OFFICIAL "HELP ME CHOOSE A PLAYER" THREAD: Can't decide? Start HERE. - Page 432

Given your setup, especially with a projector and your desire to have the best bluray and DVD quality, and minimize problems with disks, I think you want an Oppo.

Want and Need are two different things, however.

When I compared my Panny 210 alongside my Oppo in my theater (126" screen), I saw no discernible difference in PQ while watching movies.

The caveat is that my projector is only 720p, so YMMV.

I've also had zero problems with any discs on my Panny (nor on the 110 in the living room).

I'm looking for a BDP for my parents. They have a "legacy", pre-HDMI receiver (Yamaha RX-V659) and an older HDTV. My requirements are:

- some (Netflix as minimum) streaming support. Wired Ethernet only is acceptable because I've wired the room for data.
- optical audio out; core DD/DTS audio must be passed through optical
- minimal hassle with firmware updates, flaky support for certain movies, etc. (non-technical users)
- easy TV-powered-off, audio CD playing operation
- must work with existing Harmony 550 remote (I doubt this will be an issue, but it is important)

Budget is $200 and under.

I was looking at the Panasonic DMP-BDT110/210 and the Pioneer BDP-140. After reading some of the Pio 140 owner's thread, I've ruled that one out. I read through the 110/210 manual and found the audio options on page 30 confusing. Will this player correctly pass the core Dolby Digital/DTS through optical, for BDMVs with TrueHD/DTS-MA? Also, are there some other models I should be considering as well? Thanks!

You'll get the core codecs through optical. The limitations are for using PCM over HDMI.

Re: Panny 110/210

Cool, exactly what I wanted to confirm. It seemed obvious, but with all the arbitrary restrictions on the newer players, I don't want to assume.

hi guys im looking for the device that have the BEST youtube app. i have been investigating and found that the LG BD670 app SUCKS and then i found that these devices have good youtube apps:

Panasonic DMP-BDT210
Sony BDP-S580
Samsung BD-D5700

but i dont know which one have the BEST youtube app.

Which one allows to watch HD youtube videos? can you search for any videos just like in a browser on these devices? thanks.

Is there any blue-ray player with noise reduction hardware build in?
One particular blue-ray disc, Jurasic Park disc 1 - chapter 6 - wow, it feels like DVD or under-exposed film get scanned

.

Okay so here's the deal. I currently have a Pioneer Elite Blu-Ray player (BDP-23FD) but I'm buying a new tv tomorrow.

Long story short my XBR4 from 2008 is having issues and they're going to give me store credit for what I originally paid.

So I'm using that to upgrade to a better TV. I was going to get the Sharp Elite 60" but then I noticed the Panasonic TC-P55VT30. While this Elite is obviously the better tv, it would cost me roughly $3800 out of pocket while the Panasonic will cost me roughly $500. The difference in picture quality was moderatley noticible, but not enough for me to justify the extra $3300.

That said, I decided on the Panasonic TC-P55VT30.

Now, being that my current DVD player is a 2D player, and this TV offers 3D viewing, it only makes sense that I pick up a 3D player.

I've already heard/read some rave reviews about the Panasonic BDP-210, but I'm wondering if jumping up to an Oppo is truely worth it.

I won't go as far as to say money is no object; I can easily afford either. However, I do consider myself price conscious. In other words, if it's worth spending, I'll have no problem spending the extra dough... but I'm not interested in shelling out far more than I need to for only a minor improvement, should that be the case.


So... here's what I'm looking for:

* I like the idea of streaming services but this isn't imperitive as I can stream through Netflix on my Xbox 360 (or is there a reason I should be using a player instead?).

* Load time is certainly something I'm paying attention to, although if the picture quality is so great that it justifies spending a few minutes of waiting, I won't cry about it

* Most importantly, picture/sound quality

* I'll be hard-lining everything in my system other than my i-pad so I'm not sure that wifi is necessary. (I intend to get a receiver with Airplay)



On the note of sound:

I currently have a Boston Acoustics Horizon Series MCS 130 set-up however...

I have an Onkyo TX-SR805 that has to be replaced. I'm not sure what's causing it to do this but it toasted my subwoofer. My sub started making a loud humming noise out of the blue and that was it. It won't play hooked up to anything. At first I thought it was the sub so I plugged a Velodyne and it screwed that up as well. Wierd thing is, with the sub powered on, i hear virtually nothing but as soon as I plug it in to the receiver I get an obnoxiously loud hum, even if the receiver is unplugged. Whatever the case may be, I'm done with this receiver. I'm going to be purchasing another receiver tomorrow as well... thinking about a Pioneer Elite but would like some recommendations on that as well. I'm assuming I'll need to inquire about that seperately in the receiver forum though. I just want to make sure that going with another high end receiver wont be overkill. This one sounded amazing with my speaker set-up, but hey... even if it was working fine, it doesn't have enough HDMI inputs for me anyways and I need to be able to pass-through 3D.

I only mention all of this because, while I believe I know my fair share about all this stuff, I don't claim to be an expert.

I imagine when I say I want a player with good sound quality that it would be important to note what kind of receiver I'm looking at along with what kind of speakers I'm using so that you can determine whether or not an improvement in sound quality from one player to another would even be noticable.

At any rate, back to my original question... are the improvements from an Oppo over the Panasonic enough to justify the investment?

Also, should the Oppo definitely be worth it... which model would you recommend?

Thanks in advance for all your help!!

oh... also of importance is upconverting 2D to 3D (if it actually works well), and upconverting DVD to HD

None of the OPPOs do that.

-Bill

That's definitely something to take into consideration. Do you know if the upconversion from 2D to 3D work well on the panasonic?

Is the picture/sound quality of the Oppo that much better to sacrifice upconversion for better picture/sound?

It works as well as the 2D -> 3D conversion of other brands. Adds depth. Some movies look better than others. If you're using digital for everything, you won't see or hear a difference between the Panasonics and the Oppo with BD. I have both. Oppo has a slight edge in DVD scaling over the Panasonic, but the Panasonic does rather well. Panasonic has a better choice of apps, but the Oppo has much more support for filestreaming/networking.

S~

I would not put too much stock in the 2d-3d conversation. its not really that good. you should be concern more about the player itself. yes the opo is a much better player then panasonic.

Jacob

Is the LG BD670 the best for the price if i want to use the wifi to play avi video files off my home pc? I noticed the Panny's do not. The 670 is on sale on Amazon for $130 so that's a good price.

As far as being better than the Sony BD-S250 (very old) and the BD-S570 (not so old), unlike the Sony's the Oppo is not a piece of junk. The 570 in particular is flimsy and an eyesore when with my other equipment. The build quality of the Oppo is excellent in comparison and if you can afford it a better choice.

No, it as a "good" price. I just bought and received one from (via) Amazon and it was $124. (total/no tax/no mailing fee)

Please help. Please.

It depends on how you define "much better." The Oppo has better build quality (a much heavier player), and better audio IF you use analog outs, but IMO PQ is very comparable for either BluRay or SD DVD upconversion, and audio is the same if you use digital audio outs (if you don't want/need SACD/DVD-A).

Good morning all. I am trying to decide between the Sony BDP-S780 vs. Pioneer BDP 52 FD. I am setting it up with a Sony Bravia (KDL-52WL140) and Sony Soundbar (HTCT550). I am trying to stay under $300 for my bd player. Currently using my fat PS3 for bd, but want to see a noticeable difference in sound quality and Audio with this upgrade. Any tips would be greatly appreciated

I have the Panasonic TCP46ST30 plasma. Purchased the DMPBDT210 blu-ray player. The Netflix black flashing/buffering issue is a deal breaker for me and am returning the unit. Looking for a similar option and price range where the streaming does not have this issue. Suggestions?

Nobody else has black flashes, so something like the Sony 580 would be a good alternative. It's interface isn't as good, but at least it's watchable. I got rid of my panny as well and went back to my PS3 which has all the panny's Netflix features plus 1080p and no flashes.

I am planning to order a blu-ray player in the next few days. I am struggling to find one without a flaw that could cause me to return it. Several models have stood out to me because of good reviews and/or my experience with the brand, but when I read user reviews I find things that concern me. I can spend between $100 and $150. Below are two that I have looked at, with my concerns listed.

1) Panasonic DMP-BDT210
my doubts about it:
A lot of user reviews mention major problems with Netflix
Several user reviews mention noisy operation

2) LG BD670
my doubts about it:
One user review (written this week on Amazon) mentions that HULU supported has been pulled and LG gives no info on whether it will return. My wife & kid use HULU several times a week almost daily.

Streaming is a priority for me and my family.
Streaming services we use include:
HULU Plus
Vudu
Amazon
Netflix
We use all in just about equal amounts, depending on what we are looking for. I love Vudu for the 1080p and sound. Wife/kid love HULU Plus. We all use Netflix and Amazon.

If you have any experience, good or bad, please let me know. Please let me know if you think any of the above issues have been corrected. And feel free to correct me on anything. Thanks.

(I already have a PS3 in my man room and love it, but I don't want another one. This is for the living room and needs to be more affordable.)

^^^

Hulu+ is pretty much unusable on panny.

You're right about want and need, but the OP wanted the best possible PQ and sound. That's the Oppo both on DVD and bluray. The difference may be small or even negligible depending on who you talk to on bluray, but it is there for DVD.

If saving money is the goal, then the Panasonic is a very good alternative.

BluRay Player Upgrade Time.

I have to be completely honest, I own a 3 year old phillips but I haven't seen another BluRay Player in action to compare PQ, so major disadvantage.

I'm told that ps3 is the best on the market currently but I have a hard time justifying that purchase as there is just way more there than I need. I'm assuming that if i pulled just the BD functionality from the PS3 I'd walk away spending around 150ish so thats my max.

If I had to pick right now I would either go with the Panny DMP-BDT110 vs Sony BDP-S580 vs Panny DMP-BDT210. I can get them roughly around the same price and they seem to come home with excellent reviews across the board.

here is what I am looking for, suggestions would be appreciated!

PQ - Most important, I will take PQ over load time any day of the week..I want to see the reflection of the camera/lights used for filming in the sweat beads of actors faces.
Upscaling - Also very important, I am a fan of SOE and I have a decent DVD collection so I it would be nice to not be angry every time i pop one in.
Apps/Streaming - Not so important, I have a smart TV and a x360 so i can live without, though it seems hard to get away from anyways.
Wifi - again, not very important, I would most likely use this for updates, and depending on the brand I would get the corresponding app to control it on my galaxy tab
3D - yes, just got a 3d TV so i would like to own at least 1 3d bluray to burn my eyes out with.
Price - ~$150, not sure if i'd push, i'd have to hear from you pro's before making that decision.
load time - like i said, hit me with amazing PQ and take an hour to turn on, i can wait.

Due to the user interface... or it just won't play?

Interface is ok, but many commercials hang for several minutes before they run. I've seen several reports of this behavior. It may have been fixed in the latest firmware released yesterday. It would be worth asking about in the panny thread.

Netflix problem is very user specific. I had flashes with slow internet and wifi connection. Since upgrading to faster speed and wired connection, I have not had any black flashes. Hulu+ and Amazon also works great.

When it hangs, I just click on "Return" and then "Enter" again to resume. In fact, I use this trick to bypass commercials.

Hi Guys,

Looking to buy a new Blu-ray player.
Started with the Denon 1611 UD matched with the 2112CI reciever.

I've always wanted to buy an OPPO product.
The 95 is abit too rich for me, the 93 is a few hundred more than the Denon.

Is it worth it to make the the jump for the OPPO?

Thanks!

Why are you looking for a new player? Is there something wrong with the 1611? Are there additional features you are looking for? Do you use analog audio outs, or digital? The 1611 is a fine player, and both the 1611 and the 93 are 2011 models (it's not like you have an old model). We need to know a little more before making a general opinion as to which might be better for you. IMO, PQ will look very similar between them. You may hear a difference in AQ if you use analog audio out.