US Blu-ray players and 50hz compatibility

[4K2K]

Thanks everyone. Updated the list.

Originally Posted by dobyblue

I had thought maybe they were going to 60p as they don't have the strobing/pulsing that the BD-P1500, BD-P1600 and BD-P2550 have, but they're just doing a better conversion.

Though isn't there an option on the Samsungs to output interlaced content at 1080p? Or if there is does that option not get used with 50i content, only 60i?

[dobyblue]

Originally Posted by 4K2K

Though isn't there an option on the Samsungs to output interlaced content at 1080p? Or if there is does that option not get used with 50i content, only 60i?

When I pick up a BD-D5100 for my F1 disc and get it home, I'll set it to 1080p output and see if it's still outputting 1080i60. The player was set to "AUTO" and chose 1080i60, didn't check on forcing 1080p but it seems like that setting to me just says what the maximum resolution you can output is and not what it will scale to?

I'll report back later. Just sold my BD-P2550 for $50 (I paid $35 for it) so I'm really not out any money picking up a BD-D5100.

[Doc Ostrow]

This program can determine whether a Blu-ray is authored at 60i or 50i. I discovered that the Lark Rise to Candleford Blu-ray season 1 is authored at 60i but seasons 2 and 3 are at 50i. The information can be tricky to interpret.

Here is the link: http://www.cinemasquid.com/blu-ray/tools/bdinfo

[shane716]

Hi everyone,

In the list of the players, why is there sometimes 50Hz or 60Hz, and sometimes 50i or 60i.

Sometimes I saw 1080/50i, sometimes 1080i/50, sometimes 1080i/50Hz

Are there any difference?

Thanks!

[4K2K]

Originally Posted by shane716

Hi everyone,

In the list of the players, why is there sometimes 50Hz or 60Hz, and sometimes 50i or 60i.

Because I started changing it (to "50i content" instead of "50Hz content") for the new ones

I don't mind changing it to whichever way is easiest to understand, and which is the most 'correct'. eg. in a recent post, someone emailed Sony saying something like is such a player compatible with 50hz, and they apparently said yes (even though no US Sony player can play 50i/50p content), so I wondered whether by referring to it as 50Hz whether that was confusing them. Also, while the Blu-ray format allows 50p content (720p50), currently I don't think there are any 720p50 titles - but there are ones containing 576/50i or 1080/50i.

Also, I wasn't sure it was best to refer to them as 50Hz content, because, though they get output at 50Hz (50 times a second - or 60 for US players such as Samsung), and while there are some titles which have 50Hz temporal resolution, for the most part, the temporal resolution of most 50i Blu-ray titles are 25Hz (though some could use both - eg. Planet Earth Special Edition might use 25Hz temporal resolution mostly but 50Hz for dissolves/credits etc. Other titles could be 99% or totally 50Hz temporal res). So was it best to refer to them as "50Hz content" when the discs could be 25Hz in temporal resolution or 50Hz or both? So I put "50i content" for a few new ones instead. Though I could have kept it as "50Hz" as 50Hz is the "field rate" of 50i, though I thought it still wasn't as 'correct' in all meanings as saying "50i content".

Sometimes I saw 1080/50i, sometimes 1080i/50, sometimes 1080i/50Hz

Are there any difference?

I've always said 1080/50i here. All 3 mean the same thing - though "1080i/50" and "1080i/50Hz" aren't standard ways of writing it (by EBU/ITU standards).

The EBU now prefers referring to it as 1080i/25, and that means the same thing (25 full frames per second / 50 fields per second).
http://tech.ebu.ch/docs/tech/tech3299.pdf

Originally Posted by EBU

1080i/25...

The EBU uses the nomenclature in Table 1 whilst the ITU-R uses a different nomenclature, such as ‘interlaced as "2:1"’
or alternatively ‘1920 × 1080/50/I’ where "50" corresponds to the field-rate

Though other EBU documents have referred to it as 1080/50i,
eg. http://tech.ebu.ch/docs/techreview/trev_299-ive.pdf

Originally Posted by EBU

1080/50i was announced in Aug 2000

Though you'll see documents referring to it both ways, and also by some sites as "1080i50". Though I think writing it as "1080/50i" (which is a standard way of writing it) instead of "1080i/25" (which also is) shows more clearly that the picture can change 50 times a second.

[Doc Ostrow]

... at the local Best Buy for $80. I also got the $20 4 year repair contract because I read some negative reviews on Amazon that the player sometimes stopped working within a few months. I now have two Blu-ray players that can convert 50Hz to 60Hz and work with all my HDTVs. I also like the fact that I can play .mp3, .wma, .wav, or .m4a (iTunes native format) music files as long as they are DRM free. Both LG players can also play .tp files, which is the native format of my M-6620N Digital Video Recorder! I use the DVR to record HD broadcast TV programs, import them over a LAN to my computer, edit out comercials with VideoReDo, and burn them to DVD-R (High Definition and DD 5.1 sound).

[HyperRealist]

Insignia NS-BRDVD4 [Outputs 50Hz content at 60Hz, Can be made region free]

[dobyblue]

Guy never showed up to buy my BD-P2550, so I never bought the BD-D5100.

I am going to trade with my father-in-law for his BD-D5700. He won't ever watch UK blu-ray discs and he has a receiver that doesn't have HDMI so he can't get lossless audio. They have a crap load of DVD's too. With the BD-P2550 they'll get a better DVD upscaler and can hook it up for lossless audio because it has 7.1 analog outputs, and I will get the better 1080i50 performance.

Everyone's a winner!

What a hassle this has been, all for friggin' Formula One playback, haha.

[No_Doves_Fly_Here]

Originally Posted by Doc Ostrow

... at the local Best Buy for $80. I also got the $20 4 year repair contract because I read some negative reviews on Amazon that the player sometimes stopped working within a few months. I now have two Blu-ray players that can convert 50Hz to 60Hz and work with all my HDTVs. I also like the fact that I can play .mp3, .wma, .wav, or .m4a (iTunes native format) music files as long as they are DRM free. Both LG players can also play .tp files, which is the native format of my M-6620N Digital Video Recorder! I use the DVR to record HD broadcast TV programs, import them over a LAN to my computer, edit out comercials with VideoReDo, and burn them to DVD-R (High Definition and DD 5.1 sound).

Hey, are you referring to the NS-BRDVD4? Does that repair contract apply to refurbished models?

[TeddyMac]

Hoping someone has good info on this player? I see the list shows:
Panasonic DMP-BD65 [Outputs 50Hz content at 50hz]
Panasonic DMP-BD85 [Outputs 50Hz content at 50hz]

and I own and can confirm that the BD-65 is compatible, but wondered about the BD75.

Thanks.

[Crazy4DVD]

Hi all,

I have been trying to figure out if LG BD 670 outputs PAL/UK content at 50 Hz or converts to 60 Hz....any help would be greatly appreciated.

I have a Sony LCD, and I am pretty sure it will not be able to accept 50 Hz input. So, I need a player which will convert and output at 60 Hz (my current players Sony 470 and Panasonic 210 do not do this).

I have the other option of going for LG 630, but that does not have integrated wireless, which is a useful feature, so considering LG 670.

Thanks in advance!!

[Dark Hueso]

no wonder , I was trying to figure out what was going on, only the logo appeared than everything went blank

[Little Sandwiches]

This is apparently the go-to thread on the internet to determine blu ray player compatibility with PAL.

I just wanted to update with my information, in case it might help someone, as I spent hours trying to figure this out yesterday.

I bought the Sherlock Holmes Season 1/2 Region Free Blu ray from amazon.uk - these discs play perfectly, including the extras, on my TV and blu ray player. Apparently these discs are not playing on a lot of North American TVs/blu ray players. Works on mine though, and looks incredible.

TV: LG 55LK520
Blu ray player: Philips 3406/F7

[4K2K]

Thanks. I've added the Phillips BD player to the list. Does your TV show whether it outputs that disc at 50Hz or 60Hz (eg. does pressing Info on the TV remote while playing this disc display that?)?

[Little Sandwiches]

Originally Posted by 4K2K

Thanks. I've added the Phillips BD player to the list. Does your TV show whether it outputs that disc at 50Hz or 60Hz (eg. does pressing Info on the TV remote while playing this disc display that?)?

Unfortunately no. It displays 16:9 1080P but no other info.

I set my bluray player to 1080p/24hz and my TV to "Just Scan". It's perfect.

Is it possible it's just moved it up to 25hz?

Also, I tried every possible combination - Auto; Native; 480i/576i; 480p/576p; 720p; 1080i; 1080p; 1080p/24hz - and they all played but the combination I'm using now looks best pq-wise.

Honestly, I have no idea what it's doing, I'm just happy it's working!

[4K2K]

Originally Posted by Little Sandwiches

Unfortunately no. It displays 16:9 1080P but no other info.

I set my bluray player to 1080p/24hz and my TV to "Just Scan". It's perfect.

Is it possible it's just moved it up to 25hz?

I don't think so since that's not a standard HDMI video format supported by TVs/BD players. If the TV is saying it's receiving a 1080p signal when playing a 50i disc, I'd think it would be receiving either a 1080p50 or 1080p60 signal.

Honestly, I have no idea what it's doing, I'm just happy it's working!

No problem I was just asking because if the TV showed it was receiving 1080p60 (or 60i) on a disc which we know is 50i, then it would be known that this BD player could be used for playing 50i discs on any (HDMI compatible) US TV. If the TV was receiving 1080p50, then people with TVs incompatible with 50Hz might not be able play/view 50i discs with this BD player (unless it was capable of outputting 50i discs at both 50 and 60Hz).

[nopcbs]

I have Panasonic DMP-BDT110 and DMP-BDT210 and neither will play the UK version of BBC LIfe that I recently bought. My (cheap) Insignia will. Really ticked me off that Panasonic would do this to US customers.

- nopcbs

Originally Posted by idlebrain

Panasonic DMP-BDT210 with Enhanced FW able to play 50hz..I just checked with Sherlock BBC Series UK BD.

[vinmar]

Originally Posted by 4K2K

Thanks dobyblue too. Updated the list.

Yes, thanks dobyblue and 4K2K! I registered and wanted to post that I bought a Samsung BD-E5700 today based on your comments and list update, and I can confirm it converts my region-free 25fps / 50 Hz, etc. discs to my TV's 1080p 60 Hz refresh rate. My TV does not support 50 Hz input and I have a Panasonic DMP-BDT110 that will not output video on the same discs where the Samsung does.

I also owe a big thank you to Samsung for supporting this capability in an affordable player!

Cheers,
Vinmar

[AlexMcC]

Originally Posted by vinmar

Yes, thanks dobyblue and 4K2K! I registered and wanted to post that I bought a Samsung BD-E5700 today based on your comments and list update, and I can confirm it converts my region-free 25fps / 50 Hz, etc. discs to my TV's 1080p 60 Hz refresh rate. My TV does not support 50 Hz input and I have a Panasonic DMP-BDT110 that will not output video on the same discs where the Samsung does.

I also owe a big thank you to Samsung for supporting this capability in an affordable player!

Cheers,
Vinmar

Vinmar - did you mean D5700? I was looking at the E5700 today, but couldn't confirm either way that it also converts the 50hz region free...

It'd be nice to find out, as my local best buy has the E5700 in stock...and it's on sale...

[4K2K]

Thanks vinmar, I've added the Samsung BD-E5700 to the list.