Are there any Blu-Ray changers (5-disc or Mega)? - Page 3

You missed the key word, "easily." Yes, you can rip BDs to ISO now, but there are 2 hurdles to overcome. First of all, it is technically illegal to rip a BD\\DVD. Secondly, it's not easy enough for the common Joe to rip and play. You introduce a bulk loader, and an easy way to rip and play movies, and you have yourself a winner. As far as hard drives dying and wiping out your library, that's not an issue. Configure your back end to run RAID 1,5 or 6 and you will GREATLY reduce your chances of losing your data. You actually run a greater risk using physical media. How many time have you heard about scratched discs not playing?

Trying to push 5 disc changers in this day and age is like Sony trying to push the mini-disc player instead of an "MP3" player. It's just pointless.

well I own a sony 5-dsc dvd player and onkyo 704 dvd player with hdmi..

to honest I do see the point to see a 5-6 disc bd player if there ever was 1 done i would buy 1, though given my large collection of dvd discs and slowly growing bd library I see the value in 100, 200 or 400 disc changer whether i play cd's, vcd, vcd, svcd dvd, hdcd's, hd dvd's, or blue ray disc's..

I think the biggest issue sony has is likely the laser, whilst trying to stay rack within standard dimensions they caused an operational problems...

you may want to talk too yamaha, onkyo or sony and see if they have bd upgrade modules for bd support not sure whether pioneer, denon or marantz has a multi-disc disc player..

my guess give another 3-5 years there will be a multi-disc ihe 5-6 disc models..

unless there is a cassette model bd player can't see s 7 disc bd player being done for the simple fact width space of rack..

I can see in time time as the res goes past 1080 I think will will be forced from 3.5" disc format, may be lp variant bd player be built.

lookinbg hdd storage I think you'll be looking sas/sata arrays of 20+ 2tb hdd's to mount 5,000+ disc multi disc dvd/bd disc collection..

would 10-12 sony 400 disc changers..

You've described a very interesting pastime for someone looking to engage in a "project" every time they want to watch more than one disc without walking across the room to change it out. But I'm not interested in becoming an ISO ripper or spending the time to do it. I'm not interested in a "project". I just want to load more than one disc into a player, sit down and push play on my remote control. I'm not even sure I'll want to watch the full disc of what I've just loaded into the player if it is something I rented and have no idea whether I'd want to keep a copy of it or not. But you'd like me to join you in your hobby of ripping it to ISO sight unseen first?

Also, what are we going to do about what you admit is now an illegal activity? Should we wait until all the content distributors are fine with everyone borrowing their Blu-ray/DVD media to rip into their library and then pass it along to friends?

What mainstream manufacturer is going to swing into production for a device that makes something illegal "easier" to do before a majority of content providers have signed on the dotted line as being fine with it?

Sure, if there was such a thing as an already ripped ISO of the 5 discs I'd like to skip through tonight and I can push a button to make that appear on my player, I'm all for your grand ISO Idea Of The Future. But the chances of that happening tonight, tomorrow or 5 years from now is slim to none. And, yes, that was Slim who just left the room.

Oh really? A "project" is not required, just the ability to let go of antiquated ways of accessing media. Seriously people, it's 2011, not 1985.

And how much does that system cost, compared to a simple BR player? And how much extra to have the house properly wired to distribute the video?

Blu rays are simple, and they work. They deliver the maximum picture and sound quality available today... and likely will continue to do so for a minimum of 5 more years, if not more. And they don't require an expansive consultant to set up.

It's not cheap, but it's a MUCH better solution than some 1980's disc changer. As for wiring the house, CAT6 cabling should do. Nothing extravagant.


The Kaleidescape solution offers the same picture and audio quality of a Blu-ray disc, because the source IS a BD. The "only" negative of a "K" system is the price, which is substantial. BUT, you wanted a solution NOW, so there you go. Enjoy.

I don't know why we're still debating this since what you want is for major manufacturers to produce a device that makes doing something illegal easier presumably after the content providers, studios, distributors, etc. agree to having their Blu-rays easily ripped to ISO with these mass produced devices...none of which is going to happen in the foreseeable future. But, what the hell, this topic doesn't get as much discussion as it should, so why not?

Many manufacturers have already made and sold disc changers. They can make them right now. They're already selling single disc Blu-ray players with no sign that they're ready to cease production. They can easily place a 5-6 disc Blu-ray player on the increasingly roomy shelves at Best Buy. They have obviously been selling up into new features for years that have now been combined in some of the cheapest Blu-ray players on the market, at or under $110 in many cases. A multi-disc Blu-ray changer is an obvious step to "the next thing" just as the concept has been for virtually every media delivery system for the past century or so.

I see no indication that any mainstream manufacturer is ready to abandon the disc player format for an ISO ripper format where the project at hand calls for consumers to do something illegal and where legalizing it would require the major studios to give up on anti-copy efforts.

If there is as much real interest in ripping several discs to ISO in order to play them sequentially or skip around through them at will as you indicate in this world of the future, then there is also an interest in people loading 5-6 discs into a changer to do the same thing right now. And it would be an even smarter marketing move for manufacturers to exploit that market for all it is worth first before they move on to the ISO ripping alternative.

But even the Oppo (or any other BR player) can't resume a bluray that is java based. I wonder if that is part of the reason?

what I paid for my 2 multi disc dvd player it isn't going to be a cheapo $199 deal...

respectfully you'd be looking $300-600 mark if not more..

java is interface only for the most part.. networking features will dictate what you can and can't do with any given br player whether 1,3,5,6 or 100,300,400 or 500 disc in capacity...

Better how? I'd say instead, exactly the same content, at a MUCH higher cost. For an event, party, etc, I don't need 100s of blu rays available, I just need more than one or two. And I don't want to hire a bunch of contractors to punch holes through my walls, patch it back up, etc. (not to mention for those who rent their homes, this is not even an option). Yeah. Viable solution indeed... compared to a few hundred for a simple, conceptually-proven changer.

Sony's mega changer is available NOW and does everything EXCEPT make it simple to swap a disc or two in and out, plus it's more expensive, and physically larger, than I'd like. No extra cabling needed. Now multi $1000s of dollars needed. And 100% legal with zero "gray area".

Your "solution" is a fail, not to mention of questionable legality. Someday, maybe. But a simple 5-disc changer could be a solution VERY quickly, if some manufacturer would simply get off their duff and bring it to market.

had fill of my sony 5-disc the bigger the better I always say..

I got more tv series than i can i can poke a stick at, including alot of multi season like sg1/sgA/sgU, babylon-5, farscape and I can keep going and going and going..


while 5-6 disc bd player would be great in reality what i've already experienced with my 5-disc sony and 6-disc onkyo, give it 6-12 month's you'll soon tire of using it having to get up and change 5-6 disc's at a time gets old very quick, you'll something bigger soon enough..

the only thing that stops me from buying the 400-disc from a. price, b.not available in australia, c. I need over 10 units to store my dvd/bd collection in given the combined total of over 5000+ disc's so you can say the 400 disc options would benefit me tenfold, if youre collection is bigger than mine I would say quit pissing and moaning wanting a 5-6 disc model while it may suit your needs at present over time 5-6 disc will eventually fall well short of your expectations and you'll want something bigger..

Bigger is available now. If people really want it, the Sony BR mega changer is there. If you need bigger than THAT, you're looking to hard drive-based solutions anyway.

There IS a market for a middle ground changer... something more than the single disc players which are all that's available now, but not as far out as the mega changers, and less complex than the hard drive-based systems. That middle ground was defined long ago by the 5-disc carousel, which many people used and enjoy to this day, we just need it updated to blu ray.

Questionable legality? It is a fully licensed, 100% legal product, just like a goofy 5 disc changer would be.

And you are actually debating if it is a better solution? Seriously? The ONLY downside, and it actually is a big "only," is the cost associated with the system. Other than that, it is 1000x better than a goofy disc changer, in every single way. It is instant access to all media anywhere in your home. It is in fact, MUCH better than a 1980s disc changer. There really is no debating that. Cost is really the only thing that should be up for debate.

It is in NO WAY better from a quality standpoint, that was my point. The source material is IDENTICAL. It may not be worse, but you can NOT claim that, from an audio and video quality standpoint, it's any better.

And unless you're planning to subsidize the systems for everyone here, cost is a pretty freaking huge consideration. A few hundred bucks for a BR changers SOLVES PROBLEMS in a way my Luddite mother can wrap her brain around.

A changer would be simple, inexpensive, and not require freaking contractors to install.

Is that too complicated for you to understand... or not complicated enough?

Personally, I would LOVE to have someone pay to install a Kaleidescape System in my house. But I would still be pretty happy if I was able to ALSO add a simple BR changer, too. Not all needs are met by the system you're espousing as the ultimate solution.

But a single disc player is even older "1980s style" technology than a changer because the single disc version came first. Yet even your ISO conversion solution doesn't avoid it.

I think your vision of the future with regard to multiple/sequential content access is too old fashioned and prosaic. That's a very 1940s mindset.

Why not demand the manufacturers just scrap their hardware and software industry altogether and put their stock holders' money into creating a universal wi-fi streaming content library containing every movie ever made, every cartoon, every trailer, every intermission countdown short, and all the bonus material easily accessible and available for a low monthly charge? Make it so we only have to point and click whatever order we want it flawlessly streamed, in any number, in full HD and 7.1 DTS Sound with Pause, FF, RW and Chapter Skip capability.

No conversion "project", no loading discs, no player really except our computers, just stream it out of our laptops and into our home theater monitors, projectors and sound systems.

I mean, as long as we're wishing for something that has zero chance of happening in the next half dozen years or more, why be so antiquated and lazy about it? As an old fashioned writer might say.

Actually, your scenario has a pretty good chance of happening but not for a few years (decades?) yet.

I think it will happen someday, too. But, like you said, it might take decades.

given that hard drives fail on a regular basis , i think a server is practical though can be a pain to maintain and install

to the OP you be best talk to someone ay onklyo or yamaha for a dvd changer also see if there is plan to plans to build or convert their multi disc dvd players to play br player.

it wouldn't be much of a stretch for onkyo given both the 704 and 706 already support hdmi it wouldn't be a hard ask seing if they are offering a modification service on their multi disc dvd players same with yamaha and sony...

Easily solved with money (and an expensive tech), it's a raid so individual drive failures aren't a problem, but backups of large RAID drive arrays will require a LOT more time, money and effort to implement, else you start again at zero, reloading all your discs from scratch.

have ever had to pleasure of having to recover a 4-8gb file multiple time nevermind a 50-100gb file, trust me it's a bitch..

not to mention the purchase of a chassis the can hold 100+ hard drives in the 2tb or more storage models, 2 or more sas raid card, 2-3x 3+kw psu's , cost of 100+ 2+tb the list goos on..

setting up isn't cheap..

my experience on have a dvd disc playable on a hdd it isn't exactly smooth playback I would say principle would also apply to blurays, though since we're so far from the original topic ii will stop there, suffice to say to say is to contact onkyo, yamaha or sony to see if they are offering a conversion service of their older 6-disc dvd players (onkyo and yamaha) and 5-disc dvd players (sony) or you're looking the 400-disc br player only option from sony

I love the resistance from people that insist on holding on to ancient tech. Yes, I agree, loading a single disc is an EXTREMELY dated way of playing media. And the reason we still have spinning discs is because the movie studios are filled with old execs with old way of doing things, and just refuse to think outside the box. I bet you kicked and screamed with the conversion from mini-disc to portable digital audio player. So just think of the Kaleidescape system as taking your old tech (spinning discs) and converting them to future tech (bit for bit perfect on demand streams) right in front of your eyes. It's like magic for you old folks.

And there is no "vision" unless you are talking about a vision that is available now.

Not a pain. Just get a NAS device, install your HDDs, configure it using RAID 6, connect it to a switch and you're done. Very little maintenance if any required after that. Just tuck it in the corner of a room and forget it. And with RAID 6, you can lose up to 2 drives without data loss, so your chances of complete data loss is VERY slim.

Is a solution like this more expensive than a simple 1980's 5 disc changer? Yes, quite a bit more expensive. However it is a MUCH better way of accessing your media. It is a complete media on demand solution, which is what we SHOULD have now. Not some antiquated disc changer.

But I guess that is not the point of this thread. Please, I'll step aside and let you guys continue discussing why manufactures are not producing 5 disc changers. And while you're at it, maybe you can complain about why manufactures aren't producing 8-track players either.

Unless mainstream manufacturers are literally on the ragged edge of abandoning the entire hardware Blu-ray disc player format in favor of a file conversion format, there should have been several 5-6 disc Blu-ray changers introduced at least four or five CES events ago and one or two on every shelf at Best Buys and Frys by now.

The moment some knock-off manufacturer from Zkexixburg slips one into the market, I'll buy it. Six months later Sony, Panasonic and Philips will jump in with models of their own, crowing about how they're really into making life easier and more fun for the consumer.

As much as you seem to wish it were otherwise, blu ray players are TODAY's technology. Blu ray changers are just a modification of that that offers a convenience for those who want it.

Your system is a pie in the sky, for most people's budgets. Feel free to wax poetic about it in the Networking, Media Servers & Content Streamers forum, but this is the Blu Ray Player forum, in case you didn't notice. You might want to read the forum description, which says "If you are not here for Blu-ray, move on."

Offering a $10k+ whole home distribution system as a solution that should be able to be solved with ~$300 standalone piece of hardware is not helping anyone, and does nothing for your credibility.

5-disc cd players might of mid 80's generation, 5 disc dvd players on the other hand is very much a product on the mid 90's generation..

laoche, unless the is based with psu i will not touch it, get your head out your arse and look around and around you'll find when you have large dvd/br collections media server options aren't going to be a cheap deployment options to use a 6-8 bay nas times that by 20-30 units for 100 hard drives, you see this isn't the cheaper solution out there...

for someone that might own around 100- 200 disc's these 6-8 bay nas populate with 2tb hdd's might be great try and palm the same solution off with over 5,500+ discs between dvd and blue ray titles I thing your barking mad..

ces is great though outside the US it's pretty much useless as somethings don't see the light of day outside the US..

Anyone know of a Multi-Disc Blu-Ray player? I know there are several for standard DVDs but I can't find any for Blu-Ray. Looks like Sony had one out for awhile but it's been discontinued. Did it have problems or just not sell very well? And are they (or anyone else) planning to release a new one soon?

thanks in advance
dc

I figured there might I've been a 5 disc tray platter version out by now, no go so far.

Except for the Sony megachangers, there are none. Manufacturers seem to have decided there is no significant market for these.

As JazzGuyy states the only ones I've heard of were the Sony Jukeboxes which unfortunately are no longer made. You can still pick them up at a huge price: http://www.amazon.com/Sony-BDP-CX700...p_ob_e_title_0

I see from the unit's support page that Sony still provide full support for it as a firmware release came out last year.

I have an old 300-disc Sony CD Jukebox and it's a marvellous piece of gadgetry that has never failed me, albeit a rather huge one and the BD one is even bigger so forget about it fitting in the average equipment cabinet.

Now that OPPO's latest firmware update is wiping out ISO support on their players (a move sure to be duplicated on other player brands), it might be a better time than ever for manufacturers to reconsider the 5-disc Blu-ray/DVD feature for those modern users who thought they would be able to go the modern ISO way with these players to get multi-content playback without changing out media.