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Official Panasonic DMP-BD35/55 Owners Thread - Page 23

post #661 of 14895
10/21/08 at 7:03am
Quote:
Originally Posted by gte747e View Post

They are not smaller than a regular SD card? They fit fine without anykind of adaptor?

Are you perhaps trying to use an 'XD' card? They are smaller than the SD. I'm using a 2gb SD card (as suggested by the 'Big Picture' Big sound,' write-up) and as lame as BD-live is so far, it worked just fine. Iron Man has a bunch of timed trivia tests--bfd! Hopefully, more useful things are coming, so for now I'm just enjoying my BD55's PQ and AQ.
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post #662 of 14895
10/21/08 at 7:08am
Thanks!
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post #663 of 14895
10/21/08 at 7:08am
Quote:
Originally Posted by sremick View Post

$19.70 + $4.25 shipping for a 4GB card???

You can do much, much better... even for a Class 6 card like that:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...nd&Order=PRICE

Have there been any tests to determine if the speed of the card affects the performance of the player? Look at the speed ratings of the cheap Kingston card compared to the Sandisk Extreme III on neweggs site.
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post #664 of 14895
10/21/08 at 7:09am
Quote:
Originally Posted by rover1 View Post

Hello, I have an observation with PCM vs. Bitstream. My amp is a Marantz SR7002 I have the BD35 and I am using HDMI from the BD35 to the SR7002 and out to the TV. the sound is a tad better if it is sent bitstream to the Marantz to decode the Hi def codecs rather than having the BD35 send PCM and internally decode the Hi def codecs, also it is slightly louder with bitstream. Could the Marantz be doing a better job?


I would assume there may be a slight variation on how the Marantz handles bass mangement with PCM vs bitstream. If the 35 allows you to set the speaker size make sure the speakers are set to Large too.

I am anxious to get a hold of a 35. I really like my LG BH200 but I am anxious to get a player that will decode DTS-HD MA internally. I really dont want to replace my receiver.
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post #665 of 14895
10/21/08 at 7:10am
Quote:
Originally Posted by jclem View Post

Are you perhaps trying to use an 'XD' card? They are smaller than the SD. I'm using a 2gb SD card (as suggested by the 'Big Picture' Big sound,' write-up) and as lame as BD-live is so far, it worked just fine. Iron Man has a bunch of timed trivia tests--bfd! Hopefully, more useful things are coming, so for now I'm just enjoying my BD55's PQ and AQ.

I am guessing he is thinking miniSD or microSD, the ones used in cell phones and PDAs.
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post #666 of 14895
10/21/08 at 7:22am
Quote:
Originally Posted by hearrean View Post

I just have one question; since I have a Yamaha RX-V661 which is a HDMI capable A/V receiver, is there really any reason/need for me to get the BD-55 instead of the less expensive BD-35? Because of having the HDMI capability, I can't think of any reason why I would need to use the 55's analog outputs. Also, the reviews I've read show that both players will decode the new audio codecs (DTS MA & DolbyTru HD) internally. Am I over-looking anything here? FYI: And for what it's worth, I am also only running a DD 6.1 audio set-up.

Ken

I have the same AVR as you and it does handle multi-channel PCM using HDMI. I currently have the Sony BD300 blu-ray player connected to the Yamaha 661 using HDMI. The display on the 661 clearly shows it receiving 5.1 channels of PCM audio. So to answer your question the BD35 is all you need.
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post #667 of 14895
10/21/08 at 7:27am
Quote:
Originally Posted by hearrean View Post

Now I'm really confused. Another forum member stated just yesterday that the 661 will not accept MPCM via HDMI. I believe he did say that the manual indicated it would, but when he tried it numerous times, he found it would not! To verify one way or the other, I called Yamaha tech support and was told that the 661 would not & I would either have to use the analog outs from the 55 to the 661 or upgrade to a 663 to do so.
I would love to find out that it will however. I don't always believe the Yamaha tech support folks because I've found them to be wrong before about their own equip. Again, keep in mind I am just barely above a novice here, but is there anyway I can verify with my current set-up which right now includes an HD-A2 DVD player if the 661 will or will not pass MPCM via the HDMI cable which is the way I have it hooked up? (HDMI from the HD-A2 to the 661, HDMI from my SAT HD STB to the 661 & then out from the 661 to my TV/Display).

Ken

Hearrean , i have a different receiver than you (a Denon2807) and just had the same questions as you regarding mpcm/hdmi from bd35 into receiver,etc. firstly regarding your Yamaha receiver, have you gone over to the Receiver forums (i imagine there probably is a sub-forum within dedicated to your specific receiver)... over there ,you should ask about whether the 661 can receive mpcm over hdmi. like you, i would not trust the Yamaha people on the phone...i had first called up the Denon people(3 different times) about my receiver, and didnt even get the same response from all 3 ! i dont know from where they hire these 'technical support' clowns ! you will get a more thorough,accurate answer here on these forums. but also, you should probably just pop a disc into you A2, make sure it is set to output mpcm to the 661, and see on the 661's front display whether it is receiving multi-ch pcm or not (on my Denon rcvr, if it is receiving mpcm, it will display 'multi-ch' and 'pcm' and also shows how many channels by these small little lights that light up indicating each individual channel). hope this helps, i am also kind of a novice like you but just went through the same thing. definitely if you havent done so yet, go over to the Yamaha 661 forum area and ask over there too.
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post #668 of 14895
10/21/08 at 7:38am
Quote:
Originally Posted by SKoprowski View Post

I would assume there may be a slight variation on how the Marantz handles bass mangement with PCM vs bitstream.

How would that work? The AVR only has one set of bass management settings. The PCM produced by the player and the receiver has to be identical (it's lossless). So, where would there be any difference?
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post #669 of 14895
10/21/08 at 7:48am
Quote:
Originally Posted by BIslander View Post

How would that work? The AVR only has one set of bass management settings. The PCM produced by the player and the receiver has to be identical (it's lossless). So, where would there be any difference?


I just looked at the specs of the Marantz- wow. I'm sure it is not the receiver. I can only assume it is a setting in the Panasonic. I would rather have the receiver decode then the player anyway. When HDMI receivers first came out some did not apply any bass management to Multi-PCM in- that was an issue. The Marantz is a new receiver that will decode the advanced codecs so that is not an issue.

I thought I read there are still settings for speaker size in the 35. It is possible that the player has the speakers set at small and the receiver is not getting the full sound over PCM. It doesn't matter anyway as the best setup would be to bitsream to the Marantz.
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post #670 of 14895
10/21/08 at 7:49am
i know i could post this over on a different forum, but i want to see specifically what new bd35 owners think about this.... i just installed my new bd35 yesterday, set it to output multi-ch pcm via hdmi to my Denon 2807 rcvr(which doesnt decode lossless). i have a 5.1 spkr setup. the hdmi cable i am using is one of Monster's mid to upper-level models, 3 or 4' long. the cable cost me over $100 when i bought it last year(while buying other eqpmnt at BestBuy). i didnt choose that cable for any particular reason...probably just because at the time it 'appeared' to me to be the best option(probably since it was one of the most expensive ! what a sucker i am ). my goal of course is to get maximum quality/performance thru to my speakers and ears while listening to lossless audio (Dolby TrueHD,dts-hdMA) on a BD movie. so can anyone recommend a better hdmi cable than what i am using now, or should i stick with the Monster ? thanks very much ....
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post #671 of 14895
10/21/08 at 7:50am
Quote:
Originally Posted by slogun View Post

I have no idea whether you are serious or being facetious.
There is absolutely no commitment involved with a preorder, it doesn't even enter into the realm of being an ethical issue.
The company simply hopes to get your business, and that is as it should be.

Go buy the thing NOW from someone who has it in stock for a price you like and stimulate the economy...

Agreed, but actually if you read my original post carefully, I suggested for those looking for free, UPS speed shipping (not Amazon) and tax free (not Circuit City for most). Sure, if you want it now (as I did) go out and get it, but some wanted it tax free and without the long ship wait of Amazon with their free shipping.
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post #672 of 14895
10/21/08 at 7:56am
Quote:
Originally Posted by tsx500 View Post

Hearrean , i have a different receiver than you (a Denon2807) and just had the same questions as you regarding mpcm/hdmi from bd35 into receiver,etc. firstly regarding your Yamaha receiver, have you gone over to the Receiver forums (i imagine there probably is a sub-forum within dedicated to your specific receiver)... over there ,you should ask about whether the 661 can receive mpcm over hdmi. like you, i would not trust the Yamaha people on the phone...i had first called up the Denon people(3 different times) about my receiver, and didnt even get the same response from all 3 ! i dont know from where they hire these 'technical support' clowns ! you will get a more thorough,accurate answer here on these forums. but also, you should probably just pop a disc into you A2, make sure it is set to output mpcm to the 661, and see on the 661's front display whether it is receiving multi-ch pcm or not (on my Denon rcvr, if it is receiving mpcm, it will display 'multi-ch' and 'pcm' and also shows how many channels by these small little lights that light up indicating each individual channel). hope this helps, i am also kind of a novice like you but just went through the same thing. definitely if you havent done so yet, go over to the Yamaha 661 forum area and ask over there too.

I would say that Yamaha's tech. support is wrong. The 661 thread in the receiver forum never mentions the 661 being unable to handle MC-PCM over HDMI. All those 661 owners can't be wrong. And like I said, I have 6 lights displaying on the 661 to indicate it is receiving 5.1 channels of audio.
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post #673 of 14895
10/21/08 at 7:59am
Quote:
Originally Posted by snave8 View Post

I posted about the same thing last week, but got no response.
It appears that unlike my Panasonic 10A, it's all or nothing. Meaning that in order to get the new HD formats (55A using analog outs) you have to select PCM. When you select PCM and play a SD DVD with legacy DD or DTS, your only going to get 2 channel sound. The only solution is to go into the setup menu and select bitsream whenever you want to watch a SD DVD.
For some reason they lumped both the legacy and new lossless formats together, hence the all or nothing selection requirement.
On my 10A there is a seperate category for DD and DTS, DD+ and Dolby True HD, and DTS-HD.

Not sure if you've gotten a definitive answer on this yet but as long as you are using the HDMI output for audio, then selecting "PCM" for both DTS and Dolby decoding should get you a multi-channel L-PCM stream over HDMI for all formats on BD and DVD. It's only if you use the fiberoptic output that setting the output to PCM will convert Dolby and DTS tracks to 2-channel PCM because the S/PDIF output (optical TosLink) does not support multi-channel PCM.

There should also be no problem using multi-channel analog output with optical bitstream output. Just set the digital audio outputs to "bitstream" for DTS and Dolby and you should be good to go.

-CB
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post #674 of 14895
10/21/08 at 8:04am
Quote:
Originally Posted by aaronwt View Post

I got a class 6, 8GB card from Amazon for $16. including 2 day shipping.
A few months ago the 8GB cards were twice that amount when i had the BD50.

Anyone know what class of SDHC card (2, 4, 6) correlates with the max speed of these players?

Class 2: minimum sustained DTS of 2MB/sec
Class 4: minimum sustained DTS of 4MB/sec
SDHC cards are classified to guarantee a specific sustained DTS. This potentially saves consumers money, as flash cards are priced not only according to capacity, but also to speed. For example, if a product's maximum DTS is 2MB/sec, dishing out extra cash for Class 4 or Class 6 SDHC cards would be a waste of money. Conversely, devices that can utilize the 4MB/sec or 6MB/sec DTR will perform significantly better with Class 4 or Class 6 SDHC cards, respectively.
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post #675 of 14895
10/21/08 at 8:07am
Complete noob question here, but is there any difference between the bd35 and the bd35K? That's the only one I'm seeing on Amazon, and the specs are pretty much nonexistant.
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post #676 of 14895
10/21/08 at 8:10am
Quote:
Originally Posted by tsx500 View Post

i know i could post this over on a different forum, but i want to see specifically what new bd35 owners think about this.... i just installed my new bd35 yesterday, set it to output multi-ch pcm via hdmi to my Denon 2807 rcvr(which doesnt decode lossless). i have a 5.1 spkr setup. the hdmi cable i am using is one of Monster's mid to upper-level models, 3 or 4' long. the cable cost me over $100 when i bought it last year(while buying other eqpmnt at BestBuy). i didnt choose that cable for any particular reason...probably just because at the time it 'appeared' to me to be the best option(probably since it was one of the most expensive ! what a sucker i am ). my goal of course is to get maximum quality/performance thru to my speakers and ears while listening to lossless audio (Dolby TrueHD,dts-hdMA) on a BD movie. so can anyone recommend a better hdmi cable than what i am using now, or should i stick with the Monster ? thanks very much ....

I am by no means an expert, but you could get by with a much cheaper cable at that length. IMHO you need to spend more money when you are running longer lengths. The longer your run the more diameter/technology it takes to sustain the needed bandwidth. Check out the HDMI info on bluejeanscable dot com. The have certified their cables, compare them to the length/bandwidth/price of the monster cables.

Simple answer... you'll be fine with what you have. If you want to spend more money and not notice any difference (other than placebo) then you can look for an audioquest HDMI cable.
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post #677 of 14895
10/21/08 at 8:13am
Quote:
Originally Posted by skyline315 View Post

Complete noob question here, but is there any difference between the bd35 and the bd35K? That's the only one I'm seeing on Amazon, and the specs are pretty much nonexistant.

I think I heard somewhere that the K means that it is black.
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post #678 of 14895
10/21/08 at 8:18am
Quote:
Originally Posted by jayridescarbon View Post

Agreed, but actually if you read my original post carefully, I suggested for those looking for free, UPS speed shipping (not Amazon) and tax free (not Circuit City for most). Sure, if you want it now (as I did) go out and get it, but some wanted it tax free and without the long ship wait of Amazon with their free shipping.

Hi Jay.
I don't know if I jumped into the middle of a conversation or what. I wasn't referring/responding to your post, which I can fully understand.
I was just responding to the poster who felt that a preorder was some sort of an ethically binding contract.
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post #679 of 14895
10/21/08 at 8:19am
Hey CB,

Thanks again for all the info on 24p and flicker. Just for sh!ts and giggles, I decided to test my theory that if I just watch dvds and blu-rays in 24p/48hz that I might just habituate and no longer notice/be annoyed with the flicker. Sure enough, I barely notice it now when I put on a film and soon after it starts, I forget about it and am just enjoying the lovely presentation of the 55 with my Panny 800.

For those that are annoyed that they are annoyed by the 24p flicker, you might want to try this. I'm glad I did.

Jay
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post #680 of 14895
10/21/08 at 8:20am
Quote:
Originally Posted by skyline315 View Post

Complete noob question here, but is there any difference between the bd35 and the bd35K? That's the only one I'm seeing on Amazon, and the specs are pretty much nonexistant.

K is for black because it's black. If they had a silver unit (which they do not, at least in the US), it would either have no suffix or a different suffix.

Whether "k" is for "kuro" (Japanese for "black") or just the last letter in "black" is anyone's guess.

But the answer is that the DMP-BD55 and DMP-BD55K are the exact same unit (it only comes in black).

-CB
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post #681 of 14895
10/21/08 at 8:26am
Quote:
Originally Posted by chix View Post

Why wait when you can buy it elsewhere NOW!

Hey Slogun,

Sorry, I should have quoted the above, not you.

Jay
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post #682 of 14895
10/21/08 at 8:37am
I doubt that I'll ever really be interested in BD-Live. Do I need an SD card to check for/download firmware updates to the 55?

Thanks,

Jay
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post #683 of 14895
10/21/08 at 8:44am
Quote:
Originally Posted by slogun View Post

Anyone know what class of SDHC card (2, 4, 6) correlates with the max speed of these players?

Class 2: minimum sustained DTS of 2MB/sec
Class 4: minimum sustained DTS of 4MB/sec
SDHC cards are classified to guarantee a specific sustained DTS. This potentially saves consumers money, as flash cards are priced not only according to capacity, but also to speed. For example, if a product's maximum DTS is 2MB/sec, dishing out extra cash for Class 4 or Class 6 SDHC cards would be a waste of money. Conversely, devices that can utilize the 4MB/sec or 6MB/sec DTR will perform significantly better with Class 4 or Class 6 SDHC cards, respectively.

Slogun,
So what is the max DTS speed of the 35/55? I understand your explanation and it makes perfect sense, however, I believe I read that the manual says minimum Class 2 SDHC card is required if memory serves me?
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post #684 of 14895
10/21/08 at 8:54am
Quote:
Originally Posted by rover1 View Post

Hello, I have an observation with PCM vs. Bitstream. My amp is a Marantz SR7002 I have the BD35 and I am using HDMI from the BD35 to the SR7002 and out to the TV. the sound is a tad better if it is sent bitstream to the Marantz to decode the Hi def codecs rather than having the BD35 send PCM and internally decode the Hi def codecs, also it is slightly louder with bitstream. Could the Marantz be doing a better job?

You may be answering your own question. There is that phenomenon that causes us to always perceive the louder of two settings to be of a better quality. Trying to A/B two sounds of different volumes will never be a fair assessment.
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post #685 of 14895
10/21/08 at 9:01am
Quote:
Originally Posted by jayridescarbon View Post

I doubt that I'll ever really be interested in BD-Live. Do I need an SD card to check for/download firmware updates to the 55?

Thanks,

Jay

Apparently you can't watch some Blu-ray disc movies without an SD card either. My "Starship Troopers" disc just loads and the player stops, and I'm not connected to the internet.
The card I ordered will be here today, so I'll post results and loading speeds.

Ordered a Panasonic 4GB SD High Capacity Memory Card Class 6 from Amazon for $30.52 - I have prime shipping (Free 2nd-day).
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post #686 of 14895
10/21/08 at 9:10am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Paradox-SJ View Post

Issues:
When connecting via analog inputs you receive popping noise via your surrounds during the setup pink noise test and or when playing a disc none of the channels are discrete.

Solution
When connecting via analog outputs you must set the HDMI Audio Output to OFF.

Steps:
First off your 55 must be connected via HDMI or the option to turn off HDMI Audio Output will be grayed out.

Under Setup go to:

* TV / Device Connection>HDMI Connection

* Select HDMI Audio Output and toggle it to OFF


Now get ready to enjoy some serious audio entertainment. :-)


Thanks boylan13 and everyone else for the assistance

My setup does not have HDMI, and I am planning on connecting the 55 via component and 5.1 analog outs. According to the above, you have to have HDMI connected in order to turn HDMI audio out 'off'. So, for those who do not have HDMI equipment, they will not be able to perform this 'fix'. Can someone who has their 55 connected via component and analog outs please confirm this?
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post #687 of 14895
10/21/08 at 9:14am
Does anyone know which SDHC card is required for the 35/55? Is it Cl 2, 4 or 6? I think the manual says Class 2 minimum, but not sure?
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post #688 of 14895
10/21/08 at 9:16am
Quote:
Originally Posted by chix View Post

Why wait when you can buy it elsewhere NOW!

If I can speak for myself: At Crutchfield where I have bought with excellent service for over 15 years, it is $50 cheaper than CC. No sales tax, loyalty coupon, no driving in heavy traffic for 35 miles.

A moral binding contract, no; for me a wise business decision. I do not 'need' this player today. Next week is just fine. You may disagree, but hey, it is football season and time is limited anyways
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post #689 of 14895
10/21/08 at 9:25am
Quote:
Originally Posted by bimbamboom View Post

I would say that Yamaha's tech. support is wrong. The 661 thread in the receiver forum never mentions the 661 being unable to handle MC-PCM over HDMI. All those 661 owners can't be wrong. And like I said, I have 6 lights displaying on the 661 to indicate it is receiving 5.1 channels of audio.

Actually Yamaha tech support told me it would not accept MPCM via HDMI & I called again today & asked to speak with a Tech Support Mgr. He confirmed the 661 will not accept MPCM via HDMI, it will only output PCM (or 2 channel). Even though the manual states it will, it will not!
I'm still a little confused as to exactly what 2 channel PCM means as opposed to MPCM, but I know that's a question I should ask over on the AV side of this forum, so I will. I do know, as I mentioned in an earlier thread, I've been running my HD-A2 off this 661 for about a year now and do get discreet sound from all channels even though the Yamaha's display only shows PCM.
But in any regard, the official (supposedly) word from Yamaha is that in order for me to get the lossless audio w/o having to upgrade to something like a 663, I will need to get the Panasonic 55 & utilize it's analog outs. Bummer, so I'm back to all the cables again!!

Ken
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post #690 of 14895
10/21/08 at 9:29am
Quote:
Originally Posted by wstanko View Post

If I can speak for myself: At Crutchfield where I have bought with excellent service for over 15 years, it is $50 cheaper than CC. No sales tax, loyalty coupon, no driving in heavy traffic for 35 miles.

A moral binding contract, no; for me a wise business decision. I do not 'need' this player today. Next week is just fine. You may disagree, but hey, it is football season and time is limited anyways

I like Crutchfield and bought my Panny 800 from them. I originally pre-ordered with them thinking they would get it as soon as everyone else, but when CC got it and Crutchfield still could not even give me an estimated shipping date, I cancelled my pre-order and bought from CC.

I don't know about the 35 because Crutchfield does not have a pre-order page for it, but the 55 is listed at 399 at Crutchfield, the same price as CC.
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