Funai BD Player - Owner's Thread (Magnavox. Sylvania, Insignia, etc.)

[mjjckc]

http://www.funai-corp.com/6pdf/om/NB500MG9.pdf

some more information about the player's specs

[Scoob]

Finally read some impressions from another owner on a different forum. I think it is about what most expected. No analog outs or optical out either, just a coaxial digital out and HDMI out. It will reportedly bitstream hi res audio, but that hasn't actually been tested yet.

[ronjones]

I have updated Post #1 to add the link for downloading the Owner's Manual for the Magnavox NB500MG9.

Ron Jones

[Rapstah]

I had no idea Magnavox still made electronics.

[ronjones]

Originally Posted by Rapstah

I had no idea Magnavox still made electronics.

Philips purchased the Magnavox brand name, for consumer electronics, quite a few years ago from the US company. Today Philips generally uses OEM suppliers in Asia to provide the Magnavox branded (as well as Sylvania branded) products. The Magnavox and Sylvania brands are generally considered the 2nd-tier, or budget, product lines for Philips.

[ronjones]

This is a follow-up on the earlier discussion on whether the Philips BDP7200 is another Funai supplied BD player. There is still no definitive answer, but there is some more info that has been posted on the AVS Forum that may be of interest.

Tesg on the AVS Forum Funai tread has now posted photos of the exterior and interior of the Magnavox NB500MG9 BD player. The rear panel layout and labelling make it look like Magnavox might have been come from the same factory as the Philips, but as a stripped down version (no analog 5.1 out nor optical digital out).

Photo of Philips rear panel
Photos of Exterior of Magnavox (incl. rear panel)

However the only way to really evaluate the Philips vs. Magnavox origins is to see what their insides look like. Below are links to two posts on the AVS Forum Funai thread with photos of the insides of the Magnavox player. Are there any Philips BDP7200 owners willing to pull the cover to their player to compare the PC boards and general layout? Remember even if both players have a common origin, since the Magnavox lacks the 5.1 analog and optical digital outputs, there may some additional components and perhaps one different PC board to accommodate the additional audio capabilities of the Philips.

Magnavox Interior Photos #1
Magnavox Interior Photos #2

The Magnavox Owner's Manual appears to be generic Funai material while the Philips manual appears to be more original (perhaps edited by Philips from what their OEM supplied). However, compare the specifications page (page 46) from the Magnavox NB500MG9 Owner's Manual to the Spec. page (page 42) from the Philips BDP1200 Owner's Manual . Except for the information related to the 5.1 analog and optical digital audio outputs (which only the Philips has), they are almost identical.

[WickyWoo]

Funai undoubtedly has many different designs. The Phillips is probably their midrange and the Magnavox is "how low can you go"

[mulliganman]

in Joplin, Missouri. I think most walmarts are now getting these players so some news should come up on them soon.

[hc666]

I hate how players don't come with HDMI cables.

Just a side thought

[Ectoplasm]

Ron, any word on if this player has the identical problems with 1080p/60, as the phillips does, as noted the CNET article?:

http://reviews.cnet.com/video-player...&autoplay=true

[DetroitSportsFan]

I saw the Magnavox BD player today at Super Wal-Mart.

[ronjones]

Originally Posted by Ectoplasm

Ron, any word on if this player has the identical problems with 1080p/60, as the phillips does, as noted the CNET article?:

http://reviews.cnet.com/video-player...&autoplay=true

I haven't seen any first hand reviews yet addressing the 1080p/60 capabilities/issues with the NB500. Hopefully we will have some inputs from multiple new owners soon. So far here is what little first hand test results we do have (posted by Tesg on the AVS forum):
__________________________________________________ __________
Power On time:

- With no disc installed: Power On to "No Disc" message = 20 sec.

Approx. Load Times (from already powered up):

- Audio CDs = 10 sec.

- DVDs = 30 sec.

- BDs
-----Enchanted = 48 sec.
-----Twister = 48 sec.
-----Juno = 60 sec.
__________________________________________________ _____
Tesg also reports having good image quality using 1080p/24 out of his Magnavox NB500 to this HDTV.
__________________________________________________ _____

See my post below seeking inputs from actual new NB500 owners

[ronjones]

Two Questions for any Forum members that purchase a Magnavox NB500 -

I believe there are the two big open questions about the Magnavox BD player that perhaps you could answer, depending on you setup.

1. Does the Magnavox NB500 bitstream the lossless audio formats, Dolby True-HD and DTS HD-MA? In order to test this would you need one of the current generation of AV receivers with HDMI ver. 1.3 inputs and internal decoding for the advanced lossless DTS and Dolby audio formats (such AVRs as Onkyo models TX-SR605, 705, 805 .... , Denon AVR-2808, 3808, 4308...., etc.). If you don't have such an AVR you can't test this.

2. Does the Magnavox NB500 support a native conversion directly from 1080/24 (recorded on the Blu-ray Disc) to 1080p/60 by applying 2:3 pulldown -OR- does it internally decode the 1080p/24 then convert it to 1080i/60 by interlacing and next applying 2:3 pulldown then apply de-interlacing to create a 1080p/60 ouptput. This latter approach was used on certain 1st generation BD players (e.g, Samsung) and is used on the recently released Philips BDP7200 (perhaps also made by Funai). This latter approach to creating a 1080p/60 output degrades the output image as it will introduce jagged edges to diagonal lines (or edges) in the video image and potently it will introduce other digital artifacts. In order to test for this you will need a HDTV display with a native resolution of 1080p whose HDMI inputs will accept an 1080p input. Here is an excerpt from the CNET review of the Philips BDP7200 that discusses this issue:

"We started our image-quality tests of the BDP7200 by looking at Silicon Optix's HQV test suite on Blu-ray. The BDP7200 handled the initial video-resolution loss test well, displaying the full resolution of Blu-ray Discs, although we did notice some jaggies on the rotating white bar. Plenty of jaggies was also visible on the three shifting three lines, and the edges of the lines would break up for a second when they changed directions. The Philips didn't fare any better on the "Film Resolution Loss Test," failing the first test patterns and also struggling on a panning shot across Raymond James Stadium, with a good deal of moire showing up in the stands.

We switched over to program material to see if these issues cropped up in regular usage. We set the BDP7200 in the most-frequently used mode, 1080p at 60 frames per second, and popped in Ghost Rider. At the end of chapter six, we clearly made out jaggies in the grille of the RV as the camera pulls away. We also saw jaggies pop up in Sunshine. About 4 minutes and 26 seconds into the movie, the lines of the countertop aren't smooth, and above that, there are more jaggies in the grating on the wall. A little later, about the five minute mark, the rim of the glasses on the table appear to be "shimmering," followed by the horizontal lines on Captain Kaneda's shirt, which break up with jaggies. While some discs didn't suffer from this as much--such as Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest--it cropped enough times that it would annoy videophiles. We confirmed that the jaggies were not in the source by switching the BDP7200 into 1080i mode--which let our Sony KDL-46XBR4 handle the processing instead--and watching the same scenes, which did not have the previously mentioned jaggies. "

[tvine2000]

this is a welcome site for me.
we needed low end players on the market.
some people don't care or know about the new audio codecs.
they have no idea about analog outs or whatever.
all of us here are people who want the best pq and aq out there.
most people don't care.the main thing is we all want blu-ray to take over dvd,so for me i welcome these low end players.

[Blu Titan]

Both Home Media Magazine and Video Business News are reporting that Funai players under the Magnavox brand will be in widespread distribution at Walmart by Memorial day. In addition, the same palyer under the Insigna brand will be available at Best Buy.


Wal-Mart sells Blu-ray player for $298
Same unit also will be available at Best Buy for $349
By Susanne Ault -- Video Business, 5/14/2008
MAY 14 | Come Memorial Day weekend, Wal-Mart will start selling Blu-ray Disc set-top players for $298, the cheapest starting price point yet for players in the format.

The retailer did not immediately comment, but sources indicate the hardware will be manufactured by Japan-based Funai and will be sold under the Magnavox brand. Dubbed Magnavox NB500MG9, the player will be Profile 1.1 with picture-in-picture functionality.

AVS Forum bloggers report seeing the player on shelves at various Wal-Mart outlets now, but the model should be more widely spread throughout the chain by May 24-26, according to sources.

This same player also will be sold at Best Buy under the chain’s in-house Insignia brand beginning mid- to late-July, priced at $347.99. Typically, Insignia products are among the more inexpensively priced at Best Buy.

Funai first announced its intentions to bow a Profile 1.1 Blu-ray set-top player during January’s Consumer Electronics Show. Sub $300 pricing was anticipated, but street dates and retailer partners weren’t provided. (http://funai.us/bluRayDiscFunai.aspx)

Although research analysts have circled the $200 mark as the sweet spot for mainstream Blu-ray hardware adoption, these budget-conscious Funai players should give format sales a boost.

This marks the first time at Wal-Mart that Blu-ray set-top players will launch with price tags that dip below the $399 PlayStation 3. Currently, Blu-ray set-tops start at $399. During the 2007 holidays, several BD players did temporarily fall below $300, but set-tops have since risen back to the $399 mark this year.

Best Buy may throw significant marketing around the Insignia BD products, as the chain has a vested interest in the brand.

“We will promote it,” Best Buy spokesman Brian Lucas said. “We won’t promote it exclusively [from other Blu-ray players]. But it is a brand that customers have responded well too. Consumer Reports has given the brand high marks.”

Chain spokeswoman Emily Schroeder added that Insignia BD player should particularly help families, pinched by today's tightening economy, enjoy modestly-priced summer activities.

"We hear that a lot of folks are canceling travel-related vacations, and they are most likely looking at home entertainment options," said Schroeder. "They want to have fun this summer, but they don't want it to be extravagant."

[jw]

Interesting read related to new player

Wal-Mart to Bow $298 Blu-ray Player
Author: ERIK GRUENWEDEL
Posted: May 14, 2008


Wal-Mart Stores Inc. according to Web chatter has begun stocking shelves in select stores with a Magnavox-branded, Chinese made Blu-ray player with a retail price of $298 — $100 less than Sony’s PlayStation 3 game system with a BD drive.

The entry-level Profile 1.1 (model NB500MG9) device features HDMI 1.3 connectivity, picture-in-picture functionality and can upconvert standard DVD to 1080p resolution.more

[Watcher]

Originally Posted by ronjones

This is a follow-up on the earlier discussion on whether the Philips BDP7200 is another Funai supplied BD player. they are almost identical.

Does anyone have any hard confirmation of what chipset this player uses yet?

[Scoob]

Originally Posted by Watcher

Does anyone have any hard confirmation of what chipset this player uses yet?

We don't know that the Philips and Magnavox use the same chipset. There are several differences between the two machines. But as Ron pointed out earlier, the Philips machine could be a philips design, but manufactured by Funai. We'll find out eventually I hope.

[Scoob]

Has anyone tried to bitstream DTS HD MA yet? A user on AVS says his doesn't. Maybe he didn't set it up correctly.

[ronjones]

Originally Posted by Scoob

Has anyone tried to bitstream DTS HD MA yet? A user on AVS says his doesn't. Maybe he didn't set it up correctly.

It appears he didn't have an AVR that decodes DTS HD-MA so I believe its total speculation on his part. We really need a NB500 owner that has a late generation AVR with HDMI 1.3 and decoding of DTS HD-MA to confirm that is is working.

Ron Jones