Pioneer Elite BDP-LX500

[R3P0]

Originally Posted by 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.

Call Pioneer or the place u bought it from my unit has the freezing problem that actually manifested into issues fast forwarding tor chapter selecting, Pioneer wants my unit back to repair. This way at least you get on record for the issue. they suspect my laser is alignment is jacked

[RalphoR]

Originally Posted by R3P0

Call Pioneer or the place u bought it from my unit has the freezing problem that actually manifested into issues fast forwarding tor chapter selecting, Pioneer wants my unit back to repair. This way at least you get on record for the issue. they suspect my laser is alignment is jacked

This is the only disc that I'm having an issue with. I'll probably contact Pioneer just to let them know what I'm experiencing. Maybe it's a known issue or it's just me

[Member-425016]

Is Pioneer working on an updated player for 2021? This seems to have gone out of production.

[RalphoR]

I wonder if anyone is bringing an updated 4k player to market soon. What would the upgrades be besides an hdmi 2.1 connection and Dolby Vision/HDR10+ built in?

[danny24]

I think this player might be quietly discontinued for the USA market. I don't know for sure but anyone selling it says back ordered. It has been like this for months with no restocks. All signs point to it being discontinued.

[HDTV1080P]

Originally Posted by danny24

I think this player might be quietly discontinued for the USA market. I don't know for sure but anyone selling it says back ordered. It has been like this for months with no restocks. All signs point to it being discontinued.

It is a 2018 model and every two years companies try and release a new model. So under ideal conditions the fourth quarter of 2020 might see a new Pioneer model with improvements. I am hoping that Sony and Panasonic do not become the last two companies making Blu-ray players.

[Paul.R.S]

Originally Posted by RalphoR

I wonder if anyone is bringing an updated 4k player to market soon. What would the upgrades be besides an hdmi 2.1 connection and Dolby Vision/HDR10+ built in?

For folks who haven't made the leap to a 4K display with a hopefully badass video processor yet, I'd like to see broader embrace of what I have on the 203: an HDMI input, allowing one to take advantage of the player's processing with whatever one might choose to connect thereto.

Running against the streaming wind, I'd also like to see broader embrace of both DVD-A (just bought Koyaanisqatsi) and SA-CD (I buy a couple classical SA-CDs every month or so). If Sony can do it, others can.

[Paul.R.S]

Originally Posted by HDTV1080P

It is a 2018 model and every two years companies try and release a new model. So under ideal conditions the fourth quarter of 2020 might see a new Pioneer model with improvements. I am hoping that Sony and Panasonic do not become the last two companies making Blu-ray players.

Of course, it was every year with BD. When did the two-year precedent get established and by who? Sony of course wrought the "Mark 2" I think a year after the first X800. And usually it was at CES that we learned of new products. Who dropped new goodness in fall?

[RalphoR]

Sony probably will come out with a new uhd disc player (besides the ps5) but my guess would be Pioneer will have something further down the road.

[chane]

I feel like a total fool but I had to jump on the LX500 for only ONE reason: Unlike the Panasonic 9000, which has ALL the connectivity I need (save for analog video), the LX500 is the only BD player I could find that has the same advanced zoom control as my JVC XV-NA70BK DVD player. My Oppo 95 has zoom, but my JVC lets you reposition any part of the zoomed image so you can center it on the screen. You can do the same with the blue button on the Pioneer’s remote. The 9000 doesn’t have any zoom control at all. At least if the LX500 had balanced outputs I could add my pair of powered subwoofers, as my main speakers have less than ideal bass response. Now I’ll have to spring for a DAC, bypassing the LX500’s respectable quality DAC. The only player that had it ALL is the Arcam 411p, but Arcam discontinued their entire BD player line so no replacement parts.

[oliviergregoire]

Originally Posted by RalphoR

I wonder if anyone is bringing an updated 4k player to market soon. What would the upgrades be besides an hdmi 2.1 connection and Dolby Vision/HDR10+ built in?

7.1 outpout, AK 4499 DAC, mpeg1 codec (yes, I have some vcd), top HDR features like panasonic has.....

[RalphoR]

Originally Posted by oliviergregoire

7.1 outpout, AK 4499 DAC, mpeg1 codec (yes, I have some vcd), top HDR features like panasonic has.....

I have some vcd discs as well. I use an old Pioneer Elite DV-59avi to play them. I haven't heard anything about a new dedicated 4k player coming out from anyone.

[BijouMan]

Originally Posted by oliviergregoire

7.1 outpout, AK 4499 DAC, mpeg1 codec (yes, I have some vcd), top HDR features like panasonic has.....

The UDP-LX500 already plays VCD.

[BijouMan]

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/

For some really strange reason, Disney (or more accurately, Buena Vista Home Entertainment) always insists on using BD-66 discs for all of their 4K Ultra HD releases. Even Avengers: Endgame, a 3-hour long film, is only on a BD-66. Speaking of which, do any of you have any word as to whether they will start releasing live-action back-catalog titles on Ultra HD Blu-ray again?

[gkolb]

Originally Posted by BijouMan

For some really strange reason, Disney (or more accurately, Buena Vista Home Entertainment) always insists on using BD-66 discs for all of their 4K Ultra HD releases. Even Avengers: Endgame, a 3-hour long film, is only on a BD-66. Speaking of which, do any of you have any word as to whether they will start releasing live-action back-catalog titles on Ultra HD Blu-ray again?

Hey, Disney just released Hocus Pocus and Home Alone (Foxney).
In another thread it was predicted these would be the last live action 4K CATALOG for the (foreseeable) time being. The reason(s) for this are unknown.

[BijouMan]

Originally Posted by gkolb

Hey, Disney just released Hocus Pocus and Home Alone (Foxney).
In another thread it was predicted these would be the last live action 4K for the (foreseeable) time being. The reason(s) for this are unknown.

They just unveiled The New Mutants, but that's a new one.

[BijouMan]

Originally Posted by chane

I feel like a total fool but I had to jump on the LX500 for only ONE reason: Unlike the Panasonic 9000, which has ALL the connectivity I need (save for analog video), the LX500 is the only BD player I could find that has the same advanced zoom control as my JVC XV-NA70BK DVD player. My Oppo 95 has zoom, but my JVC lets you reposition any part of the zoomed image so you can center it on the screen. You can do the same with the blue button on the Pioneer’s remote. The 9000 doesn’t have any zoom control at all. At least if the LX500 had balanced outputs I could add my pair of powered subwoofers, as my main speakers have less than ideal bass response. Now I’ll have to spring for a DAC, bypassing the LX500’s respectable quality DAC. The only player that had it ALL is the Arcam 411p, but Arcam discontinued their entire BD player line so no replacement parts.

Do you not know that your HDMI receiver or pre/pro already works as a multichannel DAC for both PCM and DSD (on certain models)?

[Misioon_Odisea]

Originally Posted by BijouMan

HDMI 2.1 is not required to fully support Ultra HD Blu-ray, and no additional features will be added which apply to Ultra HD Blu-ray. HDMI 2.0 already has the necessary bandwidth, and additional bandwidth will not add to video performance, not even the slightest bit.

But how about 10/12-bit RGB/YCbCr 4:4:4 2160p support for the occasional film that gets released with 60fps, like Gemini Man and Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk? I thought HDMI 2.0 could only do up to 12-bit YCbCr 4:2:2/8-bit RGB at 2160p. Maybe not something directly geared at 4K UltraHD Blu-ray as a format, but something I can see at least being a positive addition in case you need it. I know, disc content is encoded at YCbCr 4:2:0, but certainly the upsampling and RGB conversion performance can vary between devices, and you may want to do a certain upsampling step on a specific device.

[BijouMan]

Originally Posted by Misioon_Odisea

But how about 10/12-bit RGB/YCbCr 4:4:4 2160p support for the occasional film that gets released with 60fps, like Gemini Man and Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk? I thought HDMI 2.0 could only do up to 12-bit YCbCr 4:2:2/8-bit RGB at 2160p. Maybe not something directly geared at 4K UltraHD Blu-ray as a format, but something I can see at least being a positive addition in case you need it. I know, disc content is encoded at YCbCr 4:2:0, but certainly the upsampling and RGB conversion performance can vary between devices, and you may want to do a certain upsampling step on a specific device.

OK, I just looked that up and I guess it DOES add to video performance (for 60fps films anyway)! I didn't know that when I wrote that post. However, there is no such thing as eARC on an Ultra HD Blu-ray player. The player sends the audio through a normal HDMI protocol to the TV and then the TV passes it through to the receiver or pre/pro using eARC. By the way, does eARC support the passthrough of DSD audio from Super Audio CDs? One of you will have to test that out. No response from Pioneer yet.

[BijouMan]

Does anyone have a word as to when or even if this machine will be available again, and also when the HDR10+ update will be available? I wrote to Pioneer on Tuesday, September 29 and I even told them they're the only company in the business that has a universal (SACD and DVD-Audio-capable) player that auto-detects Dolby Vision (and HDR10+ if it becomes available) (unlike Sony, who also doesn't appear to have plans to support HDR10+ on any of their equipment.) They still haven't gotten back. I will edit this post if they do. Also, I have seen posts on other forums about this machine having problems playing certain 4K Ultra HD discs, particularly Gemini Man. Is this a common problem, or should I not worry? Also, if any of you have any DVD-Audio DualDiscs, do they play as DVD-Audio on this machine? The manuals for a lot of their previous DVD-Audio-capable models says "DVD-Audio content will not play" in the DualDisc section, while the manual for this machine doesn't. (Maybe that was just a misprint in the manuals for those previous models, I don't know, you'll have to test that out if you have one of those.) Update: It is now Sunday, November 15, and I'm still waiting for a response.

UPDATE: It looks like Pioneer has all but, albeit quietly, exited the disc player market. I have owned the Panasonic for a while now, and if you do want a machine with all these features there is the MAGNETAR.