New to site/Blu Ray - need advice

[mcordani]

Hi I am new to this site as well as Blu Ray. I have been holding off on getting one, but now with the price drops I was considering getting one after the holidays. The reason I have been waiting is that I didn't want to get something that would be obsolete, as I understand earlier models may become. Are there several models I should consider in the near future?

I currently have a Panasonic 42" LCD Projection TV. It is only 1080i but has a amazing picture. I remember picking it out years ago and it looked better than the majority of the competition. I figure once I get Blu Ray I may update my TV to a new 1080p, but that is for another forum thread.

Sound is less important. I have a 5 speaker surround system, hooked to a Sony V333ES receiver that sounds great. It plays DTS which I have been more than happy with.

Anyway, for now I would like to find a Blu Ray player. Seems like many of you like Panasonic or Sony. I've had good luck with both brands.

[hardcorefrokid]

Happy with DTS? Once you listen to loss less audio you won't want to go back. But, here are some solid players: Panasonic DMP-BD35, Sony BDP-S350, and of course the PS3.

[mcordani]

Originally Posted by hardcorefrokid

Happy with DTS? Once you listen to loss less audio you won't want to go back. But, here are some solid players: Panasonic DMP-BD35, Sony BDP-S350, and of course the PS3.

Thanks for the info. I'll upgrade the audio at some point but that has to be last on my list, since I would like a player and maybe upgrade to a 1080p TV first. That is gonna be a pretty penny as is...

[neos_peace]

Originally Posted by mcordani

Thanks for the info. I'll upgrade the audio at some point but that has to be last on my list, since I would like a player and maybe upgrade to a 1080p TV first. That is gonna be a pretty penny as is...

If you consider upgrading you tv. Just a thought and there will prolly be arguements over this too, however. If you do upgrade I'd personally suggest you get a plazma, why? becasue they are considered gfood tv's for movies, and LCD, are good for regular TV. Just a thought. And yes go wiht the PS3 you won't be dissopppointed.

[andyman1970]

Originally Posted by neos_peace

And yes go wiht the PS3 you won't be dissopppointed.

NO NO NO NO NO!!!!! Unless you are a gamer and into playing video games the PS3 is highly overrated and you can get the Panasonic DMP-BD35k which is just as good, if not better then the PS3 for at least a $100.00 cheaper. And I believe the Sony model that was mentioned is also cheaper. I know this from my own personal experience. The only benefit to the PS3 is the built in WiFi for easy fimware updates, but you can always plug an ethernet cable or network adapter/bridge into the ethernet port of the Panasonic for firmware upgrades. Or call them and have them send you a disc.

And one other thing, I have an LCD and it is PERFECT for movies. neos_peace is just trying to shove his opinions down your throat. You need to go and check out the TV's and decide which is right for you.

[DealsR4theDevil]

Originally Posted by andyman1970

NO NO NO NO NO!!!!! Unless you are a gamer and into playing video games the PS3 is highly overrated and you can get the Panasonic DMP-BD35k which is just as good, if not better then the PS3 for at least a $100.00 cheaper. And I believe the Sony model that was mentioned is also cheaper. I know this from my own personal experience. The only benefit to the PS3 is the built in WiFi for easy fimware updates, but you can always plug an ethernet cable or network adapter/bridge into the ethernet port of the Panasonic for firmware upgrades. Or call them and have them send you a disc.

I don't know about the Panasonic DMP-BD35k but I have seen many stand alone Blu-ray players (including a Pioneer Elite one that my friend bought) and I have to tell you, the PS3 loads instantly where as every standalone I have seen takes at least a minute if not more.

Originally Posted by mcordani

The reason I have been waiting is that I didn't want to get something that would be obsolete, as I understand earlier models may become.

No such thing as a truly obsolete player. Some can't do picture-in-picture and BD-Live (just gimmicky special features). The main thing to watch out for is that they can handle teh HD audio codecs: DTS HD Master Audio and Dolby True HD.

[JasonR]

Trust, the Panasonic and Sony don't load nearly that slow. It isn't even long enough to be an issue.

Considering you can get the Sony BDP-S350 for $200.00 or less and it does everything you are asking, that is the route I would take.

[guitarist155]

i have a ps3 and a bdps350 on the way, i think that the s350 is a great deal and has most if not all the features you could want. however i would never trade my ps3 for another player, every time a new feature comes out we get an update to add it to our player i know we will max out the hardware sometime but for now it also makes a great entertainment hub it will store music, video etc. you can also rent hd/non hd movies and tv shows on the ps3 it really is an amazing machine

[Jmobie]

I would seriously study and compare the Sony BDP-S550 and the Panasonic DMP-BD55K. My family and I purchased the Sony one as a Christmas gift, and although we can't test the video yet (long story), the audio is phenomenal. I recommend these two players over the BDP-S350 and DMP-BD35K because the first two can output HD audio with old 5.1 receivers that have no HDMI ports. Take the Sony, for example. The S550 at $320ish costs about $100 more than the S350. If you buy the S550, you don't have to buy another HD receiver that costs $400+. The only logical reasons why you would want to upgrade your receiver after purchasing the S550 is if you want the extra analog ports for 7.1, or you can't stand the mess of analog cables in the back.

If you use digital coaxial or fiber optical for audio output, you will not get HD audio. For HD audio, the S350 and BD35K only have 2 ch analog output, whereas the BDP-S550 and the BD55K have 7.1 analog. The S350 at the moment only decodes Dolby TrueHD internally, while the other three do decode both TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio internally. I would stay way from the S350 because of that. I would not put hope into Sony releasing a firmware update, although that's possible.

[quest88]

Originally Posted by mcordani

Hi I am new to this site as well as Blu Ray. I have been holding off on getting one, but now with the price drops I was considering getting one after the holidays. The reason I have been waiting is that I didn't want to get something that would be obsolete, as I understand earlier models may become. Are there several models I should consider in the near future?

I currently have a Panasonic 42" LCD Projection TV. It is only 1080i but has a amazing picture. I remember picking it out years ago and it looked better than the majority of the competition. I figure once I get Blu Ray I may update my TV to a new 1080p, but that is for another forum thread.

Sound is less important. I have a 5 speaker surround system, hooked to a Sony V333ES receiver that sounds great. It plays DTS which I have been more than happy with.

Anyway, for now I would like to find a Blu Ray player. Seems like many of you like Panasonic or Sony. I've had good luck with both brands.

You can't go wrong with either brand. If a stand alone is what you're thinking of going with I would say go with the Panny it seems that many people here enjoy it, but if you go with a PS3 you can get a deal here http://www.sonyrewards.com/en/gatewa...nk=sr150nowps3

[callas01]

First Off, Does your receiver have multi-channel analog inputs? you know the red and whites in the back? IF so then the Sony 550 or the Panasonic 55, I would suggest the Panny cause it can play the HD audio in LPCM while still playing the secondary audio for PIP, etc. The sony can only play standard DTS and DD while doing this(I've heard).

Secondly, If you have to upgrade the receiver, do that first. I know sounds strange but hear me out. Your current TV does 1080i which is still a really good picture, but to hear the lossless audio and immerse yourself in that sound with what is still a high quality 1080i picture would be the better way to go, IMO. Satellite and cable are only going to give you 720p and 1080i anyways, so half of what you are going to watch will not be in 1080p anyways.

[mcordani]

Originally Posted by Jmobie

I would seriously study and compare the Sony BDP-S550 and the Panasonic DMP-BD55K. My family and I purchased the Sony one as a Christmas gift, and although we can't test the video yet (long story), the audio is phenomenal. I recommend these two players over the BDP-S350 and DMP-BD35K because the first two can output HD audio with old 5.1 receivers that have no HDMI ports. Take the Sony, for example. The S550 at $320ish costs about $100 more than the S350. If you buy the S550, you don't have to buy another HD receiver that costs $400+. The only logical reasons why you would want to upgrade your receiver after purchasing the S550 is if you want the extra analog ports for 7.1, or you can't stand the mess of analog cables in the back.

If you use digital coaxial or fiber optical for audio output, you will not get HD audio. For HD audio, the S350 and BD35K only have 2 ch analog output, whereas the BDP-S550 and the BD55K have 7.1 analog. The S350 at the moment only decodes Dolby TrueHD internally, while the other three do decode both TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio internally. I would stay way from the S350 because of that. I would not put hope into Sony releasing a firmware update, although that's possible.

Wow, I didn't know that. Great to know because I definitely don't want to replace my receiver Sony STR-V333ES. It cost a fortune years ago and is a professional model (weighs like 30lbs!). It does not have HDMI inputs but does have optical and coaxial digital. I would definitely want to get a player that would transmit the HD signal over those cables. So what sound would the Panasonic player output to my 5.1 receiver then? For now the best I get is standard DTS. What would be the best it could do?

Secondly, If you have to upgrade the receiver, do that first. I know sounds strange but hear me out. Your current TV does 1080i which is still a really good picture, but to hear the lossless audio and immerse yourself in that sound with what is still a high quality 1080i picture would be the better way to go, IMO. Satellite and cable are only going to give you 720p and 1080i anyways, so half of what you are going to watch will not be in 1080p anyways.

Also good to know as I didn't know cable only sent HD in 1080i. That would mean i would only be getting a slightly better picture for DVDs only. Probably not worth it as my TV picture looks great. I'm not too worried about PIP as I never use it anyway.

With all that said then I would probably be better with either the Sony BDP-S550 and the Panasonic DMP-BD55K, that way I can have HD sound with my current receiver.

[Jmobie]

Originally Posted by mcordani

Wow, I didn't know that. Great to know because I definitely don't want to replace my receiver Sony STR-V333ES. It cost a fortune years ago and is a professional model (weighs like 30lbs!). It does not have HDMI inputs but does have optical and coaxial digital. I would definitely want to get a player that would transmit the HD signal over those cables. So what sound would the Panasonic player output to my 5.1 receiver then? For now the best I get is standard DTS. What would be the best it could do?

If you have a 5.1 DTS receiver currently, then yes, I would purchase one of the more expensive models- S550 or BD55K. However, your only way to get the HD signal would be 5.1 analog. You just plug in the red and whites for front L/R, surround L/R, center, and subwoofer, and forget about the surround back ports. Fiber optical and digital coaxial, apparently, are just too limited to carry decoded HD audio signals to the receiver. It reads in the S550 manual that if optical/coaxial are used for sound, the quality is at best DTS.

There is one more point I'd to stress.

I would suggest the Panny cause it can play the HD audio in LPCM while still playing the secondary audio for PIP, etc. The sony can only play standard DTS and DD while doing this(I've heard).

Callas01 is right. I haven't played around with our S550 enough yet, but there is small issue when playing commentary features and perhaps Bonus View. It was pointed out pretty well in the S550 review forum here that for normal movie watching, the audio settings need to be set to 'Direct' to get lossless audio. If the settings are set to 'Mix' then I guess the audio is lossy. If you want to hear a mix of primary and secondary audio, the setting should be on 'Mix' and that means no lossless audio, but lossy DTS. Personally, that doesn't bother me. I'm not into and commentary and voices interrupting the movie. The BD55K on the other hand seems to not have this problem. You can still get lossless audio with commentary features. I still like my Sony and don't regret buying it one bit.

[brettallica]

Originally Posted by andyman1970

And one other thing, I have an LCD and it is PERFECT for movies. neos_peace is just trying to shove his opinions down your throat. You need to go and check out the TV's and decide which is right for you.

Ah yes, the plasma vs. LCD debate. I always love these! I agree with andyman, though, even though our choice of TV types may differ: do the research and see which set will be best for you. I chose plasma, but it won only by the narrowest of margins over LCD.

[david2189]

If youre not interested in games, do NOT get a PS3...the reason i say this is because every single review cant be wrong!! (they all say the standalones outperform the ps3 in pq and aq)

[mcordani]

If you have a 5.1 DTS receiver currently, then yes, I would purchase one of the more expensive models- S550 or BD55K. However, your only way to get the HD signal would be 5.1 analog. You just plug in the red and whites for front L/R, surround L/R, center, and subwoofer, and forget about the surround back ports. Fiber optical and digital coaxial, apparently, are just too limited to carry decoded HD audio signals to the receiver. It reads in the S550 manual that if optical/coaxial are used for sound, the quality is at best DTS.

That is awesome. Thanks. I would have never have known to hook it up that way. I'll probably pick up either the S550 or BD55K after the holidays. I imagine the sales will still be good with the economy crapping out. Then if funds are sufficient I'll have to do my research in the HD TV forum...

One other question, would I need any special wires for the 5.1 audio input? I know with some wires it is especially important to have really good ones. Thanks again.

[quest88]

Originally Posted by david2189

If youre not interested in games, do NOT get a PS3...the reason i say this is because every single review cant be wrong!! (they all say the standalones outperform the ps3 in pq and aq)

POST THE LINKS PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[guitarist155]

when the s350 gets here i can side by side it with the ps3. I always trust my own review, other than that i have a hard time going by what people say sounds or looks better, how would they know what i see lol. reminds me of something ( planes, trains and automobiles. "your going the wrong way"" how would he know where we're going. yeah, how would he know where we're going" )

I will agree though there is a place for stand alone players and the ps3, the ps3 can do way more, like play my sacd's and to get the full effect you do have to have a modern receiver, but our standalone was about 1/3rd the price and PQ/AQ aside some people just don't want to own a "game console" it's like it makes it seem cheaper.

[mcordani]

If you have a 5.1 DTS receiver currently, then yes, I would purchase one of the more expensive models- S550 or BD55K. However, your only way to get the HD signal would be 5.1 analog. You just plug in the red and whites for front L/R, surround L/R, center, and subwoofer, and forget about the surround back ports. Fiber optical and digital coaxial, apparently, are just too limited to carry decoded HD audio signals to the receiver. It reads in the S550 manual that if optical/coaxial are used for sound, the quality is at best DTS.

I was reading the Panasonic DMP-BD55K manual and I just want to make sure I've got this straight. So if I buy this player, and hook it up as above I will be able to get the HD lossless audio formats but just mixxed down to 5.1? That would be great.

Also, what should I get for analog wires? Is it important that they are good quality as you would want in a HDMI cable? Thanks again.

[callas01]

You can get 7.1, you use the 5.1+2.0. Why they have them seperated I have no idea. I believe the 5.1 is on the right and the 2.0 is on the left of the rear of the BDP. You just need the red and whites. Shouldn't matter.