Steep Pricetags on Blu Players... Worth it?

[ecnelis]

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but why in the WORLD would anyone buy a bluray player for $1500+. It just seems completely illogical to me. Case-in-point the new Denon 3800BDCI or whatever its called.

I just don't find any improvement that is worth the extra $1100... Can anyone shed some light on this? The only main thing that I see the Denon has is the video audio processing (but if you have a REALLY nice receiver, shouldn't that not matter?) and then the websites stating its "built like a tank" and resists vibration...

If you set up your HT correctly, shouldn't you not really have to worry about vibrations? Like if everything was mounted and or placed correctly. It just seems like a HUGE sham to me...

I was thinking of getting a stand-a-lone player for my soon to be bought HT, and I am kinda a denon fanboy, I just can't feasibly see myself paying 1500 for something that I can get for 400-500...

[allstar780]

i can honestly say I wouldn't buy it haha... but then we may both be completely clueless as to some amazing features... but from what i've seen.... ehhh not so much

[cawgijoe]

High end units such as the Denon are built with higher quality parts. Most of them use much higher quality glass epoxy circuit boards. They use copper bus bars, alot of metal, shielding. Attention is paid to making the chassis much more ridgid. Many times the drawer will be made of metal instead of plastic. The parts on the circuit boards are also of higher quality and cost.

Whether any of this translates into enough of a performance improvement over a cheap player to warrant the cost is of course up to the buyer.

Many audio/videophiles are willing to pay for that extra 10% improvement.

[Blu Titan]

Originally Posted by ecnelis

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but why in the WORLD would anyone buy a bluray player for $1500+. It just seems completely illogical to me. Case-in-point the new Denon 3800BDCI or whatever its called.

I just don't find any improvement that is worth the extra $1100... Can anyone shed some light on this? The only main thing that I see the Denon has is the video audio processing (but if you have a REALLY nice receiver, shouldn't that not matter?) and then the websites stating its "built like a tank" and resists vibration...

If you set up your HT correctly, shouldn't you not really have to worry about vibrations? Like if everything was mounted and or placed correctly. It just seems like a HUGE sham to me...

I was thinking of getting a stand-a-lone player for my soon to be bought HT, and I am kinda a denon fanboy, I just can't feasibly see myself paying 1500 for something that I can get for 400-500...

Paying $1500 is crazy, but some people have money to waste. In some instances when you buy really expensive electronics, you are paying extra for a "status brand" (not saying that is the case here). People pay premium for a different brand and casing, while the electronic components inside the player are identical to cheaper brands.

[supersix4]

yeah were going to look at the denon one this weekend at our AV/store to see if its worth it if it is we'll be getting it, if not we'll find another one I cant see it being that much better then pioneer, pani, exc.

[syncguy]

Go for a PS3. Best value. Stunning picture. Also they are built like tanks, we have 5 year old PS2 and 10 year old PS1. They work without any problems in spite of the way children abuse it.

[RUR]

The Denon 3800BDCI isn't intended to be a solution for everyone. It's primarily intended for folks who a) Want the best upscaling available and who don't own a Realta-equipped AVR e.g. Denon 5308 and/or b) want the best AQ available and don't own an HDMI 1.3 AVR equipped with comparable high-end Burr Brown DAC's - again, e.g. Denon 5308.

Is it worth the price? It's a cost/benefit decision which only you can answer, based on your budget and your setup.

For the record, I own a PS3, BD-P1200 and DVD-3800BDCI. The 3800 blows everything away, as should be expected for a piece of gear at its price.

[syncguy]

Originally Posted by RUR

For the record, I own a PS3, BD-P1200 and DVD-3800BDCI. The 3800 blows everything away, as should be expected for a piece of gear at its price.

Do you see a difference in blu-ray picture quality between PS3 and other blu-ray players that you have. PS3 is not the best upscaler but for blu-ray it is outstanding.
Thanks.

[RUR]

Originally Posted by syncguy

Do you see a difference in blu-ray picture quality between PS3 and other blu-ray players that you have. PS3 is not the best upscaler but for blu-ray it is outstanding.
Thanks.

I believe I do, but that may be because I'm feeding a 1080i display, and the 1200/Reon or 3800/Realta are doing a better job of scaling. Or, it could be my imagination. The big benefits for me are SD DVD upscaling (I have ~1,500 SD DVD's, so that's important) and AQ. Those nice BB DAC's and analog out make for significant improvements.

[ecnelis]

Originally Posted by supersix4

yeah were going to look at the denon one this weekend at our AV/store to see if its worth it if it is we'll be getting it, if not we'll find another one I cant see it being that much better then pioneer, pani, exc.

please tell me how you like it. I'm hopefully getting a Denon 4308 (or better) AVR in the near future, so I don't know how that translates. Thanks for all the responses everyone

[werewuf]

Originally Posted by BlueNeon

Paying $1500 is crazy, but some people have money to waste. In some instances when you buy really expensive electronics, you are paying extra for a "status brand" (not saying that is the case here). People pay premium for a different brand and casing, while the electronic components inside the player are identical to cheaper brands.

There is another valid viewpoint: Why would anyone believe that a $499 game console or standalone be better than a $1999 blu-ray player? Some would believe it's a similar comparison to a BMW 5 series to a Honda Accord. Obviously a few people would dispute there being a $25,000 difference in driving payback, however there is a difference.
There are many high-end video/audio manufacturers that make phenomenal equipment that don't get talked about here. They do get compared and do give higher level performance than any equipment usually discussed here. Very soon some of these boutique manufacturers will be putting their blu-ray players on the market and there will be even higher PQ & AQ payback than what we have been used to so far. We are just on the tip of the blu-ray iceberg IMO. The reviews of Pioneer's standalones already tout higher PQ than the PS3, why not Denon or something even more expensive?
The PS3 is an outstanding machine that gives multi-faceted payback for your dollar, but in the recent pas,t game consoles were never given props for their home theater performance, audio/videophiles regarded them as Jack of all trades, master of none kind of status. Granted the PS3 is light years better than consoles of the recent past, but can it really keep up with a $1999 Denon that every cent of R & D, design, parts buying and manufacturing is spent on just PQ & AQ? We will see when the reviews come in.

Here is a $5000 Lexicon SD-DVD player review:
http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volum...06-part-1.html

[ronjones]

Well I guess we can count you out for buying one of Denon's $3800 DVD players or if that's too much perhaps one of their $1500 DVD players will fill the bill (LINK HERE). There is always a market for high end consumer electronics and Denon, along with sister company Marantz, have a long history to making high-end as well as mid-range consumer electronics. Denon's first offering of BD players is fully consistent with their DVD players pricing.

Ron Jones

[syncguy]

Originally Posted by RUR

I believe I do, but that may be because I'm feeding a 1080i display, and the 1200/Reon or 3800/Realta are doing a better job of scaling. Or, it could be my imagination. The big benefits for me are SD DVD upscaling (I have ~1,500 SD DVD's, so that's important) and AQ. Those nice BB DAC's and analog out make for significant improvements.

Okay Thanks.

You have a very good reason to have a good upscaler. Upgrading a huge library as yours is not an easy task!

[bootman]

Is a $x Bluray worth the money?
To the person who is buying it yes, if it performs to his or her expectations.

This holds true regarless of what price you insert.
(or what piece of gear you buy)

Value judgements are just that.
If the individual consumers finds the value in an item, then they will pay the asking price.
Who are we to impose our values on another when our points of reference may be on a different scale?

The best player for $500 will be different than the best player for $1000.
Does that make the $1000 player better than the $500? (or vice versa?)
You have to take the whole system into account and see how they fit the needs of the consumer.
Then valid comparative judgements can be made.

Someone wake me with a post update when a Blu Ray player is released with the quality build and performance of the Toshiba XA2. Most of (not even made in Japan) the high-dollar Blu Ray players don't even have gold plated inputs, let alone the high-end processors on board the 15 pound XA2, and yes, I do want a Blu Ray player. I'm not a Blu basher, just a quality seeker.

[RUR]

Originally Posted by Ria Rhodes

Someone wake me with a post update when a Blu Ray player is released with the quality build and performance of the Toshiba XA2. Most of (not even made in Japan) the high-dollar Blu Ray players don't even have gold plated inputs, let alone the high-end processors on board the 15 pound XA2, and yes, I do want a Blu Ray player. I'm not a Blu basher, just a quality seeker.

Have you looked at the Denon DVD3800BDCI or does that exceed your budget? Every owner of both the XA2 and 3800 who has posted comparisons (about six, thus far and mostly @ AVS) has commented upon the superiority of the 3800 as regards SD DVD upscaling and audio quality. As I said earlier, this should be expected at the price point.

[dobyblue]

For the same reasons that people will spend $6,999 on a stereo-only Super Audio CD player; quality.

http://us.marantz.com/Products/1947.asp

It seems odd to me that someone would say they're a Denon fanboy then question the $1,999 price tag on their Blu-ray player when their top of the line DVD player is $3,800!!

[dobyblue]

Originally Posted by Ria Rhodes

Someone wake me with a post update when a Blu Ray player is released with the quality build and performance of the Toshiba XA2.

It's already been done, I guess the "post updates" don't work.

Originally Posted by RUR

Have you looked at the Denon DVD3800BDCI or does that exceed your budget? Every owner of both the XA2 and 3800 who has posted comparisons (about six, thus far and mostly @ AVS) has commented upon the superiority of the 3800 as regards SD DVD upscaling and audio quality. As I said earlier, this should be expected at the price point.

Warning - more info than you need (or want) (~:

Yes, it does exceed my budget. I don't have a million + dollar home in Westwood, the Palisades, the Los Feliz Hills, La Canada, yada, yada. A rental in Atwater Village/Glendale was (and still is) my price point. (I don't spend $40 bucks on heirloom tomatoes at the 3rd Street Promenade farmers market, don't pose at destination restaurants, don't judge people by what moniker is on their vehicle either - but for those with the dough, that's their biz). I just want a fine quality upconverting DVD/BR player that isn't a piece of junk (no one knows what kind of audio/video gear I have when they see me out and about) and will last me five years at least without the usual premature product obsolescence. Continuing the previous diatribe,
I'm in rural AZ now. I'm done with driving in mind-numbing traffic in big sprawling, smoggy places where millions of consumer monsters compete against each other in ostentatiousness (I liked LA/Miami/Houston/San Fran/NYC/Philly - don't get me wrong, but the good side of selection in food/culture/shopping/locations just ceases to be a trade-off anymore). Age changes a lot of things about a persons choices). I bought my n-e-w XA2 for $500 (yes, Toshiba had marked down in the Blu/HD DVD war) at Amazon.com. I was keeping it at my brothers house and it was stolen (I don't live down there in Pheonix where he does (thank god!).

Maybe a PS3 is best for a person of modest means like me, even though some say it's not so great at upconverting SD DVD's (of which I have some 250 +). Maybe a budget BR player and a Oppo would fit my bill?

Ria (20 years too long in catering & personal assisting among the rich & famous who convinced me there is nothing special about them except what popular culture media has created) Rhodes

[dobyblue]

You sound more jaded than learned, if you don't mind me saying so.

I've watched far too many episodes of Cribs and I've rarely seen proper high-end audio equipment installed, it's usually satellite systems.

There is a massive difference between pretentious audio/video equipment and good audio/video equipment.

I see plenty of great systems here in the "post your pics" threads and I would wager money that less than 1% of the people posting live in million dollar homes.

If you think the rich know what's good and what's not, you're in the wrong place.

If you want a BD player with a Reon processor in it, buy a refurb'd BD-P1200. If you want something with better quality than an HD-XA2, you're being told what to get.

Don't try and spin the thread into something else just because you didn't realize there was a better player out there than your HD-XA2.

Quality seeker eh?