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.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jgilliam1955 /forum/post/15188950
I just hooked up the BD35 & I get no picture when going through my Onkyo
SR605 using HDMI. My TV is a Toshiba Rear Projection that uses DVI. When I hooked up to the DVI the picture was good. I think I'm going to need a firmware update for my Onkyo. My HD-DVD player has always worked through HDMI.
I have the same SR605 and had a HD-DVD player using HDMI. When I bought a BD55k I connected to the Onkyo 605 and I had no problems. I don't think the problem is with the Onkyo, unless you've changed the settings. Problem might be with the settings on your BD35K. Is the BD35K set to "HDMI Video Mode" ON?
Quote:
Originally Posted by slider33 /forum/post/15189802
Adjust it in the receiver if the receiver will allow you to have different speaker levels set for analog and digital. Some do, some don't. If yours doesn't allow it, you'll have to adjust the speakers down in the player itself. What BIslander is saying is to adjust the sub itself up, and then bring down the sub level in the receiver on the digital side. Of course you can only do this if your receiver allows different levels for analog/digital.
I always thought if you had low LFE you wanted to set the speakers to SMALL as this direct all bass (below 120 hz or something) to the sub. Is it not the same for the BD 55?
Gotcha. It may make sense to adjust the bass in the multichannel settings of the BD player, because if you bitstream the DD & DTS tracks on an SD DVD to your AVR, it will remain untouched.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve_in_L.A. /forum/post/15190536
Finding what seem like HUGE differences in sound level (volume) from BD to BD since I got my 55 last week. Iron Man and Starship Troopers seem very low, Iron Man incredibly so, while Band of Brothers seems much louder, and BoB also seems to have far more dynamic sound than the other 2. I'm doing the 2-channel downmix through my Krell KAV 300i. I seem to remember someone saying BDs have considerably lower level sets than say CD or even DVD. Are others experiencing this?
Sorry, the search engine in avsform is just too primitive to be very useful (only searches on single words, etc).
I'm also using 2 channel analog. There sure are different recording levels on BDs just as there are on DVDs and CDs. I find that I have to crank DVDs significantly higher than CDs and BDs even a bit more than DVDs to get reasonable sound levels. With a class A Pass amp at only 60 wpc, I'm quickly running out of headroom.
Wierd, but I found Iron Man to be a louder recording than most other BDs I have watched.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tetzel1517 /forum/post/15188228
I got my BD35 on Wednesday. We used Wall-E as our inaugural Blu-Ray and were blown away by the quality. We had been using an old Sony progressive scan DVD player with our Westinghouse 42" for a couple years, and I've been struggling that whole time with finding settings that worked (it was either too washed out or too dark, with details getting lost in shadows). But for the BD35, I just used the settings I use on my HDMI input and everything looked fantastic, both on Blu-Ray and on regular DVD.
As for the full setup, it's connected to our TV via a HDMI-to-DVI cable (the TV only has one HDMI input - once we get the Apple TV, we'll need to get a switch). The audio output is via optical to a fairly old, but still totally reliable, RCA 5.1 surround receiver, using the speakers it came with.
I do have one question regarding BD-Live. I'm sorry if it doesn't belong here, but I couldn't seem to find the appropriate forum. I'd like to hook the player up to our network, but our router is in the bedroom. I thought a powerline adapter would work, but I'm told they don't work so well once extension cords and power strips get involved. Is there another way to connect the player, maybe some sort of ethernet-to-wifi bridge? Running cables through the walls isn't an option, since we rent. Any suggestions?
I had a similar situation. I wanted the connection to the router more for firmware updates than BD Live. I did what Chris suggested and after some experimenting, it works fine. Refer to Page 89/Link 4207. There must be a way for you to avoid power strips and extension cords??? Perhaps a multi outlet adapter which fits over your present wall duplex receptacle.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dsskid /forum/post/15190945
Gotcha. It may make sense to adjust the bass in the multichannel settings of the BD player, because if you bitstream the DD & DTS tracks on an SD DVD to your AVR, it will remain untouched.
Right, this is the way I do it with my HD-DVD player, and plan to do the same when the 55 arrives. If you set it up in the player, it won't effect anything coming out any of the digital outputs, which you can completely leave up to the receiver to process.
Just got this BluRay that replaces a Samsung DVD Progressive Scan player. It is conneced to a Samsung HL-R6178W(1080p) DLP TV. However we are unable to zoom any widescreen BluRy DVD to avoid watching the Black lines on the top/bottom on the TV Screen.
We have tried using the sub menu bottom on the remote control and are able to switch the video options (normal, side cut and zoom) however the picture remains with the same size, 16:9 ratio. We used to be able to zoom with the Samsung model where the movie wil take the entire TV screen. Is this normal on all bluray players? Called Samsung technical support and they say is the DVD player. Any assistance is greatky appreciated.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cocolafl /forum/post/15191532
Just got this BluRay that replaces a Samsung DVD Progressive Scan player. It is conneced to a Samsung HL-R6178W(1080p) DLP TV. However we are unable to zoom any widescreen BluRy DVD to avoid watching the Black lines on the top/bottom on the TV Screen.
We have tried using the sub menu bottom on the remote control and are able to switch the video options (normal, side cut and zoom) however the picture remains with the same size, 16:9 ratio. We used to be able to zoom with the Samsung model where the movie wil take the entire TV screen. Is this normal on all bluray players? Called Samsung technical support and they say is the DVD player. Any assistance is greatky appreciated.
The picture is like that because the movie was filmed with a wider ratio than your TV. If you were to zoom it it would distort and haze the image, defeating the whole purpose of HD movies.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cocolafl /forum/post/15191532
Just got this BluRay that replaces a Samsung DVD Progressive Scan player. It is conneced to a Samsung HL-R6178W(1080p) DLP TV. However we are unable to zoom any widescreen BluRy DVD to avoid watching the Black lines on the top/bottom on the TV Screen.
We have tried using the sub menu bottom on the remote control and are able to switch the video options (normal, side cut and zoom) however the picture remains with the same size, 16:9 ratio. We used to be able to zoom with the Samsung model where the movie wil take the entire TV screen. Is this normal on all bluray players? Called Samsung technical support and they say is the DVD player. Any assistance is greatky appreciated.
Why do you want to take a high resolution image that was meant to be 2.35 or 2.40 aspect ratio (giving you bars on the top and bottom of a 16:9 panel) and lose resolution and the sides of the film by filling your screen? You can't do it on the player, but if you insist, use your tv's zoom function.
You will find blu-rays that have a 1.85 aspect ratio that will fill your panel without messing with the picture.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cocolafl /forum/post/15191532
Just got this BluRay that replaces a Samsung DVD Progressive Scan player. It is conneced to a Samsung HL-R6178W(1080p) DLP TV. However we are unable to zoom any widescreen BluRy DVD to avoid watching the Black lines on the top/bottom on the TV Screen.
We have tried using the sub menu bottom on the remote control and are able to switch the video options (normal, side cut and zoom) however the picture remains with the same size, 16:9 ratio. We used to be able to zoom with the Samsung model where the movie wil take the entire TV screen. Is this normal on all bluray players? Called Samsung technical support and they say is the DVD player. Any assistance is greatky appreciated.
Well as slider said, not the best topic around here. Black Bars are there, because that is the way the film was shot and the intention of the director. If you are set on zooming, your display should be able to zoom.
Playing with my receiver (Sony STRDE875), I found something that I wasn't aware of previously, which should help with the analog LFE issue.
I have a "Multi Direct" button; which is different from the "Mult In" button, which I use to activate the receive the signal through analog;. The "Multi Direct" mode seems to be strictly a settings mode which allows me to adjust the levels of the speakers and subwoofer for the multichannel analogs only, and it lets me increase the subwoofer by 10db. (Which I think is what BIslander was steering me to)
Quote:
Originally Posted by BIslander /forum/post/15188728
Sorry. That’s just volume adjustments for the individual channels. Most AVRs allow you to have different levels for each input, including the analog inputs. So, if your AVr doesn't have a specific setting to boost the subwoofer for analog, then you can raise the volume on the sub for the analog inputs.
So I think if I leave the BD55 settings alone, set my digital levels, when I switch over to the analog settings, the LFE issue should be compensated for automatically.
Thank you again guys for your guidance, and in explaining the issue so thoroughly.
P.S. Kezug, I think this might help you as well since your machine is a step up from mine, but shares the same user manual
Quote:
Originally Posted by kezug /forum/post/15175732
I am not sure what the differences are between the 35 and the 55. If someone can list them that would be great.
Also, here is my current setup:
Sony STR-DE895 - 5.1 can do DTS and DD5.1 (no HDMI but has all the others)
Panasonic PT-AX200u 720p
Tosh HD DVD A2 (up on ebay now)
- I love the Tosh for its picture quality but its time to replace it.
I plan on using these 2 pcs of equipment for awhile, so I want to make sure I get the best BD player (35 or 55) that will match well with my system without paying for options I do not use.
Does anyone have a problem with the bd 35-55 not keeping the selected output resolution when the unit is powered on when connected via hdmi to the display?
I have tried a couple of units now and they all do the same thing. I set it for the native resolution of the display,
the next time the system is powered up the output resolution is changed back to auto in the player menu and the resolution is incorrect on the display.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dsskid /forum/post/15191696
I have a "Multi Direct" button; which is different from the "Mult In" button, which I use to activate the receive the signal through analog;. The "Multi Direct" mode seems to be strictly a settings mode which allows me to adjust the levels of the speakers and subwoofer for the multichannel analogs only, and it lets me increase the subwoofer by 10db. (Which I think is what BIslander was steering me to)
If you import from the USA, it's 120V 60HZ, a transformer will change the voltage to meet your 100V where you live, however the player needs the 60HZ as well because of the motor, which will not spin at the proper speed if it's 50HZ
I have my BD55K going through a Denon avr5308ci to a moome HDMI to RGB+H&V converter, however I also had it go straight to my 73" Mitsubishi's HD component input, the picture at 1080i is very good through component, not as good as through the Denon, but that has to do with it's REALTA HQV chip, so I think you will be very pleased with it in your setup
Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnnyK /forum/post/15188697
I have a Marantz projector and an Aragon StageOne pre/pro that are have no HDMI inputs.
On Saturday, I bought the BD55 because it outputs hi-res audio and Hi-res video via analog jacks. However, when I got the unit home and opened the box I realized that it does not play DVD-A discs. If I choose to keep the BD55, I will have three disc players; BD 55 Blur Ray player, Panasonic DVD/DVD-A player and a Sony SCAD player.
Is there a BlueRay player on the market that outputs hi-res audio and Hi-res video via analog jacks AND plays DVD-A discs.
It's my understanding that Oppo will be releasing such a player in January, but it will cost more that either Pani, Denon will also release such a player later this year, I'm told
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve_in_L.A. /forum/post/15190536
Finding what seem like HUGE differences in sound level (volume) from BD to BD since I got my 55 last week. Iron Man and Starship Troopers seem very low, Iron Man incredibly so, while Band of Brothers seems much louder, and BoB also seems to have far more dynamic sound than the other 2. I'm doing the 2-channel downmix through my Krell KAV 300i. I seem to remember someone saying BDs have considerably lower level sets than say CD or even DVD. Are others experiencing this?
Sorry, the search engine in avsform is just too primitive to be very useful (only searches on single words, etc).
I had the same problem until I installed the 1.5 firmware update, if you haven't done that, you should, if you have and that wasn't the answer, well then I don't know what to say
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Ol /forum/post/15182868
I've tried looking through this thread but have not seen an answer to this question (at least not that I could find). I will soon be getting the BD55. My HK AVR 525 does not have HDMI, so I will be hooking it up using analog. I have a 5.1 setup. Although there is only one set of analog direct input jacks on the AVR, the HK allows you to set up the analog inputs in two different ways. One is called "6 channel direct" and one is called "6 channel DVD audio". The difference between the two is in the bass management. 6 channel direct passes the input from the BD 55 directly through the AVR volume control without any analog to digital conversion. The 6 channel DVD audio converts the analog source to digital. This allows you to use the bass management system in the HK AVR and also allows me to adjust each speakers volume level independently, just as if it was a digital input. It seems this would be the best way to go, as I should be able to get the LFE/speaker crossover dialed in properly as well as adjusting the volume properly (+15 LFE boost).
So my question is this - Is there any downside to converting the analog signal to digital? Would it be better to keep the analog signal analog and routed directly to the main volume control of the AVR and use the bass management system in the BD55? It would be nice to hear what some of the experts feel about this.
I've spent another 8+ hours reading through this thread and think I have come up with the right setup in my mind to my questions above, but wanted to run it past some of the expects on the subject to make sure my assumptions are correct.
1) I have not seen anything written in this thread that says there is a downside to converting the analog signal back to digital in the AVR. So I'm thinking it is safe to assume that selecting "6 channel DVD audio" which converts the analog signal back to digital in the AVR would be the best option. If I go this route (vs. leaving the signal as analog), I will be able to use the bass management in the AVR, which is better than the base management in the BD55.
2) If I chose the option above, I believe I should set the speakers to large in the BD55 so that the full range signal is sent to the AVR. Once the signal is converted back to digital in the AVR, I can then use the base management in the AVR and set the speaker size to small which will then re-direct the lower frequencies to my sub.
Do I have this right? Do you think this would be the best way to set up my system using analog inputs? Thanks in advance
In the Home Theater and was able to quickly upgrade from 1.3 to 1.5 fine.
Very nice but still learning and trying to understand the audio part which is working fine. In the top menu on audio, it shows:
English Dolby True HD for the audio. Played at this setting fine with my NHT Xd 2.1 system and the early explosion although I knew it was coming still made me jump out of my seat.
Don't know about the analog audio out dialog as I have the cables out from those two channels. Set the PCM and then after the movie Iron Man (looked excellent) went in to the audio button on the remote. Shows: Eng Multi True HD.
On the setup menu when I went into the setup as the instructions, the audio section did not show any analog selection option.
On the other part of the setup menu I have settings for audio:
Dynamic Range Compression - Off, (after the movie switched PCM Down Conversion to On) and changed the downmix from stereo to surround encoded. Submenu for Digital Audio Output set both to PCM and BD-Video Secondary Audio to "Off."
That works too.
Under TV/Device Connection I see no audio option at all, but left the HDMI Audio output to off as there is no receiver.
Now I know this is all receiver chatter but can someone tell me what audio mode I'm actually in and what is running in the 2.1 system?
The sub is working fine before and after the change to surround encoded. (Now just switched the Dynamic Range Compression to Auto and audio is still working.)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Ol /forum/post/15192663
I've spent another 8+ hours reading through this thread and think I have come up with the right setup in my mind to my questions above, but wanted to run it past some of the expects on the subject to make sure my assumptions are correct.
1) I have not seen anything written in this thread that says there is a downside to converting the analog signal back to digital in the AVR. So I'm thinking it is safe to assume that selecting "6 channel DVD audio" which converts the analog signal back to digital in the AVR would be the best option. If I go this route (vs. leaving the signal as analog), I will be able to use the bass management in the AVR, which is better than the base management in the BD55.
2) If I chose the option above, I believe I should set the speakers to large in the BD55 so that the full range signal is sent to the AVR. Once the signal is converted back to digital in the AVR, I can then use the base management in the AVR and set the speaker size to small which will then re-direct the lower frequencies to my sub.
Do I have this right? Do you think this would be the best way to set up my system using analog inputs? Thanks in advance
I guess the question is what resolution does the receiver resample the analog audio to in the digital realm? If there is no sound degradation then this would be the way to go in my mind.
Hey folks, Circuit City sent me the extended warranty option in the mail today, is anyone else taking them up on it (those that purchased the unit at release at CC should also be getting theres in the mail too) Think its worth it?
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