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#1 ·
Circuit City online has gotten the new Panasonic players in a bit earlier than expected and the first orders are shipping today. Those that opted for "express" shipping (like me
) will begin receiving players on Tuesday the 14th. It is time for a new owners thread.


I have owned the previous Panasonic BD30, as well as numerous other models. I currently have the LG BH200 and PS3 in my system for comparison and I'll be posting my comments on the new Panasonic BD35.
 
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#4,161 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by halsan40 /forum/post/15184023


I know this has been asked many times before but is there any way with the BD-55 to show time remaining in a movie?

If not, maybe Chris could ask the Panny engr's about this.

Not exactly. But what it shows is the total movie (title) time and a visual progress bar (without any numbers) indicating how much you have covered.

Press "Status" on remote two times to see this info.
 
#4,162 ·
Got it now BI, thanks.


One more stupid question. My receiver only has inputs for 5.1, but the 55 has outputs for 7.1. Does the 55 have a setting to only output 5.1? Does it combine the feed for the side and rear channels of 7.1 to both go to to the rears of a 5.1 system?
 
#4,163 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by SportX /forum/post/15184785


Got it now BI, thanks.


One more stupid question. My receiver only has inputs for 5.1, but the 55 has outputs for 7.1. Does the 55 have a setting to only output 5.1? Does it combine the feed for the side and rear channels of 7.1 to both go to to the rears of a 5.1 system?

When you configure the BD55 for 5.1 (enter no rear speakers on the speaker setup screen), then it downmixes 7.1 to 5.1. The disc contains the downmix instructions in the metadata.
 
#4,165 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by boylan13 /forum/post/15179185


The BD55 decodes DTS-HD Master Audio to PCM and to analog. As such it must support the full specification of DTS-HD Master Audio on Blu-ray Disc.


I can't recite the DTS-HD Master Audio spec off the top of my head

Chris,


First of all, thanks for the thoughtful, insightful and complete response. I know I speak for many others when I say, I can't wait for you to post next.


As for not being able to quote the DTS spec, neither can I. But, for those with inquiring minds.....


While not the entire DTS HD MA spec. here are some quotes from the HD_Brochure that can be downloaded from the DTS Website:


DTS HD Master Audio


• Bit-for-bit Identical to the Studio Master

• Variable Bit Rates up to 24.5 Mbps

• 7.1 Discrete Channels 96 kHz/24 bit

• Up to 192 kHz/24 bit Sampling Frequency

DTS HD High Resolution Audio


• Extended High Resolution Audio

• Constant Bit Rate up to 6.0 Mbps

• Capable of 7.1 Channels 96 kHz/24 bit


After reading Chris' response, I agree, it would not make sense that Panasonic would put the DTS HS Master Audio - Essential logo on the box and not fully support Master Audio. But, then I am a Regan "Trust, but Verify" kind of guy.
Hopefully, there was something "lost in the translation.


And like BIslander has posted many times, "DD and DTS are encoded at high bit rates ( 1.5 Mbps) on BD and sound excellent, some say as good as lossless". So in the end, lossy or lossless, as long as it sounds good to me.......who cares?
 
#4,166 ·
I am coming to the end completion of my custome home theater. I built a media closet that houses my equipment. Everything is wired remotely via a Xantech IR repeater. The problem I'm having is when I turn on my Panasonic BD55, my Panasonic DMR-EZ48V also turns on and follows suite. Is there anyway to seperate the two component remote signals so they operate independently


Thanks in Advance
 
#4,167 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by biggmitc /forum/post/15185002


I am coming to the end completion of my custome home theater. I built a media closet that houses my equipment. Everything is wired remotely via a Xantech IR repeater. The problem I'm having is when I turn on my Panasonic BD55, my Panasonic DMR-EZ48V also turns on and follows suite. Is there anyway to seperate the two component remote signals so they operate independently

Thanks in Advance

This question was asked recently. See page 33 of the manual (middle AND bottom of page). You can select alternate remote control codes to eliminate interference with similarly coded components.
 
#4,168 ·
I purchased the BD55 the other day and am waiting for the player to arrive. I've ordered the cables to use the analog outputs to my Yahama RX-V995. Is there any benefit or any reason I would want to keep the optical audio connection enabled?


I assume I would output the audio as PCM, but will this prevent audio from playing with certain DVDs? I seem to reading that I would have to change settings for different types of DVDSs? SD vs Blu-Ray? I can handle this, I just need to know if there are any issues I need to be aware of.


Thanks
 
#4,169 ·
I got my new BR player and it looks fantastic HOWEVER, I am running the 5.1 outs on the back to my Arcam AVR300 and when I run test tones thru my DVE basics (blueray) disc, I get a really shallow sound out of the subs. It almost sounds like 12 or 15 db down. I am running the subs at 0 on the db setting within the Arcam and the Panny Blueray player. I have everything (pre blueray setup) calibrated to 77db and the sub at 75db through the Arcam's menu.


Is it normal to get such a subdued test tone sound? When i use the Arcam's test tones or use a DVD through my NAD player, I get strong bass output. In fact, if I play a regular DVD through the new Panny blueray, it sounds like the bass is heavily attenuated. Now, that IS still using the analog outs. Should I hook up a digital optical or coax to use for regular DVDs?


All of this said, the Blueray movie discs sound pretty awesome. Definitely not bass shy. Much more even keel and hits plenty hard. It's just the DVE basics disc and regular dvds throught the Panny. I see where I can go in adjust the distance and levels in the Panny but I have left it alone because I can still adjust it all thru the Arcam. Am I doing this right or should I recalibrate the Blueray player thru its menu?
 
#4,170 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by tvckmiller /forum/post/15185236


I got my new BR player and it looks fantastic HOWEVER, I am running the 5.1 outs on the back to my Arcam AVR300 and when I run test tones thru my DVE basics (blueray) disc, I get a really shallow sound out of the subs. It almost sounds like 12 or 15 db down. I am running the subs at 0 on the db setting within the Arcam and the Panny Blueray player. I have everything (pre blueray setup) calibrated to 77db and the sub at 75db through the Arcam's menu.


Is it normal to get such a subdued test tone sound? When i use the Arcam's test tones or use a DVD through my NAD player, I get strong bass output. In fact, if I play a regular DVD through the new Panny blueray, it sounds like the bass is heavily attenuated. Now, that IS still using the analog outs. Should I hook up a digital optical or coax to use for regular DVDs?


All of this said, the Blueray movie discs sound pretty awesome. Definitely not bass shy. Much more even keel and hits plenty hard. It's just the DVE basics disc and regular dvds throught the Panny. I see where I can go in adjust the distance and levels in the Panny but I have left it alone because I can still adjust it all thru the Arcam. Am I doing this right or should I recalibrate the Blueray player thru its menu?

Check post #4129, previous page:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showp...postcount=4129
 
#4,171 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by JustAsk /forum/post/15184974


After reading Chris' response, I agree, it would not make sense that Panasonic would put the DTS HS Master Audio - Essential logo on the box and not fully support Master Audio. But, then I am a Regan "Trust, but Verify" kind of guy.
Hopefully, there was something "lost in the translation.

The DTS website also has a description of DTS "Essential". It seems pretty clear to me that the limitations all have to do with legacy elements such as DTS-ES and 96/24, which are not processed by the DTS Essential decoder. DTS recommends using a digital transmission to a receiver with a legacy DTS decoder for those soundtracks.
 
#4,172 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by tvckmiller /forum/post/15185236


I see where I can go in adjust the distance and levels in the Panny but I have left it alone because I can still adjust it all thru the Arcam.

Are you sure about that? I didn't think the AVR300 redigitized the analog inputs. If it doesn't, then you need to do speaker sizes and distances in the Panasonic. Normally, you would leave the levels flat coming out the player and do any trimming in the processor. Add 10db to the analog sub output in the Arcam, 15db if any speakers are set to small.
 
#4,174 ·
Hi all,


I'm grateful for the incredible patience of the gurus on this thread. To still be in here giving basic advice to owners ~140 pages in is nothing short of amazing.


I got some great advice back around page 50 or so I think, and I took delivery of my BD 55 this past wed, just in time for the holidays. I'm trying to grasp all the optimization tweaks. By coincidence, I got Starship Troopers as part of my delivery package and found the notes here about needing an SD card loaded for it to play. It worked! Is there an optimization guide easier to read than all 100+ pages of this thread?


I also note a lot of discussion around this concept of SECONDARY AUDIO. The manual seems rather crappy (as usual), but am I to understand that the theory is that secondary audio (the audio for director's commentary and such that can appear in windows alongside the main image?), if it is "on," causes some sort of reduction in the primary audio quality? Do I need to permanently turn it off in order to get true lossless audio outputted through my 2-channel downmix?


Any thoughts or other tips greatly appreciated. I'm not doing surround audio, I'm doing 2-channel audio into my Krell KAV 300i for the foreseeable future.
 
#4,176 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve_in_L.A. /forum/post/15185662


I also note a lot of discussion around this concept of SECONDARY AUDIO. The manual seems rather crappy (as usual), but am I to understand that the theory is that secondary audio (the audio for director's commentary and such that can appear in windows alongside the main image?), if it is "on," causes some sort of reduction in the primary audio quality? Do I need to permanently turn it off in order to get true lossless audio outputted through my 2-channel downmix?

No need. Per the chart on p8 of the manual, you'll get a lossless 2 channel downmix regardless of the secondary audio setting. With player decoding, secondary audio only effects non-DTS 7.1 tracks, which are downmixed to 5.1. Other players use the lossy tracks when secondary audio is on, but not the Panasonics.
 
#4,177 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by BIslander /forum/post/15185709


No need. Per the chart on p8 of the manual, you'll get a lossless 2 channel downmix regardless of the secondary audio setting. With player decoding, secondary audio only effects non-DTS 7.1 tracks, which are downmixed to 5.1. Other players use the lossy tracks when secondary audio is on, but not the Panasonics.

Thanks, that's reassuring.


Unfortunately, I can't claim to grasp the certainty that you seem to from the manual. For instance, on pg 8 it says:


"This unit supports high bit rate audio...in order to enjoy these audio formats, the following conditions are necessary: Necessary connections - 7.1 ch audio out terminal. Set "Analog audio output" to "7.1 ch."


If I interpret this literally (or any other way I can make any sense of it), that seems to state that in any configuration OTHER THAN 7.1 (such as 2-channel downmix), I do NOT have access to high bit rate audio. This would also tend to agree with the diagram on pg 10 which shows 2 ch = "standard quality" and 7.1="highest quality" without explaining what those qualitative descriptions translate into in terms of data and numbers. So, overall, I'm pretty confused. Is there some other information source that people are using to interpret this horrible manual?


Thanks again.
 
#4,179 ·
Steve,


Chris Boylan of Big Picture Big Sound, who posts regularly in this thread, has communicated with Panasonic and confirmed that the player decodes the lossless track if that's what you select on the disc. From there it downmixes according to the speaker configuration you have entered, 2 channels in your case. If you play a lossless track for output over 5.1 analog, then the only way to get something different from the two channel outputs would be for the player to simultaneously play and decode a different track. That would be a pretty sophisticated bit of engineering to create something nobody wants, don't you think? It's a lot easier to downmix the one track that's being played.


The notion that only 7.1 is true lossless cannot be true since the vast majority of lossless tracks are 5.1 That graphic on p10 seems kind of silly. It appears to define 7.1 as the best, just because it has more channels. Then come 5.1 and stereo. If they are all different in terms of actual quality, how would the player produce three different outputs - lossless, legacy, and what?


I think you are worrying needlessly here.
 
#4,180 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by kreativeimages /forum/post/15185976


I lived in Japan too, it shouldn't be 100V there, its 220v. Mainland Japan uses 50Hz, and Okinawa uses 60Hz. I had to use transformers when using 110V electronics. I have the same situation here again in Germany, most of my Home Theater stuff is running on transformers, sucks!

do you know if the bdp-s350 has an internal voltage converter?

i wonder if they are selling the exact same unit in america and japan.
 
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