Panasonic DMP-BD55 Blu-ray Player:
User Interface User Interface
The aesthetics of the player have changed since the BD50. The depth has shrunk by three inches, and it weighs nearly two pounds less. The disc drive is center-mounted with a dimmable display on the left, which is easy to read from across the room. Hidden behind a flip-down panel on the left side of the unit is the SD card slot.

On the other hand, the remote is unchanged from the BD50. In a dark room, it's impossible to see the buttons because there is no backlight, but the design utilizes various-sized buttons to distinguish between them by feel. In addition, the volume buttons can be assigned pre-programmed codes for various volume-related devices, such as AVRs and pre/pros. The remote codes are identical to Panasonic's previous Blu-ray players, so my universal remote didn't need reprogramming in order to operate the player.

The user menus are well-organized and easy to navigate. Preset picture modes include Normal, Soft, Fine, and Cinema. There's also a user mode with adjustments for contrast, brightness, sharpness, color, gamma, 3D noise reduction, and "integrated" noise reduction. I performed all my testing in the Normal mode.