Pioneer Elite BDP-LX500

[IntelliVolume]

Originally Posted by smithb

I see. Obviously the build quality is important enough to you to spend the extra $500. At least based on the options currently available. I can understand that. I've had an Oppo BDP-83 since 2009 for my HT. In other parts of the house I have gone through at least six flimsy (basically, disposable) players. However, my Oppo is still going strong (except for the tray that requires me to keep a disk in at all times). Solid build and dependability can pay for itself over time.

In a way, my Oppo lasting so long has made it so I've missed an opportunity to upgrade to another Oppo before they got out of the market. I've been following the thread to get ideas for my own next purchase. I'd be happy with a solid 2K player to work with my projector, but it looks like I'll need to go up to a 4K player because that appears to be where the quality market is currently at.

My sentiments, pretty much precisely. I too own a BDP-83 that lasted us over a decade with NON STOP playback almost daily...it finally succumbed to the disc drawer problem and stopped reading discs, but I am in the midst of looking into getting it repaired through Oppo because we like the player so much. No other disc player I ever owned boasted the DVD upconversion performance of that deck -- courtesy of its Anchor Bay VRS processor, which I wish companies would implement in the new 4K units.

Yes, build quality is important enough for me to spend the extra money; I don't care for the plastic-esque players that feel like they're going to break in half if I press a bit too hard on the eject button (as I felt with the UB820; that thing felt like a toy made for children, not a $500 UHD Blu-ray player meant for a serious system. In fact, every time I touched the asininely-designed top-mounted eject or power buttons, the chassis of the player would flex somewhat, indicating to me it was built like a proverbial piece of crap).

Now -- to many enthusiasts, this isn't important...and what is INSIDE the player is. I can respect that. Heck, after all, I paid a premium for my Cambridge CXUHD (an Oppo 203 clone) thinking it HAD to be better than the Panny 820, and ended up experiencing DVD playback that was accompanied by a loud ticking noise in the drive that the repair center can't fix. So, where did the supposed "premium build quality" come into play? But we use our system every night, and I happen to place some value on the tactile feel of controls, the look of aluminum faceplates, the way a disc drawer gently glides in and out...I actually like to LOOK at my equipment when it's running, so aesthetics is a big thing for me.

Like you, I would have IN A HEARTBEAT purchased another Oppo product, and I desperately wanted the 203 -- but we didn't act quick enough and they were already not being produced. As much as I am a fan of high-quality units and value premium build quality -- and prepared to pay for it, as we have been saying -- I won't give $2,000 to someone selling a 203 on eBay because that's just consumer rape, the way I see it.

God bless you and your family in this most challenging of times, and hope you remain safe.

[bguzman]

Originally Posted by IntelliVolume

It doesn't automatically seal the deal because of this (which, if you truly read the post, you would have taken into consideration):

* The automatic off function after 20 minutes; this really is an almost make-or-break thing to me.
* The somewhat complicated setup menus and all the adjustments available -- for example, a myriad of noise reduction controls (I use NR, but I'd prefer one simple on/off control or a slider, like on the Oppo, Cambridge and Pioneer), the image adjustment controls during playback (calling up the HDR adjustment on the remote, for example) and some others...Jesus, I'd rather just see the image as it was supposed to be seen coming off the disc (albeit with the player doing DVD and Blu-ray upscaling).
* Isn't quite as beefy in build as the LX500 (but I could definitely live with this; it boasts an aluminum finish on the front panel, and that's good enough for me); in comparison, the UDP-203 and CXUHD are almost the same dimension-wise.
* All the streaming/app features built in (we're never going to use them).
* Poor quality DVD upconversion we experienced using Panasonic's first generation BD player, the DMP-BD10A; this concerns me if Panasonic didn't step up its game with the Hollywood processor.
* Perhaps the most important thing: There's no way to zoom any non-anamorphic DVDs to their proper aspect ratios, nor is there a way to stretch full screen DVDs to fill a screen (something important to us as we have a ton of titles like this, unfortunately; though, if need be, we COULD begin replacing these on Blu-ray little by little).

You’re asking for opinions. I gave mine. I you didn’t like it. I’m done.

[IntelliVolume]

Originally Posted by bguzman

You’re asking for opinions. I gave mine. I you didn’t like it. I’m done.

You're wrong -- I didn't not like your opinion, but whatever.

God bless you in this most difficult of times -- even if you're done with me!

[Vilya]

I seem to recall reading on these forums that the Panasonic 4K disc players do not do as good of job with old fashioned DVDs as do other players. Can anyone speak to that from first hand experience? I still own and watch a lot of DVDs and a 4K disc player that plays nice with them is important to me.

The Panasonic auto shut off feature is more annoying to me than even Sony's requirement that you specifically select Dolby Vision manually every time. How did either manufacturer think that people would like these "features?"

I am well pleased with my Oppo 203, but I want a second and a third player, too. I have considered the Pioneer LX 500, but finding one is quite the quest in itself. I'd even consider the LX 800, but I don't think that they are sold in the U.S. I would consider more affordable players, but I am not fond of featherweight plastic players.

[RalphoR]

Originally Posted by Vilya

I seem to recall reading on these forums that the Panasonic 4K disc players do not do as good of job with old fashioned DVDs as do other players. Can anyone speak to that from first hand experience? I still own and watch a lot of DVDs and a 4K disc player that plays nice with them is important to me.

The Panasonic auto shut off feature is more annoying to me than even Sony's requirement that you specifically select Dolby Vision manually every time. How did either manufacturer think that people would like these "features?"

I am well pleased with my Oppo 203, but I want a second and a third player, too. I have considered the Pioneer LX 500, but finding one is quite the quest in itself. I'd even consider the LX 800, but I don't think that they are sold in the U.S. I would consider more affordable players, but I am not fond of featherweight plastic players.

The LX500 will be available at the end of May to a few dealers but the quantities will be very low fyi.

[bguzman]

Originally Posted by IntelliVolume

You're wrong -- I didn't not like your opinion, but whatever.

God bless you in this most difficult of times -- even if you're done with me!

I’m not done with you, I’m done with this particular topic.

[IntelliVolume]

Originally Posted by Vilya

I seem to recall reading on these forums that the Panasonic 4K disc players do not do as good of job with old fashioned DVDs as do other players. Can anyone speak to that from first hand experience? I still own and watch a lot of DVDs and a 4K disc player that plays nice with them is important to me.

Seems like someone who is in the exact same boat as me...even though I was made to feel like I was on my own unique island, still watching DVDs....the horror!

I need a UHD player that upscales well, too, but didn't hear that the Panasonics of this generation didn't do this right -- I know, based on my experience with their first generation BD deck, the DMP-BD10A (which I'm using now in substitute for not having my 4K player because it's in for "repair"), that the upscaling in those first-gen products was HORRID. It's the reason I bought the Oppo BDP-83 to replace the Panny…

One of the best decisions I ever made.

But indeed...can anyone confirm if the UB9000 has bad upscaling quality?

The Panasonic auto shut off feature is more annoying to me than even Sony's requirement that you specifically select Dolby Vision manually every time. How did either manufacturer think that people would like these "features?"

Could not agree more -- it's really mind-boggling to me.

I am well pleased with my Oppo 203, but I want a second and a third player, too. I have considered the Pioneer LX 500, but finding one is quite the quest in itself. I'd even consider the LX 800, but I don't think that they are sold in the U.S. I would consider more affordable players, but I am not fond of featherweight plastic players.

I am in agreement with your desire for non-plastic-esque players; I wish someone would step up and REALLY fill the void Oppo left with their 203 -- that is, a well-made (not ridiculously over-engineered, of course) deck focused on disc playback, not streaming, boasting aluminum front panels and sides, for around $500 or a bit more.

As for the LX500 -- I believe it's the LX800 that's not sold in the U.S. And like Ralph mentioned, they are coming back in a couple of months, but supplies will be short.

[IntelliVolume]

Originally Posted by bguzman

I’m not done with you, I’m done with this particular topic.

Ohhhhhhh I see...

Well, that's too bad; I really did want to discuss these other aspects of consideration.

Again -- wishing you and your family absolutely nothing but the safest of times right now.

[HDTV1080P]

The Pioneer Elite UDP-LX500 came out on September 14th 2018 according to the Amazon database (Engineered in Japan and made in China using high quality components in a automated robotic factory). Only the out of production OPPO UDP-203 is a better Blu-ray player (Also, there is supposed to be a promised HDR10+ firmware update for the Pioneer Elite UDP-LX500 in the future). The Pioneer Elite UDP-LX500 for the last two years was the best in production 4K Blu-ray player especially if one needs SACD and DVD-Audio playback. Currently all dealers including Value Electronics, B and H Photo, and Amazon are out of stock on the Pioneer Elite UDP-LX500. Many products have an 18 month to a 2-year production lifecycle. There is a possibility (only a theory) that the 2018 Pioneer Elite UDP-LX500 has went out of production. If that theory is correct then possible in September or October 2020 we might see a new Pioneer Elite Blu-ray player arrive in the United States. To my knowledge Pioneer still makes standalone Blu-ray players, and most likely a new model is in the works for fall 2020.

Streaming and downloading of movies and TV shows has become so popular in the last few years. This has resulted in physical media like 4K Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD, and audio CD’s slowly dying. Over the last two years many high-end companies and standard companies have stopped making Blu-ray players as demand for physical optical media has decreased.

Check out this out dated link that shows the list of Blu-ray player manufactories.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o..._manufacturers

This list needs to be updated to mention which companies no longer make standalone Blu-ray players. OPPO Digital INC, Cambridge Audio, and Samsung no longer make Blu-ray players. Also I believe many other companies can be removed from the list like JVC, Denon, Yamaha and others. There are rumors that Philips and LG might not be making standalone Blu-ray players also (but rumors need to be verified). Sony and Panasonic are the leaders part of the Blue Disc Association, and they are still making Blu-ray players. The big question is how many other companies are making Blu-ray players.

Back in January 2020 when I was looking around in a physical Walmart store there was literally around 10 different models of Blu-ray players on the shelf to choose from with a total of 3 different native 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray models. Only around 3 or 4 DVD player models to choose from. The cheapest Blu-ray player costs around $50 at Walmart and the cheapest DVD player costs around $25. DVD players are still very popular at Walmart because of their price. For some new releases 4K Blu-ray/standard Blu-ray makes up a total of 45% of sales and DVD makes up a total of 55% worth of sales. Therefore the 23 year old DVD format is still more popular when compared to the 14 year old Blu-ray format. If 4K and 1080P streaming did not exist, then Blu-ray most likely would have been more popular then the DVD format. However the reality is streaming does exist and all physical media including both Blu-ray and DVD is in danger. Streaming has lower quality video and lower quality audio, but streaming has become the most popular format with consumers surpassing the popularity of physical media in recent years. Consumers that want the best of the best quality for video and audio purchase or rent the latest 4K Blu-ray discs. Optical discs when not abused can literally last up to 1,000 years. There are many advantages to optical media. During Internet outages, cable TV outages, and satellite TV outages, people use optical media like Blu-ray discs to watch their favorite movies.

[R3P0]

So im noticing an issue with my Pioneer UDP-LX500.

I have already tried upgrading to 1.16 today, I powered off/on the unit by unplugging it for 1 hour to reset the capacitors and reset my settings to default to force the full reload of my firmware.

When I fast forward or chapter select and UHD movie the movie will play fine for a few minutes then begins to get digital breakup and eventually just pauses almost as if it were a digital media stream and my connection was buffering. Has anyone else had this issue, the player is still under 1 year old and I want to be sure this is not an issue indicative of a possible laser or drive failure.

My only fear is these units are out of stock and it just cannot be replaced that easily. AVSforums have an entire thread dedicated to this issue, so im wondering if this is just a UHD issue or if there is something wrong with my player.

See the thread below
https://www.avsforum.com/forum/149-b...e-talk-23.html

My local repair shop I have sent items there before and they never come back as good as if it were out of the factory so im afraid to take it to them.

[HDTV1080P]

I do not own this Pioneer Blu-ray player but here is some tips to try. The most reliable and fastest way to update the firmware (which should take less then 5 minutes). Is to update the firmware over a wired Ethernet connection (USB flash drive updating is more time consuming). The latest firmware update is version 1.16.

https://www.pioneerhomeusa.com/wp-co...-2019_Rev1.pdf

Try playing audio CD’s, DVD’s, standard BD-25 and BD-50 Blu-ray discs on the Pioneer. If those types of discs work fine, then try BD-66 and BD-100 discs. Around 10% of BD-100 triple layer discs that I have seen have factory defect stamping (pressing) quality issues that cause 1 or 2 second disc freeze and then the movie continues just fine (optical disc problem and not a player problem).

If audio CD’s, DVD's, BD-25, BD-50, and BD-66 discs do not play flawlessly on the Pioneer. Then make sure your digital artifacts is not caused by a low speed or bad HDMI cable. Try switching out the HDMI cable.

All Pioneer Elite products come with a 3 year part and labor warranty, therefore in the rare chance there was a hardware problem, you are under warranty for a free repair at a authorized Pioneer Elite repair center.

[R3P0]

Originally Posted by HDTV1080P

I do not own this Pioneer Blu-ray player but here is some tips to try. The most reliable and fastest way to update the firmware (which should take less then 5 minutes). Is to update the firmware over a wired Ethernet connection (USB flash drive updating is more time consuming). The latest firmware update is version 1.16.

https://www.pioneerhomeusa.com/wp-co...-2019_Rev1.pdf

Try playing audio CD’s, DVD’s, standard BD-25 and BD-50 Blu-ray discs on the Pioneer. If those types of discs work fine, then try BD-66 and BD-100 discs. Around 10% of BD-100 triple layer discs that I have seen have factory defect stamping (pressing) quality issues that cause 1 or 2 second disc freeze and then the movie continues just fine (optical disc problem and not a player problem).

If audio CD’s, DVD's, BD-25, BD-50, and BD-66 discs do not play flawlessly on the Pioneer. Then make sure your digital artifacts is not caused by a low speed or bad HDMI cable. Try switching out the HDMI cable.

All Pioneer Elite products come with a 3 year part and labor warranty, therefore in the rare chance there was a hardware problem, you are under warranty for a free repair at a authorized Pioneer Elite repair center.

Last disc I noticed this on was Ant Man 4K the Steelbook edition from Best Buy, do we know what that was pressed on? My HDMI cable is the following cable

https://www.audioquest.com/cables/di.../hdmi/cinnamon

[HDTV1080P]

Originally Posted by R3P0

Last disc I noticed this on was Ant Man 4K the Steelbook edition from Best Buy, do we know what that was pressed on? My HDMI cable is the following cable

https://www.audioquest.com/cables/di.../hdmi/cinnamon

According to the database at Blu-ray.com that Ant-Man 4K Best Buy Steelbook uses a BD-66 4K Disc. It is always good to have a second 4K Blu-ray player to verify if it’s a disc problem or a player problem. Try cleaning the disc in case there is dirt or fingerprints on it. If you had a low cost Sony 4K Blu-ray player like the UDP-X800M2 or the entry level UBP-X700 you could try the disc in those players. If the Sony player has the same problem then there is a problem with that 4K Blu-ray movie, and the movie should be exchanged.

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Ant-M...lu-ray/246917/

[JohnAV]

Originally Posted by R3P0

When I fast forward or chapter select and UHD movie the movie will play fine for a few minutes then begins to get digital breakup and eventually just pauses almost as if it were a digital media stream and my connection was buffering.

Originally Posted by HDTV1080P

According to the database at Blu-ray.com that Ant-Man 4K Best Buy Steelbook uses a BD-66 4K Disc. It is always good to have a second 4K Blu-ray player to verify if it’s a disc problem or a player problem. Try cleaning the disc in case there is dirt or fingerprints on it. If you had a low cost Sony 4K Blu-ray player like the UDP-X800M2 or the entry level UBP-X700 you could try the disc in those players. If the Sony player has the same problem then there is a problem with that 4K Blu-ray movie, and the movie should be exchanged.

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Ant-M...lu-ray/246917/

Reading some the AVS thread is sounded a lot like that type of issue. I haven't found fingerprints that much but certainly some residue left over from the manufacturer process of the disk that wasn't completely removed before it was packaged. UHD optical drives seem to more sensitive to this issue.

[R3P0]

Originally Posted by JohnAV

Reading some the AVS thread is sounded a lot like that type of issue. I haven't found fingerprints that much but certainly some residue left over from the manufacturer process of the disk that wasn't completely removed before it was packaged. UHD optical drives seem to more sensitive to this issue.

My only concern is if I play from the beginning I do not have that issue. It is only when I chapter select, I do not see any fingerprints or dirt on the discs.

[JohnAV]

Originally Posted by R3P0

My only concern is if I play from the beginning I do not have that issue. It is only when I chapter select, I do not see any fingerprints or dirt on the discs.

The disc’s branching should never result in digital breakup and then its play just stops that is indicative of something obscuring the laser from reading the layer. This is usually a scratch, residue of something, that you can usually see looking under a very bright light inspecting the circular track. I had this happen with a disc with lots of fine scratches. Most of the time cleaning the media resolves this. Sometimes you can’t see the residue but you see it when cleaning.

Now when you say it doesn’t occur if you play it nonstop, but chapter select, clear the players BD Java persistence memory, in case something weird is happening.

Maybe starting at a chapter has some latency with reading data versus continuous play.

[R3P0]

Originally Posted by JohnAV

The disc’s branching should never result in digital breakup and then its play just stops that is indicative of something obscuring the laser from reading the layer. This is usually a scratch, residue of something, that you can usually see looking under a very bright light inspecting the circular track. I had this happen with a disc with lots of fine scratches. Most of the time cleaning the media resolves this. Sometimes you can’t see the residue but you see it when cleaning.

Now when you say it doesn’t occur if you play it nonstop, but chapter select, clear the players BD Java persistence memory, in case something weird is happening.

Maybe starting at a chapter has some latency with reading data versus continuous play.

What do you use to clean the disc?

[R3P0]

So I called the place where I bought the unit they called Pioneer and Pioneer wants the unit back for repair. Sadly the shop is closed due to virus so I will have to wait but my high end shop will give me a loaner during the downtime.

[JohnAV]

Originally Posted by R3P0

What do you use to clean the disc?

Using just plain warm tap water, with a smooth, soft cotton cloth, but nothing rough. Barely need to wipe any area. Make sure all trace of water is removed.

[RalphoR]

Anyone else having issues with the Birds of Prey 4k freezing randomly? I'm wondering if it's my system or if a firmware update is necessary.