Pioneer Elite BDP-LX500

[danny24]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Which company, Samsung? Making high end players? What the actual "F" are you talking about? Samsung make shit. They have always made shit. I had one of their early BD players, it lasted a few days before the spring popped out of the eject mechanism and it wouldn't open.

They make excellent smartphones and TV's. As for BD and DVD players, except for the UHD players they made which were ok it's all pretty much crap. The BDup5000 HD-DVD/BD combo player is their best disc player ever imo. So yeah just that model and their UHD players are the best ones. They never had any disc player I would call special like an Oppo, Panasonic, Pioneer, etc. Just mostly yeah that's ok kind of players which were the UHD models and BDUP5000. I don't really miss their exit from the disc player market. I got plenty of use out of the BDUP5000 which is a really good HD-DVD/BD combo player. Very easy to use and still works today. If anyone ever finds one cheap second hand and you have some HD-DVD's it's worth picking one up.

[BijouMan]

Originally Posted by danny24

They make excellent smartphones and TV's. As for BD and DVD players, except for the UHD players they made which were ok it's all pretty much crap. The BDup5000 HD-DVD/BD combo player is their best disc player ever imo. So yeah just that model and their UHD players are the best ones. They never had any disc player I would call special like an Oppo, Panasonic, Pioneer, etc. Just mostly yeah that's ok kind of players.

Their displays are just mediocre, yet they try to market them as if they are the best thing out there. The way they do this is by coming up with the name "QLED" which is really easy to confuse with OLED, since buyers think of OLED as the reference standard (which it is). They're actually just fancier LED LCDs with a limited number of "dimming zones" (480 on their flagship vs 8,294,400 on an OLED.)

[Geoff D]

Yep, Samsung are unrivalled masters of making the marketing count, it's why they're one of the biggest TV companies in the world despite no sane enthusiast going near one of their TVs with a bargepole.

[R3P0]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Yep, Samsung are unrivalled masters of making the marketing count, it's why they're one of the biggest TV companies in the world despite no sane enthusiast going near one of their TVs with a bargepole.

My 2x Samsung plasmas died within months of each other both had panel issues. My Samsung LED died 2 years after purchase. I will never buy another Samsung product again.

[smithb]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Yep, Samsung are unrivalled masters of making the marketing count, it's why they're one of the biggest TV companies in the world despite no sane enthusiast going near one of their TVs with a bargepole.

I have four Samsung TV's in the house. Three purchased in the last two years. Two 50" for the kids bedrooms, an older 55" in the family room, and a 65" in my bedroom. None are QLED. All purchased from Costco. I only watch casual TV on them and I'm sitting anywhere from 12' to 16' away. I have a Sony 45es projector in the basement for more serious watching. I have to say I have no complaints for the price.

[smithb]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

no sane enthusiast going near one of their TVs with a bargepole.

A techno-geek enthusiast, probably not, but a film enthusiast is focused on the content and will watch on whatever they can afford. Some are both, some are one or the other. I think there is too much emphasis in forums like this some times in trying to say a film enthusiast has to also be a techno-geek.

[Wendell R. Breland]

Originally Posted by smithb

I think there is too much emphasis in forums like this some times in trying to say a film enthusiast has to also be a techno-geek.

Agreed right to the point where film enthusiast tries to tell us techno-geeks this or that is not that important. This goes way back with HBO and Showtime subs, video cassette owners and CED owners telling us LaserDisc owners that LaserDisc did not look or sound that much better than their method of viewing.

[smithb]

Originally Posted by Wendell R. Breland

Agreed right to the point where film enthusiast tries to tell us techno-geeks this or that is not that important. This goes way back with HBO and Showtime subs, video cassette owners and CED owners telling us LaserDisc owners that LaserDisc did not look or sound that much better than their method of viewing.

A film enthusiast is just that, it has nothing to do with technology. A technologist favors technological advancement, nothing more. Some feel they must be linked, but they don't. If a person wants to say DVD is good enough and sees no benefit to go further, that is fine and should be respected. If another feels they need the latest and greatest to enjoy the content, that is also fine and should be respected. Ultimately, where each individual assign their own priorities is all that matters and it should be respected.

[ronboster]

Originally Posted by Wendell R. Breland

Agreed right to the point where film enthusiast tries to tell us techno-geeks this or that is not that important. This goes way back with HBO and Showtime subs, video cassette owners and CED owners telling us LaserDisc owners that LaserDisc did not look or sound that much better than their method of viewing.

Your comment about CED vs laserDics reminds me of my college days. I would have loved a an LD player but couldn't afford one. I bought a CED player because it allowed me to own and play movies, which was out of reach in laserdisc and VHS.

Sometimes our resources do not allow us to buy the high performance products. I've been fortunate in my life to now enjoy a great set up, but still stay within a reasonable budget.

[BijouMan]

Originally Posted by ronboster

Your comment about CED vs laserDics reminds me of my college days. I would have loved a an LD player but couldn't afford one. I bought a CED player because it allowed me to own and play movies, which was out of reach in laserdisc and VHS.

Sometimes our resources do not allow us to buy the high performance products. I've been fortunate in my life to now enjoy a great set up, but still stay within a reasonable budget.

CEDs could only be played so many times before they wore out. The reason for this is because the discs were read with a sharp needle. Also, CED was what ultimately caused its developer to go bankrupt. If you see anything these days bearing their name, it is actually just made by a company that shares its name with a process that was used to make early color films.

[Wendell R. Breland]

Originally Posted by smithb

A film enthusiast is just that, it has nothing to do with technology.

Some may have missed the point. Some of us tech types could care less about how another enthusiast views/listens to their content. An example, the rub comes when an enthusiast says there is little difference between the DVD and UHD BD of title xyz when there is clearly a big difference to those that know what to look/listen for. I have no problem when the viewer says the DVD is good enough for them and leaves it at that.

If some of you just knew the amount of ridicule aimed at some of us because we like OAR. I believe to this day some hate the black bars on 1.78 displays of widescreen content.

[Member-425016]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Yep, Samsung are unrivalled masters of making the marketing count, it's why they're one of the biggest TV companies in the world despite no sane enthusiast going near one of their TVs with a bargepole.

Their high end Plasma sets were phenomenal(f8500), and blew Panasonic away in terms of features mainly 3D, brightness and reliability. However Panasonic fired back with the with the AE-8000 the darling of budget minded projector 3 LCD tech consumer. It was an insanely popular for the feature set alone!

Samsung F8500 PS64F8500 3D Plasma TV Review - YouTube

Both companies have their strengths, and weaknesses

I still have a BD player from Samsung I bought in 2009 ($80) that still plays flawlessly and has some better features than my Panasonic UB9000. Sad but true.

Samsung isn't that bad...well except for their 4K BD player. I'm not sure what they were thinking there!

[Matthew.H]

Originally Posted by BijouMan

CEDs could only be played so many times before they wore out. The reason for this is because the discs were read with a sharp needle. Also, CED was what ultimately caused its developer to go bankrupt. If you see anything these days bearing their name, it is actually just made by a company that shares its name with a process that was used to make early color films.

Tbf from the Techmoan video on CED apparently they would wear out in 500 plays so not really an issue for most people. They did degrade badly over time though.

[BijouMan]

Originally Posted by Matthew.H

Tbf from the Techmoan video on CED apparently they would wear out in 500 plays so not really an issue for most people. They did degrade badly over time though.

500 is still a limited number compared to the infinite number of plays LaserDiscs offered (unless they rotted.)

[Wendell R. Breland]

Originally Posted by ronboster

Your comment about CED vs laserDics reminds me of my college days. I would have loved a an LD player but couldn't afford one. I bought a CED player because it allowed me to own and play movies, which was out of reach in laserdisc and VHS.

IMHO, sets you apart from many.

Sometimes our resources do not allow us to buy the high performance products. I've been fortunate in my life to now enjoy a great set up, but still stay within a reasonable budget.

So have I. Also doubt very few would do the jobs over the period of time I have done in order to procure A/V items.

[ronboster]

Originally Posted by BijouMan

CEDs could only be played so many times before they wore out. The reason for this is because the discs were read with a sharp needle. Also, CED was what ultimately caused its developer to go bankrupt. If you see anything these days bearing their name, it is actually just made by a company that shares its name with a process that was used to make early color films.

I never had an discs go bad and owned them for about 6 years. Their lack of ability to record (vs VHS and beta), their lessor quality image vs LD and studio support (which includes Adult content) were the reasons for the format not taking off.

If you weren't a young adult or an adult during that time, it's hard to grasp the fact that actually owning a copy of a movie for private use was a big deal.

[smithb]

Originally Posted by Wendell R. Breland

Some may have missed the point. Some of us tech types could care less about how another enthusiast views/listens to their content. An example, the rub comes when an enthusiast says there is little difference between the DVD and UHD BD of title xyz when there is clearly a big difference to those that know what to look/listen for. I have no problem when the viewer says the DVD is good enough for them and leaves it at that.

If some of you just knew the amount of ridicule aimed at some of us because we like OAR. I believe to this day some hate the black bars on 1.78 displays of widescreen content.

Technically, 4K UHD -> blu-ray -> DVD and is easily proven based on the specifications.

On a side by side comparison between a DVD and a 4K UHD with HDR applied it would be difficult to NOT see differences. However, a person can say the differences are unimportant to their ability to enjoy the content. Thus, the upgrade costs being unnecessary when it could be used to further their library of content.

You state it is okay to say DVD is good enough, but not to say there is little difference. I believe to many individuals they mean the same thing (i.e., the perceived differences are not important enough so what I have is good enough). Yes, there is likely a minority that think blu-ray and 4k UHD are only gimmicks, but I would think they are the minority.

Now taking it from the other side. In my more recent time on forums like this, I see a lot more of the technologists berating individuals for saying "DVD is good enough", and claiming they can't possible be film enthusiasts if they don't view from the highest quality source material and equipment then the other way around.

Yes, I know all about the lack of acknowledging OAR and the hate for black bars, but times have changed. On forums like this the technologists rule. It is now the "good enough" crowd that is ridiculed more often than not.

[smithb]

Originally Posted by ronboster

If you weren't a young adult or an adult during that time, it's hard to grasp the fact that actually owning a copy of a movie for private use was a big deal.

So true. First, the ability to rent, then the ability to own. I remember when I purchased "Star Trek III" on beta in the late 80's for only $20. A few years later, "Batman" on VHS for $15. Catalog titles coming out every week in more abundance.

When your initial memories growing up are based on waiting 5+ years after a movie left the theaters for a major TV event presentation of a chopped of version that may not circle around again for a couple of more years. Those growing up with cable and paid movie channels don't realize what it was like back then.

[BijouMan]

Originally Posted by smithb

so true. First, the ability to rent, then the ability to own. I remember when i purchased "star trek iii" on beta in the late 80's for only $20. A few years later, "batman" on vhs for $15. Catalog titles coming out every week in more abundance.

When your initial memories growing up are based on waiting 5+ years after a movie left the theaters for a major tv event presentation of a chopped of version that may not circle around again for a couple of more years. Those growing up with cable and paid movie channels don't realize what it was like back then.

β

[wxman2003]

Originally Posted by smithb

So true. First, the ability to rent, then the ability to own. I remember when I purchased "Star Trek III" on beta in the late 80's for only $20. A few years later, "Batman" on VHS for $15. Catalog titles coming out every week in more abundance.

When your initial memories growing up are based on waiting 5+ years after a movie left the theaters for a major TV event presentation of a chopped of version that may not circle around again for a couple of more years. Those growing up with cable and paid movie channels don't realize what it was like back then.

Heck, I remember when movies first came out on VHS, and waiting for them to go on sale for $79.