Pioneer BDP-95FD or Panasonic DMP-BD30 - Blu-ray Forum

Southpaw · 11-04-2007, 01:54 AM

Current owner of a DMP-BD10 which has been rock solid. No problems at all over the last 8 months.
But, I have a new AVR which has HDMI 1.3 and is able to decode HBR audio. So, I need a new player.

My first thought was to wait and get the Panny. Because I've had a flawless Panny, I feel confident I would get a good player to replace it. Plus, it is 1.1 compliant and it is cheaper.
On the other hand, reviews of the Pioneer Elite player have been very good. PQ is supposed to be awesome (Panny may be able to match it with the new chip they use). I can get it now as opposed to waiting perhaps a month. But it would be a perfect complement to my new Pio Elite 92VSX AVR.
Any thoughts/recommendations?

jcs913 · 11-04-2007, 02:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Southpaw

Current owner of a DMP-BD10 which has been rock solid. No problems at all over the last 8 months.
But, I have a new AVR which has HDMI 1.3 and is able to decode HBR audio. So, I need a new player.

My first thought was to wait and get the Panny. Because I've had a flawless Panny, I feel confident I would get a good player to replace it. Plus, it is 1.1 compliant and it is cheaper.
On the other hand, reviews of the Pioneer Elite player have been very good. PQ is supposed to be awesome (Panny may be able to match it with the new chip they use). I can get it now as opposed to waiting perhaps a month. But it would be a perfect complement to my new Pio Elite 92VSX AVR.
Any thoughts/recommendations?

I have the 92 also, and have had a PS3 for a year almost now. I will say though that I am awaiting the new Panny player. The bitstreaming of the audio, to the capable 92, is key for me now. The Panny is supposed to bitstream out all the audio codecs, just like the Pio 95. It also is supposed to have equivalent PQ, according to reviews of it. Best of all, it's MSRP of $499, as opposed to the $999 for the 95.

I love Elite equipment, but I do believe that this Panny is a fantastic deal. My local Magnoilia has the 95 in stock and had it demoed with a 92 on that 73" Mitsu tv. They had a music BD on as demo, I forgot the BD disc, that outputs DTS-HDMA as the audio codec. The receiver was lit up DTS-MSTR AUD and everything.The $999 price is a little high right now for what it does though. That $499 Panny price leaves you more $$ to get other things. Either way, you don't go wrong.

sokrman14 · 11-04-2007, 02:59 AM

It depends on whether you want all of the features or if you want the best PQ and AQ you can get. I personally would get the pioneer elite because I dont care about PIP, I get a movie and watch it, thats it. I dont need PIP. I have been able to compare the Elite next to models like Sony and Samsung, and it is a better picture and audio.

quetzalcoatl · 11-04-2007, 04:07 AM

Where on paper the new panasoinc looks great but it is a chip they made. It has had no real world testing. Now we can all hope it has no problems but we never know. The Pioneer uses the Sigma 8634 rev. A chip which they have been using since the first player they made.

It is a very tough choice to make. I like the 95 but then again I am abit partial. I think the panasoinc should be a very good player but I know the 95 is. I also think the 95 looks better.

good luck

Russell_L · 11-04-2007, 06:20 AM

I was also seriously considering the new Panasonic but deep down, I was really lusting after the Pioneer 95FD. Its price seemed out of reach, however. (Or so I thought.

) I've been in somewhat of a Blu-ray frenzy lately, and wanted a player NOW. I dropped by my local BB/Magnolia yesterday to see if they happened to have one, and they did--it was still unopened and in their back room. It was supposed to be their display model, but the salesman said he would sell it to me if I wanted it. After much hemming and hawing, I decided to pull the trigger. Got it home, hooked it up, and have been in Blu-ray heaven ever since! (This was my first BD player.)

Sure, the Panasonic is half the price, and it's got Profile 1.1, but that's something I really don't care about. I was also concerned about the Panny's use of a BD drive designed for notebooks (as opposed to a desktop, as with most other players). Plus, the Pioneer just seems to be much more of a 'substantial' unit. No regrets at all.

Russell

Southpaw · 11-04-2007, 06:05 PM

I appreciate everyone's insight. It is a tough choice and I am still not sure which way to go. I do like PiP stuff. I will get use out of that by using a 1.1 player. However the ethernet capability and overall great reviews of the Pio have me considering it. Plus I can get it for a great price which still makes it considerably more than the new Panny but not double the price.

MATTYBLU2 · 11-06-2007, 07:56 PM

hey all,

i went down to BB today to pick up rat and cars and they had the new pioneer BD player model 95 on display and they had rat in but was only playing the screen saver or something. so i played with the remote and tried to get the movie started so i could see it playing on the new player and on a 60" pioneer elite plasma, so nothing worked. i asked the guy in magnolia what was going on with the movie not playing and he said they have someone out back downloading the firmware update to play this movie. i was like what???

so i guess they are telling me that right out of the box this player needs a firmware update and wont play some of the newest movies coming out? seems like alot of money to spend on this one if this is the case.

any comments or info on this???

quetzalcoatl · 11-06-2007, 09:20 PM

Well I am not sure what they are talking about. Since there is no FW update for the 95. When I saw this I went and tried my copy of Rat and it was fine. I only watched 10 mins. It was slow loading but once it loaded it played. I call BB BS on this one. Did you try to eject the disc to see if it was playing from the 95. My bet is that is was not. They were using a universal feed.

I did check for FW just to make sure and via eithernet there is not one as well as not having one listed online.

MATTYBLU2 · 11-07-2007, 12:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by quetzalcoatl

Well I am not sure what they are talking about. Since there is no FW update for the 95. When I saw this I went and tried my copy of Rat and it was fine. I only watched 10 mins. It was slow loading but once it loaded it played. I call BB BS on this one. Did you try to eject the disc to see if it was playing from the 95. My bet is that is was not. They were using a universal feed.

I did check for FW just to make sure and via eithernet there is not one as well as not having one listed online.

they had the new 95 pioneer hooked up to a pionner elite plasma and the disc was running because i stopped the disc and then restarted it. it took a while to boot up and then it went back to some screen saver from the movie and you could not see any menu or anything to click on. so i asked the guy at BB and like i said before, he said there was a tech out back DL something to make this movie work with this player.

so i am i to assume that again another electronics person does not know what they are talking about? i mean the movie was in the player, but not playing. too bad as i really wanted to see the PQ on the plasma with the new 95 pioneer BD player.

quetzalcoatl · 11-07-2007, 01:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MATTYBLU2

they had the new 95 pioneer hooked up to a pionner elite plasma and the disc was running because i stopped the disc and then restarted it. it took a while to boot up and then it went back to some screen saver from the movie and you could not see any menu or anything to click on. so i asked the guy at BB and like i said before, he said there was a tech out back DL something to make this movie work with this player.

so i am i to assume that again another electronics person does not know what they are talking about? i mean the movie was in the player, but not playing. too bad as i really wanted to see the PQ on the plasma with the new 95 pioneer BD player.

Very strange but I know it played for me. But was a long load time.

MATTYBLU2 · 11-07-2007, 02:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by quetzalcoatl

Very strange but I know it played for me. But was a long load time.

No problem, thanks for your input on this. i still want one anyways

quetzalcoatl · 11-07-2007, 04:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MATTYBLU2

No problem, thanks for your input on this. i still want one anyways

Just want to try and figure out where is was on the disc. Did it have a strange looking menu with all the stuff on the left side of the screen? If so that is at the very end of the movie and maybe there is something there causing a problem. I have now played it all the way through w/o a glitch. But I think we all know sometimes it can be just one player that gives headaches.

WickyWoo · 11-07-2007, 04:52 AM

Quote:

so i guess they are telling me that right out of the box this player needs a firmware update and wont play some of the newest movies coming out? seems like alot of money to spend on this one if this is the case.

They're made in Japan, so it takes 3 weeks to hit on the boat

11-04-2007, 01:54 AM	#1
Southpaw Active Member Member since:Oct 2007 Trading Score:1	Pioneer BDP-95FD or Panasonic DMP-BD30 Current owner of a DMP-BD10 which has been rock solid. No problems at all over the last 8 months. But, I have a new AVR which has HDMI 1.3 and is able to decode HBR audio. So, I need a new player. My first thought was to wait and get the Panny. Because I've had a flawless Panny, I feel confident I would get a good player to replace it. Plus, it is 1.1 compliant and it is cheaper. On the other hand, reviews of the Pioneer Elite player have been very good. PQ is supposed to be awesome (Panny may be able to match it with the new chip they use). I can get it now as opposed to waiting perhaps a month. But it would be a perfect complement to my new Pio Elite 92VSX AVR. Any thoughts/recommendations?

11-06-2007, 07:56 PM	#7
MATTYBLU2 Banned Member since:Sep 2007 Location:NH Blu-ray collection:60 Trading Score:21	confused at new pioneer 95 player hey all, i went down to BB today to pick up rat and cars and they had the new pioneer BD player model 95 on display and they had rat in but was only playing the screen saver or something. so i played with the remote and tried to get the movie started so i could see it playing on the new player and on a 60" pioneer elite plasma, so nothing worked. i asked the guy in magnolia what was going on with the movie not playing and he said they have someone out back downloading the firmware update to play this movie. i was like what??? so i guess they are telling me that right out of the box this player needs a firmware update and wont play some of the newest movies coming out? seems like alot of money to spend on this one if this is the case. any comments or info on this???

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11-04-2007, 02:59 AM	#3
sokrman14 Special Member Member since:Mar 2006 Location:Omaha, NE Home Theater Gallery:9 Blu-ray collection:32 Blu-ray reviews:1 Trading Score:1	It depends on whether you want all of the features or if you want the best PQ and AQ you can get. I personally would get the pioneer elite because I dont care about PIP, I get a movie and watch it, thats it. I dont need PIP. I have been able to compare the Elite next to models like Sony and Samsung, and it is a better picture and audio.

11-04-2007, 04:07 AM	#4
quetzalcoatl Special Member Member since:Sep 2007 Location:Grants Pass, OR	Where on paper the new panasoinc looks great but it is a chip they made. It has had no real world testing. Now we can all hope it has no problems but we never know. The Pioneer uses the Sigma 8634 rev. A chip which they have been using since the first player they made. It is a very tough choice to make. I like the 95 but then again I am abit partial. I think the panasoinc should be a very good player but I know the 95 is. I also think the 95 looks better. good luck

11-04-2007, 06:20 AM	#5
Russell_L Senior Member Member since:Nov 2007 Location:San Francisco Home Theater Gallery:2 4K collection:3 Blu-ray collection:800 DVD collection:1 Blu-ray reviews: 11	I was also seriously considering the new Panasonic but deep down, I was really lusting after the Pioneer 95FD. Its price seemed out of reach, however. (Or so I thought. ) I've been in somewhat of a Blu-ray frenzy lately, and wanted a player NOW. I dropped by my local BB/Magnolia yesterday to see if they happened to have one, and they did--it was still unopened and in their back room. It was supposed to be their display model, but the salesman said he would sell it to me if I wanted it. After much hemming and hawing, I decided to pull the trigger. Got it home, hooked it up, and have been in Blu-ray heaven ever since! (This was my first BD player.) Sure, the Panasonic is half the price, and it's got Profile 1.1, but that's something I really don't care about. I was also concerned about the Panny's use of a BD drive designed for notebooks (as opposed to a desktop, as with most other players). Plus, the Pioneer just seems to be much more of a 'substantial' unit. No regrets at all. Russell

11-04-2007, 06:05 PM	#6
Southpaw Active Member Member since:Oct 2007 Trading Score:1	I appreciate everyone's insight. It is a tough choice and I am still not sure which way to go. I do like PiP stuff. I will get use out of that by using a 1.1 player. However the ethernet capability and overall great reviews of the Pio have me considering it. Plus I can get it for a great price which still makes it considerably more than the new Panny but not double the price.

11-06-2007, 09:20 PM	#8
quetzalcoatl Special Member Member since:Sep 2007 Location:Grants Pass, OR	Well I am not sure what they are talking about. Since there is no FW update for the 95. When I saw this I went and tried my copy of Rat and it was fine. I only watched 10 mins. It was slow loading but once it loaded it played. I call BB BS on this one. Did you try to eject the disc to see if it was playing from the 95. My bet is that is was not. They were using a universal feed. I did check for FW just to make sure and via eithernet there is not one as well as not having one listed online.

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