Lossless audio formats against local media playback
Which Blu-ray player should I buy?
Both are Full HD players — neither plays UHD discs — and they are built for two different systems. The Sony names the lossless audio formats individually: Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, DTS-HD High Resolution. That is what a disc carries and a stream does not, and it is the whole reason to own discs on a system with a receiver. The Panasonic answers a different question, playing 3D discs and MKV files from USB, which turns it into a local media player as well.
| Compared on | BDP-S1700 Blu-ray Disc player, Full HD | DMP-BDT167 compact 3D Blu-ray player |
|---|---|---|
| Resolution | Full HD 1080p — stated | Full HD — this is not a 4K UHD player |
| Audio formats | Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, DTS-HD High Resolution — all stated | Not named individually in this listing |
| 3D | Not stated in this listing | 3D Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD — stated |
| Local media | Not stated in this listing | USB with MKV playback — stated |
| Network | Not stated in this listing | LAN and internet apps — stated |
| Upscaling | SD content upscaled — stated | Full HD upscaling for DVD — stated |
A tick marks the better answer on that line only. Counting ticks does not decide the page — the two verdicts below do, because these products answer different questions.
Buy the Sony if the player feeds a receiver and real speakers. Naming the lossless formats is the specification that justifies owning discs at all, and it costs less here.
Buy the Panasonic if there are 3D discs in the house or a drive full of MKV files. It does two jobs, and the second one no other player in this catalogue does.
If the display is 4K and the collection will be, yes — UHD is a separate format with its own hardware, and neither of these plays it. If the display or the collection is Full HD, both of these deliver the disc’s real advantage, which is the soundtrack, at a fraction of a UHD player’s price.
Because on a system with a receiver and real speakers the audio gap between a disc and a stream is larger and more audible than the picture gap. Discs carry Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio losslessly; streams carry compressed versions of the same mixes.
Full HD 1080p · TRILUMINOS · Dolby TrueHD · DTS-HD Master Audio · DTS-HD High Resolution · SD upscaling
A Full HD player that decodes the lossless audio formats — Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio — which is the disc's real advantage over streaming.
Best for: A system with a receiver and real speakers, where the lossless soundtrack is the reason to own discs at all.
≈ 90 €
3D Blu-ray · Full HD upscaling · internet apps · LAN · USB · MKV playback
A compact Blu-ray player that plays MKV files from USB — which makes it a disc player and a local media player at once.
Best for: An existing Blu-ray and DVD collection, plus files on a USB drive, without a 4K requirement.
≈ 115 €
