CNET recently reviewed the new Panasonic DMP-BD35 Blu-ray player ($299) and gave it their coveted Editor’s Choice with an 8.0 out of 10 rating. The DMP-BD35 is a Profile 2.0 player, and CNET noted that it’s the first player Blu-ray player with all of the essential features of the PlayStation 3 at a much cheaper price.

They liked the Panasonic’s image quality for Blu-ray discs, and even said they feel it equals the quality of the PS3 (the PS3 is currently the gold standard of Blu-ray players). They also liked the player’s slim styling, in-player decoding for all high-res audio (Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio), and bit-stream output. The only cons were that the PS3 has faster disc loading and navigation, and some other functionality like media streaming and online movie renting that the Panasonic doesn’t.

The old argument that the PS3 was the best value for a Blu-ray player is losing some steam. If you’re a game player, the PS3 is still the best choice. But if you only want to play Blu-ray movies, there are now options that meet the PS3′s quality for a much cheaper price. Check out CNET’s video review below:

Links:

CNET’s review of the Panasonic DMP-BD35

Official site for the Panasonic DMP-BD35