OFFICIAL "HELP ME CHOOSE A PLAYER" THREAD: Can't decide? Start HERE. - Page 446

I just ordered a 1080p projector, so I need a blu-ray player, both to play the disks when I get my hands on some and also to test the projector (a refurbished Epson 8700ub).

Currently I have a Momitsu V880 upscaling (to 720p) DVD deck, also a test/analyze DVD, Digital Video Essentials ("Optimize Your Home Entertainment System"), hundreds of DVDs.

I've noticed the prices coming down in the newspaper, but I don't know the first thing about what I want or need in a blu-ray player. What are the priorities? Suggestions for what to get and where/how appreciated. I'm in Berkeley, CA.

I have been using a Sanyo PLV-Z2 projector all these years since since it first came out in November 2003. Has worked great, has 4458 hours on the original bulb (looks OK to me, in my smallish room with 9' 8" throw), and I watch about as much HDTV with my MyHD 120 equipped HTPC as DVDs. However, the Sanyo is woefully inadequate in the blacks/contrast department, hence my PJ upgrade.

I have seen a suggestion to get either of these:
Panasonic DMP-BDT220 Integrated Wi-Fi 3D Blu-ray DVD Player
Panasonic DMP-BDT320 Integrated Wi-Fi 3D Blu-ray DVD Player

At Amazon, the 220's getting the better reviews, plus it's cheaper. Why's that? I really am a newbie in blu-ray players. Thanks for some grounding!

My DSL is about 5 mbps, not blazing but not super slow. I guess I could get into streaming, but have no immediate plans to do so. I don't subscribe to Netflix, etc. but figure something like that might be my best resource for blu-ray disks once I get the Epson HD PJ. I have around 400 DVD's, can't see myself buying a bunch of blu-ray disks too. I'm looking forward to the vastly superior blacks/contrast of the Epson over my Sanyo PLV-Z2 just on my DVD's, let along blu-ray. I don't think my local library (which has loads of DVDs) has much if any blu-ray yet.

Also, I'd appreciate any recommendations or suggestions for how to test my projector, including disks, software, etc. Thanks!
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Edit: In case it's relevant, here's info about my audio setup

I don't normally use it when movie or HDTV watching. I'm right now listening to it for FM. But for HT use I use my high end Etymotics ER4S earbuds, 'cause I understand conversation better. I guess it's because the high end is more pronounced, not sure. I plug the earbuds into a small AM/FM receiver that sits on top of the Momitsu DVD deck and gets stereo audio out from the deck.

I have the JBL NSP1 5-Piece Home Cinema Package, a 100 watt subwoofer, a Kenwood VR-6060 AV Receiver. For the room it's in I believe it's adequate, the room is 12' 5.5" x 11' 1" = 138 square feet.

I don't see any specific needs in your post, so really any Blu Ray player will work for you. You can probably find a Panny 110 for under $75

I'm told that the cheapest ones don't load as fast and the picture quality isn't as good. Those count for me.

You've heard wrong, besides you didn't mention load times in your post.

No, I didn't mention load times, but I do care about that. I might use the wifi, very possible.

OK, so you think I'm throwing away $50 buying the Panny 220 instead of a cheapo $80 BD player?

OK, the topmost review of the Panny 220 at Amazon begins:

Bought the DMP-BDT220 to replace a DMP-BDT110 that Amazon agreed to take back after the return period had already ended. That player was terrible. From day one it suffered from constant audio and video dropouts when watching both discs and Netflix streaming. I decided to let it ride hoping an eventual firmware upgrade would cure the problem but that didn't work. So I read that Panasonic had just released their 2012 lineup of Bluray players and I decided I would give them one more chance. I own many Panasonic products and most of them are top notch so I was hoping the DMP-BDT110 was just an anomaly.

The 220 arrived today and I quickly connected it using only an HDMI cable and the power cable since it is wifi capable. It connected with no problem to my network and after entering my password, Netflix worked fine - no video problems, no audio problems. Time will tell if that continues. Popped in a Bluray disc to check that out and watched for a few hours and once again - no video problems, no audio problems. Things are looking good.

-snip-



Who am I going to believe?

That's a defective player or an exaggeration. The 110 is fine, except for Netflix which you don't care about anyway. I had a 110 for a long time and never had any problems with discs. You can pay almost double for the new 220 if it makes you feel better. But all you're buying is improved streaming which you have no plans to use. Read the 110 thread for yourself. The vast majority of issues are related to streaming and people's failure to read the specs.

I have no plans to use netflix but the fact remains that I have no source for BD atm, so streaming may be my best option, or one of them. I have wifi in the house, several computers and network drives, so the wifi capability of the 220 may well turn out to be a big bonus. I certainly have some content saved on HDD's. Plus I'm not seeing new 110s at Amazon, only used and refurbs. I already ordered the 220. Based on the reviews I've read, I figure I'm not likely to regret the decision. Thanks for the help!

Yes, the 110 is obsolete. It was recommended because it's cheap and seemed to meet your original requirements. All panasonic's are pretty terrible file streamers. If you had mentioned that before, we would have recommended Sony or LG.

I didn't see any mention of problems file streaming with the 220 when I read user reviews yesterday. Saw very disparaging remarks about LG BD player.

Hello everyone, I thought I would share some adivise if you are looking into getting a new player. I have had the Panny BDT 320 for about 3 weeks so I have had some time to play around with it.... fantastic player! I use to have the Panny 210 but was fed up with the NetFlix black flashes and thought I would try the 320.... Netflix works excellent, no black flashes, no audio drop so I am very happy. The PQ seems to be the same as the 210 ( great PQ btw) but the AQ is much better with the inhanced sound features such as the "tube" settings and such. Not that the 210 had a bad AQ by no means its just the 320 has much better personal settings to which I much preferr anyhow. I do agree with some as the remote takes some time to get use to but its not that bad once you get the hang of it, I use a harmony remote anyhow so I dont use the 320 orig remote that much. If the AQ features are not for you then it may be worth looking into the 220 instead. Just thought I would share my thoughts.... have fun!!

Jeff

In what sense are they "terrible file streamers?" Internet or over a LAN?

How are the latest LG bluray players with Netflix? I want a PAL-capable player for my imports that also has full Netflix 1080p/24p/dd+ bitstream support. LG seems to fill that? Don't care too much about DLNA

They are terrible in the sense that they only support 2 or 3 file types. Other players support many more. Everyone in the panny thread has to convert all their files to mkv to play them. Sony and LG will play almost anything you throw at them.

Panny's streaming over the Internet (Netflix, etc.) is fine.

Thanks for the explanation. I did encounter the news that the 220 doesn't support Divx.

Couple of questions:

1. Is it a hassle to make conversions?

2. Are the conversions 100% successful?

It was suggested to me that I could use one of my computers instead of the Panny to run video direct to my display when playing files, as a workaround (at least I think this was what was suggested). Obviously, this is another layer of complexity and a waste of energy.

I may well get into internet video streaming of HD content, having no other source right now other than buying titles. Good to know that the 220 does a good job with streaming.

Looking to replace a Samsung BD-C6500 with something that does a good job streaming from a Windows 7 system and Netflix. Looks like the new Panny's have issues with Netflix, so what else should I be looking at? Want to stay below $150, if possible.

Panny and Sony are the best at the moment (1080p, captions, DD 5.1). What are the panny issues exactly?

Those are answered in great detail in the panny threads, but short answers are 1. Yes and 2. No. IMO spending hundreds of hours converting all my files to work on a crippled player that will be obsolete in a few months is insane. Just buy a player that works in the first place. Better yet, by a box designed for streaming like WD or similar.

Roku XS does 1080p netflix with 5.1, the only thing lacking is 1080p24 playback but the quality is amazing in 1080p60 mode. It's not a bluray player however.

From the other threads it sounded like the Panny had stuttering and UI issues with Netflix. If the Sony is good, which model?

And it needs to be a BD player for the WAF, so the Roku, Boxee, WDTV etc would not work.

I don't think you can get it all in one player, I returned a brand new LG 690 because it had trouble with 3D bluray discs, the Roku XS is great with Netflix and Amazon but lacks Vudu. And it's not a blu ray player, the Panny 220 has audio sync issues with Netflix and seems to be problematic streaming vudu and amazon at times, unlike the LG690 it was error free with 3D discs however. If you want flawless Netflix 1080p then Roku is a great option, it's under $100.00 and it is so small you can have it hidden behind everything else, it's got an RF remote so line of sight is not needed period, it's the size of a deck of cards.

I am looking for my first blu ray player and, in order of importance, have listed below:

>Picture
>Sound
>WIFI
>Efficient and quality streaming capabilities (probably over wifi)
>Networking (possibly)
>No 3D

Definitely looking to save a few bucks on this piece of HT so def under $200 budget, preferably alot less than 200.

Thank you.

Current pannys are a little laggy, but no big deal IMO. Any current 90 series Sony is good. I have the 390. The 590 adds 3D and the 790 adds 4k. All are wifi and have 1080p NF. Sony is also better at DLNA and has more streaming apps.

The Netflix out of sync audio is so bad on the Panasonic BDT220 that you will have to watch with the sound off.

The Boxee, WDTV, & etc. are devices that might evoke displeasure from a wife, but I think you're making a mistake excluding the Roku (or the new AppleTV). They are both really easy to use, and both work well. I've got a cheap Blu-Ray player that I don't connect to the Internet (disks start playing faster that way) and a Roku that does a great job with NetFlix.

Lol, note to self

OK, I ordered my Panny 220 from Amazon and just got an email saying it's been shipped. I've been hearing that Amazon's return policy is great, don't think I've ever taken advantage of it, but this might be a good time. I'm all ears what BD player would be a not "insane" choice. I'd like:

--> quality image and sound for both BD and upconverted DVDs
--> satisfactory streaming of internet content
--> file play capability of the various common formats off my computers and their external HDs on my wireless network

Thanks for ideas!

Two out of three ain't bad. I recommend you keep the panny and get a dedicated box for streaming files. Who knows, if you have mostly mkvs, the panny may work out fine.

FWIW my Sony plays almost everything, but it's slower loading than panny. No player does it all.

Anyway, it's just my opinion that converting your entire library is insane. A lot of panny owners have done it and still have their sanity.

Thanks for the feedback. My usage off the bat will be mostly upconversion of my pretty big DVD collection, and reviews I've read appear to indicate that the 220 does a real good job of that. Last night I came upon some posts saying there were serious issues with the 220 having audio/video synch problems when streaming Netflix, and this worried me (just look at post #13375 above). I've never subscribed to Netflix in any form, but was thinking of doing something, either with them or another service. However, reviews of the 220 at Amazon give no hint of synch issues, so I have to wonder if it's just some people having the problem, either specific to some machines or to peculiarities of their setups.

My LG 590 quit playing BD, so I bought a Panny 320. Then Target had the Sony S590 for $119 and I bought it to compare to the Panny. Returned the Panny because I liked the Sony more. The pq streaming Netflix looked a little better. Returned the Sony because I got a good deal on a used like new Oppo 93, and a friend gave me a fat PS3. I watch BD on the Oppo and 1080p Netflix on the PS3. I use the 2 players as transports to my Wadia dac.