AVS Forum banner

Wich of these stand alone players is the best?

  • Sharp BD-HP20U

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Samsung BD-P1400/X

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Sony BDP-S300

    Votes: 0 0.0%

Effin PS3... which Blu-Ray player should I buy at $399 price point?

11K views 169 replies 50 participants last post by  anonymouse99 
#1 ·
I finally broke down and bought a Blu-Ray player. Not being a fan of Sony I decided I would buy a PS3 because they lose money on me and I have no plans of buying games or accessories for it. After fighting this thing for a week now I think I'm officially done with it. The lack of HDMI cable, IR support, and a few other what I would consider requirements have made me dislike this thing to the point where I've had it. The final straw is my inability to make my Harmony remote work with it even w/the Blue Wave remote dongle. Sure I could put even more time into programming it but it will never control the PS3 100% no matter what I buy. So far, I've paid for another HDMI cable (I really feel sorry for the people that spend $100 for an HDMI cable) an IR remote and after all that it still doesn't function the way it should. I didn't buy a Harmony remote so that I can have some goofy video game controller that I had to use too.


/rant


So, now that I'm returning this PS3 to Best Buy I'm wondering what player that is at the same $399 price point I should get. I've heard that the PS3 is 'future proof' but the more I'm reading makes it seem like even the stand alone players can be updated with the latest firmware when it happens. So, is the PS3 any more 'future proof' than the others or is that a load of BS? The players available to me are:


Sharp BD-HP20U

Samsung BD-P1400/X

Sony BDP-S300


Of those three I would rather not own the Sony but if it's the best I will buy it. The other bonus is I have a 10% off coupon that I couldn't use on the PS3 that I can use on one of these so that will save me another $40. My Harmony will work perfectly out of the gate and it will most likely include an HDMI cable. So, which one should I pick and why? Thanks for the help and sorry if this has been covered some place. I read many pages of thread topics before posting this and didn't see anything that looked like it would cover my issues.
 
See less See more
#127 ·
To the op - you bought a ps3 because Sony loses money on you? You knew about the advantages and disadvantages of the Ps3 and you knew a standalone was best suited for you and you still bought a Ps3. And now your trashing the ps3 because you made the wrong choice. You bought it at best buy and since you don't want to spend more than $400 go with the samsung or sharp.
 
#128 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by luclin999 /forum/post/13403134


To the OP...


Now that you have the Sony S300 how do you feel the standalone compares to the PS3 for:


- Startup/load speeds?


- Picture quality?

Picture quality is the same. I didn't notice a difference in picture quality or sound quality but as of right now my sound setup sucks as I'm preparing to purchase all new audio equipment for the theater. Startup speed sucks. That is my only complaint at this point and my rack looks better and my remote works for everything and if we go out of town and have people house sit for us I don't have to deal with leaving a how to in our theater nor do I have to field tech support phone calls while out of town because they didn't know how to do something. Everything is on the remote and it's intuitive and it just works. Period. For me, that's the most important thing. The load time sucks but I can live with it. Perhaps for others they prefer limited remote support and faster load times. Cool, that's their deal and that's why they make different devices. The PS3 just wasn't for me right now. I'm happy with my decision and there's a good chance that I return this BDP-S300 as well and just wait for a 360 add on or a better stand alone. As of this moment though this player is still the best for my needs and my setup.
 
#129 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by badmeng /forum/post/13403697


To the op - you bought a ps3 because Sony loses money on you? You knew about the advantages and disadvantages of the Ps3 and you knew a standalone was best suited for you and you still bought a Ps3. And now your trashing the ps3 because you made the wrong choice. You bought it at best buy and since you don't want to spend more than $400 go with the samsung or sharp.

Sony (and Micro$oft for that matter) loses money on the consoles and makes it back on games and accessories which is a well known fact. I figured that since I wanted a Blu-Ray player it was the way to go since it was the same price as the least expensive stand alones. I went back and forth before deciding on the PS3 as my stand alone player and I tell you that if there existed an option for a stand along that was $395 I would have been all over it and pocketed the $5 difference. No, I didn't know a stand alone was the best player for me or I would have never bought a PS3 to begin with. I did some research but I guess there weren't enough posts like mine ranting about lack of IR because I didn't know that until it arrived. Then, once it did I thought I could add IR with a Nyko Blue Wave which I did. I was really willing to look past everything else but then when I added the Blue Wave and STILL couldn't control everything about the player I was pissed. I would have had to have spent another $50 or so to make it work and even then it wouldn't control my console 100% like everything else I've owned. This has all been covered though so if you refuse to read the entire thread I'm not going to address posts any more where someone reads the title or opening post and then comments.
 
#130 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bugg77 /forum/post/13367635


There is at least one total control (including power control) coming for the PS3 and it is called the IR2BT. It was designed and tested to work with universal remotes. It also has been tested with Harmony remotes.


I'm not sure why the OP hates Sony so much but he/she will be missing out on a very value added product (even without DTS-HD:MA).


If your dead set against the PS3 then wait for the new Sony standalone players to come out... but you'll pay the same or more and get less.

I guess that some people just don't understand that MANY people want a first-class, workable Blu-Ray PLAYER-- NOT a game machine!!!!!
 
#131 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by ilovenola2 /forum/post/13408156


I guess that some people just don't understand that MANY people want a first-class, workable Blu-Ray PLAYER-- NOT a game machine!!!!!

Don't buy games... problem solve. The PS3 is a media center not a game machine. You can stream media to it. That's why i bought it. I don't play any game on it. Try that with your SA. The only low point is the lack of IR remote built in but that is easily resolve with a dongle.

As for the fact that you can't turn the machine on or off with the remote... You do have to get to the machine to put or remove the disk anyway, just hit the damn button
 
#132 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by ilovenola2 /forum/post/13408156


I guess that some people just don't understand that MANY people want a first-class, workable Blu-Ray PLAYER-- NOT a game machine!!!!!

Hey look.... someone else gets it!!
 
#134 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nosferax /forum/post/13408333


Don't buy games... problem solve. The PS3 is a media center not a game machine. You can stream media to it. That's why i bought it. I don't play any game on it. Try that with your SA. The only low point is the lack of IR remote built in but that is easily resolve with a dongle.

As for the fact that you can't turn the machine on or off with the remote... You do have to get to the machine to put or remove the disk anyway, just hit the damn button

Even with a dongle it doesn't control the device.. it controls movie playback. There's a big difference and I don't want to have to use a game controller for ANYTHING. I'm not alone in that stance either. I want to pick up my Harmony remote and have EVERYTHING work including the pre-movie menu, power functions and everything else.


I really don't understand the whole 'future proof' phrase attached to the PS3 either because, last I checked, NOTHING is future proof. Can it be upgraded here and there? Sure. But I also just upgraded the firmware on my new Sony BDP-S300 too so how is that any different?
 
#135 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by jeremyhelling /forum/post/13408511


Even with a dongle it doesn't control the device.. it controls movie playback. There's a big difference and I don't want to have to use a game controller for ANYTHING. I'm not alone in that stance either. I want to pick up my Harmony remote and have EVERYTHING work including the pre-movie menu, power functions and everything else.


I really don't understand the whole 'future proof' phrase attached to the PS3 either because, last I checked, NOTHING is future proof. Can it be upgraded here and there? Sure. But I also just upgraded the firmware on my new Sony BDP-S300 too so how is that any different?

Future proof as everything being done in software and software can be more easilly upgraded than hardware. The Cell processor is way more powerful than what you'll ever get on a SA. Whatever option missing on the PS3 can be implemented by just downloading the right codec or application to take care of it. Just like PCs. Will it be future proof for ever... nope. Whatever you want to do with blu-ray decoding wise, the PS3 has the horsepower to do it in software.
 
#136 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by ilovenola2 /forum/post/13408156


I guess that some people just don't understand that MANY people want a first-class, workable Blu-Ray PLAYER-- NOT a game machine!!!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by jeremyhelling /forum/post/13408362


Hey look.... someone else gets it!!

Wait, what, sorry, you mean he wan't talking about a PS3 then?


Mine's never seen a game, and never will. It matches the same critera....


Seggers
 
#137 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nosferax /forum/post/13408980


Future proof as everything being done in software and software can be more easilly upgraded than hardware. The Cell processor is way more powerful than what you'll ever get on a SA. Whatever option missing on the PS3 can be implemented by just downloading the right codec or application to take care of it. Just like PCs. Will it be future proof for ever... nope. Whatever you want to do with blu-ray decoding wise, the PS3 has the horsepower to do it in software.

So one might say that as a software environment for playing BDs, the PS3 is future-proof.


Unfortunately, as a hardware component of a home theatre system, it has some significant shortcomings:


Can't be be totally controlled by IR (or at all with RF) universal remotes;

Can't output analog and digital AV at the same time;

Can't bitstream advanced codecs;

Has no on-board picture adjustments;

Difficult to stack.


As we've also established, sometimes one or more of these is a deal-breaker for some users, while for many others they are minor issues, or non-issues, because the unit functions very well as a BD player for them.


And still other users are extra-enthusiastic because the PS3's additional capabilities -- gaming and functioning as a wireless media server chief among them -- make it feel like a bargain.


Does that about sum it up?


It's kind of like a minivan. Extremely practical vehicle that can do many things with great flexibility, and by most measures more cheaply than SUVs. But some people only need four seats (just want to play BDs), and other people would just rather die than be seen in a minivan (will...not...consider... a gaming system).


Yes! The PS3 is the minivan of Blu-ray players!

 
#138 ·
Yeah I was rather surprised at "Can't output analog and digital AV at the same time" (or even Digital via both HDMI and Optical at the same time).


That resulted in my only support call to Sony (Very well handled I will admit).


It's a pain since I live in a loft I actually bought some crazy Pioneer Wireless Headphones with DD 5.1, ProLogicII and DTS 5.1 for later night listening. (good neighbor and all that crap. Seriously it would really be a lot more convenient if they were to all move
).


They actually sound really really good, but unlike everything else in my setup which outputs audio through HDMI and Optical/COAX simultaneously I need to go into the PS3 menu to switch it whenever I want to use the headphones.


Still I don't regret it and it will do nicely until Q3/4 when I can get a full featured 2.0 stand alone machine that does everything to all the codecs and properly integrates to my setup etc.


Cheers,


Richard
 
#139 ·
Id stay away from the Samsung, as I dont like the way they tried to leave 1200 owners out in the cold.


The Sony BDP-300 is slow. The Sharp.... dont know much about.


Panasonic is probably the way to go if you dont mind spending an extra $100.


I have never bought an Standalone new, do they come with HDMI cables that are worth using? Other than that the PS3 is the way to go.
 
#140 ·
OP,


you come off as someone who is very dense in terms of learning about these different models. the PS3 is a fantastic BD Player with one of the best picture qualities you will find on the market. people say its a "game machine", and thats like saying your computer is a "word typer". it does SO MANY more things than play games. it is basically a media hub that along with dozens of other things, can also play games. so get over the "game machine" mentality.


as for using the harmony, the blu-wave remote costs only $13.88 (amazon.com) and you simply add the nyko remote as a device and youre good to go, works perfectly (aside from turning on and off, but you need to put the disc in anyways, so who cares). it controls the entire device, including the XMB, movie playback, settings changes, updates, etc.


the audio options obviously arent as complete as they could be, but at least it can internally decode True HD, and it seems inevitable that DTS-MA is on its way as well.


Not to mention its a future proof machine that can update itself as technological advances come about. your update you did for the 300 only fixes bugs, it doesnt add any ability or advancements to the machine, unlike what the PS3 does.


If you compare it to the Sony 300 series player, the PS3 is as good if not better in every facet, sans IR. The 300 doesnt internally decode anything, nor bitstream anything. its slow as F loading up, and its stuck as a 1.0 player.


rather than bashing the PS3 and being ignorant and dense, you should just take some time and learn how to use it. you just seem frustrated at your own inability to correctly use it.


and if you think you'll find a blu-ray player outside of costco to include an HDMI cable, or you EXPECT a company to include one, then you're seriously just an idiot. more or less just proving you're a typical xbox 3-fix-me fanboy.
 
#141 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by rdclark /forum/post/13411718


Can't output analog and digital AV at the same time

I'm a bit curious about this statement because this was something that my PS3 did do when I had it. Don't clown me but I had video running via HDMI to my video switch and then, due to currently building an entirely new audio system, I had the audio piped out via the other connection on the back of the PS3 that used RCA (composite) audio connections and it worked just fine. I will defend the PS3 in this case if that's what you're saying it can't do because I was able to do this myself.
 
#142 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by ilovenola2 /forum/post/13408156


I guess that some people just don't understand that MANY people want a first-class, workable Blu-Ray PLAYER-- NOT a game machine!!!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by jeremyhelling /forum/post/13408362


Hey look.... someone else gets it!!

And yet you still bought a PS3.


All the issues you ranted about were known issues soon after it was released. Frankly, you deserved the aggravation it gave you.
 
#143 ·
OP, you already bought the BDP-S300? Did it come with a good HDMI cable? I thought you had to get the 301 from costco for an included HDMI cable.


Personally, I think you would be better off with a Panasonic. They are a lot quicker. It is very annoying to push power and wait 30-60 seconds to put a disc in the player.
 
#145 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by tqlla /forum/post/13413771


OP, you already bought the BDP-S300? Did it come with a good HDMI cable? I thought you had to get the 301 from costco for an included HDMI cable.


Personally, I think you would be better off with a Panasonic. They are a lot quicker. It is very annoying to push power and wait 30-60 seconds to put a disc in the player.

Yes I bought one and no it didn't include an HDMI cable. This really wasn't a huge concern of mine and merely an added negative since the 360 does indeed include one. Again, this wasn't the deal breaker at all.
 
#146 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by jeremyhelling /forum/post/13413925


Yes I bought one and no it didn't include an HDMI cable. This really wasn't a huge concern of mine and merely an added negative since the 360 does indeed include one. Again, this wasn't the deal breaker at all.

the 360 that "came with one"....that was the extra expensive "premium" edition, correct?


i wonder what you were paying the extra for?
 
#147 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by jeremyhelling /forum/post/13413393


I'm a bit curious about this statement because this was something that my PS3 did do when I had it. Don't clown me but I had video running via HDMI to my video switch and then, due to currently building an entirely new audio system, I had the audio piped out via the other connection on the back of the PS3 that used RCA (composite) audio connections and it worked just fine. I will defend the PS3 in this case if that's what you're saying it can't do because I was able to do this myself.

It can do digital video and analog audio simultaneously, yes. That would be analog A and digital V.


It can't do digital and analog audio and video at the same time. You can't use HDMI + composite for video to two TVs (like my Comcast PVR and Toshiba A2) can. And you can't do optical audio plus analog stereo audio at the same time (like every DVD player I've ever seen can).
 
#148 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by rdclark /forum/post/13414709


It can do digital video and analog audio simultaneously, yes. That would be analog A and digital V.


It can't do digital and analog audio and video at the same time. You can't use HDMI + composite for video to two TVs (like my Comcast PVR and Toshiba A2) can. And you can't do optical audio plus analog stereo audio at the same time (like every DVD player I've ever seen can).

Ahh.. ok. Now I understand what you were saying.
 
#149 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by isu1648 /forum/post/13414701


the 360 that "came with one"....that was the extra expensive "premium" edition, correct?


i wonder what you were paying the extra for?

Why are we still talking about HDMI cables?
 
#150 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by isu1648 /forum/post/13412046


OP,


you come off as someone who is very dense in terms of learning about these different models. the PS3 is a fantastic BD Player with one of the best picture qualities you will find on the market. people say its a "game machine", and thats like saying your computer is a "word typer". it does SO MANY more things than play games. it is basically a media hub that along with dozens of other things, can also play games. so get over the "game machine" mentality.


as for using the harmony, the blu-wave remote costs only $13.88 (amazon.com) and you simply add the nyko remote as a device and youre good to go, works perfectly (aside from turning on and off, but you need to put the disc in anyways, so who cares). it controls the entire device, including the XMB, movie playback, settings changes, updates, etc.


the audio options obviously arent as complete as they could be, but at least it can internally decode True HD, and it seems inevitable that DTS-MA is on its way as well.


Not to mention its a future proof machine that can update itself as technological advances come about. your update you did for the 300 only fixes bugs, it doesnt add any ability or advancements to the machine, unlike what the PS3 does.


If you compare it to the Sony 300 series player, the PS3 is as good if not better in every facet, sans IR. The 300 doesnt internally decode anything, nor bitstream anything. its slow as F loading up, and its stuck as a 1.0 player.


rather than bashing the PS3 and being ignorant and dense, you should just take some time and learn how to use it. you just seem frustrated at your own inability to correctly use it.


and if you think you'll find a blu-ray player outside of costco to include an HDMI cable, or you EXPECT a company to include one, then you're seriously just an idiot. more or less just proving you're a typical xbox 3-fix-me fanboy.

You know I really hate to see people attack a poster maybe you need to read the forum rules.
 
#151 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by ilovenola2 /forum/post/0


I guess that some people just don't understand that MANY people want a first-class, workable Blu-Ray PLAYER-- NOT a game machine!!!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by jeremyhelling /forum/post/13404461


Originally Posted by jeremyhelling

Hey look.... someone else gets it!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by jeremyhelling /forum/post/13404461


there's a good chance that I return this BDP-S300 as well and just wait for a 360 add on

These statements don't make any sense.


Let's be real here Jeremy. So you complain about the PS3 being hot and noisy and you don't want to use a "game machine" to watch your movies, but you'd have no problem using the hottest, noisiest, most unreliable game console that exists right now, with an add-on hanging off of it no less, to do so?


Seriously something doesn't compute here. When IR trumps better value, more reliability, less noise and a quieter system, free future upgrades to profile 2.0, and additional gaming given you are a gamer, something just isn't right. I guess you admitted it though--you hate Sony. But hatred is no trump for good logic and enjoyment of gaming and HT.

Quote:
Originally Posted by jeremyhelling /forum/post/0


I really don't understand the whole 'future proof' phrase attached to the PS3 either because, last I checked, NOTHING is future proof. Can it be upgraded here and there? Sure. But I also just upgraded the firmware on my new Sony BDP-S300 too so how is that any different?

That BDP-S300 firmware update fixed existing bugs. It is still a Profile 1.0 player incapable of PiP or online features. It is still slow as hell doing anything with BD-J or loading discs. It still won't internally decode advanced codecs. And it is stuck this way. Forever.


PS3 on the other hand interally decodes Dolby TrueHD and is already at Profile 1.1 and is fast as hell with BD-J and loading discs (the fastest out there, it's the only one with a double speed Blu-ray drive and a 3.2Ghz processor). It has a wireless and ethernet Internet connection. It will also 100% sure confirmed by Sony be getting an update to internally decode DTS-MA discs by Fox and will be upgraded to Profile 2.0 sometime this summer, with the capability to play all features on all discs.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top