what's the best player for the money?

[rubberghost]

i'm new to the game. please help.

[Mr Dodger Blu]

There's only one player that's worth the money it costs.
PS3

[Slec]

Originally Posted by Mr Dodger Blu

There's only one player that's worth the money it costs.
PS3

I disagree... The PS3 is worth MORE than it costs.. what a phenomenal piece of equipment

[rubberghost]

Originally Posted by Slec

I disagree... The PS3 is worth MORE than it costs.. what a phenomenal piece of equipment

does it have hdmi output?

[Slec]

Originally Posted by rubberghost

does it have hdmi output?

yep...

[Whytewash]

Originally Posted by rubberghost

does it have hdmi output?

why yes it does.

It is a great player but if you are looking for standalone as opposed to a gaming system, just ask. There are TONS of players out there if you are looking to go that route

[Mr Dodger Blu]

Originally Posted by Whytewash

why yes it does.

It is a great player but if you are looking for standalone as opposed to a gaming system, just ask. There are TONS of players out there if you are looking to go that route

Oh there's "stand alone" players?

[Jim L]

They bring out the PS3 fanboys in droves.

I wonder if they are started by some SCEA plants who are members here.

Just kidding.

Now, seriously . . .

[I speak from experience because I have owned 2 PS3s (both 60GB) , and 2 different standalones (Sony BDP-S1 and Panasonic DMP-BD30). I have also auditioned the first Samsung and Panasonic models in my system.] I have also studied the Pioneer players at retail locations and done lots of other research online.

The PS3 is good, but for the ultimate in video quality and for use in a home theater environment, you will need to get a standalone player.

For the best PQ, you will want a player that does 1080p @ 24fps. (The PS3 does this by the way).

But the PS3 is deficient in several areas. The Sony and both Panasonics I've tried had better resolution, contrast and color than the PS3. And it was not just a matter of calibration. No matter how I tweaked the PS3 settings, it could not match the other players.

In addition, the PS3 is noisy as hell. This is especially annoying while listening to classical music. (I'm told that the 40GB model is much better in this regard).

Third, the PS3 does NOT play nice with Universal IR remotes. Even though there are workarounds, there is still no way to turn the PS3 on and off via IR remote.

Now I'm sure my post will invite a barrage of attacks from the rabid PS3 fanboys, but -- oh well. Flame on!

[Seretur]

Nah, you've got a point, Jim.

Currently, the best standalone player IS the PS3, followed closely by the Panasonic BD-P30. If you have an HDMI receiver that can process bitstreamed high-res audio codecs by itself, and don't need internet connectivity, the Panny has all that you need.

If you have an older receiver that wants to be fed analog lossless audio, well, the Profile 2.0 Panasonic DMP-BD50 is the ticket.

By the end of the year, the Sony 550 will be the one to rule them all.

[prerich]

Originally Posted by Jim L

They bring out the PS3 fanboys in droves.

I wonder if they are started by some SCEA plants who are members here.

Just kidding.

Now, seriously . . .

[I speak from experience because I have owned 2 PS3s (both 60GB) , and 2 different standalones (Sony BDP-S1 and Panasonic DMP-BD30). I have also auditioned the first Samsung and Panasonic models in my system.] I have also studied the Pioneer players at retail locations and done lots of other research online.

The PS3 is good, but for the ultimate in video quality and for use in a home theater environment, you will need to get a standalone player.

For the best PQ, you will want a player that does 1080p @ 24fps. (The PS3 does this by the way).

But the PS3 is deficient in several areas. The Sony and both Panasonics I've tried had better resolution, contrast and color than the PS3. And it was not just a matter of calibration. No matter how I tweaked the PS3 settings, it could not match the other players.

In addition, the PS3 is noisy as hell. This is especially annoying while listening to classical music. (I'm told that the 40GB model is much better in this regard).

Third, the PS3 does play nice with Universal IR remotes. Even though there are workarounds, there is still no way to turn the PS3 on and off via IR remote.

Now I'm sure my post will invite a barrage of attacks from the rabid PS3 fanboys, but -- oh well. Flame on!

+1 Amen to the entire post.

[rubberghost]

Originally Posted by Mr Dodger Blu

There's only one player that's worth the money it costs.
PS3

what's the overall quality of the ps3? sound and picture.

[Mr Dodger Blu]

Excellent & Excellent!!!!
Or as Slec might say BBEEEEYYYYOOONNNNDDDDD Excellent!!!!!!!

I only have DolbyDigital 5.1 & DTS.... (for me that's good enough....For now!)
But it can run all the new codecs like.... DTS-MA,DolbyTrue-HD,as well as others I can't think of right now.

[crackinhedz]

I have two of em.

[crackinhedz]

Best Blu-ray players

[Petra_Kalbrain]

Originally Posted by rubberghost

i'm new to the game. please help.

To answer your question... the best player for the money is the PS3. It is a major multemedia centre for your ENTIRE HOUSE! Any and all computer media can be streamed wirelessly to your home theatre for enjoyment. You have access to an internet browser on your big screen. You have access to the Playstation Store (free game demos, free theatre trailers, etc). You have fantastic picture viewer with several gorgeous slideshow styles. You have a killer music playback unit (great if you have a large collection of mp3s to wirelessly stream from a computer in the house). You have a game system (even people who hate games have tried and loved games like Rock Band, which is an amazing party/group game that EVEN WIVES HAVE COME TO LOVE). You have a system that notifies you when important firmware update is available and will do all of the work for you instead of having to find it on the internet, download it, and create a CD --- FOR EVERY UPDATE. And I'm sure that I missed a few things. But, all of this could be yours for only $399! Or, you could spend $700+ on a standalone that will get you... well... a Blu-ray player that... uuummmm... plays Blu-ray discs. Oh, and DVDs too!!!

I sure as hell know where I put my money. And having spent twice for my PS3 what you would be paying for one right now, I still to this day believe that it was worth every penny... and then some!

Yes, the PS3 can sound a bit loud....... IF YOUR SOUND SYSTEM IS MUTED!!! You would have to have the volume at the point where straining to hear the dialogue is necessary in order for the noise to really affect your movie experience.