The Sony BDP-S300/301 Review Thread

[tron3]

Originally Posted by rox addict

I just installed 3.8 firmware to my BDP-300 and these are the results:
1. It took 45 seconds for my player to show NO DISC ( thats 45 seconds less than the usual 90 seconds it use to take.
2. I put in " We own the Night," and it took 35 seconds to load...I was watching the movie in under two minutes.
3. The once delays I would get when pushing pause and play....etc.... they are gone. It stops and pauses and fwds just like any other DVD player I have ever owned.

Now if this continues then I would only be let down with the lack of a True HD decoder and a version 1.3 player but I am hearing this player will do that ( I need to keep reading on this forum.)

Now I havent tried any other movies because I want to watch this one right now....lol.... but I will post my results when I do.... Thanks

Isn't 90 seconds the warm up time for when we turn this thing on for the very first time? Should be about a minute after that, and 45 seconds with any of the newer firmware.

What version did you upgrade from?

[rox addict]

I upgraded from 3.2 even though I just took this player out of the box a week ago. I timed everything to the T and these were my results. I was having problems before and I was thinking about taking this player back. I know I want to upgrade my AVR in a about a year as it is only two years old so would it be a good idea to go ahead and exchange my BDP-300 for a player that decodes True HD ? Im looking at either the Samsung 1400 or the Sony 500, what do you guys think ? Thanks

[djOS]

Originally Posted by rox addict

I upgraded from 3.2 even though I just took this player out of the box a week ago. I timed everything to the T and these were my results. I was having problems before and I was thinking about taking this player back. I know I want to upgrade my AVR in a about a year as it is only two years old so would it be a good idea to go ahead and exchange my BDP-300 for a player that decodes True HD ? Im looking at either the Samsung 1400 or the Sony 500, what do you guys think ? Thanks

The s300 does decode TrueHD to LPCM, just make sure you are using HDMI and set the "HDMI Audio" to "PCM" NOT "Auto".

[rox addict]

Hey Djos,
my receiver doesn't have any HDMI inputs, I only use HDMI for video, am I missing something ?

[djOS]

Originally Posted by rox addict

Hey Djos,
my receiver doesn't have any HDMI inputs, I only use HDMI for video, am I missing something ?

Yep, you need a new receiver im afraid - i'd buy a new AVR before anything else as that way you can use it as a video switch too.

[rox addict]

Well I just bought the BDP-S300 and I can return it ! So if I buy BD-player that decodes True HD then what I am reading is that through the analog/ multichannel inputs I can get True HD lossless audio, correct. I am reading on this forum that people with 7-8 year old receivers are doing that. I have a 2 year old Yamaha receiver that works great, wouldn't getting a BD player that decodes True HD be the cheaper and smarter thing to do in my situation ? Sorry I'm asking so many questions djos but thank you very much

[krazeyeyez]

Originally Posted by rox addict

Well I just bought the BDP-S300 and I can return it ! So if I buy BD-player that decodes True HD then what I am reading is that through the analog/ multichannel inputs I can get True HD lossless audio, correct. I am reading on this forum that people with 7-8 year old receivers are doing that. I have a 2 year old Yamaha receiver that works great, wouldn't getting a BD player that decodes True HD be the cheaper and smarter thing to do in my situation ? Sorry I'm asking so many questions djos but thank you very much

i would post this question under a similar topic in the audio part of the forum, i read something similar but you may wanna confirm with you specific equipment what would be the cheapest route.

[djOS]

Originally Posted by rox addict

Well I just bought the BDP-S300 and I can return it ! So if I buy BD-player that decodes True HD then what I am reading is that through the analog/ multichannel inputs I can get True HD lossless audio, correct. I am reading on this forum that people with 7-8 year old receivers are doing that. I have a 2 year old Yamaha receiver that works great, wouldn't getting a BD player that decodes True HD be the cheaper and smarter thing to do in my situation ? Sorry I'm asking so many questions djos but thank you very much

If you want TrueHD via analogue audio then you bought the wrong player, you need the s500.

[tbui57]

I updated the firmware to 3.8, and while it's true that the machine can decode Dolby TrueHD to LPCM via HDMI, the audio menu does not show the selection for PCM etc. as in version 3.7.

Has anyone try to access the S300 audio menu and what options are available in this menu ?

Thanks a bunch.

[djOS]

Originally Posted by tbui57

I updated the firmware to 3.8, and while it's true that the machine can decode Dolby TrueHD to LPCM via HDMI, the audio menu does not show the selection for PCM etc. as in version 3.7.

Has anyone try to access the S300 audio menu and what options are available in this menu ?

Thanks a bunch.

v3.8 doesn't look any different to me, It says "Audio (HDMI)" with a choice of "Auto" or "PCM" just like v3.7.

[yex94]

Originally Posted by djOS

If you want TrueHD via analogue audio then you bought the wrong player, you need the s500.

Or better yet, if you can wait a few months, get the s550. It will handle TrueHD, DTS-MA and it is profile 2.0.

[rox addict]

dJos I have another question for you.....Okay, If I purchase the S500 and it does decode True HD then will my Yamaha 6.1 receiver play all 7 tracks since the analog/multi ins and outs are only 5.1 ? I'm just confused because the analog /multichannel ins and outs on the AVR and the BD player only have front/rear/center/and sub ins and outs ....so what about the mono rears ? where will that sound come from ? I'm so close to exchanging the S-300 for a 500 and purchasing the Onkyo 605 and being done with it.....Thanks

[rox addict]

Well if I wait a couple of more months to get the S550 then I'll be without a BD player ! Man my timing sucks

[yex94]

Originally Posted by rox addict

I'm so close to exchanging the S-300 for a 500 and purchasing the Onkyo 605 and being done with it.....Thanks

That would be a good option - but in a few months you would complain about not having DTS-MA capabilities (the Onkyo has it but your 500 couldnt get it there). You could get the Panny BD30 and the Onkyo 605 right now and get all of the codecs.

[Meerkat]

How does anyone know that the S300 can now send TrueHD via HDMI through PCM? Did the FW state this fact? Curious to how to verify this. Thanks

[rox addict]

Yex 94 the Panny BD 30 doesn't decode True HD nor DTS- MA ! I just read the specs on it and another poster brought this to my attention when I posted if I should trade my S-300 in for the Panny Bd-30. Can you clarify on this ? I'm about to trade it for a PS3 and just live without DTS-MA and pray for a firmware that will give the PS3 DTS-MA ,Thanks

[nycomet]

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...&postcount=684

[Meerkat]

Originally Posted by rox addict

Yex 94 the Panny BD 30 doesn't decode True HD nor DTS- MA ! I just read the specs on it and another poster brought this to my attention when I posted if I should trade my S-300 in for the Panny Bd-30. Can you clarify on this ? I'm about to trade it for a PS3 and just live without DTS-MA and pray for a firmware that will give the PS3 DTS-MA ,Thanks

The Panny 30 will not decode TrueHD or DTS-MA, however it will bitstream both TrueHD and DTS-MA. To take advantage of the HD audio requires a receiver to decode these bitstream codecs.

[Meerkat]

Originally Posted by nycomet

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...&postcount=684

Thanks, Missed it.

[rox addict]

So Meerkat, if my receivers decodes True HD and DTS-MA then I'm good to go on True Hd and DTS-MA with the Panny BD 30 ? I read that on my BDP-S300 manual but I couldnt get it to work !