Official Panasonic DMP-BD35/55 Owners Thread - Page 194

The message I got from an engineer at Panasonic (senior guy there, actually) suggested that any time mixing is done (which is necessary when there is Secondary Audio or menu clicking sounds in the mix), it will revert to lossy core tracks, whether you're in PCM, bitstream *OR* analog. As long as there is not Secondary Audio or menu clicking sounds in the mix, then you'd be fine, but the problem is you don't always know there are menu clicking sound in the mix (and in PCM or multi-channel analog mode, you don't know it's being converted to lossy) so it's a bit of a crap shoot.

Set Secondary Audio=OFF if you want to be sure to get lossless sound, whether it's analog, PCM or bitstream.

I'm trying to get confirmation back from them but the time zone/date diffrence makes things a litte difficult. If it's true, it shoots apart a feature that many thought was there (including myself).

-CB

I'm using a powerline adapter in similar fashion to feed four different components in my HT system, including the 'BD35, via an Ethernet switch. It also works like a charm. I don't understand all the complaints and warnings I read about powerline adapters. In my experience, they work fine, unless there's a problem with the router, itself.

Ditto. Used them at 2 different residences without any problems. One residence is 4-5 years old while the other is over 20 years old. More reliable than wireless G. Just don't plug it into a powerbar, surge protector, and/or UPS. These items will filter out the data.

Are you talking about black bars on the top and bottom, or is it truly letterboxed (black bars on all 4 sides). If the former, don't do anything. If the latter, then yes, you'll have to use your displays zoom.

Does your a/v unit have digital in either optical or coax?

Mark,

I just went to the manual and looked at the remote diagram. I was pressing the audio button at the bottom that says "secondary" audio. There is another audio button neatly tucked away near the number keys. That is the one I should have been pressing. MY BAD!!

Thanks
Steve

Sorry, yes. I mean black bars at top and bottom. I just find it very distracting, but from what I've read, PQ suffers when zoom is used.

You're correct, PQ could suffer with zoom. You don't want to use it. The movie was intended to have black bars on the top and bottom. That's the aspect ratio that the director used. The vast majority of movies that you watch on your 16:9 display, will have black bars on the top and bottom. If you zoom it, not only will the PQ possibly go down, but you'll also be chopping off the sides of the picture. Or, if you stretch it to eliminate the bars, you'll be distorting the picture.

Bottom line: Don't alter it. They're supposed to be there.

Chris, thanks for the information. I was certainly under the impression that these players (and most others) mixed the secondary audio in with the lossless audio when you let the player decode. I chose to leave secondary audio on and let the player decode because there didn't seem to be any downside (other than not seeing the HD codec lights lighting up on my AVR). I guess I'll switch to bitstreaming with secondary audio off.

I had an extra Linksys router that I updated with the
DD-WRT firmware to make it a client bridge. Cost me
0 and now I have a 4 port bridge for AVR rack.

I just hooked up my BD35 a few days ago. In doing some testing I was pushing the "Audio" button with great fustration as nothing was happening.
Didn't even see the other audio button- go figure.

Thanks to the above post on where the "real" audio button is i'm sure I will be happier..

Gerry

I think it helps to think of movies like paintings (after all, movies are works of art). The artist creates a work that fulfills his vision. When you buy it, you don't cut the sides off just to fit it in a frame, you get a frame that accommodates the entire work. If it turns out the frame is larger in any dimension than the painting, you use a matte to take up the unused areas.

That's what the black bars are for. The artist (director) has created a work of art (movie) that is intentionally a specific aspect ratio. Since that work of art is wider than your TV screen, mattes (black bars) need to be applied. If you zoom in on the image, you are not only degrading the picture quality, you're degrading the quality of the art by destroying the composition of the film.

Do you own a picture frame because you like the frame, or is it to display the work of art? Do you own your TV to look at the TV or to look at the content?

There are a lot of options that people have or will suggest. Here's a previous post of what I did (I would post the URL, but I can't because I have only 2 posts to date):
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I know a lot of people out there are like me, and don't have ethernet running into every room of their house. My home theater is in my basement, far from my router. So, what I did was utilize my laptop and its wireless connection. First, I bridged the LAN and wireless LAN connection in Vista on the laptop. Then, I made myself an ethernet crossover cable, and then plugged the crossover cable into my laptop and the BD35. Works flawlessly.

Since the BD35 doesn't need to be connected to the 'net 24x7, I only plug it in the network/laptop when I need it (ie updates or BDLive).
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If you have a laptop, and can make or have access to a crossover cable, I think it is the simplest way to connect your player to the 'Net.

Did you try adjusting it on the player? "Submenu" on the remote then aspect ratio? Doesn't work on BDs (not supposed to) but i think it works on most DVDs.

-CB

Well said!

-CB

Well, this really burns me up. I've tried to play cds, blu ray disks and standard dvds. I get the same message - "No Disk". I called Panasonic and they said they have no fix and the thing must be defected. Now I have to send it back to them - what a pile of crap! I knew I should have stuck with Sony!!

It sounds like you may need to exchange the player, but before you pack it up, there are a couple of things to try. First, go into setup and select "Others", then "Restore Default Settings". Cycle power on the player, then try with another disc. If that doesn't work, do a hard reset/reboot by pressing and holding the player's power button (not the one on the remote) for 3 seconds or more.

Good luck!

Some say yes. Others say no. Only you can answer this question for yourself. Go to a store and listen. Then decide.

One of the best comments on this subject I have ever seen.

I wonder how many people this season who are jumping into BluRay, if not HD in general, are gonna be peeved with those black bars on their new Blu discs - or trying to return their BluRay movies to get the "full screen" version.

If BluRay can do anything to the video market, it could certainly help kill the studio need/desire to issue cropped/p&s movies on disc.

No but thank you for putting words in my mouth. What I'm suggesting is that the scope of DTS Speaker Re-Mapping may have expanded to include expansion of DTS-HD 5.1 soundtracks to 7.1-channel speaker systems, based on a statement from an engineer who actually works with this stuff every day as a DTS partner implementing DTS technology on their DTS Master Audio-approved hardware. Did I mention the word DTS enough times there? I hope Dolby doesn't get jealous.


And that's a big IF considering how short the message I posted was.

I don't "seem to think" anything. I'm only reporting what the Panasonic engineers told me. Let me provide another sentence or two from Panasonic since you are embellishing my words like there's no tomorrow:

"When the intended loudspeaker layout does not match the actual loudspeaker layout of the listening space, DTS-HD decoder redirect or divide mismatched channel signal to fit actual loudspeaker layout. This function is called Speaker Remapping. Please assume it as a kind of extended downmixing function.

The remapping coefficients are fixed by DTS. In the case of remapping from standard 5.1 channel layout to standard 7.1 channel layout, Ls/Rs signals are remapped to Lss/Rss and Lsr/Rsr..."

And the rest you've already seen. This is not Panasonic Speaker Remapping. This is DTS Speaker Remapping. At least according to a guy who should know a lot more about it than we do.


Again, speculation.


Actually I just think you're getting all worked up over nothing. Chill out, Larry. Go watch a nice relaxing movie, like Die Hard or something. All anyone can do right now (other than folks from DTS or Panasonic) is ASSUME and SPECULATE. Making any definitive statements based on this minimal information is unsound (get it? un-SOUND - you see what I did there?).

I will see if I can get more definitive information from DTS and/or Panasonic to assuage your fears and shaken faith in the great CE establishment.

Hugs...

-Chris

But isn't there a risk of burn-in with the plasma tv? I know the bars themselves won't cause burn-in (since they're black), but over time, couldn't the area where the bars have been be noticeably brighter when watching a picture that covers the whole screen?

IOW, I was told to never watch TV where black bars are present.

Read in the voice of Stewie from Family Guy.................too funny.

Yes, the Panasonic crossover is fixed at 100 Hz. I doubt that sending a 100-150Hz signal is going to damage your speakers, but if that's the recommended crossover frequency, and if they really can't reproduce 100-150 Hz then you're going to have a gaping hole in the mid bass response. The subwoofer is going to get 100 Hz and down, the satellites are going to get 100 Hz and up but will not be able to reproduce 100-150Hz, so where is that going to come from?

If your speaker system has an option where you drive the subwoofer from the MAIN SPEAKERS output, instead of line level input, then this may be a better option for you. This way, the subwoofer gets a full range signal, but it most likely has a built-in crossover at 150 Hz that sends information above 150 Hz out to the satellite speakers via a speaker level OUTPUT on the subwoofer itself. Most integrated sub/sat systems have an option to work this way, and it's usually the best way to get the right blend between woofer and satellites.

If you do it this way, then you should actually configure the BD55 with *NO SUBWOOFER* so it will redirect the LFE bass output to the front speakers. This means you connect only 5 cables (for a 5.0 system) or 7 (for 7.0), the front two speakers will get a full range signal, but the subwoofer will grab the bass out of that and send the midgrange and treble on their happy way to the main left/right (teeny tiny) speakers. Set the rest of your speakers to small so they will not get anything above 100Hz either.

-CB

Joxer, thank you so much for reading my post and answering my question. I had downloaded the manual online and it said I had to shut the audio off for the HDMI if I connect it to the TV, otherwise the audio would get screwed up. Thanks to your post, my fears have been settled!!!

By the way, does anyone know why you need an SD card for the BD-35? Is it for firmware updates, or just displaying photos?

True that we don't know exactly what is meant here, but in any event, according to the formulas, the rear and side surrounds only depend on their respective L or R surround channel (ie they aren't derived from both the left AND right). Hence, I conclude it is much simpler than something like Dolby PL IIx.

Ed

The better the audio part of your setup the bigger the difference.

I did the hard boot, even unplugged the unit from the wall to no avail. I did as you suggested and returned it to it's default settings and it still did not fix the problem. I have to send it to the factory. At least they said they would pay for shipping back and forth. If I returned it to Amazon I would probably have gotten stuck with the shipping. Do you know the answer to my first question? That was is the firmware upgrade file that I created suppose to be a wordperfect 10 document?

The same thing happen to me. You inserted a update disc that is burned incorrectly. The player is hung in a loop and there is no way of getting it out of the loop without inserting a correctly burned disc. I thought I killed mine also and have previously posted in the (firmware update thread) the problem and solution.
You have to (i will start from the beginning) download the 1.6 F/W. Then extract it. This will give you the .frm file. You MUST burn this to a cd-r as a DATA disc (not a ISO disc). I used Roxio to burn the data disc. My player then accepted the disc and updated without problem.
If you are running XP then you can right click on the file and send it to the CD burner. If you are running Vista, this will NOT work.
If you don't have Roxio then you can download a trial copy of Nero Essentials (?) and burn a DATA disc from there.
If this doesn't help then scan through the last 15 pages of the BD35/55 F/W update thread in this forum.
Gerry

With Amazon, I don't think you have to pay for return shipping if the item is defective (I think you have to make the claim before 30 days is up). You might want to check Amazon's policy. You might get a new unit instead of having to wait for Panasonic to fix your's.

Thanks a bunch. That may be the problem, an incorrectly burned update disk. I simply sent the file to my cd-r disk without thinking of making it a data disk. In fact, I don't know how to do that and I do not have Roxio or Nero. I may have to do as you suggested and get the trial copy of Nero. It may have specific instructions on how to create a data disk. In the meantime I will look at the update thread. I'll let you know how I make out.