Advice on Best Blu-ray Player Please.

[Deane Johnson]

I won't go into all of my reasons for disenchantment, but I think I'll spend my money on a Blu-ray player. I know there are threads and threads on opinions of which player is best, but I'd like to get a simple recommendation from those already experienced.

My need is simple. Movies and DD 5.1. Nothing else. What's the lowest priced player that provides that? $98 didn't buy me much in the other format.

[calgarymarc]

PS3
Future-proof and fully upgradeable to support Profile 1.1 (now known as 'Bonus View')
Not only is it a full gaming console, however it can do pretty much anything else you want it to.

This is highly recommended

[Razzy]

PS3. No need to buy games and is a awesome Blu ray player. I just finished watching spider man 2.1. Simply awesome PQ & AQ. SM 3 tomorrow.

[WickyWoo]

If you don't care about analog outputs for lossless codecs then definately the 40GB PS3 and a remote is the way to go

[Blu As Hell]

Originally Posted by Deane Johnson

My need is simple. Movies and DD 5.1. Nothing else. What's the lowest priced player that provides that? $98 didn't buy me much in the other format.

Either a PS3 ($399 40gb), a Sony S300($449-$499), or you could wait until the 12th of November and get the new DMP-BD30K from Panasonic ($499) it will be Profile 1.1 compliant.

[ikbradley]

Get a PS3 40gb for $399. Great picture and sound. Amazing build quality. It has ethernet for easy updating and is the most futureproof. The only word of warning is that because it relies on blue tooth you cannot use a universal infrared remote.

[Iceman_II]

I KNOW you listed what you THINK you want in a BD player.

When you get the PS3, you will find a bunch of things you didn't even know you wanted, but that you eventually will not live without.

My favorite features are the option of streaming audio, video, and still pictures over the home network or playing video from an external drive or from memory sticks.

I've never been a gamer, but there are a couple of non-first person shooters (see my signature) which are wicked cool, especially GT-HD and GT Prolog.

On top of all the other features, you have the option of loading a secondary operating system (either YDL or Ubuntu are the easiest to load - I've loaded both)... with all these features, the choice becomes a no brainer.

HOWEVER - If you can afford the $98, you may want to keep the A2 as an upsampling DVD player, and use it for the free HD-DVDs you get with the mail in. This way, the player can't be purchased by someone to use as an exclusive red system... I KNOW people here will rag on me, but lets not kid ourselves, if you take it back, there will be no shortage of people willing to buy it, and while you have seen the "blu" light, they may only see red.

[GoldenRedux]

Moved to Blu-ray Players and Recorders and clarified thread title.

[Iceman_II]

Originally Posted by GoldenRedux

Moved to Blu-ray Players and Recorders and clarified thread title.

I thought it a rather nice spin, a member saying they were taking their $98 boat anchor back.... unlike all the new sub-20 post members talking about how great a deal it was

[Deane Johnson]

A little side issue, I asked for some help with this player over in the HD-DVD section of AVS, and you wouldn't believe the rudeness and accusations. The average age over there must be about 12.

[Frode]

The PS3 is a better upscaler than the Toshiba, so there's really no reason to clutter up the HT rack.

[Iceman_II]

Originally Posted by Frode

The PS3 is a better upscaler than the Toshiba, so there's really no reason to clutter up the HT rack.

But for showing off your system, it is pretty cool to play BOTH BD and DVD, and toggle the picture back and forth so people can REALLY see the difference.

[Deane Johnson]

Is it my understanding now that the PS3 will output DD 5.1 through either a coax or optical output jack.

[brent98]

Originally Posted by Iceman_II

When you get the PS3, you will find a bunch of things you didn't even know you wanted, but that you eventually will not live without.

My favorite features are the option of streaming audio, video, and still pictures over the home network or playing video from an external drive or from memory sticks.

Hmmm, tell me more.

Im looking at a BD player. Right now I have the 360 with HDDVD add on, but I knew from the get go I would eventually adopt both formats. Up until this point I was set on a standalone since there really arent any PS3 games I want (Im a Nintendo guy, and Zelda and Mario are more my thing). I know the 40 gig PS3 is the cheapest blu-ray, but I already went cheap with the 360 add on. It will be primarily a movie player, so SQ, PQ, and upconversion abilities will be the deciding factor. Can the PS3 hold its own against say the Sony BDP-S500, Samsung BD-P1400, and Panasonic DMP-BD30? And of those three which is the best? And Id like more info on these extra features of the PS3.

[quetzalcoatl]

Originally Posted by brent98

Hmmm, tell me more.

Im looking at a BD player. Right now I have the 360 with HDDVD add on, but I knew from the get go I would eventually adopt both formats. Up until this point I was set on a standalone since there really arent any PS3 games I want (Im a Nintendo guy, and Zelda and Mario are more my thing). I know the 40 gig PS3 is the cheapest blu-ray, but I already went cheap with the 360 add on. It will be primarily a movie player, so SQ, PQ, and upconversion abilities will be the deciding factor. Can the PS3 hold its own against say the Sony BDP-S500, Samsung BD-P1400, and Panasonic DMP-BD30? And of those three which is the best? And Id like more info on these extra features of the PS3.

Before I could say which one is best for you I need to know what receiver you have.

As to the extra features the PS3 has is more the fact it has not had any problems playing any discs to date and it loads them faster as well.
The drawbacks of the PS3 are its remote,bluetooth, only being able to send PCM on the advanced codecs, no bitstream, and the fact it does not fit into a convention HT,stackable. Now most of these can be overcome without much problem. My big one is really the audio.

[brent98]

Originally Posted by quetzalcoatl

Before I could say which one is best for you I need to know what receiver you have.

As to the extra features the PS3 has is more the fact it has not had any problems playing any discs to date and it loads them faster as well.
The drawbacks of the PS3 are its remote,bluetooth, only being able to send PCM on the advanced codecs, no bitstream, and the fact it does not fit into a convention HT,stackable. Now most of these can be overcome without much problem. My big one is really the audio.

I have a Bose 321 system I got about 5 years ago.

[Apollo 18]

Honestly, i'd recommend the PS3 with a blu tooth remote. It's simple to use, and should you ever choose to you can use it to play games too.

I've got one, and 90% of my use is Blu Ray movies. I've never been disappointed.

[bdrex28]

Originally Posted by Apollo 18

Honestly, i'd recommend the PS3 with a blu tooth remote. It's simple to use, and should you ever choose to you can use it to play games too.

I've got one, and 90% of my use is Blu Ray movies. I've never been disappointed.

Same here. Although I am probably going to buy the new Panasonic when it comes out as well.

[maximus2323]

Originally Posted by Deane Johnson

I won't go into all of my reasons for disenchantment, but I think I'll spend my money on a Blu-ray player. I know there are threads and threads on opinions of which player is best, but I'd like to get a simple recommendation from those already experienced.

My need is simple. Movies and DD 5.1. Nothing else. What's the lowest priced player that provides that? $98 didn't buy me much in the other format.

Must have been bad...

[jw]

Its that old saying If you drive a Cadillac for most your Life, you wont be happy with anything less

Make sure you tell it wont work so they defective it out and send it back to Toshiba, and not on the sales floor