Sound&Vision Shootout: Three Blu-ray Disc Players

[4K display]

Sony's PlayStation 3 squares off with players from Panasonic and Samsung in a three-way true-Blu showdown.

[JTK]

I can't comment authoritatively on the other players, but I couldn't agree with the PS3 assessment more.

PS3 owners alread know this but reviews like that are going to make it offical and get the word out:

The PS3 is a giant killer and an absolute steal for what it is even at $600.

[4K display]

It kinda baffles me that he would put fan noise as a con when >95% of PS3 owners comments mention how quiet it is. Maybe he's standing right at the machine listening to it rather than his seating position. Or maybe he needs to hear a 360 turbojet before he can appreciate the (lack of) PS3 fan noise.

Regardless, based on most user reports I'm not concerned one bit.

[phloyd]

I think the 'PS3 will be a sub-par BD player FUD' has been put to rest.

The FUDsters must be finding it harder and harder to come up with 'bad news'.

I guess they can always fall back on that hideous Robocop release

[GoldenRedux]

I haven't read through the review yet, but I just wanted to comment that I just saw that Sony projector in action at my Uncle's house this past weekend with a 100" screen, the Toshiba XA1 w/2.0 firmware playing (barely ) King Kong and Serenity and the Panasonic w/ 1.2 firmware playing The Unforgiven. All I can say is that is one sweet projector.

[GoldenRedux]

I can't comment on the review of the other players, but I haven't seen the problems he mentions playing DVDs on the Panasonic. I wonder what firmware version the player he was using had? Mine came with the latest 1.2 firmware, so I didn't had to update when I got my player.

Now some people on AVS are claiming the 1.2 update added the CUE bug to the Panasonic's BD playback, but I haven't seen it or maybe I'm just not a CUE fanatic. . Whatever it is, the reviewer was referring to DVD playback.

[dialog_gvf]

Originally Posted by JTK

I can't comment authoritatively on the other players, but I couldn't agree with the PS3 assessment more.

PS3 owners alread know this but reviews like that are going to make it offical and get the word out:

The PS3 is a giant killer and an absolute steal for what it is even at $600.

I just wish people could pop out and get one with ease.

So far, zero problems for me. Perfect HDMI (to DVI no less!) including back and forth between 480p and 1080i, and not a single playback glitch. Very impressive.

I look forward to trying a VC-1 and AVC title.

And, not being a gamer for 20 years, Ridge Racer 7 is pretty cool (and a proper aspect Xevious as the load up bonus is too funny).

Gary

[Spankey]

I expect to see this article posted in every AVS Blu-ray and HD-DVD forum. Actually make that every HT related website on the net. I think I want a PS3 now.

[GoldenRedux]

This is great news for HD DVD!

[Spankey]

The FUD is already starting on AVS. The reviewer can't be believed. The magazine is the "Consumer Reports" of HT mags. Ok, Sound & Vision is not my favorite HT magazine, BUT it is one of the most visible on the newstands. They ripped the Samsung player when it came out and now have all but retracted the negative review with this one. This piece will get a ton of exposurer. Great news for HD-DVD!

[JTK]

^^ Typical.

Anytime it's not pro HD-DVD the credibility of (insert name of person and/or publication) gets at least one dedicated defamation thread and the rest of it.

Sorry, but the truth is getting out there whether some of these nutjobs like it or not.

I can't believe what a rub that is for a home theater magazine to put over something like the PS3 like that.

They're just the first. There will be plenty more where that came from because it is the TRUTH.


^^ This is something many of us have discussed many times over the last year or so: Because of the price point, Sony needed to attract a different crowd besides just gamers to get themselves over the top. This is how you do it.

Even on pro HD-DVD/MS forums like AVS, you don't see a bunch of nongamers giving the 360 and it's crappy afterthought HD-DVD add on much thought at all, nor do you see home theater magazines giving any of that writeups like these. And you won't.

There's your wild card and potential Trojan horse right there folks.

[ProvenFlipper]

...Just like Brian said in another thread, we have sold over 7 Samsung players in the last 10 days. Why is that? Because HD-DVD is non existant to the market right now, besides the HD-DVD add-on. Customers don't even know it exists. We have 4 BDP-S1 in our store, those will be gone by the weekend. All of my installers have been given a firmware update for the Sammy so when they go install it for customers, they update the firmware right away. I've sent three customers home with the firmware and one employee.

Look at the front page of HDD, there's nothing but BD news, no HD-DVD news to be found. Things aren't looking too great for HD-DVD, right now. They are going to need a serious showing at CES if they plan to do anything in 2007.

[JTK]

Originally Posted by ProvenFlipper

...Just like Brian said in another thread, we have sold over 7 Samsung players in the last 10 days. Why is that? Because HD-DVD is non existant to the market right now, besides the HD-DVD add-on. Customers don't even know it exists. We have 4 BDP-S1 in our store, those will be gone by the weekend. All of my installers have been given a firmware update for the Sammy so when they go install it for customers, they update the firmware right away. I've sent three customers home with the firmware and one employee.

Look at the front page of HDD, there's nothing but BD news, no HD-DVD news to be found. Things aren't looking too great for HD-DVD, right now. They are going to need a serious showing at CES if they plan to do anything in 2007.

They won't. I think these A2/Xa2 units are the last gasp and hail mary pass before Toshiba's stockholders (God help them) finally start putting down pressure shut this nonsense down.

Microsoft already has what they wanted most guaranteed: VC-1 adoption and useage by most of the studios. Even Sony stopped saying "hell no" so that's pretty much it.

Universal already looks pretty foolish at this point in time ignoring BD entirely. They will continue to do so at their own peril and folly.

I'd say that pretty much wraps it up. I fully expect CES to be almost entirely Blu and the fallout will commence from there combined with BD and PS3 related sales figures.

[Jodi]

The PS3....Sound and Vision magazine's "Certified and Recommended" product over the Sammy and the Panny....
NOW THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN' ABOUT, BABY!!!!!!!!!

Jodi

[dialog_gvf]

Originally Posted by JTK

Even on pro HD-DVD/MS forums like AVS, you don't see a bunch of nongamers giving the 360 and it's crappy afterthought HD-DVD add on much thought at all, nor do you see home theater magazines giving any of that writeups like these. And you won't.

Exactly. And Microsoft definitely threw HD DVD a lifeline by making it cheap for XBox 360 owners to get into the game.

AVers who are going to go out and buy both an Xbox 360 + add-on? Very few.

AVers that may buy the PS/3 because of this article?: Lots.

The thing here is that there was plently of buzz about the add-on. All the AVers with Xbox 360 probably already have one. Where are future sales going to come from?

I'll have to hand it to the HD DVD crowd, they've put up with a lot of hardware problems (fan noise, skips, load times, freezes) for that summer of PQ superiority.

Gary

[dialog_gvf]

Originally Posted by JTK

They won't. I think these A2/Xa2 units are the last gasp and hail mary pass before Toshiba's stockholders (God help them) finally start putting down pressure shut this nonsense down.

You see that the Toshiba prez is predicting 4 million HD DVD players in 2007, 8 million in 2008 and 20 million HD DVD PC drives for 2008?

So, basically, he figures HD DVD is going to rival Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 combined sales through the end of 2008.

That makes certain HD DVD zealots look almost reasonable, doesn't it?

Gary

[GoldenRedux]

Originally Posted by dialog_gvf

You see that the Toshiba prez is predicting 4 million HD DVD players in 2007, 8 million in 2008 and 20 million HD DVD PC drives for 2008?

So, basically, he figures HD DVD is going to rival Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 combined sales through the end of 2008.

That makes certain HD DVD zealots look almost reasonable, doesn't it?

Gary

I think he's smoking some sweet leaf in a funny pipe.

[JTK]

Originally Posted by GoldenRedux

I think he's smoking some sweet leaf in a funny pipe.

Hell, we all need us some o' dat!

Crazy stuff! No wonder their disciples and acolytes are so delusional at times. It works its way down right from the very top!

Originally Posted by dialog_gvf

You see that the Toshiba prez is predicting 4 million HD DVD players in 2007, 8 million in 2008 and 20 million HD DVD PC drives for 2008?

So, basically, he figures HD DVD is going to rival Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 combined sales through the end of 2008.

Never happen.

That makes certain HD DVD zealots look almost reasonable, doesn't it?

Gary

Definitely never happen.

[Blu-ray San]

The sweet color of Blu-ray

[takezo]

Originally Posted by 4K display

Sony's PlayStation 3 squares off with players from Panasonic and Samsung in a three-way true-Blu showdown.

The reviewer thinks that 60hz is the frame rate, but thats the refreshrate, the frame rate is 24 as with all fillmed movies. Only interlaced telecined videos are 29.99 frames.

Goes to show the guy is not exactly the guru of HD video. But he did give the PS3 a fighting chance, even though it's a HD-DVD site. At least he is not Bias.

Though the lack of 720p for Blu-ray is not a smart move by Sony. It just shows they rushed it. But in the light of things they always can update the firmware.