Pioneer BDP-HD1 - Pioneer says [delayed til autumn?] - Page 3  

My understanding is that HDMI 1.0, and every revision after supports 1080p/60Hz, it's more a matter of whether the particular manufacturer implemented it or not. Since there have been no 1080p sources available manufacturers probably have not provided support for it. The only thing HDMI 1.3 brings to the table is support for the new compressed audio streams and 30-36-48 bit color depths with a few other minor things like a better connector, lipsync correction, etc.

For example, the current line of Denon receivers support 1080p HDMI switching and they're only HDMI 1.1.

Is the Pioneer supposed to be HDMI 1.3?

Thanks Jani.

Specs for the Pioneer are listed at their website in a not so accessible area:

Terminals
LAN (Ethernet 10/100 BASE-T)
HDMITM Terminal (Direct Digital Pixel DriveTM)
Component Video Output*
S-Video Output*
Video Output*
5.1 Channel Audio Output*
2-Channel Audio Output*
Coaxial Digital Output*
Optical Digital Output*
*Gold Plated
Control Terminals
Pioneer System Remote Terminal
IR Terminal
Specifications
Power Requirements: 120V/60Hz
Dimensions (WxHxD)
16-9/16 x 3-11/16 x 14-5/16 inches
420 x 94 x 636 mm

I hope it will do 480i over HDMI for SD DVD, to feed a processor, like the 59&79.

I'd much rather see BD players roll out a month or two later and work flawlessly than what Toshiba has out now. The A1 and XA1 are just plain crap. Yes, the output is great and I'll put up with it to get new HD content now but the thing is absolutely not not not ready for prime-time. I'm a huge early-adopter bug apologist and even I was thinking about bouncing the thing back to the store because it's so bad. I'm sure it can be fixed with firmware but there's never a second chance to make a first impression. I may be wrong in this but IMO HD-DVD looking bad also reflects poorly on Blu-Ray in the eyes of J6P consumer. Them's all just purty 'lil shiny discs ennywhey.

Regardless... I have pre-orders in for the Sony and Samsung players. Whichever one gets here first goes into the HT. The others will replace various DVD players around the house. Anyone know of a place to pre-order the BDP-HD1? No one down here will carry it, that's sure as hell.

http://www.newyorkwholesaleaudiovide...3731C3692.aspx

Never heard of this company before so I did some research. They had one complaint filed against them via the Better Business Bureau and they corrected it. FWIW - they're the only site selling this item so far. They are not an authorized retailer but if the warranty page is to be believed their extended warranty plan is worthwhile. Hopefully we'll here of more sites selling this beauty shortly. My local highend store said they can definitely get this player when it comes out so I may just fork over the extra dough and buy it locally.

I figured it was too good to be true.

I just received an email from Pioneer myself this morning, in response to a few inquiries that I had.

On this specific subject, in regards to online dealers and such, I was told:

I hate that they do that in restricting sales so you can't get them online. Of course, regular DVD had me ordering online only since I needed hacked players to play region 2/3 titles so they didn't care about being authorized or not...

They don't have anything on ResellerRatings.com, so I would be skeptical.

You can always wait for some etailer to sell them on eBay. ;) Between a seller's feedback rating and how good of purchase protection plan your credit card has you should be able to make a safe purchase.

I wonder if some of the highend stores would consider selling to someone out of state and ship it to them if the customer paid for shipping costs.

www.flanners.com - a terrific store with superb, knowledgeable salesmen. They can be contacted by phone or by email off their website.

Why would they only allow the sale of plasmas online, and not other Elite items?

No way I'd ever play that game with something like this.

Anything high end like this that I ever buy has to be straight up squeaky clean and all that. ;)



Beats me.

I found that entire remark to be somewhat puzzling. There wasn't any context- that's basically the entire email that I received.

I think PE would do well by themselves if they simply appointed ONE authorized etailer, like a Vanns or a Crutchfield or some place like that and let that place carry the entire PE line.

I think they're missing an oppurtunity as is.


Great post!

I know that sonystyle.com is accepting preorders. They sent an email to that effect just the other day...the jerks. ;)

A purchase protection plan does not protect you from identity theft. Freely giving away your credit information to potentially unscrupulous people is just asking for trouble.

Any idea if this player will have HDMI v1.3? Or possibly offer an upgrade to v1.3 when its available?

This will hardly be an Elite player for long if/when v1.3 comes out.

I don't know the answer as to whether it will have v1.3, but you should know that Pioneer Elite does not generally offer firmware upgrades on their DVD players, so I would not count on that.

:(

Well, I may just have to hold out for v1.3. There are just too many benefits to ignore.

I said a seller's feedback shouldn't be ignored. ;) Also I didn't suggest sending the seller your cc info directly, don't most on eBay use Paypal?

I was referring to that company in New York that nobody has heard of.

Just got my Tweeter private sale brochure in the mail. The Pioneer player is pictured there for $1800 (June availability). The Samsung (also June availability) and Tosh players are in there as well.

I agree. I can't believe anyone would pay close to $1800 for Pioneer without HDMI 1.3. Since Panasonic announced their player would have 1.3, Sony and Pioneer should delay their machines for another month or so they can also have the state of the art connection.

If you're not upgrading your TV or AVR for the next couple of years in anticipation of watching things shake out and get cheaper then, why wait when the Pioneer with it's 1.1 HDMI will work with your existing set if you have HDMI or DVI? Or even just component? The player has certain abilities none of the others do so there's definitely a market for it.

Excellent point!

From everything I have read, this would require a hardware fix to go to hdmi 1.3....so any player bought without it, is most likely staying that way ;)

That's my understanding as well.

I'm still trying to understand all the differences between 1.1 and 1.3. What are all the benefits of 1.3?

I believe (and correct me if I'm wrong) that with HDMI 1.1, the high-resolution audio formats (TrueHD, DTS-HD, etc.) will need to be decoded in the player and passed out over the HDMI connection as PCM streams to your HDMI-enabled receiver for further processing (if any). Alternatively, you can connect the up-to eight discrete analog audio outputs from the player to the up-to eight discrete analog audio inputs on your reciever, and receive the high-resolution audio that way.

With HDMI 1.3, the original non-decoded high-resolution audio format bitstream itself can be sent to your HDMI-enabled receiver where decoding can then occur (assuming support in the receiver for TrueHD, DTS-HD, etc.) as well as further processing (if any).

In other words HDMI 1.3 supports carrying the non-decoded original HD-audio bitstreams from the player to the HDMI-enabled receiver where decoding can occur. HDMI 1.1 does not allow the undecoded HD-audio bitstreams to be passed on that cable.

Keep in mind that Pioneer is already on record as saying that the decoding will not take place in the player, i.e., it will take place in the receiver or processor (at least as far as DTS is concerned) http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/print...8944&p=6887254 So, if what you're saying is accurate, it would be completely useless to sell a player with only HDMI 1.1 capability, since Pioneer has already said that it won't decode the signal (and therefore won't pass what 1.1 can pass). It would be a Hi-Def player that, from an audio standpoint, will never be capable of playing Hi-Def. That simply doesn't make sense at all.

Nick :cool:

So is DSperber right or not? Or are you saying that the Pioneer will have HDMI v1.3?

Whether or not the HiDef audio bitstreams are sent to the AVR for decoding is also dependent on how the disc is authored. If the disc is authored in Advanced mode, the audio is decoded in the player.

The Pioneer may very well send those streams over HDMI 1.3, but to best of my knowledge, only if the disc allows it.

Now this is for HD-DVD, but I'd imagine the same would be true for BD.

I don't know whether he's right or not. And I don't know whether the Pioneer will have HDMI 1.3 or not. What I'm saying is that if he's right, and the Pioneer is only released with 1.1, then it's sheer nonsense to release the player, since it will never play hi-def audio.

Nick :cool: