Blu - Ray ?

[s dog]

I was shopping at wal-mart today and noticed they had a sony blu-ray BDP -S 300 dvd player hooked up to a 32'' westinghouse LCD 720p hdtv, They was playing one of the harry potter B-R movies and i was surprised how good it looked on a lower priced tv. I was wandering if this player is considered to be a good one, and do you think if this player was hooked up to my 720p LG plasma, would it look at lest as good or better than it did on the westinghouse tv. price of the sony player was $388.00.

[Mr Peabody]

I think it's a decent Blu-ray player for the money. Be sure to check feature list to see if it will do everything you need. A weakness is the standard DVD playback but that seems to be with all of the current BR players for now. 720p is still HD and should look better than even upscaled DVD but who can say whether it would look as good as the Westinghouse, maybe not, as, good, if the Westinghouse was a true 1080p. Sony uses the same video chip in the 300, 500 and even the s2000, it would be interesting to see them side by side to compare PQ.

[L.J.]

At this point, I'd get a player that was capable of decoding all the HD audio formats. I'm starting to see less PCM tracks and more TrueHD & DTSMA. Fully loaded players are on the way or you can go the PS3 route. Check out player specs here. (http://www.blu-ray.com/players/)

[s dog]

Thanks for the insight guys, the westinghouse tv was a 720p like my lg, The guys at the local hifi shop claim for a $150.00 more they have a panasonic that is much better, I will have to see how it looks compared to the sony, also im thinking about the denon 2808ci receiver for this summer IF i have the money, IF is a big word.

[codecougar]

I own the BDP -S300. It is a good BD player. It does not support TrueHD or DTS-HD, but neither does my receiver so I'm not too worried about it.

Spending more will get you better features such as TrueHD and DTS-HD support but I don't believe the PQ will be any better.

Yes, even with a 720P HDTV, the PQ will be a significant improvement over SD DVD's. There was recently an article on this exact question in Home Theater magazine.

The direct competition to the BDP-S300 would be the PS3. Around the same price, better features for the most part, plus it plays games if you are into gaming.

This summer, Sony will be releasing the BDP-S350. See below:

"The $400 BDP-S350 will feature an Ethernet port, USB port for connecting external storage and "BonusView" picture-in-picture capability (from the leapfrogged profile 1.1). Even better, it will be "BD-Live ready," meaning an over-the-network software update will make the player compatible with net-friendly titles when they hit the market. Later on, the $500 BDP-S550 will arrive with nearly identical features. The differences:

While both support 1080/60p and 24p video and can decode Dolby TrueHD and Dolby Digital Plus, the S550 can decode DTS-HD High Resolution Audio and Master Audio, and has 7.1-channel analog outputs (rather than, we presume, 5.1 on the S350). The S550 will also come with a 1GB "storage device"—what we're guessing is a flash-based Micro Vault—and will be BD-Live capable right out of the box.

The most important difference, besides that $100 and a little bit of girth, is that the S350 is slated for a summer release, while the S550 won't be here until fall. Screw that, we're not waiting."

[L.J.]

I own the BDP -S300. It is a good BD player. It does not support TrueHD or DTS-HD, but neither does my receiver so I'm not too worried about it.


Your AVR does not need to support HD audio, as long as the player can decode the formats and output over MC analog.

[kexodusc]

Your AVR does not need to support HD audio, as long as the player can decode the formats and output over MC analog.

Okay, so then if you were going to recommend a BluRay player today that was capable of all the decoding, LJ, what would you get?

Kex is building his house soon and the new HT needs a BluRay player. :biggrin5:

[L.J.]

Okay, so then if you were going to recommend a BluRay player today that was capable of all the decoding, LJ, what would you get?

Kex is building his house soon and the new HT needs a BluRay player. :biggrin5:

Denon 3800 (http://ca.denon.com/ProductDetails/3242.asp) :yesnod:

Don't mind that $2K price tag. Only the best for Kex :thumbsup:

[bobsticks]

Denon 3800 (http://ca.denon.com/ProductDetails/3242.asp) :yesnod:

Don't mind that $2K price tag. Only the best for Kex :thumbsup:


Does it do SACD?

[codecougar]

Your AVR does not need to support HD audio, as long as the player can decode the formats and output over MC analog.

really? thanks. I am not really up to date when it comes to the newer audio codecs.

[L.J.]

Does it do SACD?

Hmm..no mention of it on the spec sheet. Looks like PS3 still holds the title of only BR player to offer SACD playback.

[L.J.]

Okay, so then if you were going to recommend a BluRay player today that was capable of all the decoding, LJ, what would you get?

Kex is building his house soon and the new HT needs a BluRay player. :biggrin5:

So what happened to the PS3?? Thought you had your heart set on one? Do you plan on sticking with your Yammie?

[Mr Peabody]

sdog, for sure let your eyes judge, but if they are suggesting the Panasonic dmp-30 it uses the exact video decoder as the s300.

codecougar, do you know if the 350 or 550 will use something other than the Sigma Design chip for video?

LJ, coincidently the 3800 would have been my answer but man $2k..... either it or the new Marantz av8002 coming out for $100.00 more. These are the only 2 machines that I have found that will use a separate chip for standard video. They use Realta. I'm not sure how good that chip is. I wonder why no one is using the Silicon Optix based on it's great success in the Samsung BD-P1200.

Anyone know the relation between Panasonic and Sigma Design? BR.com shows all of these BR players using a Panasonic video chip where other sources say Sigma Designs is the chip.

[pixelthis]

Okay, so then if you were going to recommend a BluRay player today that was capable of all the decoding, LJ, what would you get?

Kex is building his house soon and the new HT needs a BluRay player. :biggrin5:


PIXELTHIS is worried about KEX.
Why? Because Kex is talking about himself in the third person, a sure sign that you're
brain is about to go-over-the Niagra-falls-of-mental-instability
PIXELTHIS thinks that Kex should maybe try some of the newer designer psychotropic drugs:1:

[bobsticks]

PIXELTHIS thinks that Kex should maybe try some of the newer designer psychotropic drugs:1:

...and if he gets some he needs to share.

[GMichael]

PIXELTHIS thinks that Kex should maybe try some of the newer designer psychotropic drugs:1:

Can we all get some of what you are taking?:arf:

[s dog]

Let me put it this way, If a guy knows for sure down the road he will be getting a HDMI receiver that does all the high rez audio , does it matter if the blu - ray player can do it or not, I mean wont the receiver do all the decoding for ture dts & dd.

[L.J.]

You would need a player that was HDMI 1.3 and capable of bitstreaming HD audio.

[s dog]

You would need a player that was HDMI 1.3 and capable of bitstreaming HD audio. I will make sure i remember that so i dont end up with the wrong player. thanks for the help.

[L.J.]

I put together some info regarding BR & HD audio...you may find it useful.

http://forums.audioreview.com/showthread.php?t=26425

I may be mistaken, but don't you own a PS3? You don't plan on using that for BR playback?

[s dog]

I put together some info regarding BR & HD audio...you may find it useful.

http://forums.audioreview.com/showthread.php?t=26425

I may be mistaken, but don't you own a PS3? You don't plan on using that for BR playback? No, i've never had a ps3, you must have me mixed up with some one eles, I will check out the info, and studied up on things before i spend any money. thanks again for the help.

[pixelthis]

Let me put it this way, If a guy knows for sure down the road he will be getting a HDMI receiver that does all the high rez audio , does it matter if the blu - ray player can do it or not, I mean wont the receiver do all the decoding for ture dts & dd.

LOOK at it this way, a receiver will cost MORE than a player.
If the players obsolete then that is a simple matter, but if your RECEIVER goes obsolete,
well, there you go.
CONCENTRATE on amps and more established codecs like DD and DTS, and features
you need, then when they come out with the FINAL FINAL , really! we mean it this time !
FINAL version you can either get a firmware update or a new player a lot more cheaply than a new receiver:1:

[s dog]

LOOK at it this way, a receiver will cost MORE than a player.
If the players obsolete then that is a simple matter, but if your RECEIVER goes obsolete,
well, there you go.
CONCENTRATE on amps and more established codecs like DD and DTS, and features
you need, then when they come out with the FINAL FINAL , really! we mean it this time !
FINAL version you can either get a firmware update or a new player a lot more cheaply than a new receiver:1: I hear what your saying, the last thing i want to do is end up with a receiver that goes obsolete in 6 month down the road, I think that i have a hell of a lot to learn about blu-ray, & hdmi receivers before i even think about spending money, thanks.

[L.J.]

Pix, you say "obsolete" like the player is gonna blow up or something if new technology becomes available. Funny thing is, my HD DVD player still works just fine :1:

I agree though that there is NO reason to run out and purchase new gear before doing research and fully understanding what your getting yourself into. But at the same time, how long you gonna sit in the corner and wait before going with something.

S dog, there are 3 ways to get these new audio formats.

1. The BR player does all the decoding and sends the decoded signal via MC analog to your current gear. This is great for people who don't want to get rid of their gear. If your current unit as MC inputs, then all you need is a player that can decode ALL the new audio formats.

2. The BR player does all the decoding and sends the decoded signal via HDMI v1.1 or up to your current or new gear. This may be good for people who owns older HDMI capable AVR's or you can save some money by picking up a older model vs new version. I grabbed a Yamaha 2700 with a huge discount, when the newer models came out.

3. The BR player send a bitstream signal to your unit for decoding. In this case, you would need both products to support HDMI v1.3. I think this is where people get confused and think they need to run out and purchase gear that supports 1.3. Not a problem if your in the market for a new unit but not worth it if your current gear is capable of doing the same thing.

In most cases, a new BR player with full decoding and analog outputs is all that's needed.

[codecougar]

codecougar, do you know if the 350 or 550 will use something other than the Sigma Design chip for video?



Mr. Peabody, I don't know.

[pixelthis]

Pix, you say "obsolete" like the player is gonna blow up or something if new technology becomes available. Funny thing is, my HD DVD player still works just fine :1:

I agree though that there is NO reason to run out and purchase new gear before doing research and fully understanding what your getting yourself into. But at the same time, how long you gonna sit in the corner and wait before going with something.

S dog, there are 3 ways to get these new audio formats.

1. The BR player does all the decoding and sends the decoded signal via MC analog to your current gear. This is great for people who don't want to get rid of their gear. If your current unit as MC inputs, then all you need is a player that can decode ALL the new audio formats.

2. The BR player does all the decoding and sends the decoded signal via HDMI v1.1 or up to your current or new gear. This may be good for people who owns older HDMI capable AVR's or you can save some money by picking up a older model vs new version. I grabbed a Yamaha 2700 with a huge discount, when the newer models came out.

3. The BR player send a bitstream signal to your unit for decoding. In this case, you would need both products to support HDMI v1.3. I think this is where people get confused and think they need to run out and purchase gear that supports 1.3. Not a problem if your in the market for a new unit but not worth it if your current gear is capable of doing the same thing.

In most cases, a new BR player with full decoding and analog outputs is all that's needed.


My three year old receiver "works fine" too, but is useless for video switching, something I PAID GOOD MONEY FOR and which just clutters up the rear, because not only is
HDMI a much better picture but they are phasing out componet completely.
MAYBE you can afford to but I CANT chuck a 1200 dollar receiver that is just three
years old.
and in those three years there have been FOUR standards for video!
You need to be carefull when buying gear is all I am saying:1:

[E-Stat]

...but is useless for video switching,
Interesting. I've always found "video switching" useless. I use the monitor's remote instead of doubling up all the cable runs.

rw

[GMichael]

Interesting. I've always found "video switching" useless. I use the monitor's remote instead of doubling up all the cable runs.

rw

I've always felt that way too. Most of my sources go directly to the projector. But more and more I'm seeing things that are changing my way of thinking. Neither my PS3 or HD-DVD will upscale without an HDMI connection. And even more important to me, no HD sound fields without HDMI. This leaves me on the outside looking in.

[L.J.]

I've always felt that way too. Most of my sources go directly to the projector. But more and more I'm seeing things that are changing my way of thinking. Neither my PS3 or HD-DVD will upscale without an HDMI connection. And even more important to me, no HD sound fields without HDMI. This leaves me on the outside looking in.

The PS3 & A2, perfect for people who have no problem throwing some money into HDMI. Would have been sweet if the PS3 had at least 5.1 analog out :(

[GMichael]

The PS3 & A2, perfect for people who have no problem throwing some money into HDMI. Would have been sweet if the PS3 had at least 5.1 analog out :(

Too true. I could live without the upscaling, but I want the new HD audio.

[L.J.]

Too true. I could live without the upscaling, but I want the new HD audio.

Yeah your gonna have to upgrade eventually. Or not, I went about 7 or so months with standard optical connection from my PS3. The improvement with the higher bitrates is noticeable and full bitrate DTS sounds pretty dang good if you ask me.

You could get away with something dirt cheap though since you only need something with HDMI 1.1. Maybe add a amp later on.

Onkyo 605 for $379 would be perfect if they put preouts on it :arf:

[GMichael]

Yeah your gonna have to upgrade eventually. Or not, I went about 7 or so months with standard optical connection from my PS3. The improvement with the higher bitrates is noticeable and full bitrate DTS sounds pretty dang good if you ask me.

You could get away with something dirt cheap though since you only need something with HDMI 1.1. Maybe add a amp later on.

Onkyo 605 for $379 would be perfect if they put preouts on it :arf:

I'll wait for now. I'd rather wait to get what I want instead of settling. The RX-V3800 will have to go on sale again someday. Till then first on my list (a list that's on hold) will be a 1080p projector.

[s dog]

Pix, you say "obsolete" like the player is gonna blow up or something if new technology becomes available. Funny thing is, my HD DVD player still works just fine :1:

I agree though that there is NO reason to run out and purchase new gear before doing research and fully understanding what your getting yourself into. But at the same time, how long you gonna sit in the corner and wait before going with something.

S dog, there are 3 ways to get these new audio formats.

1. The BR player does all the decoding and sends the decoded signal via MC analog to your current gear. This is great for people who don't want to get rid of their gear. If your current unit as MC inputs, then all you need is a player that can decode ALL the new audio formats.

2. The BR player does all the decoding and sends the decoded signal via HDMI v1.1 or up to your current or new gear. This may be good for people who owns older HDMI capable AVR's or you can save some money by picking up a older model vs new version. I grabbed a Yamaha 2700 with a huge discount, when the newer models came out.

3. The BR player send a bitstream signal to your unit for decoding. In this case, you would need both products to support HDMI v1.3. I think this is where people get confused and think they need to run out and purchase gear that supports 1.3. Not a problem if your in the market for a new unit but not worth it if your current gear is capable of doing the same thing.

In most cases, a new BR player with full decoding and analog outputs is all that's needed. Im kinda in the middle of the road here, My denon 4800 does have external input jacks and that would be just fine, But here's the thing over the last 4 months the denon has stopped out putting at the speaker terminals for the center,left front & right surround speakers, so what i did was pick up three audio source power amps off e-bay and hooked them up to the pre-outs on the denon, everything works & sounds great this way, but i wonder what will be next to go on the old 4800, maybe its getting ready to die, I will keep useing it with the power amps as long as i can, So i guess what im saying is that if i buy a blu - ray player , I want to make sure it will work with the 4800, or just in case it dies the denon 2808ic receiver which i will hopefully be replaceing it with, If im understanding your reply most if not all players should work with both receivers.

[Mr Peabody]

If you are sticking with the 4800 for awhile then you will need a BR player with multichannel analog output and all the most current decoding built in. DO NOT GET the Panasonic it will pass DD Tru and DTS MA bitstream but WILL NOT decode it. This is from a review I read, I think it was from CNET. Let me try to find it.

Ah, here it is: http://reviews.cnet.com/video-players-and-recorders/panasonic-dmp-bd30k/4505-6463_7-32730548.html

You mentioned some one was trying to sell you Panasonic and also if they don't decode I'm sure others may be the same, so just beware.

[s dog]

If you are sticking with the 4800 for awhile then you will need a BR player with multichannel analog output and all the most current decoding built in. DO NOT GET the Panasonic it will pass DD Tru and DTS MA bitstream but WILL NOT decode it. This is from a review I read, I think it was from CNET. Let me try to find it.

Ah, here it is: http://reviews.cnet.com/video-players-and-recorders/panasonic-dmp-bd30k/4505-6463_7-32730548.html

You mentioned some one was trying to sell you Panasonic and also if they don't decode I'm sure others may be the same, so just beware. That sounds good to me, if i go with a blu - ray player i will make dam sure its got it all , thank you all for the help.

[L.J.]

Im kinda in the middle of the road here, My denon 4800 does have external input jacks and that would be just fine, But here's the thing over the last 4 months the denon has stopped out putting at the speaker terminals for the center,left front & right surround speakers, so what i did was pick up three audio source power amps off e-bay and hooked them up to the pre-outs on the denon, everything works & sounds great this way, but i wonder what will be next to go on the old 4800, maybe its getting ready to die, I will keep useing it with the power amps as long as i can, So i guess what im saying is that if i buy a blu - ray player , I want to make sure it will work with the 4800, or just in case it dies the denon 2808ic receiver which i will hopefully be replaceing it with, If im understanding your reply most if not all players should work with both receivers.

Yeah, just make sure you get a newer player that's got it all. The Panny BD50 (http://www.blu-ray.com/players/players.php?id=17&show=specs) coming out in May should cover everything and work with both AVR's. Your actually purchasing at a good time since alot of capable players are gonna be coming out in the next few months.

Drop a thread when your ready to purchase....we'll get you in the right direction :thumbsup:

[s dog]

Yeah, just make sure you get a newer player that's got it all. The Panny BD50 (http://www.blu-ray.com/players/players.php?id=17&show=specs) coming out in May should cover everything and work with both AVR's. Your actually purchasing at a good time since alot of capable players are gonna be coming out in the next few months.

Drop a thread when your ready to purchase....we'll get you in the right direction :thumbsup: Yeah, that sounds like a really good idea. My birthday is coming up in july, might just give me a good enough reason to buy.

[Mr Peabody]

Yes, the dmp-50 looks pretty good. I do wish they'd go back to offering good SD playback though.

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

I own the BDP -S300. It is a good BD player. It does not support TrueHD or DTS-HD, but neither does my receiver so I'm not too worried about it.

Spending more will get you better features such as TrueHD and DTS-HD support but I don't believe the PQ will be any better.

Yes, even with a 720P HDTV, the PQ will be a significant improvement over SD DVD's. There was recently an article on this exact question in Home Theater magazine.

The direct competition to the BDP-S300 would be the PS3. Around the same price, better features for the most part, plus it plays games if you are into gaming.

This summer, Sony will be releasing the BDP-S350. See below:

"The $400 BDP-S350 will feature an Ethernet port, USB port for connecting external storage and "BonusView" picture-in-picture capability (from the leapfrogged profile 1.1). Even better, it will be "BD-Live ready," meaning an over-the-network software update will make the player compatible with net-friendly titles when they hit the market. Later on, the $500 BDP-S550 will arrive with nearly identical features. The differences:

While both support 1080/60p and 24p video and can decode Dolby TrueHD and Dolby Digital Plus, the S550 can decode DTS-HD High Resolution Audio and Master Audio, and has 7.1-channel analog outputs (rather than, we presume, 5.1 on the S350). The S550 will also come with a 1GB "storage device"—what we're guessing is a flash-based Micro Vault—and will be BD-Live capable right out of the box.

The most important difference, besides that $100 and a little bit of girth, is that the S350 is slated for a summer release, while the S550 won't be here until fall. Screw that, we're not waiting."

Code,
The S300 DOES support DTHD, but it only does it through the HDMI connector. I am going to email Paidgeek from Sony on bluray.com and ask him how to enable it. I read a post in the insider section that says that it DOES support DTHD. I'll get back to you on this.

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

My three year old receiver "works fine" too, but is useless for video switching, something I PAID GOOD MONEY FOR and which just clutters up the rear, because not only is
HDMI a much better picture but they are phasing out componet completely.
MAYBE you can afford to but I CANT chuck a 1200 dollar receiver that is just three
years old.
and in those three years there have been FOUR standards for video!
You need to be carefull when buying gear is all I am saying:1:

There has not been four standards for video idiot, there has only been one, and each Bluray player covers them all. They have to to make certification. Every bluray player has to to include codecs for VC-1, MPEG-2 and AVC MPEG-4. The PS3 even covers DIVX, and does the upcoming Panasonic player.

Now if you are stupidly meaning HDMI standards, aside from the increase in signal speed, not one of the HDMI standards affected video, it was all audio. HDMI 1.0 allowed for 1080p, and that is the only video standard that both bluray and the now defunct HD DVD ever had.

Your terminology is just as messed up as the rest of you.