BD-R Discs for Australian

[Battle Born]

Hi Guys,

I'm looking to record some Simpsons seasons in HD from FOXTEL but have found that BD-R discs here in Australia are very expensive. I read that some people have bought cheaper Japan discs from Ebay and I was wondering if anyone has tried Japan BD-R and does the quality still look good? And does it work? And what kind would be the best to buy - i.e for amount of episodes and quality.

The Bluray player I will be recording on is a Panasonic Bluray Player/Recorder DMR-BW-780.

Cheers!

[Cevolution]

Originally Posted by Battle Born

Hi Guys,

I'm looking to record some Simpsons seasons in HD from FOXTEL but have found that BD-R discs here in Australia are very expensive. I read that some people have bought cheaper Japan discs from Ebay and I was wondering if anyone has tried Japan BD-R and does the quality still look good? And does it work? And what kind would be the best to buy - i.e for amount of episodes and quality.

The Bluray player I will be recording on is a Panasonic Bluray Player/Recorder DMR-BW-780.

Cheers!

It depends on what your definition of expensive is? 25 GB single layer BD-R discs can be found for AU$1-$2 each at many places here in Australia, which I don't view as expensive. It's the dual layer 50 GB BD-RW discs that can be considered as expensive, they are about $7-$15 each.

[Midnight Rambler]

If you can find discs ACTUALLY MADE in Japan, then buy them. Most Japanese companies made very high quality recordable media, but most are out of the biz today. Taiyo Yuden is a good example and they are still in the business.

[Rick Grimes]

Saw BD-R's at Jaycar electronics for about $5 each...

However, there is one problem with your idea of recording from Foxtel HD (Australia's only Cable/Satellite broadcaster) in HD. The Panasonic will only allow you to input your Foxtel unit (Australian Cable/Satellite TV) through composite cables (Also known as RCA, yellow/red/white cables).
The Foxtel HD set top unit (which has four tuners & doubles as a PVR for all programs) does have a 1080i output, through a HDMI cable. However, the only input to your Panasonic Blu Ray recorder, from an auxiliary source, is the composite input. The best you can hope for is 576i quality when you hook up your Foxtel STU.

Besides, if the Panasonic Blu Ray Recorder did have a HDMI input, the Foxtel HD STU puts out a HDCP signal (High Definition Copy Protection). You might see a warning sometimes when turn on your TV (on your HDMI channel). On my Sony 32" LED LCD 710 series, it gives a warning (transmitted from the Foxtel HD set top unit) "The picture cannot be viewed due to HDCP signal not found..." Or something like that for about two seconds before it disappears and the picture comes up. It is due to this HDCP signal that would not allow you to record Foxtel programs, if you could hook up your Foxtel via HDMI.

You can still record programs in true 1920x1080 quality, if you record a HD program (not one that is from an SD source) from these channels: Gem, 7mate, SBS HD or ONE (The only Australian channels broadcast in 1080i HD). ABC 24 is broadcast in 720p.

When you transfer any kind of broadcast to your BR disc on your Panasonic OR record a program to your Panasonic Hard Drive, I can imagine it is using the MPEG-4 AVC codec, when choosing best quality record. Your recorder/TV will still probably tell you that when you record a Simpsons episode from Foxtel, that it is 1080i/50 or 1080p/50 (again, when you use the best quality recording choice on your Panasonic, as all shows broadcast in Australia are PAL = 50 frames per second). When you play your recording back, your TV/BR player might even state that it is a 1080p program!
However, the original source, for any Foxtel program will be at best 576i, due to the source being transmitted through the composite cable input.

Having only composite cable input sucks and is why the Panasonic Blu Ray Recorder isn't sweeping the globe (only available in Australia?) and isn't running off the shelves... The inability to record from an outside source in 1080 HD. Would like to transfer HD personal video camera movies to Blu Ray, but it is not possible with the Panasonic Blu Ray recorder.

Of course, you can record shows in 1080i from any of the Australian HD channels (through the dual HD tuners that come with the Panasonic recorder), but they will be full of commercials. At least you could record some Family Guys on 7Mate in 1080i quality (or at least the latest ones, that are actual 1080 quality broadcasts). Just got to work out how to get rid of those pesky commercials... (If you can edit your recording in such a way). Would like to buy a Panasonic BR Recorder and find out, but waiting 'til its under $500.

Dude, you should also know that the only Simpsons episodes broadcast on FOX8 HD that are actually transmitted in HD are the episodes that are Seasons 20-22. The other Simpsons are still 576 (even though your TV might still tell you that it is a 1080i signal). The way to tell if you are getting a true HD broadcast is to hit the info button. If there is a HD symbol in the left hand corner of the info bar (usually next to the CC - Closed Captions info symbol) you are watching a 1080i quality HD broadcast.

The only real way to watch the Simpsons in 1080p is to purchase them on DVD and upscale them on your Blu Ray player. Seasons 13-15 & 20 are available in 1080p/24 on Blu Ray. Even though Seasons 13-15 are transferred from an SD source, they are still way better than any upscaled DVD. Plus, they are originally produced in 24 frames per second... So you are seeing the animation as it was meant to be seen, before it was converted to PAL or NTSC for TV broadcast (50/60fps respectively).
South Park is another animated show that looks way better on Blu over upscaled DVD's. It should though, as all the South Park Blu Rays released (Season 12 (1080i), Season 13-15 (1080p/24) are from a HD source.
Hopefully soon, Family Guy will be available on Blu Ray. They are produced and broadcast in 1080i, so they should release them on Blu in 1080p/24. In fact, the 1080i broadcasts look way better than the PS3 upscaled 1080p DVD's I watch! Same goes for The Sopranos Season 2-5 1080i broadcasts on Foxtel...(over watching upscaled DVDs). I have them recorded on my Foxtel HDD, when they broadcast them commercial free on a Sunday arvo in 2012!

I digress... The fact that you can only "input" using composite cables is a huge issue with the Panasonic Blu Ray Recorder. I would have run out an bought one already, but the fact that you can't record anything higher than 576i from an AUX source is most disappointing. However, I am interested in purchasing a Panasonic BR recorder, as it would be cool to be able to put lots of old VCR footage onto one or two BDRs and get rid of my VHS tapes...

Sorry to burst your bubble, but I think it is best that you be informed about getting true HD (1080) quality from broadcasts and recordings.