Pioneer Elite BDP-LX500

[mars5l]

Going to assume these are region locked for normal Blurays?

[Falaskan]

Not to rain on this parade (I am semi- in the market for a new player too), but aren't 8K players just a year or two out?

[HDTV1080P]

Originally Posted by Falaskan

Not to rain on this parade (I am semi- in the market for a new player too), but aren't 8K players just a year or two out?

There is normally around a 10 year cycle before a new optical disc format is launched. In 1997 the 480i DVD format launched, in 2006 the 1080P Blu-ray format launched, and in 2016 the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray format launched, maybe under ideal conditions around 2026 we might see a 8K optical disc format if physical media is still around.

[JohnAV]

Originally Posted by Falaskan

Not to rain on this parade (I am semi- in the market for a new player too), but aren't 8K players just a year or two out?

There is no easy path to lots of 8K content or distribution of it. Only 4K upscaling if you jump on board right now. A lot of that is based on 2K DI also.

[RalphoR]

Looks like a newer firmware has been released. Here's the link:

https://www.pioneerelectronics.com/P...X500#downloads

[HDTV1080P]

There is currently no 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player on the market that offers internal decoding of "HDCD" for those consumer that own CD's encoded with HD stereo audio.


If Pioneer was able to release a firmware update with HDCD support then some OPPO owners of the UDP-203/UDP-205, Cambridge, and Sony owners would be interested in this new Pioneer.


Offering HDCD decoding and HDR10+ with a firmware update would be a step in the right direction for Pioneer. That is if the hardware is capable of decode HDCD.

[JohnAV]

Originally Posted by HDTV1080P

There is currently no 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player on the market that offers internal decoding of "HDCD" for those consumer that own CD's encoded with HD stereo audio.


If Pioneer was able to release a firmware update with HDCD support then some OPPO owners of the UDP-203/UDP-205, Cambridge, and Sony owners would be interested in this new Pioneer.


Offering HDCD and HDR10+ with a firmware update would be a step in the right direction for Pioneer. That is if the hardware is capable to decode HDCD.

Doesn’t work that way, it’s either part of the hardware decoding of the SOC or not. You cannot add it retroactively. If the SoC no longer supports it......bye bye that capability.

Does make older players value better!

[HDTV1080P]

Originally Posted by JohnAV

Doesn’t work that way, it’s either part of the hardware decoding of the SOC or not. You cannot add it retroactively. If the SoC no longer supports it......bye bye that capability.

Does make older players value better!

And that is why I said as long as the hardware is capable of adding HDCD decoding. When I talked to OPPO Digital INC about it in 2017, they said the SOC may or may not support HDCD decoding and they were looking into it. It looks like the negative thing about all current generation of 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray players on the market, is because of a hardware limitation HDCD decoding cannot be added with a firmware update. I still prefer playing native 4K Blu-ray discs for the cost of giving up HDCD decoding.

[LordoftheRings]

In USA and in Canada no cigar ... ... but in Australia a glass of the finest cognac ...
• https://www.stereo.net.au/reviews/re...al-disc-player

"The Pioneer UDP-LX800 offered up its first surprise as I lugged it down a couple of flights of stairs. Weighing 13.8 kg (probably closer to 15kg in the box), I was very aware of what I was carrying.

That’s the sort of weight you’d typically associate with a half-decent AV Receiver that’s packing multiple channels of amplification. It’s also 9.5kg heavier than my own Oppo UDP-203 and nearly 4 kg heavier than Oppo’s flagship UDP-205."

[Paul.R.S]

JohnAV (or someone else who has info):

My tentative understanding was that the HDCD information is passed via a digital connection, whether it be HDMI or coaxial or optical (since Pacific Microsonics and HDCD predate HDMI). As long as you connect your transport to a decoder/processor that handles HDCD, I thought you can still get the benefits of HDCD even if the player does not decode it onboard. Am I mistaken?

[Paul.R.S]

Originally Posted by LordoftheRings

In USA and in Canada no cigar ... ... but in Australia a glass of the finest cognac ...
• https://www.stereo.net.au/reviews/re...al-disc-player

Thanks, Bob. I will of course add this to my "stack" to read in full later. But after a skim and a Command-F search, it appears the review doesn't even mention DVD-A. Very frustrating to see a purportedly thorough, "high end" review of a universal deck not even mention the format and the player's handling of same.

[JohnAV]

Originally Posted by Paul.R.S

JohnAV (or someone else who has info):

My tentative understanding was that the HDCD information is passed via a digital connection, whether it be HDMI or coaxial or optical (since Pacific Microsonics and HDCD predate HDMI). As long as you connect your transport to a decoder/processor that handles HDCD, I thought you can still get the benefits of HDCD even if the player does not decode it onboard. Am I mistaken?

Per OPPO contact: Assume that as long as the downstream device supports HDCD, then the player will transport the metadata to that device and it will be responsible for the processing to 20--bit and expanding to 24-bit. Otherwise, you just get 16-bit.

I know in most past instances where you had a older player that supported HDCP propriety decoding it was always passed as PCM afterwards, this was a interesting question to ask Paul R.S.

Of Interest was a 2011 disscussion of Steve Hoffmans forum about HDCD offering any real benefits when utilizing. Yes there was disagreements. See this 2011 dated thread.

[HDTV1080P]

Yes every Blu-ray player that has the capability of playing audio CD's (Pioneer and Sony's first generation Blu-ray players did not but everyone else's player back in 2006 did), well pass HDCD over HDMI if one has a old no longer made A/V receiver that decodes HDCD.


Since no in production Blu-ray players internally decode HDCD anymore, and since no A/V receivers are being made anymore that decode HDCD, the HDCD feature on some older audio CD's has become a dead format that is not supported by anyone anymore.

[LordoftheRings]

Originally Posted by Paul.R.S

Thanks, Bob. I will of course add this to my "stack" to read in full later. But after a skim and a Command-F search, it appears the review doesn't even mention DVD-A. Very frustrating to see a purportedly thorough, "high end" review of a universal deck not even mention the format and the player's handling of same.

No sweat. First I checked for this particular player's thread ... Australian members (I guess Japanese members too), but nothing. It was mentioned in the past, in this thread and in few others. I couldn't find that review from two months ago. It couldn't have been posted, I just don't know.

Anyway, what a true tank this is, comparable to say an Oppo 205 player.

* You sure about DVD-Audio? True, the review didn't mention it.
But fear not, Pioneer's website does ...
• https://intl.pioneer-audiovisual.com...cification.php

Playback Media

• BD-ROM (UHDBD/3D BD/BD)/BD-R (DL)/BD-R LTH/BD-RE (DL)
• DVD-ROM (DVD-Video/DVD-Audio)/DVD-R (DL)/DVD-RW/DVD+R (DL)/DVD+RW
• Audio CD (CD-DA/SACD)/CD-ROM/CD-R/CD-RW
• USB Memory/HDD

** No [HDCD] support (decoder), same as the Oppo 205.
_____

Extra (someone was having fun recently ...):
• https://www.reddit.com/r/u_DMSenterp...rid_3_cd_sacd/

Early sense of humor just ahead of April 1st?

[Paul.R.S]

Bob:

I think you're missing the point. I know the deck plays DVD-A. My point is that the reviewer should include coverage of the player's handling of that format in terms of SQ and menu navigation. There are some issues with DVD-A menus on many players (poor authoring; sluggishness--after all, it is a DVD-based format). How does the player handle that? 3D coverage would be nice, too. This is not a cheap deck.

[LordoftheRings]

This ain't a review, it's advertisement.

You know ... like many sites who advertise.

Put that player in my hands and I'll write you a "review".

[HDTV1080P]

Sound and Vision magazine is working on a professional review for the new Pioneer. Sometimes they use the player for several months running all kinds of in depth tests before publishing the review.


Widescreen Review magazine also has excellent reviews but I do not know if they well review the new Pioneer.


With more people using streaming and download, media boxes are more popular with people and there is a lot less professional reviews when it comes to standalone Blu-ray players.

[LordoftheRings]

I like real professional reviews with a battery of tests measurements and unbiased listening and viewing from professional audio pshycoacoustic experts and video certified calibrators. No advertisement, no compensation, no favor, just the full entire truth. ...Like http://archimago.blogspot.com/

[LordoftheRings]

I like solid sources for my reviews ... another one is from France, one from Italy and one from Germany.

Once Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity used to have a fair battery of measurements.
https://hometheaterhifi.com/

[LordoftheRings]

In my honest and experienced opinion, Sound & Vision and Widescreen Review are mainly advertisement. Some of their articles are informative but the reviews too vague, without substance.

Been there for a very long time; meaning I'm familiar with the style, the writers, the purpose, since both their inception and along the years' transformations.
Second hand adds mags.