OFFICIAL "HELP ME CHOOSE A PLAYER" THREAD: Can't decide? Start HERE. - Page 433

What's a good 3D blu-ray player that Netflix actually works with besides the PS3? I want a player that boots quick and don't cost more then $250. I bought a PS3 but man I'm just not feeling having a gaming system as my blu-ray player.

I went back through the last few pages of this thread and didn't see this brought up soooo....

I'm looking to buy a new Blu-ray player, the chief reason being I've finally caved in to the need for an all-region player. I would really like to avoid a physically "hacked" player if possible. As it will be going in my bedroom with an older Pioneer VSX-59TXi receiver and one of those giant 300lb Sony 40" XBR CRT monitors, I need the option of non-HDMI a/v outputs, preferably 5.1 PMC as well as coaxl and optical audio. Priorities in order include:

(1) Ability to play any Blu-ray from anywhere in the world
(2) Video quality
(3) Audio quality
(4) Reliability
(5) Fast Load Time
(6) Support, firmware updates, etc
(7) DVD (all region) upscaling a bonus (especially through non-HDMI
which is probably impossible to find anyway)
(8) (quality) 3D a bonus but not mandatory
(9) Ability to play SACDs a plus but not mandatory.

I do not care about streaming from Netflix, YouTube, etc. And it doesn't have to be this years model, if it's say, a 2010 model and it's easily found, that's fine. I wanna stay below $500, especially if it's just going to be a 2D player.

Might look at the Oppo 93

For component video and Blu-ray you will need a pre-sunset player; one introduced before the 2011 AACS cutoff that crippled hi def video over analog. A future sunset will prohibit it entirely.

The OPPP BDP-93 ($499) meets your requirements except all-region Blu-ray. You need extra hardware for that although there is one kit that does not require opening the box.

All-region DVD is possible with a free software mod.

Upscaling of CSS-protected DVD over component is not allowed by licensing and I don't know of a way around that. DVDs without CSS (for example, backup discs) do not have the restriction.

-Bill

Hi,
I meant to say I started looking at the Denon, I haven't purchased it yet.
But thats the price point I started at.
For a about 150 bucks more I could get the OPPO 93.

Will be paired with a panasonic VT30 65 inch.

I was wondering if you guys thought the little extra for the OPPO was worth the investment.

Thanks!

Hi. Researching for my friend. Read back as far as I could before getting vertigo.

The setup:
Panny 50S30 plasma
Audio to ZVOX soundbase
Roku in place for Netflix stream
Many DVDs in the house

The preferences, in order:
Best SD DVD upconversion/upsampling (which is it, most accurately?)
Load time, general good performance
Modest price (sub-200)
No networking needed
No 3D needed

Everything is pointing to the Panasonic BDP210 in this thread.

Is there anything significant lost going to the lesser-priced BDP110?

Thanx in advance!

Oppo all the way. I know someone who went the Denon route a couple of years ago and now regrets it. In those days, the oppo 83 could do things that the Denon could not. My oppo 93 runs into a Panasonic industrial plasma via a Denon AVR.

Thanks, the Oppo is approx 100 dollars more than the Denon here in Canada.

Hello everyone, I need help choosing a bluray player. Does anyone know of one that has 2 hdmi outputs, and has really good DVD up conversion other than the oppo? Thanks in advance!!!

Panasonic dmp-bdt310

Hi i have a Question has anyone tried all 3 of these players
OPPO BDP-93
Toshiba HD DVD players XA2 and A35?

Which is best upconversion?
for Normal DVDS?
The XA2 has a Reon Processor is it better?

Hope one of The Gurus can help me out

I own Both Xa2 And A35 but have not used them yet and wanted to know if its worth buying the OPPO if it can Uoconvert better

P.S
I know the Difference the Toshiba cant play Blu ray etc vs HD DVD
have a Sony Wifi Blu Ray 3D Player and a PS3 but am interested in the OPPO Depending on Difference on Upconversion

Looking at a new BDP. I have been using a PS3 for the last few years. I just recently upgraded my front speakers, and want to upgrade the source so i can take full advantage of the new speakers. Looking for a player that does SACD, as well as Blu ray and DVD. The player should have great sound a picture quality, for sound better than the PS3. 3D not needed.

Current system.
55 inch LCD LG Tv
HK AVR254
BK AV5000 II Amp
KEF Q200c
KEF Q300s L/R
Bic Pl200
Polk owm3 surrounds


currently looking at the
Marantz UD5005 ($400)
Denon DBP 2010 ($200)

Any other suggestions

The differences are small and fall more into the category of personal preference. The Oppo is a universal player with a wealth of features and functions, and therein lies the most common reason for buying it.

Small
So Just for the Up-conversion Aspect it would not be worth it to get the OPPO?
Now i know its a wonderful Player just wanted to know if the Up-Conversion Was Significant Difference Between Those Because for now thats my Main Concern

"Significant" is in the eyes of the beholder. The differences are small and depend a lot on screen size and personal preference. Some people prefer the look of the different noise reduction schemes, others prefer no noise reduction, etc, etc, etc. Generally speaking you'll get more bang for your buck out of a professional display calibration than you would with a different player. YMMV.

Just a quick thumbs up or thumbs down question here.

I have a HTPC running PowerDVD9, but sometimes it gives my wife trouble when she's trying to watch a Bluray. Occasionally it won't read the discs. So I'd like to get a standalone player as a backup. But will bargain players (around $100) have the same problems, or are they generally more reliable?

If this will work, please toss out the name of a typical bargain player. I really don't need any features, just cheap and reliable. Hoping to save a little time researching too.

For simple Blu-ray and DVD's, the Panasonic BD75 is very reliable and looks good. The 110 adds 3D and a better interface for NF.

S~

I've had all three and the A35 is the worst of the bunch. XA2 and the Oppo are pretty close, depends on preferences as stated earlier. I also find the Panasonics to do a good job with scaling to 1080p. Not a whole lot of difference between the Oppo and the Panasonic for DVDs, and BDs look the same. The difference between the Oppo and the Panasonic is the Panasonic can scale DVDs to 1080p/24 (like the Toshiba HDDVD players) whereas the Oppo doesn't.

S~

I have the HD-A35 and the Oppo 83. The 83 is better at upconversion than the A-35, but the A-35 is no slouch. The reason I use the 83 for DVDs is that it is much faster to load and is better at upconversion. The A-35 is ffor playing my 100+ HD-DVD's.

Hi!

I’m new to this board and am currently in the market for a new DVD player. I’ve narrowed it down to the Oppo-93 and the Panasonic BDT-210. I plan on primarily using the player to play DVD’s, especially Blu-rays. I’m a little confused, though, between the opinions of two different posters here. Understanding that everyone’s opinion is different, I’d like to clarify whether I should spend the extra money on the Oppo or if the Panasonic is “good enough” for what I need.

One poster said:

“I also find the Panasonics to do a good job with scaling to 1080p. Not a whole lot of difference between the Oppo and the Panasonic for DVDs, and BDs look the same. The difference between the Oppo and the Panasonic is the Panasonic can scale DVDs to 1080p/24 whereas the Oppo doesn't.”

Is this true? Or can the Oppo also upscale to 1080p/24?

Another poster said:

“Oppo primarily excels in disc playback by offering superior upconversion of DVD and also many more tweakable variables that can enhance the picture quality or your viewing experience. Oppo, unlike Panasonic, also offers 'source direct' which allows you to bypass the Oppo's video scaler so you can use a different one instead if you choose. Meaning that the BDT210 will have already mangled the signal before it gets to your DVDO for processing. The Oppo, on the other hand, can automatically send the original 480i/1080i/etc signals for processing to the DVDO - which would likely yield better output than the Panasonic which would deinterlace the signal before feeding it to the DVDO.”

One poster seems to lean toward the Oppo as the obvious better DVD player; the other leans toward the Panasonic as the equal to better one. Another poster says it’s a toss-up as to the better DVD player. Both are fast-loading, which I really like.

Please help me make the decision. I’m running with HDMI through a Denon 3312 receiver to a Sony HX929 TV, and since I’m using HDMI, I'm relying on the DVD player player to do any necessary upscaling and bypass the Denon receiver, is that correct?

Thanks very much in advance for the help!!

Welcome to AVSForum.


The BDP-93 does not produce 24hz output from DVD. OPPO's statement on this is in the FAQ: Is DVD 24hz conversion supported?

-Bill

Thanks for the welcome! Would the lack of 24hz output be a deciding factor or "deal breaker" to many people in choosing between the Oppo and Panasonic, or would the 1080p/24 capability be a minor issue as far as picture quality of DVD's/Blu-Ray discs?

I also like the fact that the Oppo includes the Marvel ODEO chip in its circuitry.

The issue doesn't apply to Blu-ray; it has 23.976 and 24hz native content. All players support that.

The issue is DVD. All decoder chips produce 480i60 from DVD. The question is can you recover the original 24hz film cadence from that. Some players have DVD->24hz options, but as the link I posted previously shows, OPPO was not happy with the quality they were getting and did not include it in the BDP-93.

The problem is the way DVDs are authored. The people who created them never anticipated that viewers would want to get 24hz from them and their editing practices make it a messy procedure.

Whether that is a deal breaker depends on how badly you want the feature. I tried it on the older BDP-83 and saw editing skips every minute on every DVD, so I turned it off again. Would other models do a better job? I couldn't say without personal testing which I haven't done.

Also note that 24hz itself is not equally important to all viewers. Some are sensitive to pulldown judder and some aren't. When calibrating my display I became suspicious that it (improperly) required different settings for 24 and 60hz. I didn't want to worry about that so I use 60hz for everything, including Blu-ray. It seems fine to me.

-Bill

24p playback of DVD's sometimes is more trouble than it's worth. As Bill said, alot of people don't even bother with it. For me, the Panny is as good as the Oppo for DVD and Blu-ray playback. However, I watch on a 50 inch set. How large is your display? The edge the Oppo may have should make a difference here.

Do you want to keep your player for a long time? If yes, then get the Oppo. They have great service and if the player craps out for a flat rate, no matter what the problem, they will fix the player. for me, I can buy four panny's for the price of one Oppo and I don't have to wait a week for the player.

Do you watch a lot of anime? The pannys have trouble with mixed and unusual cadences and produced a lot of jaggies. I actually use an Oppo DVD
player for this task.

What other features you may use and or need? -SACD, DVD-A, analog audio, streaming, etc. All better on the Oppo but a waste of money if you don't use them. Again, I have my old Oppo for SACD, DVD-A, and analog audio(don't use it though).

I actually prefer the Panasonic for DVD and Blu-ray playback. To me the colors pop more on the Panny.

I see this comment a lot, but don't really see the relevance. I sit 9' away from my 65" set and 14' away from my 126" set. Size doesn't matter, it's the relationship between size and distance.



Oppo does have great service, but I've yet to have a Panny fail - and my oldest is just over 3 years old. So, it probably depends on your definition of "a long time".



Agree 100%

Researching for my friend.

Just finished installing her new Panny P50S30 plasma, when she surprisingly expressed interest in a Blu-ray player.

Caveat: 10-yr-old Marantz SR7000 must stay in place.

My biggest concerns is quality DVD upconversion/upsampling (which is it, most accurately?). Was previously looking at the Panasonic BDT210.

Trying to stay under $200, thus players with multichannel analog outs won't likely qualify.

Are there any solid upconverting players - Bluray or DVD - whose optical-out and HDMI can be active simultaneously?

Thanx in advance.

Every player I've ever seen can do that. Why are you no longer looking at the 210?

Your 10 year old Marantz may have a problem with the higher bit rates of lossy Dolby Digital and DTS. Also, does your Marantz decode DTS? If not you should be aware that not all Blu-ray disc have a Dolby track. You may want to check with other owners

Reading the manual, the instructions are to turn one or the other OFF. There is NO information in the manual that says both optical and HDMI are operational simultaneously, so it's difficult for me to know for sure.



Yes, the Marantz can do DTS. Don't have the manual handy, but I'm pretty sure it can do 24/96 (my old SR5000 could).

But it does beg another question. Can the newer Bluray codecs (out of the 210, for example) be downconverted – or are there other options – to pass a usable signal through Toslink for playback via the 7000?

I'm skeptical that my friend will be buying many, if any, Bluray discs. I'm looking for good upconversion for her many DVDs without having to replace the old AVR.

Each BD will have what they call a core track, that's the lossless codecs I was refering to. So DTS HD Master will have a core DTS track and Dolby TruHD will have a DD 5.1 track. So no need to worry about getting a multichannel signal over Toslink. BTW, I went a few months using the lossy codecs and they were impressive. They are at a higher bitrate typically than those found on a DVD.