I just bought bh200 the day before the samsung update came out... I got the lg open box for 369.99 and i can get the samsung new for 379.99 Is it worth it to return the lg and get the sammy now that the audio is brought up to the bh200 standards?

Not particularly. Only if you were experiencing video dropouts would I say you should return it and get the 5000 (or if you want the edge that the REON upconversion provides or the analog outs).

I'd say the reon concerns me far more than analog outs will... because i plan to buy a hdmi 1.3 receiver soon. Is there a significant difference between the reon and qdeo?

From my experience, the QDEO is softer on the edges (thus appear a little bit more blurry) while the REON has more sharpness. The sharpness though, luckily, is not compromised by any jaggies. I feel the REON does a very nice job of upconversion. But then there's always hope that the LG might become profile 2.0 compliant. ;)

is QEDO/REON all about upconversion of regular DVDs? does it have anything to do with HD DVD/Blu Ray video quality?

is QEDO/REON all about upconversion of regular DVDs? does it have anything to do with HD DVD/Blu Ray video quality?

They do deinterlace 1080I/60 discs (Mainly music concerts and TV sourced stuff) and AFAIK they are both equal for this.

The advantage of the Reon is apparently in its slightly better scaling which only applies to DVD or virtually non existent 720P material.

Personally I wouldn't take a player back based on the upscaler alone. While I'm sure the Reon is better people are putting too much weight on it compared with the LG's QDEO. There's no way it will be massively better. The QDEO is also won awards, while that doesn't show you a side by side comparison it does say it's also very good too.

For me it boils down to: Analogue vs. Hacks. You don't need the analogue outputs, do you need the hacks? If Yes keep the LG, if No then it's up to you but personally I'd still keep it.

How is the LG working? Is it working fine? If so, keep it. If not, swap it. If you swap it, any problem you ever have with the other unit you will kick yourself for.

QDEO is great, true. But again, it depends if you want softer edges on upconverted material or sharper edges.

I just spent the past weekend evaluating both the UP5000 and the BH200. Saturday was the Samsung and Sunday was the LG. Both received fresh firmware right out of the box and both were wrung out severely (several hours and dozens of discs of both HD formats and DVD each). At the end of the day (weekend), the LG earned a spot in my rack and the Samsung a return trip to the 'City.

I encountered fewer glitches overall on the LG (only one disc will not play, the UK import of HP and the Philosopher's Stone), HD DVD performance is clearly superior using 24p output, and the QDEO processor is indeed badass. 1080/60p performance on the LG for HD DVD is clearly superior to my Tosh HD-A35. The only thing I didn't particularly like about the LG is that it will switch to 1080/60p on some HD DVD discs. Based on my testing, I suspect this is due to the types of video masters used and how they were authored. With the excellent 1080/60p performance, I was pleased enough that I did not mind that a few discs will not play in 24p. Nearly all the discs that switched to 1080/60p were European imports. On the other hand, 1080/24p on the Samsung is broken on AVC encoded HD DVDs. Since I have quite a lot of HD DVDs, this area of performance is very important to me. LG wins hands down. It has even displaced my HD-A35.

Blu-ray performance is at least equal to the new Samsung BD-P1500 (very, very good) in all areas except disc loading where the 1500 is easily the fastest standalone player I have tested, even a few seconds quicker than the Panny BD30. The LG isn't much slower, however. I rate it third quickest of standalones behind the Samsung 1500 and Panasonic BD30. Considering the drive and processor has to identify and load the OS of either HD DVD or Blu-ray before it can begin to play a disc, I consider this combo player very fast.

As for SD DVD performance, I'll make no direct comparisons to the Samsung 5000, which is indeed a stellar performer with its Reon processor, but the LG has bested every other Blu-ray and HD DVD player I have used for SD DVD performance, and even knocked off the $1000 Pioneer Elite DV-59AVi DVD player. The QDEO processor is not just "good enough", it is an incredible processor for SD DVD.

The broken AVC encode is a re-introduced bug from an early firmware revision (which with calls to Samsung should be resolved sooner than later). Without this problem, is 24fps output clearly superior on the LG? Also, you kept mentioning the BD-P1500...intentional or mistake?

I have had the BH200 for 2 weeks now and have had significant lip/audio sync delays with both HDDVDs AND Bluray discs. This is the reason for my wanting to buy the Sammy Combo.
I am not getting audio sync delays from my Samsung BP 1400 nor my Toshiba A 30. Except with the Toshiba (which does not bitstream), I am bitstreaming via HDMI to my Onkyo 805. No sync problems with BP1400.
ANYONE else noticing lip sync issues with BH200 when bitstreaming?
Could bad HDMI cables cause this? Changing the cable is the only troubleshooting that I have not done.

The broken AVC encode is a re-introduced bug from an early firmware revision (which with calls to Samsung should be resolved sooner than later). Without this problem, is 24fps output clearly superior on the LG?

In image quality, no. I'd rate the LG and Samsung 5000 virtually identical on image quality on both HD DVD and Blu-ray (excepting the problem with 24p). I did encounter fewer compatibility issues on HD DVD with the LG vs. the Samsung. That's what I was getting at.

Also, you kept mentioning the BD-P1500...intentional or mistake?

Intentional. The Blu-ray player in my system up until this past weekend was the Samsung BD-P1500, which replaced a Panasonic BD30 a few weeks ago (long story). The purpose of evaluating the Sammy 5000 and LG BH200 was to possibly get a Blu-ray player good enough to replace the dedicated Blu-ray player I was using, and get HD DVD performance good enough to replace the Toshiba A35 that I have grown increasingly dissatisfied with. The LG turned out to do both. I was pleasantly surprised, and more than a little pleased. The video performance was probably there since the player was released, but the lack of bitstream audio support and being Profile 1.0 kept me from seriously considering the LG before now.

Like a lot of other people around here, I'm interested in how these dualies perform as upscalers. My original plan was to purchase an XA2 to replace my A2 as the primary player, but now that prices are falling I'm wondering which of these three is a better option.

LG seems to have fewer glitches, but the 5k has the REON processor. The XA2 is just big, beautiful beast. Decisions, decisions.

I just bought bh200 the day before the samsung update came out... I got the lg open box for 369.99 and i can get the samsung new for 379.99 Is it worth it to return the lg and get the sammy now that the audio is brought up to the bh200 standards?

And where oh where is the Samsung $379?

I just compared my XA2 to the BH200 on a couple DVDs and thought the BH200 had a sharper picture and a more 3D look to it at the default video settings at 1080p.

With the firmware update to the Sammy, I now have both players. One big edge to the Samsung is that it does not suffer the HD DVD DD+/DD bitstreaming fault (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1031635). Not having to switch back and forth from bitstream (which I prefer) to internal decoding is a big edge.

Other things I like about the Samsung are: ability to jump directly to a specific time while watching HD DVD (LG allows it only with BD/DVD); the internal scrub bar (wish it would have a quick access key instead of only coming up in pause but it at least allows you to see total time in movie); and IMO, a minor (but definite) edge to the Reon over the Qdeo chip for upconverting.

A couple of things I like better about the LG are: the info panel includes the audio codec you are set to, and the USB port on the front panel for content is a big edge.

All in all, for movie watching experience I give the edge to the Samsung.

Sounds like in the end, you really have to compare the two yourself. Everyone has different preferences because the difference between REON vs. QDEO is so minimal.

One big edge to the Samsung is that it does not suffer the HD DVD DD+/DD bitstreaming fault.

With the (updated) LG connected to a Denon HDMI 1.3 receiver, I have not encountered any problems with bitstreaming DD+, or any other codec.

With the (updated) LG connected to a Denon HDMI 1.3 receiver, I have not encountered any problems with bitstreaming DD+, or any other codec.

It's been reported with Pioneer, Onkyo, and Marantz AVR's. The problem does not appear with Denon, but it is an LG issue that might affect other AVR's.

It's been reported with Pioneer, Onkyo, and Marantz AVR's. The problem does not appear with Denon, but it is an LG issue that might affect other AVR's.

What problems... I just received my LG today and will test probably tonight after update to an Onkyo 905. The 905 has the REON processor so I dont care much about upscalling as I can if needed do it in my receiver.

I have not had any audio delay issues so far with the 905 using the XA1 PCM audio thru the 905 Onkyo. Just wondering what I should look for when hooking up my LG to the Onkyo?

to me the choice was simple... the prospect of 2.0 profile (maybe) and the USB port is a BIG plus so i can download all the HD DVD online downloads before the servers go dead onto a USB storage device ...

It's been reported with Pioneer, Onkyo, and Marantz AVR's. The problem does not appear with Denon, but it is an LG issue that might affect other AVR's.

What problems... I just received my LG today and will test probably tonight after update to an Onkyo 905.

It's not a sync issue; sometimes when the BH200 is bitstreaming a DD+ audio track to certain receivers there is a "motorboat" or "helicopter" sound. This can be avoided, as mentioned in an earlier post, by simply switching your LG's audio from Primary Pass-Thru to PCM Multi-Chan. That way the DD+ track is internally decoded instead of being sent via bitstream. Of course, the odd thing is, just because you have one of the affected brands of A/V receivers, doesn't mean you'll have the problem. For example, I have an Onkyo 705 that I've been using with my BH200 since mid-March and have never had this issue occur.

I'd check out the bug tracking thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1027202) or this one here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1031635) for more information. Hope this helps!

-C.

My receiver (NAD 785) doesn't support decoding True HD/DTS-MA over bitstream. Do either of these players do decoding of all the new audios and send PCM (5.1) over hdmi with the latest firmwares?

its 399.99 at futureshop up here... and visions beats their price by 5% so it comes to about 379.99... So far the Qdeo has been amazing. I was just wondering if it was a huge difference in reon vs qdeo. Because what i liked about LG is that its skinnier. Has nice touch controls, seems faster than the sammy and also has a usb port where i can download hd-dvd content to before the servers go dark.

how do you move HD DVD downloaded contents to the usb?

My receiver (NAD 785) doesn't support decoding True HD/DTS-MA over bitstream. Do either of these players do decoding of all the new audios and send PCM (5.1) over hdmi with the latest firmwares?

No. Neither the Samsung nor the LG will internally decode all the new codecs but, with the latest firmware, they will both send everything via bitstream. Only DD, DTS, DD+, and TrueHD are internally decoded. Both DTS-HD and DTS-HD Master Audio have to be sent to a receiver as neither the 5k or the BH200 will internally decode them.

So far the Qdeo has been amazing. I was just wondering if it was a huge difference in reon vs qdeo. Because what i liked about LG is that its skinnier. Has nice touch controls, seems faster than the sammy and also has a usb port where i can download hd-dvd content to before the servers go dark.

So, going back to your original post, if you think the Qdeo "has been amazing" so far, you like the way the BH200 works and looks, and most everyone has said that the Reon offers only a minor upgrade then it seems like you've got your answer: keep the LG and enjoy it!

-C.

how do you move HD DVD downloaded contents to the usb?

There is a menu setting for where to store online content, and you can choose USB...

MEC2

@MEC2
Thanks! I'll try and redownload everything then. can I access the downloaded contents from the USB flash drive though?

It's been reported with Pioneer, Onkyo, and Marantz AVR's. The problem does not appear with Denon, but it is an LG issue that might affect other AVR's.

I have an Onkyo 875 and have had no problems bitstreaming DD+ from the BH200 to the Onkyo.

@MEC2
Thanks! I'll try and redownload everything then. can I access the downloaded contents from the USB flash drive though?

so have you tried it yet... I did not set up my LG player yet... hopefully tonight during the Hockey Intermissions :eek: for the game tonight

I tried putting a USB stick into my HD DVD XA1 player but it did not show the memory stick when I chose setup and persistent memory. nor was I able to download to it from the Transformers...

So I hope that you are able to download directly as someone said and retrieve directly. I have a 8 GB USB micro drive I am going to permanently hook up to the LG BH-200 ....

So far the Qdeo has been amazing. I was just wondering if it was a huge difference in reon vs qdeo. Because what i liked about LG is that its skinnier. Has nice touch controls, seems faster than the sammy and also has a usb port where i can download hd-dvd content to before the servers go dark.

I have both the XA2 (Reon) and the LG with the QDeo. They are both really, really terrific. The Reon might have an edge in sharpness but the QDeo has an edge to my eyes in color -- it's honestly, though, nearly like apples and oranges as they say ;) They both rock, in fact I have one player in the main room and the other in the bedroom. No need to trade in for the Reon IMO if you have Qdeo.

I have both the XA2 (Reon) and the LG with the QDeo. They are both really, really terrific. The Reon might have an edge in sharpness but the QDeo has an edge to my eyes in color -- it's honestly, though, nearly like apples and oranges as they say ;) They both rock, in fact I have one player in the main room and the other in the bedroom. No need to trade in for the Reon IMO if you have Qdeo.

Quick question for you, are you using the Qdeo default settings or using your own manual settings?

What is wrong with the QDEO settings? I've not had a chance to tinker with them yet but they look okay to me.

The manual says something about the QDEO colour settings automatically changing, is that marketing waffle?

well inserted a USB stick into the LG200. after updating the firmware and driver. Mine was a Feb 2008 mfg date and was one Rev low on each item...

anyway on the SETUP menu for OTHER. there is the option to save the BLU RAY content to the USB Stick. The HD Persitant Memory is only showing the 150 mb of internal memory. I tried different USB sticks but no luck. they light up showing they are accessed during boot up ...ect. but only the internal persistant memory is ever shown for the HD DVD option.

I tried downloading some HD DVD content and it doesnt prompt and just downloads into the internal memory.

It's not a sync issue; sometimes when the BH200 is bitstreaming a DD+ audio track to certain receivers there is a "motorboat" or "helicopter" sound. This can be avoided, as mentioned in an earlier post, by simply switching your LG's audio from Primary Pass-Thru to PCM Multi-Chan. That way the DD+ track is internally decoded instead of being sent via bitstream. Of course, the odd thing is, just because you have one of the affected brands of A/V receivers, doesn't mean you'll have the problem. For example, I have an Onkyo 705 that I've been using with my BH200 since mid-March and have never had this issue occur.

I'd check out the bug tracking thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1027202) or this one here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1031635) for more information. Hope this helps!

-C.

Well NO issues what so ever with HD DVD Top Gun in either Bitstream (ie pass thru mode) or PCM Mulitchannel via HDMI to my Onkyo 905. Also tried Nat Treasure 2 in BR and no issues either with either mode. (Tried Dolby TrueHD 5.1, Dolby Digital Plus 5.1(768 Kbps), DTS-HD (768 Kbps))

I am running the latest firmware on the LG 200 and the Onkyo 905. so it maybe a YMMV type issue.

I bought a BH200 and tested it thoroughly (for me anyways, I am not a pro!) against my PS3 and Toshiba HD-A2.

For reference purposes, I am not a reviewer, not a pro, none of that. Just a regular guy with a regular system, looking for the best I can do for my money! I currently use an Optoma HD70 projector on a 120" gray screen. Completely light controlled dedicated theater. I have an Integra DTC-9.8 pre/pro, set to pass through all signals with no upscaling with the Reon. Amp is a 7 channel Emotiva MPS-1 (300x7 @ 4ohms) to Polk LSi15 towers, LSiC center, and four LC65i surrounds. I set the LG to bitstream all audio codecs, the PS3 to decode all audio codecs, and the Toshiba A2 to decode all audio codecs. LG and PS3 to output 1080p, and 1080i with the A2.

On Blu playback, the PS3 had MUCH better blacks, color, and 3D pop than the LG. I tested it mostly with Phantom, using some dark scenes and Christine's aria as a reference. It was immediately clear to me that the black bars on the LG were a bit gray, and it did feel quite two dimensional. I had that impression with the player from the outset when I first played it, and that is what precipitated the comparison. I tried it with Qdeo both on and off, black enhancement on and off, etc. PS3 was the clear winner there.

I even had my wife come up and look at still images of both, and she commented on the color and blacks, unprompted. I then played all of Christine's aria for her, on both machines. She too commented on the color and the depth of the picture on the PS3 versus the LG.

For comparison, I put in the HD-DVD version into the LG, to see if there was a difference. There was not.

I then compared the PS3 and the BH200 on upconversion of SDDVD using two copies of "Fun With Dick and Jane." (The only movie I have two copies of on SDDVD!) Testing with Qdeo both on and off, it was clear the LG upconverted better... with the exception of the black levels. This movie isn't dark at all, I was seeing the same difference in the black bars as I did with Phantom. I thought the PS3 did a very good job, and it was close, but the LG was very definately better.

A note on the sound.... sound from the PS3 was much better as well. It was much more "airy," almost like the difference between a DD track and a TrueHD track. Sound from the LG sounded "veiled." It didn't have much opennes in comparison. Even when I compared the TrueHD track on the HDDVD through the LG to the standard track on the Blu version on the PS3, the sound from the PS3 sounded "better" to me.

I then compared it to a Toshiba HD-A2. I have had an XA2 in the past, and have an a35 on the way, but the A2 I have I picked up at a pawn shop a week or so or go for $29! Of course I upgraded it to the latest firmware right after I got it.

I used the HD-DVD version of Phantom in the A2, and the Blu version in the LG, as well as the PS3. The A2 had clearly better black levels than the LG, but not as good as the PS3. It did not have the "3D" feel of the PS3 either, but had a more pleasing image than the LG because of the better blacks. Soundwise, I found the TrueHD track played through the A2 to sound more like the Blu (non TrueHD) version through the PS3.... that is to say, it sounded more "airy" to me as well, compared to the LG.

I think the shocker in this comparo, to me, was how BAD the upconversion on the A2 looked compared the BH200 and the PS3! In comparison it was HORRIBLE! Very, very clearly outclassed by both other machines.

In conclusion, the BH200 upconverts EXTREMELY well in comparison, but to me, is bested by the PS3 in black levels, "3D" feel, color, and sound. There is something to be said, though, for how quick it loads movies, and for its perfectly quiet and cool operation compared to the PS3.

I am interested to see what I think of the A35 when it comes. I am also going to try to pick up a new 80gb PS3 on the 12th, in the hopes that it has the new 45nm processor for quieter and cooler operation! I may also give the Sammy a shot in a comparo, as I would REALLY like to have a standalone that performs as well as a PS3 and an XA2, all in one nice, tidy, standalone unit. Maybe the REON will upconvert as well as the Qdeo, and the colors and sound will be as good as the PS3. We will have to see.

That is all I have..... ;)

Seems to me the LG has a gamma problem - I've actually dropped the brightness to try and compensate, but too much and the blacks all crush. Wish I could say for sure, seems by old HD-A1 had better blacks as well.

Seems to me the LG has a gamma problem - I've actually dropped the brightness to try and compensate, but too much and the blacks all crush. Wish I could say for sure, seems by old HD-A1 had better blacks as well.

Try switching the display/receiver/video processor input to PC levels.

I think the shocker in this comparo, to me, was how BAD the upconversion on the A2 looked compared the BH200 and the PS3! In comparison it was HORRIBLE! Very, very clearly outclassed by both other machines.

Really? The BH200 beats them both but when I compared the A2 to the PS3, I thought the upconversion on PS3 sucked and thus never again used it for any movies. :eek:

I bought a BH200 and tested it thoroughly (for me anyways, I am not a pro!) against my PS3 and Toshiba HD-A2.

For reference purposes, I am not a reviewer, not a pro, none of that. Just a regular guy...That is all I have..... ;)Geez, you had to post this TWICE? Then I have to press you: did you do any CALIBRATION of IRE/whites/blacks/color/tint at all? If not, all your conclusions (about visuals, anyway) are completely off-base!

Geez, you had to post this TWICE? Then I have to press you: did you do any CALIBRATION of IRE/whites/blacks/color/tint at all? If not, all your conclusions (about visuals, anyway) are completely off-base!

I guess you can see my reply (and educate me) in the other thread! :p

OMG, this comp is too close to call.

Really, it might come down for me to customer service & I am very leary of Samsung's.

Anyone, please? -

What is wrong with the QDEO settings? I've not had a chance to tinker with them yet but they look okay to me.

The manual says something about the QDEO colour settings automatically changing, is that marketing waffle?

What is wrong with the QDEO settings? I've not had a chance to tinker with them yet but they look okay to me.

The manual says something about the QDEO colour settings automatically changing, is that marketing waffle?

I rather like the QDEO settings for SD DVD's. It adds a fake pop over the otherwise washed out settings of natural NTSC. However, for HD DVD/Blu-Ray--hell no. It's too bright and too blue like a DLP or LCD out of the box left in torch mode. Mitsubishi (DLP's and LCD's) should sue Marvell and LG as I thought they had the lock on bright, blue displays out of the box.

Thanks. I did notice they Brightness is set to the maximum using the LG BH200 defaults. I'll need to tinker with it.

Anyone, please? -

I think it depends on what video processor is on the display. My Marantz VP15S1 has an excellent video processor (Gennum), and is much better than the BH200's (it seems to crush the blacks) so I'm using the Marantz's video processor.

I think it depends on what video processor is on the display. My Marantz VP15S1 has an excellent video processor (Gennum), and is much better than the BH200's (it seems to crush the blacks) so I'm using the Marantz's video processor.

so has anyone come up with some recommended default settings if NOT using the internal processor? someplace to at least start at other then the default settings?

Thanks Fremont.

I presume you switch it to User not QDEO to disable the internal processor?

The Samsung BD-UP5000 has been slashed to 348.00 which is effectively 20 dollars cheaper than what i paid for my open box LG bh200. Should i go for it? Because if they are now the same audio-wise, picture wise its in agreement that the reon is better. How close are the load times?

The Samsung BD-UP5000 has been slashed to 348.00 which is effectively 20 dollars cheaper than what i paid for my open box LG bh200. Should i go for it? Because if they are now the same audio-wise, picture wise its in agreement that the reon is better. How close are the load times?

Well, I paid $400-ish for a BD-UP5000 and don't regret it. It would be nice to find it cheaper, but for whatever reason, that's not happening around my locale. (I saw an open-box 5000 at BestBuy for $480! Ouch.)

I find that by the time I get back to my seat with a drink, the disk is at the movie menu or playing the movie (for those that auto-play, or playing the endless Disney previews, for Disney BDs...).

shinksma

Yes but that doesnt tell me much... because the bh200 is the fastest player i have seen so far. It takes like 10 seconds boot up and like 8 seconds to read disc. Is the UP5000 close?

Im seriously thinking about returning the bh200 and getting it now. Not only does it have analog outs, everyone seems to agree its reon processing is better, the only hang-ups ive seen are theres no usb port, not "hackable" whatever that means, and that lg bh200 might go profile 2.0 but i have doubts...

without disc in the tray to open up and boot, it's around 12-15 seconds i think. i havne't really timed the read disc speed yet.

Thanks Fremont.

I presume you switch it to User not QDEO to disable the internal processor?

I would think the same thing.. then what is the best settings to start out at without having a system professionally callibrated.

I would think the same thing.. then what is the best settings to start out at without having a system professionally callibrated.
I think it's "User" then adjust the settings until you get it how you want to. For now I've left mine on QDEO as I've not got around to tinkering with it.

without disc in the tray to open up and boot, it's around 12-15 seconds i think. i havne't really timed the read disc speed yet.
The BH200 definitely takes longer to turn on than my old Pioneer DV868-AVi DVD Player. That turns on almost instantly. It reads DVDs quicker too. It's not big deal, if slightly annoying.

So far I find the lack of a "Title remaining" option the most annoying. There's no way to easily check how much longer a film has to run. It would be dead simple to add by firmware too.

Yes but that doesnt tell me much... because the bh200 is the fastest player i have seen so far. It takes like 10 seconds boot up and like 8 seconds to read disc. Is the UP5000 close?

Im seriously thinking about returning the bh200 and getting it now. Not only does it have analog outs, everyone seems to agree its reon processing is better, the only hang-ups ive seen are theres no usb port, not "hackable" whatever that means, and that lg bh200 might go profile 2.0 but i have doubts...

I'll preface by saying that I have owned both players and currently own just the BH200.

The REON is only really different when it comes to SD content, and the difference there is very small (I didn't notice my SD DVD's looking any worse after I got rid of the 5K, though others have noticed a very small difference). For HD media, I'm fairly certain there is no discernable difference in video quality.

I own both the BH200 and the UP5000. When my 5000 quit playing HD-DVD's I brought it in to BB for repairs and while I was there I decided to purchase a BH200 to see how it performed and if I did not like it I was just going to return it. I now have two BH200's and the UP5000 is sitting in the closet as a "backup" since it looks like HD-DVD players are soon going to be hard to find. The main reason that I prefer the BH200, and the most important reason IMO, is that I have had absolutely NO disc compatibility issues with the BH200. It has played every disc that I have thrown at it with no problem at all. When the 5000 was my primary player I suffered from what I called "disc anxiety." I never knew if a disc was going to play when I put it into the 5000. This was especially embarrassing when you were trying to show someone the "wonders of high-def discs" and they looked at you like "yeah it's better all right, the disc doesn't even play." I'm sure that the disc issues are better on the 5000 with the new firmware, but I am still seeing issues on the 5000 forums.

IMO there is absolutely no difference in the picture quality of the BH200 and the 5000 with BR and HD-DVDs. I do not watch many SDDVDs any more, so I can't honestly say one is better than the other. If you absolutely have to have the analog outs then I guess get the Samsung, but if you want a better and more reliable player stick with your BH200. It is the better player IMO.:D

ive read some reviews on the sammy player and i think the samsung has alot of issues playing HD dvds more than the LG bh200. only reason i think the samsung one is better is because it has that special video card for upconverting standard dvds. and also i like the update features LG gives you helps display 1080P better as well when watching any type of movie.

I I have had absolutely NO disc compatibility issues with the BH200. It has played every disc that I have thrown at it with no problem at all. When the 5000 was my primary player I suffered from what I called "disc anxiety." I never knew if a disc was going to play when I put it into the 5000. This was especially embarrassing when you were trying to show someone the "wonders of high-def discs" and they looked at you like "yeah it's better all right, the disc doesn't even play." I'm sure that the disc issues are better on the 5000 with the new firmware, but I am still seeing issues on the 5000 forums.

IMO there is absolutely no difference in the picture quality of the BH200 and the 5000 with BR and HD-DVDs. I do not watch many SDDVDs any more, so I can't honestly say one is better than the other. If you absolutely have to have the analog outs then I guess get the Samsung, but if you want a better and more reliable player stick with your BH200. It is the better player IMO.:D


The LG is no doubt a fine player, but my experience with my first purchased 5k has been just the opposite there hasn't been a disk it couldn't play. I have played all the Fox problem disks, imports etc and have had zero issues with this unit. Although my refurb is another story.:rolleyes: 5k's are hard to get in the US my BB has a ton of LG's and they are not selling at all at this store the mgr wants to clearance them out because it's just sitting.

So your best bet is an LG because of the ease of quantity available the 5k is just to damn fickle it's like trying to find a diamond in the rough. And that's hard to do here in LA because of the dried up stock on the 5k's. But if your stuck with an older AVR like me then the choice was easy in my case. And with the new fw it makes it somewhat complete with a few minor bugs I hope gets addressed in the next fw. But I aint holdin my breath on that it's good enough for now but they really need to address the video corruption with the 5k's latest fw on certain Paramount, DreamWorks titles.

I'm sure that the disc issues are better on the 5000 with the new firmware, but I am still seeing issues on the 5000 forums.
The issues you're seeing are isolated, I would think. The repeatable problems are minuscule.

I don't think either player is "better" with disc problems. Some of the discs are on both lists too.

Ive had the 5000 for 4 mos and havent had one HD-DVD issue related to playing a title.

Yes but that doesnt tell me much... because the bh200 is the fastest player i have seen so far. It takes like 10 seconds boot up and like 8 seconds to read disc. Is the UP5000 close?

Im seriously thinking about returning the bh200 and getting it now. Not only does it have analog outs, everyone seems to agree its reon processing is better, the only hang-ups ive seen are theres no usb port, not "hackable" whatever that means, and that lg bh200 might go profile 2.0 but i have doubts...

FWIW, I have both and find myself using the UP5000 because it *seems* faster *to me.* I noticed it immediately (and wasn't even looking for it) and was pleasantly surprised. No, I have not taken a stop watch to them yet because I would've been happy with the BH200 speed too, the faster UP5000 is just a bonus :).

That's the thing with comparisons. You have to compare facts to facts. "it seems" just doesn't work well because the results are different for different people. :D

To me, it "seems" the REON chip does better upscaling, because QDEO "seems" to offer softer edges. But you really have to compare it yourself side by side the two players to see what you like. :)

Hard facts would be both offers same high-def audio, BH200 is region hackable etc. and UP5000 has analog outs. :)

He was only interested in which one was faster, everything else was a wash for him.

I just bought bh200 the day before the samsung update came out... I got the lg open box for 369.99 and i can get the samsung new for 379.99 Is it worth it to return the lg and get the sammy now that the audio is brought up to the bh200 standards?
for that price i would stick with the LG. i had to pay $650 for mine but i got it during the HD and blu ray war thing and at that time the player was like $1000 at best buy so i guess i did ok to. but what pissed me off was that after i bought it 2 months later by by HD and now they are only $399 new at stores or cheaper online i guess.

but ive read some store reviews about the sammy and it has some issues playing HD discs sometimes not as bad as the LGBH100 model but the sammy doesnt read them as good as the LG200 does. most people want the sammy one more cause it came out after the LG and it has that video card for upconverting. samsung has always beeen a better brand i admit but i think the LG BH200 is by far the best product LG has made even better than the UP500 player

but ive read some store reviews about the sammy and it has some issues playing HD discs sometimes not as bad as the LGBH100 model but the sammy doesnt read them as good as the LG200 does.
Sounds circumstantial to me. For one, the BH200 doesn't even have as many store reviews as the 5000.

I decided to keep the LG. It gave me no trouble so far, my dvd's look better than ive ever seen them, my hd-dvds look great, so i stuck with the LG. Theres always hope now that LG might make the player profile 2.0 compliant...

Glad that's over and done.

/thread ;)

Sounds circumstantial to me. For one, the BH200 doesn't even have as many store reviews as the 5000.

Amen....You also have to remember that many of the reviews for the Sammy were before any firmware was released....

I for one have had 1 problem disc as far as HD DVD goes, and that wasnt even a major glitch......

To the OP glad to see tht you stuck to your guns, both players are great for the needs that they fit...

yah i always do this though... whenever i make a semi-huge electronics purchase i always second guess myself saying things like maybe if i spent the extra hundred for th better one or maybe this has this and that. The truth was that the LG worked perfect so far, no problems running any of my 40 or so hd-dvds, my DVD's looked superb. Way better than what I had previously seen, I never knew upscaled could look so good.

Now all i need to get is a new receiver. I have it connected to a circa 2003 HTiB and i always get this weird sound every time i skip a chapter, not to mention i have yet to experience lossless or what TrueHD really is. One question though, because people here are really helpful, the new HtiB's say they are rear-wireless, 1200 watts etc... so how can a new receiver that is only say 500 watts or so be better?