Official Panasonic DMP-BD35/55 Owners Thread - Page 196

Originally Posted by milacqua

Nope, I am using plain XP. I went to the update thread and posted there which is probably the right place to ask these questions. I also ordered a firmware upgrade 1.6 disk from Panasonic and it should be here next week. The technician said that since my player is not able to read any kind of disk whatsoever, he doubts it will be able to read the one they are sending me. He might be right but it is worth a shot. I am also doing a trial version of Nero but gosh, it is taking forever to download. According to the download meter over 45 minutes to completion. I just want to see if I can do this upgrade thing myself because I don't want to got through the same thing every time.

At the 35/55 upgrade thread they said that when you "send to cd", which is what I did with the Pana_dvd.fr file, XP defaults to a data disk so I should have been fine. But I don't that is right. When I click on the file's properties, it shows it as a wordperfect 10 file. I don't know what that would be but maybe that indicates it indeed is a data file.

Originally Posted by Eben

For most "legacy" AVRs, over analog you'll have to use the BD-55 for speaker management for lossless. The recommendation for AVRs that can decode DD/DTS (but not lossless) is to use, for DVDs without lossless audio, coax/optical and use the AVR's speaker management, which is usually better than the BD-55's.

Originally Posted by JohnfromQueensNY

Thanks guys, for all your help.

One other question:

The recently released Samsung Blu-Ray Player gave me pause because of its Netflix capabilities.

Is there any possibility Panasonic can/will in future introduce Netflix streaming (or other extras) to its 35/55 player, via a firmware update?

I'd rather buy Panasonic for its reputation and picture quality, but the Netflix thing would be a nice perk.

Originally Posted by dougrw

slider33 and others, I'm curious as to the recommendation of using coax or optical for lossy DD/DTS in addition to the analog connections for the lossless. Why not just use analog and let the player decode. I'm not trolling when I ask is that because you think the receiver can do a better job or am I missing something technical?

It seemed in that reply to the guy who was playing an SD DVD and was only getting 2 channels that the implication was because that is how it is unless you use coax or optical for SD DVD's? I will be using all 7 analog channels as I'm setup for it and just assumed I'd let the player do all the work. Are you thinking I'd be better of letting my receiver to the lossy decoding?

I haven't yet purchased the 55 but I am going to, so I haven't tested any of this. I've just been kind of hanging watching the pricing as Christmas approaches. I've been reading the thread on secondary audio, I think I understand all of it and the implications for my situation, basically in my case with all 7 channels in use, I should probably leave it off?

Originally Posted by wesleyforbes

If for some reason the auto set up for video output doesn't work and I have to choose it manually, which should I choose for a 720p TV, 1080i or 720p? Which is better?

Thanks

Originally Posted by milacqua

Yes, I will take it back - if it works. I'll then admit operator error. I'm still not convinced I messed it up however.

Originally Posted by BIslander


Also, you can apply a DSP like PLIIx in your receiver for the digital inpits, but probably not for analog. Digital will bring your rear speakers back into play for DVDs.

Originally Posted by BIslander

Those settings will likely never matter since you are using optical bitstream. PCM downconversion matters to people doing player decoding for multichannel PCM over HDMI to AVRs that can handle 96 kHz audio sampling rates. I'd leave it at the default, which does a 48 kHz output. (But, if you use the player for 2 channel music and your receiver can handle 96 kHz rates, then that might be a better setting. If this makes sense to you, then you'll know what to do. Otherwise, use the deault 48 kHz setting.)

Downmix controls a two channel PCM downmix of a multichannel original. You actually might need this for a movie that only has a 5.1 PCM track and no DD or DTS versions at all. So, I'd set it to Surround Encoded. Your receiver would give you a half-way decent sourround output using that setting (the old fashioned Dolby Surround that was used prior to DD 5.1). There are a few early BDs without any DD or DTS tracks, but not many.

Originally Posted by BIslander

As Eben explained, better digital processing in most receivers is a primary reason for using digital with DVDs.

Also, you can apply a DSP like PLIIx in your receiver for the digital inpits, but probably not for analog. Digital will bring your rear speakers back into play for DVDs.

It's looking more and more like Secondary Audio should be off if you want to make sure you are getting lossless.

Originally Posted by rr330i

trying to help a bro set his BD55 up.
Is there an FAQ anywhere for short cuts?

Originally Posted by milacqua

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?

Originally Posted by dougrw

Yes, I'm leaning towards having secondary off. The one unclear thing for me is the statement I'm seeing that says it goes lossy only when there is secondary audio or menu clicking. Does that mean it switches back and forth on the fly between lossless and lossy based on whether there is actual commentary happening or menu clicking? Or does this mean if you have selected pip, it is automatically lossy whether speaking is taking place or not, same if you have selected menu sounds (I'm assuming it's selectable like in my Tosh A2)?

Originally Posted by Eben

For most "legacy" AVRs, over analog you'll have to use the BD-55 for speaker management for lossless. The recommendation for AVRs that can decode DD/DTS (but not lossless) is to use, for DVDs without lossless audio, coax/optical and use the AVR's speaker management, which is usually better than the BD-55's.

Originally Posted by domino92024

ALWAYS make sure a unit is operating correctly BEFORE you do a firmware update. ALWAYS.

Originally Posted by donstim

The digital-to-analog converter in your receiver may also be better then the one in the player. Whether the difference is audible or not would be another question.

Originally Posted by donstim

The digital-to-analog converter in your receiver may also be better then the one in the player. Whether the difference is audible or not would be another question.

Originally Posted by pixelation

I would try both and see for myself. A lot of 720p TVs are really 768p while a lot of TVs cannot deinterlace 1080i properly.

Originally Posted by ekb

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

Originally Posted by BIslander

As Eben explained, better digital processing in most receivers is a primary reason for using digital with DVDs.

Also, you can apply a DSP like PLIIx in your receiver for the digital inpits, but probably not for analog. Digital will bring your rear speakers back into play for DVDs.

It's looking more and more like Secondary Audio should be off if you want to make sure you are getting lossless.

Originally Posted by donstim

If this is true, doesn't it remove the only reason for doing the decoding in the player rather than the receiver (assuming the receiver is capable of handling the lossless formats)?

Originally Posted by JohnfromQueensNY

As the owner of a projector (Optima HD70) I was wondering if I would be able to send a 480p signal to it with this player, in order to display DVDs in their native format, if I wish. (Sometimes it's better to stick with the native resolution rather than blow it up to 720p.)

Thanks for any insight about output choices for these machines.

Originally Posted by donstim

Wow, that's an eye-opener. Thanks for posting this. I hadn't noticed before, but the manual clearly says that PCM through the digital audio connection is down-mixed to 2 channel PCM. Wouldn't this be the reason for the difference some people have reported hearing between using bitstream and PCM for a DVD (I assume Dolby Digital 5.1) played through the digital audio output?

Originally Posted by dave42

What I've noticed with my system setup is that the HD audio (analogs to my receiver) does not sound as full or wide upfront as does the DD (via coax) while watching Batman Dark Knight.

I have my sw level boosted in my Denon AVR-2805 receiver by +15 db for my analogs.

My front main speakers are Polk RC85i (in wall). Per their specifications, they can produce 30hz-20kHz. Their lower-3db limit is 50Hz, and their upper -3db limit is 20 KHz. Their efficiency is 90 db. My center channel speaker is also Polk (can't remember the model # I think it was CS9?)

Can I set my main speakers to large in the BD55 with their above specs? If I did that, would I also set the surrounds and center channel to large also?

Does this sound like it would make the sound more expansive in front(if that's the correct term)?

Originally Posted by JohnfromQueensNY

Thanks guys, for all your help.

One other question:

The recently released Samsung Blu-Ray Player gave me pause because of its Netflix capabilities.

Is there any possibility Panasonic can/will in future introduce Netflix streaming (or other extras) to its 35/55 player, via a firmware update?

I'd rather buy Panasonic for its reputation and picture quality, but the Netflix thing would be a nice perk.

Originally Posted by WCunha

So while I was switching back and forth between analog and optical to see if I could tell the difference between lossless and lossy I was hearing lossy all the time?

I was watching Batman Begins and Wall-E.

Thanks, Wade