Blue Ray player

[rickcr42]

So I am REAL close to pulling the trigger on one of these puppies and would be interested in anyone having the same player sharing any reason why it would be a bad choice.The similiarly priced ($400 range) Samsong and Panasonic models seem to be less "complete" plus in the flesh the sony is an attrative bugger which while not THE deciding factor is A deciding factor if all else is equal minus a dollar or two in end cost



Sony BDP-S350 (looks so good had to show it twice )

[Deleted]

I must admit I'm no great Sony fan (as of 90's onwards) and have a bias towards Panasonic. They are also, on the whole, more reliable.

So I'd plump for this sleek number on the above grounds alone...



edit>> model number may help...Panasonic DMP-BD35

[Sol]

.. and what's wrong with buying a PS3 ... has blu ray and you can do loads more with it including uisng it as a media hub or even running linux on it!

[rickcr42]

thanks for the reply but talk about opposite experience !

I am no fan of Panasonic other than older portable CD players,very early VHS Hi-Fi VCRs and some even older Technics stuff and (analog tape) but for video in general nadda.

in fact nadda on most everythinbg not labelled "Toshiba" or "Sony" with the latter usually havng as a main drawback being that all else being equal the Sony just about always costs more though here such is not the case.

On to the "in store" breif head-to-head with surprisingly the above panny,the above sony and a samsung I presently forget the model number of but that was in the same $30 or so price difference range.

Styling :

1-Samsung (piano black)
2-Sony (cool blue)
3-Panasonic (very ordinary "consumer video" look)

Blue Ray Disc load times :

1-Sony
2-tossup between the other two.NONE load exactly fast and if a CDP or DVDP I would be pissed but since a boatload of Blue Ray features run in java it is not a matter of "how fast" but "how slow" that decides which is a winner

Picture Quality :

Tossup.Not enough time with material I KNOW to make a judgement call

Sound quality :

Not properly demoed due to the players being hooked up to a "Gee Wiz" type blast off and die type sound system

Remote Control/Panel Controls/Ease of use :

The sony is a breeze to use the others less so but by a VERY slight margin so a wash

All in all these three were the best of the bunch until you step up into another price tier with the Sony and Samsong being more of a coin toss and the Panasonic a close call but still in third

but hey,thanks anyway dude

rick out

[Deleted]

Rick
This is only a rough guide, as U.S. versions could be a little different?
PC USER (Au.) tested the Sony BDPS350, Sony PS3,LG BD300, and Samsung BD-P1500. THe Sony came out slightly ahead of the others (85% to 80%)
The Sony doesn't support BD-Live out of the box,although the addition of a 1GB flash drive will bring it up to compliance with profile 2.0 specifications.If you purchase a flash drive to use with this unit (around $20) you will get a BD-Live player that plays writable discs, and isn't region locked.
The LG BD300 had the sharpest menu graphics they have seen.It is region locked.
Samsung BD -P1500. When playing back movies,the unit would skip back to the main screen after each of the intro chapters, meaning you have to press Play again to get it going again.
Updating is automatic via onboard LAN, or USB manually.
Sony PS3 -As a Blu-Ray player it functions without fault. The optional Blu-Ray remote works well but is a Bluetooth model,so you'll have to pair it to the console before use.The console frequently receives firmware updates, and is fully profile 2.0 compliant.
SandyK

[Sol]

Nov 18, 2008 11:30:50 GMT @sandyk said:

Sony PS3 -As a Blu-Ray player it functions without fault. The optional Blu-Ray remote works well but is a Bluetooth model,so you'll have to pair it to the console before use.The console frequently receives firmware updates, and is fully profile 2.0 compliant.
SandyK

Frankly I can't understand why anyone would buy BluRay HW that was anything but the PS3 ... it's a hugely powefrul PC that does so much more that be just a BluRay player.

[leo]

Nov 18, 2008 12:30:24 GMT Sol said:

Nov 18, 2008 11:30:50 GMT @sandyk said:

Sony PS3 -As a Blu-Ray player it functions without fault. The optional Blu-Ray remote works well but is a Bluetooth model,so you'll have to pair it to the console before use.The console frequently receives firmware updates, and is fully profile 2.0 compliant.
SandyK

Frankly I can't understand why anyone would buy BluRay HW that was anything but the PS3 ... it's a hugely powefrul PC that does so much more that be just a BluRay player.

I mainly use a PS3 with the 1080p lcd and find it works really well, the latest firmwares as downloads are handy too.
Some things that don't work now may work in a few months with the latest frmwares where as some standard blue ray players may not be upgradable

I'm waiting for them to release a firmware to enable DSD output so I can try 192k feeding the Sabre dac direct, I think the hardwares already capable but is limited by the software
I need to read up on it some more

[rickcr42]

Frankly I can't understand why anyone would buy BluRay HW that was anything but the PS3 ... it's a hugely powefrul PC that does so much more that be just a BluRay player

Too many gamer in the house meaning I would never get to watch my own set

I am looking to revamp my entire AV system to a more "traditional" company is coming over high-end/high-tech eletronics living space wit the nudge that I needed being the changeover to DTV come February so all new electronics cabinets

thinking something like this



with this "audio side" cabinet



then filling them up with all new electronics with form/cosmetics having an equal footing with performance which means all else being equal go for the statement.

I already have a fairly large video monitor (42" ) with an aspect ratio control so the new formats will play somewhat well until I can decide on the flatscreen I want

(OK.to be honest I am waiting for them to come down in price due to lack of sales in our so called wrecked economy that I expect will be a GREAT economy once Obama takes office and the press tells us so even IF nothing changes in reality-all about picking sides since it is consumer confidence that makes it go and if the press is all gloom and doom so to will be the actual economy but if they tell you it is rosy hold on to your ass 'cause we are at warp speed baby.It is their way of deciding who they want in office and it has worked five out of the last six election cycles.This means I have a November to January window with just after Christmas likely being the best time to buy )

I am also looking to grab a serious heavy metal VHS Hi-Fi VCR on the used market the newer ones being total crap (I have an extensive collection of tapes) and a DVD-A/SACD player and a dedicated server to flesh out the AV rack (TV Stand)

On the purely audio side looks like I am going full out hybrid which looking at my audio gear it seems i have been doing all along but subconciously (Tube voltage gain,solid state current gain ) with the centerpiece being a yet to be deigned and build combination DHT Flea Amp/Heaphone Amp driving Maple floor Stand BIG ASS POLISHED AND BUFFED ALUMINUM RACK PANEL DIY First Watt F4 Buffer/Amp Monoblocks to complement my three chassis "Audio Consolette" (Passive Line Controller/Octal Gain Stage/HVPS ) which unfortunatly will now need a cosmetic update if it is to keep up with the larger "scale" of my new system approach (big picture baby,no more micro management for Rick )

Toss in custom hardwood cabinets/maple platforms for ll my "sources",sprinkle in some brass cones and brass "heavy hats" from Mapleshade for added mass on anything electro-mechanical,

www.mapleshaderecords.com/audioproducts/brassweights_hub.php


spike everything to maple platforms

www.mapleshaderecords.com/audioproducts/brassfooters_hub.php

update my turntable platform (sits on a cool mahogany veneer sliding door '60s era record cabinet which is full of LPs for enough mass to withstand a damn earthquake ) to this



Another "don't know" will be media storage because I am going for a certain "look" with the problem being I don't really know what that is yet

Leaning to hardwood modular stackables (any form you like) but again this could change when I see "the one".One of those I'll know it when I see it deals

As to the main monitors,my "rip out the mid and tweets then put new ones on top" my cherry finish stand mounted Klipsch Heresies will fit just fine as will the "new but still in progress" Tapped Horn sub and custom wall mount bipole surrounds


space IS at a premium so pre-planning is everything but I think i am on the right path to both personal and WAF bliss plus it is time I dazzle company not just with the SQ of my system but with my system even if it is not on.I want folks to BEG me for a listen and the only way that happens is if it sits there having room/eye dominance.Having a limited budget I need to stick to an outline so judicious choices and/or if I must DIY "clones" of thing I can not afford.

Should take me all winter but hell,that is what winter is for once you get past your "I gotta screw everything all day long" youth and into more "well if i am going to be stuck inside I may as well make "inside" warm comfy place.

Bottom line,the PS3 looks to be a nice option as far as performance goes but I think it would look out of place amidst all the heavy metal brass/aluminum and hardwoods while the Sony and/or Samsung would look right at home spiked and padded with maybe even a "touch of wood" via a three side wrap custom hardwood mahagonay,gloss cherry lacquer or maybe even piano black mahogany cabinet.I am leaning to the Sony based on the cool blue color (the USB features are also nice),I have plenty of SanDisc flash drives and a high speed connection so the update part a non-issue plus while the Samsung looks just fine as a stand alone player all that gloss is a tough nut to match up with even IF I go to gloss lacquer hardwood semi-cabinets for the other gear.The old square peg/round hole thing,something that is no impediment to other areas of my life (mister hammer can bang anything into whatever i need it to ) but not a good way to start a new system direction since it would mean IT was the style point everything else would need to meld with rather than the other way around where the Disc player is in a supporting role,one that integrates with a system rather than being THE system.

and yes i am a real pain in the ass to please

[Deleted]

Bottom line,the PS3 looks to be a nice option as far as performance goes but I think it would look out of place amidst all the heavy metal brass/aluminum and hardwoods while the Sony and/or Samsung would look right at home spiked and padded with maybe even a "touch of wood" via a three side wrap custom hardwood mahagonay,gloss cherry lacquer or maybe even piano black mahogany cabinet.I am leaning to the Sony based on the cool blue color (the USB features are also nice),I have plenty of SanDisc flash drives and a high speed connection so the update part a non-issue plus while the Samsung looks just fine as a stand alone player all that gloss is a tough nut to match up with even IF I go to gloss lacquer hardwood semi-cabinets for the other gear.The old square peg/round hole thing,something that is no impediment to other areas of my life (mister hammer can bang anything into whatever i need it to ) but not a good way to start a new system direction since it would mean IT was the style point everything else would need to meld with rather than the other way around where the Disc player is in a supporting role,one that integrates with a system rather than being THE system.

and yes i am a real pain in the ass to please

Way to go Rick !
I love the setup you are proposing. Not only will it look good, as well as sound great, but should get a big tick of approval from "she who must be obeyed" Well, at least a far better reception than a PS3 in the lounge room ?

and yes i am a real pain in the ass to please

I don't see it that way. There is no substitute for a classy looking system in a lounge room with nice comfortable chairs, and a good WideScreen TV to complement the action with suitable material.
Integrated like that, your favourite televised sporting events will take on a completely new dimension.

SandyK

[justinp]

This week I picked up the last piece of the home cinema I've built for my girlfriend, a Panasonic DMP-BD55. This displays through an Infocus X10 onto a 120" screen. I've calibrated it all in, sat her down and put the WALL-E disc on. She was utterly blown away by the picture quality. I should add here that by profession she's the visual effects producer for some of the biggest movies you'll have seen and she sat there dumbfounded that a well setup home cinema could look better than the screening room in their post-production facility that they use to view the daily rushes from the effects houses.

Blueray really is quite a step up in picture quality and she sat there giggling through the entire film.

Major brownie points.

Oh, I should add that there was a discount code for the panasonic online store that knocked 25% off the price, which I was pretty chuffed about, got it for £300 which I thought was a bit of a steal. Highly recommend the player to anyone looking for one.

J.

[Deleted]

justinp

Is it AVCHD compliant ?

SandyK

[justinp]

Sandy: Yes, the 55 is avchd compliant, it has an SD card slot on the front and we can take the card from our avdhd camcorder and play directly through the 55 without having to do the 'import to mac - export as mov/avi' etc.

mrarroyo: yeah, the prices do keep dropping. I managed to get her 1080p projector for £750, which was an absolute steal.

[Deleted]

Justin
Then it isn't AVCHD compliant without the SD card ?
In other words, if I burned a NORMAL DVD-R with an AVCHD encoded movie, it would not play this movie at a slightly lower quality than BluRay at a 1080 resolution ?
SandyK

[justinp]

Sandy: I'm not sure, I'll be back over there next week and will burn a dvd to check for you.
J.

[Deleted]

Justin
Do you have a program capable of converting video files to AVCHD and then burning to a normal or dual layer DVD ?
Apparently, this format is very new, as far as high res playback from a normal DVD-R using a BluRay player. Recently a local PC magazine featured a freeware conversion and burning program they developed.
SandyK

[DennyL]

I haven't followed Blu Ray very closely so far, but one thing I know - I shan't be buying a Blu Ray player until I'm sure it's multi-region. I think this is a deal-breaker on PS3 as they can't be made multi-region. Can anyone bring me up to speed on this?

[jeffc]

An interesting piece of information I've just come across, ESS Sabre DAC in the latest Samsung Blu-ray player.

FREMONT, Calif., Aug. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- ESS Technology, a leadingprovider of high performance audio/video solutions, today announced that itsSabre Premier 8-channel Audio DAC is shipping in volume in Samsung's new4th Generation Blu-Ray Player, BD-P2550. Audio enthusiasts will appreciate the true studio quality, exceptionallywide sound stage and unmatched clarity of the BD-P2550's 7.1-channel analogaudio output powered by the ESS Sabre Premier audio DAC (ES9006). Withpatented Hyperstream(TM) architecture and Revolver Dynamic Matching, the SabrePremier delivers the best-in-class performance of any Blu-Ray player in themarket with up to groundbreaking 120dB dynamic range and -102dB total harmonicdistortion. In addition, a patented time-domain Jitter Eliminator allowsSabre Premier to reproduce audio free from clock jitter common in digitalinterconnect such as S/PDIF and HDMI.Robert Wong, vice-president of marketing and worldwide sales for ESSTechnology, commented, "Most audiophiles prefer a high performance analogaudio option instead of digital when it comes to high fidelity music and soundreproduction. Using ESS Sabre Premier Audio DAC ES9006, Samsung is now ableto deliver audiophile-worthy 7.1 channels analog performance in a consumerBlu-Ray player."

cheers.. jeffc

[Deleted]

Jeff
It doesn't mean much if the finest DAC in the world is followed by a typical cheap and nasty analogue stage, compromised by a generic crappy SMPS.

Alex

[leo]

ES9006 is ESS lower grade chip to the ES9008 Sabre
Theres also quite a large price difference between the two

Only commercial unit using the ES9008 I know of is the $6500 Mcintosh MCD500

[jeffc]

Just posted out of interest ;D and because of the big claim "delivers the best-in-class performance of any Blu-Ray player" which the DAC chip may do technically, but as said who knows subjectively or what poorly designed electron jiggling parts surround it under the lid.

Shouldn't expect SQ miracles as it's commercial and built to a price, but it might be enough of a potential 'good thing' for those shopping for one to include it in their audition list.

cheers.. jeffc

[leo]

Dec 17, 2008 1:48:03 GMT mrarroyo said:

Dec 16, 2008 20:14:51 GMT @sandyk said:

Jeff
It doesn't mean much if the finest DAC in the world is followed by a typical cheap and nasty analogue stage, compromised by a generic crappy SMPS.

Alex

Correct, you need valves after the DAC. ;D

Using noisy valves on the output of something like the Sabre would be sacrilege

[Deleted]

Dec 17, 2008 2:52:49 GMT leo said:

Dec 17, 2008 1:48:03 GMT mrarroyo said:

Correct, you need valves after the DAC. ;D

Using noisy valves on the output of something like the Sabre would be sacrilege

Using noisy valves on the output of ANYTHING other than a guitar is sacrilege ! (Sphincter excluded ?)

[XTRProf]

Ok, ok, just to cut a long story short, what are the hotrock Blurayers to look out for in the best value category? So far, is there any Blurayers that can do SACD and DVD-A as well? Yes, universal Blurayers.

[rickcr42]

Using noisy valves on the output of something like the Sabre would be sacrilege

then use quite ones

[rickcr42]

Dec 18, 2008 7:20:52 GMT XTRProf said:

Ok, ok, just to cut a long story short, what are the hotrock Blurayers to look out for in the best value category? So far, is there any Blurayers that can do SACD and DVD-A as well? Yes, universal Blurayers.

look for Oppo to be bringing one out soon (unles it already hit the shelves),though to be honest I personally would prefer a specialized machine for each since in my personal experience every time you shoot for "all-in-one" ANYTHING you get comprimised EVERYTHING.

Yes they will work but well ?

BTW-CES Vegas is in session so maybe a quick google to find the sites doing online reports would turn up the next generation players,one of which is a pretty cool Samsung Blue Ray/NetFlix player.The streaming of NetFlix is intriging to me because for a paltry $9 monthly subscription fee you have unlimited access to damn near every movie that has ever been made which makes having HBO/Showtime/CineMax/Etc. moot unless you watch the original programming-something I do not so would be a real cost savings for me personlly with the plus factor of I choose the what and when instead of seing what happens to be on or Tivoing/time shifting the programming