The BDP7200 does a fine job adhering to Philips’ quest for “sense and simplicity.” The front panel has a streamlined look and sports a minimalist array of buttons. There you’ll find the basic control functions (Play, Stop, Next, etc.) and a useful button off to the side labeled “Output”. The latter allows you to toggle the unit’s output resolution from 480i through 1080p.
With its all-black motif, a total lack of backlighting and small, tightly-packed control buttons, the supplied remote is a nightmare to operate in the dark. Also, its unnaturally-long size is the result of a bizarre amount of wasted space up top – a design decision that probably stemmed from trying to centralize the cursor pad. While I applaud that goal – the pad is in a good spot – the net effect is a remote that just doesn’t feel right in this reviewer’s hands. I’d recommend leaving this puppy in the box and instead use a backlit universal.
Setting up the player is a simple affair and Philips’ on-screen menu system is bright, elegant and easy to navigate. The main menu does have one goof though; the top/default selection is labeled “Disc Tray”. This is apparently shorthand for “Play what’s currently in the disc tray.” OK, sure. As with any Blu-ray Disc player, you’ll want to spend some time configuring your audio settings to get the most out of the current crop of next-gen soundtracks.
Unfortunately, the BDP7200 lacks internal decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD. As is evidenced by the logos adorning the player, internal decoding is limited to standard Dolby Digital and DTS. However, the news is not all bad. Although its inability to decode high def soundtracks is a negative for anyone using an older receiver, owners of new receivers can rejoice. That’s because the BDP7200 can output Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio as a “Bitstream” over HDMI to an external decoder. If your receiver features Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD decoding, you’ll be able to take full advantage of these lossless soundtracks and thoroughly annoy your neighbors. For the purposes of this review, I used a BetterCables HDMI cable and connected to an Onkyo TX-SR805. I then configured the Philips for Bitstream output and let the Onkyo handle the heavy lifting.
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