Panasonic DMP-BDT210

Panasonic DMP-BDT210

The Panasonic DMP-BDT210 has almost everything you could want in a Blu-ray player. It sends great-looking images to an HDTV--in 2D and in 3D. It has a huge selection of streaming Internet services built in, with more on the way. It can play media files off SD Cards, as well as off flash drives or a local network. Despite some poor design decisions, those features are enough to make the $160 estimated street price (as of November 3, 2011) seem like a bargain. The first thing you'll notice about the DMP-BDT210 is the blue logo on the top of the otherwise normal-looking black box. This is the Touch-Free Sensor, which can open and close the tray at a wave of your hand. Though the function seems kind of cool at first, your enthusiasm will soon wane. For one thing, waving your hand over the top of the player isn't really any more convenient than pressing an eject button. For another, you can't put anything on top of the player without unintentional consequences. Luckily, you can turn the Touch-Free Sensor off--and you probably will end up doing so. Another problem with the physical design: The front of the DMP-BDT210 is covered with a flap that comes down when you open the tray.