look for and pairing it up with pristine image quality." That being said, critics still couldn't wholeheartedly recommend it. Why? It's little sibling, the DMP-BD35. The $299 BD35 features all of the same niceties save for 7.1 analog outputs and analog audio enhancements, yet it costs a full $100 less than the BD55. Sure, if you're an analog output junkie, the extra cost will be completely justified, but it seems most everyone else should just snag the BD35 and burn the excess on a few flicks.