Pioneer Elite BDP-LX500

[BijouMan]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

So it would be pretty much competely pointless then?

You got me at just the right time. It would probably be considering that you ideally should set the player to "Source Direct" anyway. Source Direct outputs the native resolution and frame rate of the disc being played (480i or p for DVDs and certain Blu-ray bonus features, 1080i or p for Blu-ray Discs and certain Ultra HD Blu-ray bonus features, and 2160p for Ultra HD Blu-ray.) It outputs at 4:2:2 since 4:2:0 is only supported in 4K@60Hz/50Hz, not 4K@24Hz. Modern displays have much better upscaling than players. Panasonic machines don't have Source Direct.

[BijouMan]

So, what resolution does Source Direct output for Video CDs? (Yes, this is one of the few (Ultra HD) Blu-ray players that's actually that backwards compatible)

[R3P0]

Originally Posted by BijouMan

Do any of you have any insider news regarding this or a new model? I'm still waiting to get one.

No One has any info best source for any new model or stock is going to be Robert

[BijouMan]

Originally Posted by R3P0

No One has any info best source for any new model or stock is going to be Robert

What's his handle?

[JohnAV]

Originally Posted by BijouMan

What's his handle?

The OP of this thread. But while he is a Pioneer dealer he isn't going to pre-announce anything.

[johndoyle123]

From speaking to a few industry sources it seems more likely pioneer ditches
The line as they are having serious issues with manufacturing due to covid

[JohnAV]

Originally Posted by johndoyle123

From speaking to a few industry sources it seems more likely pioneer ditches
The line as they are having serious issues with manufacturing due to covid

Yes very possible they will really constrain products to those most likely to sell for decent margins. They need to get their Pioneer Elite AVR marketplace revived first. A $1000 USD LX500 player is not going to generate many sales. Even worse in UK with £999.00 price.

[johndoyle123]

Originally Posted by JohnAV

Yes very possible they will really constrain products to those most likely to sell for decent margins. They need to get their Pioneer Elite AVR marketplace revived first. A $1000 USD LX500 player is not going to generate many sales. Even worse in UK with £999.00 price.

Yeah seems it won’t just be the bd players but most of the av range also

Who knows maybe they come back when covid cools it

[BijouMan]

Just called Pioneer. I explained my situation and they said the UDP-LX500 has been discontinued. I asked them about a successor and they told me that maybe something will happen at CES, which by the way is going to be all-digital this year. The actual Pioneer company in Japan does not tell the customer service department if they are working on anything new until they announce it at an event like CES. But at least I know they're still in business as they answered almost instantly.

[Auditor55]

Originally Posted by BijouMan

Just called Pioneer. I explained my situation and they said the UDP-LX500 has been discontinued. I asked them about a successor and they told me that maybe something will happen at CES, which by the way is going to be all-digital this year. The actual Pioneer company in Japan does not tell the customer service department if they are working on anything new until they announce it at an event like CES. But at least I know they're still in business as they answered almost instantly.

I wouldn't hold my breath waiting on a new UHD player to replace the LX500. Optical disc is just about dead. Samsung departure from the Blu ray disc market was the first nail in the coffin. I LOL at people that believe there will be any such thing as an 8K UHD Blu Ray player, there really isn't a market for it.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by BijouMan

It will generate tons of sales for all the people (like myself) waiting to get one!

Originally Posted by BijouMan

Just called Pioneer. I explained my situation and they said the UDP-LX500 has been discontinued.

So much then for the "tons of sales" that it was going to generate upon its return, huh?

A pity if your story is true. I was interested in getting one myself.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by Auditor55

I wouldn't hold my breath waiting on a new UHD player to replace the LX500. Optical disc is just about dead. Samsung departure from the Blu ray disc market was the first nail in the coffin. I LOL at people that believe there will be any such thing as an 8K UHD Blu Ray player, there really isn't a market for it.

There doesn't appear to be a market for any 8K content delivered by any means, disc or streaming. I am unaware of any studio planning to release anything in 8K. Unless you count cat videos and drone flights on youtube as meaningful examples of 8K content, there isn't anything for 8K TVs to do, except to upscale 4K content.

[BijouMan]

Originally Posted by Auditor55

I wouldn't hold my breath waiting on a new UHD player to replace the LX500. Optical disc is just about dead. Samsung departure from the Blu ray disc market was the first nail in the coffin. I LOL at people that believe there will be any such thing as an 8K UHD Blu Ray player, there really isn't a market for it.

There is still a market for Ultra HD Blu-ray. Look at all the people on this forum. Tons of new discs are coming down the pipeline, and the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X can play them (albeit only in the basic HDR10.)

We need an LX500 successor to continue the OPPO/Pioneer family of players as there is no family of players like it.

Other people on other forums hadn’t been able to reach their customer service.

Samsung probably stopped making players because people weren’t buying them as there are much better players out there.

[BijouMan]

Originally Posted by Vilya

There doesn't appear to be a market for any 8K content delivered by any means, disc or streaming. I am unaware of any studio planning to release anything in 8K.

8K doesn’t make enough of a difference for studios to go back into their cold vaults and remaster everything. And, before you ask, I bet this new player will have HDR10+.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by BijouMan

8K doesn’t make enough of a difference for studios to go back into their cold vaults and remaster everything. And, before you ask, I bet this new player will have HDR10+.

I hope it does. I am happy to see new hardware supporting all video and audio formats.

[Auditor55]

Originally Posted by BijouMan

There is still a market for Ultra HD Blu-ray. Look at all the people on this forum. Tons of new discs are coming down the pipeline, and the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X can play them (albeit only in the basic HDR10.)

We need an LX500 successor to continue the OPPO/Pioneer family of players as there is no family of players like it.

Other people on other forums hadn’t been able to reach their customer service.

Samsung probably stopped making players because people weren’t buying them as there are much better players out there.

This forum and others like it does not represent market. This forum is an ultra niche. As far as PS5 and Xbox, gamers laugh at people that still use disc. I have an Xbox One S. UHD disc playback, in my opinion, is poorly implemented. I think you can tell that disc play back isn't a priority of game consoles.

[Vilya]

There are a vast array of niche markets, even "ultra niche" ones, and they exist because they are profitable. They will continue to exist while they remain that way.

The luxury goods market has always been niche, from $250 chocolate truffles to $1150 Vicuna Wool socks. Most people will never buy either of these items, but enough do that such extravagances continue to be offered.

[BijouMan]

Originally Posted by Auditor55

This forum and others like it does not represent market. This forum is an ultra niche. As far as PS5 and Xbox, gamers laugh at people that still use disc. I have an Xbox One S. UHD disc playback, in my opinion, is poorly implemented. I think you can tell that disc play back isn't a priority of game consoles.

Well, buying your games on disc is the only way you’ll be able to play them 20 years from now when the digital store is discontinued. For this reason, I buy every single one of my movies, music and games on disc when available. See my posts on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X threads.

[ronboster]

Originally Posted by Vilya

There are a vast array of niche markets, even "ultra niche" ones, and they exist because they are profitable. They will continue to exist while they remain that way.

The luxury goods market has always been niche, from $250 chocolate truffles to $1150 Vicuna Wool socks. Most people will never buy either of these items, but enough do that such extravagances continue to be offered.

I think the point remains when Bijou is saying "look at this forum of course there is a market for a new high-end pioneer player" (enough to justify the company producing one), I would tend to say that's a little bit of wishful thinking on his part.

This forum is not made up of ppl who are going to pay $250 for chocolate truffles. So what would the price have to be for Pioneer to justify a new player? I would think higher than their current player? Double in price? Only they know. The fact that oppo (correct capitalization) didn't stay in the market should tell us something.

I'm a supporter of physical media, so I would love to see new player options.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by ronboster

I think the point remains when Bijou is saying "look at this forum of course there is a market for a new high-end pioneer player" (enough to justify the company producing one), I would tend to say that's a little bit of wishful thinking on his part.

This forum is not made up of ppl who are going to pay $250 for chocolate truffles. So what would the price have to be for Pioneer to justify a new player? I would think higher than their current player? Double in price? Only they know. The fact that oppo (correct capitalization) didn't stay in the market should tell us something.

I'm a supporter of physical media, so I would love to see new player options.

I have learned to never underestimate what people will pay for exceptional chocolates.

There remains a market for premium 4K disc players; it just happens to belong to Panasonic now with their UB9000 player. The question may be is there enough demand for $1000+ 4K disc players for another company to want to offer them?

Pioneer actually did offer a MUCH more expensive 4K disc player, the LX 800, at the same time that they offered the LX 500. The LX 800 cost $2449, but it was not offered in the U.S.

https://www.techradar.com/reviews/pi...f%20excellence.

oppo's closure of their A/V products division had more to do with their desire to focus on their smartphone business; that has always been their main income source. oppo did not just drop 4K disc players; they also stopped making their home audio headphones and their dedicated headphone amplifiers. I doubt that says anything about the demand for nice headphones.