OFFICIAL "HELP ME CHOOSE A PLAYER" THREAD: Can't decide? Start HERE. - Page 450

The thing to watch out for: mp4, mkv, etc, are just containers. A player can support the container but not necessarily the audio/video codecs inside the container.

The info is sometimes hard to get from the specs. All I can advise is to get a list of players that suit your needs otherwise and inquire in the dedicated threads for each. If you can upload brief sample files somewhere people are usually willing to test them.

-Bill

Can you post an example of a file you are trying to play that won't work. There are so many different file formats and variations within them.

What I mean by that is using a media file inspector to look at the file you are trying to play. (e.g Media inspector on Mac OSX .. think there is something similar in Windows), and provide the info it tells you.

E.g if I look at a MKV file the S590 can play, media inspector shows this:

* * * Media Inspector 0.7.443 file analysis report.
* * * Media Inspector is ©2011 by Diego Massanti - http://mediainfo.massanti.com
* * * MediaInfoLib by Jerome Martinez - http://mediainfo.sourceforge.net
Created on: May 15, 2012 4:59:28 PM PDT
Report for file: XYZ.mkv

General / Container Stream #1
Total Video Streams for this File.................1
Total Audio Streams for this File.................1
Video Codecs Used.................................AVC
Audio Codecs Used.................................DTS
File Format.......................................Matroska
Play Time.........................................2h 3mn
Total File Size...................................25.8 GiB
Total Stream BitRate..............................29.9 Mbps
Encoded with......................................MakeMKV v1.7.4 darwin(x86-release)
Encoding Library..................................libmakemkv v1.7.4 (1.2.0/1.1.0) darwin(x86-release)
Video Stream #1
Codec (Human Name)................................AVC
Codec (FourCC)....................................V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC
Codec Profile.....................................High@L4.1
Frame Width.......................................1 920 pixels
Frame Height......................................1 080 pixels
Frame Rate........................................23.976 fps
Total Frames......................................177456
Display Aspect Ratio..............................16:9
Scan Type.........................................Progressive
Color Space.......................................YUV
Codec Settings (Summary)..........................CABAC / 3 Ref Frames
QF (like Gordian Knot)............................0.559
Codec Settings (CABAC)............................Yes
Codec Settings (Reference Frames).................3
Video Stream Length...............................2h 3mn 21s 401ms
Video Stream BitRate..............................27.8 Mbps
Bit Depth.........................................8 bits
Video Stream Size.................................23.9 GiB (93%)
Video Stream Language.............................English
Audio Stream #1
Codec.............................................DTS
Codec (FourCC)....................................A_DTS
Audio Stream Length...............................2h 3mn 21s 394ms
Audio Stream BitRate..............................1 510 Kbps
Audio Stream BitRate Mode.........................CBR
Number of Audio Channels..........................6
Audio Channel's Positions.........................Front: L C R, Side: L R, LFE
Sampling Rate.....................................48.0 KHz
Bit Depth.........................................24 bits
Audio Stream Delay................................2ms
Audio Stream Size.................................1.30 GiB (5%)
Audio Stream Title................................3/2+1
Audio Stream Language.............................English
Menu / Chapters Stream #1

I returned my Panasonic DMP-BDT220 today to Amazon (no subtitle button). Until I order a replacement I'm be using my Momitsu V880 upscaling (to 720p) DVD player. It's set to output 720p because that was the native res of my old Sanyo PLV-Z2 projector, but I've replaced that with an Epson 8700ub 1080p projector. What output res should I set my Momitsu DVD player for the Epson? Leave it at 720p? Change it to 1080i?

I'll try and do this tonight. Switching media servers from TVersity to Mezzmo REALLY helped issues. But I think I'm fighting a loosing battle here. Mezzmo will transcode anything I throw at it, but the CPU requirements are astronomical. I'd spend over $500 upgrading a working server to transcode on the fly just to fix this issue.

I checked with my CC company and I was able to get $200 in Best Buy gift cards for the same point value as the BDP-S590 which only cost $140. I'll be returning the Sony. I now have over $275 in pending Best Buy rewards coming.

I think what I'll do is get a Panasonic DMP-BDT220 instead and a WD TV Live box to stream my media. It just seems a more workable solution than trying to brute force a BluRay player to do something 95% of the population will never do so isn't supported.

Is the DMP-BDT220 about the best retail available BluRay player? I'd love another Oppo but I can't justify the cost when I have these gift cards comming.

I got my Panasonic DMP-BDT210 from BestBuy 2 weeks ago for $80 + tax, and I love it for playing Blu-Rays. My Sharp 60" LED was calibrated with the 210 going thru my Onkyo 809 receiver. For great BD playback and decent DVD playback, the Panasonic is quite cost effective.

I find the built-in wireless in the 210 to be convenient.

Thanks for the tip! I'll see if I can find any of last years model around town. Not that it matters with my going to the WD TV Live, but I believe last years Panasonic also supported Amazon Instant. Good call.

Honestly, I have no complains about the Sony other than I'm trying to make it do stuff it wasn't quite designed for. But given they use the PS3 interface I expected it to perform on par with it. I guess that was asking to much.

Fortunately my whole house is wired for GigE, so wireless is a non issue for me. I don't know I'd trust my Uverse wifi to deliver the data fast enough anyway.

Looking for a recommendation for a 2D blu-ray player. Don't need high end, and not all of the bells and whistles. Will be used in my home theatre, 106" projection screen, almost exclusively for viewing blu-rays (I won't use it for Netflix or any other services, won't be playing anything off SD cards, etc.).

Any thoughts?

The cheapest BD player you can find will work.

I'm finally gonna purchase a bluray player for the first time. I'm looking for a quality player that has great picture and audio to play bluray/dvd. I know the Oppo-93 is arguably the best, but I also looked at the Panasonic 210 as a budget player. The Oppo-93 will definitely have a advantage to DVD up conversion which is important to me, but with everything else is there a big difference when it comes to quality? Features like Netlix, youtube, streaming files isn't important to me since I have box for that already.

Also a concern of mine is it worth getting the Oppo when I have a Sharp LC-70LE732U model? I know the tv has flaws when it comes to picture quality, so should that deter me from getting the Oppo?



Sharp LC-70LE732U
Denon 3312CI
Paradigm Studio CC-690
Paradigm Studio 100
Paradigm SA-15R-30
Hsu VTF-15h

^^^

Many Oppo owners have posted that Panny upconversion is the same. Besides avoiding cinavia, I can't think of any reason to get the obsolete 210 instead of the current 220, which is better and cheaper.

Thanks.

Other than price, what would be the consensus pick among:

- LG BD360
- Sony BDPS390
- Panasonic equivalent (not sure what model that would be)

Thanks again.

I think you may need to make a detailed featurelist of the competing players to see which one has the features that you want.

For example, I was disappointed that U.S. Sony players refuse to play PAL Region 0 DVDs (I have some from Australia) and 24/96 DAD audio (which is part of the original DVD audio spec, not DVD-A) and don't support HD video over DLNA. They do play SACDs, though, and the on-screen display shows the audio and video bitrates, which most players don't. Note, also, that the s390 has no front-panel display at all.

Thanks. My main priority is quality of audio/video playback of blu-rays. No need for streaming, wireless, regional support, etc. I will just be playing blu-rays and the odd DVD in 2D. How it looks isn't a big deal as it will be hidden in a cabinet. If there's little to choose, the LG is cheaper, so it would win out.

Currently running a Samsung BD-C6900, HDMI into Yamaha Aventage 800 receiver.

My general understanding of things is that if I moved to an Oppo 93, but connected it the same way, I am losing the benefit of the better video processing? (This aside from the fact that Oppo is a universal player for SACD, DVD-A, etc. while Sammy is not)

So, if you then go to the situation where you run a separate HDMI from the Oppo directly to the TV:

1) How much better is the picture quality likely to be? (Samsung PN63C8000)

2) Am I losing any features/accessibility/convenience by not running through the AVR?

Sony 390 or 590, or Panny 220.

Panny no subtitle button on the remote, common problems with a/v synch in Netflix streaming. No front display on 390 (Display button instead), no 3D. Sony's have far superior file support compared to Panny. I'm probably going with the 390.

Thanks. I don't need 3D, so the 390 would seem to be the best choice... unless the Panny DMP-BD77 should be considered?

Very few USA bd players play PAL disks, let alone converting the color system to NTSC, so your tv can actual display a picture. Sony is not alone. Panasonic is the same. All Sony bd players play hd video over DLNA. The owners manual is no longer up to date.

I am looking at replacing my bdp-83...

Looking for a 2d player that doesn't freeze... Not sure if there are any...

The U.S. versions of Sharp/Pioneer(*) and Sherwood BD players upscale all-region PAL DVDs to 1080i/p/60 with no problems. (I know that, because I have them -- discs and players.) Those HD scanrates can be displayed on all U.S. HD TVs.

When using modern digital video standards, the old-style color encoding is irrelevant. Although NTSC, PAL and SECAM use different analog color encodings, that's not the case for their digital encodings.

Edited to add: note that I'm referring to using a player's HDMI output. I don't use their analog video outputs and don't know what color encodings they use.

The Sony manual is fine. I didn't notice that the footnote applied only to MPEG-2 and not to the formats that are strictly HD.

----
* - Current low- and mid-range Pioneer BD players are rebadged Sharp players; I dunno about their Elites.

All players will eventually freeze because the studios insist on changing the copy-protection. Fox is particularly annoying with this practice. Once a player's manufacturer stops updating its firmware to handle the new encryptions, it won't be able to play some of the most recent discs and you'll have to buy a new, current-generation player to watch them.

In other words, you might as well resign yourself to buying the cheapest player that has the features you want, since you'll be replacing it in two or three years, anyhow.

I haven't been noticing problems with my Momitsu V880 upscaling DVD player (bought in Nov. 2003) freezing on DVDs. I think I may have had one or two problems but attributed them to imperfections of the disks.

I'm going to buy a BD player soon, likely the Sony S390, but I'm seriously thinking of leaving my Momitsu connected to my projector with component cables and having the option of using it as well. It supports a lot of file formats, has a lot of features, is region free, seems to be doing a reasonable job of upscaling to my Epson 8700ub (doesn't upscale all the way to 1080p, but the results are looking good sending the Epson 1080i). I'll do some subjective comparisons with the Sony when I get it for DVDs.

My 2.5 year old Sherwood BDP-5004, apparently based on the Momitsu BDP-899, has only just started having problems with some Fox BDs; specifically, with the 3rd season of Fringe. Sherwood hasn't published any firmware updates for the 5004, although supposedly later production runs of the player included newer firmware. I also had to update the firmware on my Pioneer (Sharp) BDP-120 in order to be able to watch the Fringe BDs on that player.

I want to buy a multi-player for 3d Blu-Ray, DVD and SACD/DVD-Audio

I need a SILVER faceplate since all the rest of my equipment is silver.

Since the BDP-95 only comes in black are there any players that are as good or better (regardless of price)?

Thanks,
Russ

A couple years ago Lexicon took the Oppo BDP-83, stuck a silver faceplate on it, and added $3000 to the price. I don't think they've done a similar markup with the BDP-95.

My guess is it would be cheaper to have a custom front panel made.

OR use this opportunity to buy new gear in black

THIS post mentions a place that does custom faceplates. Looks pretty good from the posted pic. Unfortunately for you black is the new black, so any new stuff of yours will have to be custom until the styles change again.

Primare BD32 is pretty close to silver (titanium) and outperforms OPPO-95.
http://www.primare.net/product.asp?ProductID=52

Is there a BD player that has a subtitle button on the remote and lets the user choose the subtitle of choice? Some disks have quite a few subtitle streams and to have to go sequentially through them to turn them off is a PITA. For example, Alien Anthology has 10!:

SUBTITLES: English, Portuguese, Danish, Finnish, French, German, Spanish, Dutch, Norwegian and Swedish.

I'm pretty sure most players have it. Don't know about subtitle of choice but pressing it once or twice would most likely get you to what you want. Sony, Denon, Yamaha, and Oppo all have 'subtitle' button on their remotes.