Is new Pioneer BDP 05 not what it's up to be

[bluewatergrigsby]

Hearing a lot of negative remarks on the new Pioneer Elite 05. Any good reports or should I wait for the Sony 550.

[rragland]

Originally Posted by bluewatergrigsby

Hearing a lot of negative remarks on the new Pioneer Elite 05. Any good reports or should I wait for the Sony 550.

I am very happy with my BDP-05FD.

Here is my review and one more from another member:

https://www.blu-ray.com/players/play...ow=userreviews

[Snowball]

Got my 05 from BB last Thursday with 10% off. Installed firmware update 1.2 I have no negative remarks at all. I have this player hooked up to my pioneer 94 HDMI out to my Aqous 42" with Boston acoustics MC130 sound package. I've played many blu-ray movies picture is awsome. The sound is mind blowing. SD movies look great, nice up-conversion. Music CDS sound great. Very easy to set up. I'am new to this and want to thank all the guys for their reviews which helped me.

[coolmilo]

I have the 05 as well and it's awesome. The picture the 05 delivers is off the hook. Highly recommend. Just remember that like all BD players there are some issues that Pioneer needs to work out. There is already a firmware update that quickly addresses the initial problems.

I played 15 movies through it without any issues after applying update 1.02.

[Blu-RayLover]

I don’t want to really harp on this issue, but I returned my 05 back to Best Buy, simply because I found the player to be nothing more than a fancy model BDP-51FD, that sells for 200 dollars less! While I wouldn’t say the player was a total flop, it simply wasn’t up to what I would considered to be the high standards of workmanship, styling and an overall “high-end feel” of the earlier Elite models. Certainly, numerous audio/videophiles, who have purchased Pioneer Elite equipment in the past, won’t be so impressed with this player, especially if a direct comparison is made to the model 51. All that’s left to consider is somebody who is simply so caught up in the Pioneer Elite aura and they will feel so compelled to purchased the player on the grounds of believing this is the best! But, even worse are those who simply want to match the player off with their Elite line of other equipment. This player is a farce or better said an illusion to make people think it’s really an Elite member of a long line of high-end models, while being an obvious clone of the cheaper BDP-51FD! As far as I’m concern, the marketing of the 05, that mainly signifies the gold-connections, a flat touch-panel (no buttons) and a supposed higher video processor isn’t enough for me to be so convinced I’m really getting something more for the buck. It’s absolutely ridiculous to think that the BDP-05FD is something so special, while the specifications are practically the same as the model 51!

Of course, there will be the usual Pioneer Elite devotees, who have already lashed out at me, because I have been critical of this player on this and other web sites. Believe me when I say, "I tried, I really tried to accept this player," but in the end there were issues that bothered me to the point that I felt deceived. The 05 might be a step above a few other models currently on the market, but for me it’s the whole issue of the marketing and what the player is offering that’s at stake for me to say, forget about it, and if you want something for less money and will most certainly perform the same, go for the model 51, that is essentially the same player!! Anyone who thinks or says differently is only fooling themselves! Pioneer has made a tremendous mistake in terms of their image and what the Elite line has come to represent in the past with the release of this 05 model. Yet, lurking in the shadows for Pioneer is a form of “saving grace” and the whole ideal of what will undoubtedly be considered a real traditional Elite model Bly-ray, the mighty BDP-09FD, that is truly a marvel of HD technology! But, realistically speaking, this 09 Elite player will be beyond the means of most to purchase at a whopping 2200 dollars!

So, if you ask me, I would wait for the next CES show in Vegas and see what might be up Pioneer’s sleeve. I wouldn’t exactly rule Pioneer out of the Blu-ray race. It’s just that they are now running a distance third, behind Panasonic and Sony, that are leading the pack of offering reasonably priced players and just enough features that aren’t so bogus, overrated and just plain simple enough to understand. I am very surprised at Pioneer, after having entered the Blu-ray race with earlier players that while a bit expensive, at least looked and acted like an Elite line of the past. Buying an Elite BDP-05FD, turns out to something like dishing out money for a Mercedes, but you get something that looks more like a Cadillac and ends up being a Honda underneath! Well, I’ve had my little say and for now, I’m simply going to wait and see what’s coming. I think it’s time for me to get a stiff drink.

[rragland]

Originally Posted by Blu-RayLover

I don’t want to really harp on this issue, but I returned my 05 back to Best Buy, simply because I found the player to be nothing more than a fancy model BDP-51FD, that sells for 200 dollars less! While I wouldn’t say the player was a total flop, it simply wasn’t up to what I would considered to be the high standards of workmanship, styling and an overall “high-end feel” of the earlier Elite models. Certainly, numerous audio/videophiles, who have purchased Pioneer Elite equipment in the past, won’t be so impressed with this player, especially if a direct comparison is made to the model 51. All that’s left to consider is somebody who is simply so caught up in the Pioneer Elite aura and they will feel so compelled to purchased the player on the grounds of believing this is the best! But, even worse are those who simply want to match the player off with their Elite line of other equipment. This player is a farce or better said an illusion to make people think it’s really an Elite member of a long line of high-end models, while being an obvious clone of the cheaper BDP-51FD! As far as I’m concern, the marketing of the 05, that mainly signifies the gold-connections, a flat touch-panel (no buttons) and a supposed higher video processor isn’t enough for me to be so convinced I’m really getting something more for the buck. It’s absolutely ridiculous to think that the BDP-05FD is something so special, while the specifications are practically the same as the model 51!

Of course, there will be the usual Pioneer Elite devotees, who have already lashed out at me, because I have been critical of this player on this and other web sites. Believe me when I say, "I tried, I really tried to accept this player," but in the end there were issues that bothered me to the point that I felt deceived. The 05 might be a step above a few other models currently on the market, but for me it’s the whole issue of the marketing and what the player is offering that’s at stake for me to say, forget about it, and if you want something for less money and will most certainly perform the same, go for the model 51, that is essentially the same player!! Anyone who thinks or says differently is only fooling themselves! Pioneer has made a tremendous mistake in terms of their image and what the Elite line has come to represent in the past with the release of this 05 model. Yet, lurking in the shadows for Pioneer is a form of “saving grace” and the whole ideal of what will undoubtedly be considered a real traditional Elite model Bly-ray, the mighty BDP-09FD, that is truly a marvel of HD technology! But, realistically speaking, this 09 Elite player will be beyond the means of most to purchase at a whopping 2200 dollars!

So, if you ask me, I would wait for the next CES show in Vegas and see what might be up Pioneer’s sleeve. I wouldn’t exactly rule Pioneer out of the Blu-ray race. It’s just that they are now running a distance third, behind Panasonic and Sony, that are leading the pack of offering reasonably priced players and just enough features that aren’t so bogus, overrated and just plain simple enough to understand. I am very surprised at Pioneer, after having entered the Blu-ray race with earlier players that while a bit expensive, at least looked and acted like an Elite line of the past. Buying an Elite BDP-05FD, turns out to something like dishing out money for a Mercedes, but you get something that looks more like a Cadillac and ends up being a Honda underneath! Well, I’ve had my little say and for now, I’m simply going to wait and see what’s coming. I think it’s time for me to get a stiff drink.

My positive reactions to this player have been based upon improvements over the BDP-94HD that was $200 more than the BDP-05FD. Faster load times, better PQ/AQ, and etc...As an early adopter, I have learned to live with the shortcomings of new technology. I have accepted the fact that I am contributing to the price of research and development. I did when I bought the DVL-90, the first DVD player that retailed for $1,750.00. I still own it because I can only sell it for $200-$300 and it is worth a lot more than that to me. I did not get my hands on a DVD for months after purchasing the DVL-90 because they were not available.

I do not want to wait until the next CES because that is where I first saw the BDP-05FD which was not delivered until almost 9 months later.

I am certain that there will be a player in the future that outperforms the BDP-05FD, but for now this player has fulfilled my expectations.