OFFICIAL "HELP ME CHOOSE A PLAYER" THREAD: Can't decide? Start HERE. - Page 461

Many people eventually come to the conclusion that if you want the best of streaming functionality, get a dedicated streaming box. For the best functionality in BD playback, get a BD player. There's no "one-box" solution to every wish. Many folks also simply rely on streaming functions included in their TV.

Be aware that the soon-to-be-released Roku stick could change the game by allowing you to get full streaming goodness from any device that accepts HDMI/MHL input. Such devices are going to be much more common in the coming year.

I went with a Panasonic 220 for $109 delivered. I don't know if anything at that price point is better. I highly doubt it. You may be able to but you will have to pay 30 or more bucks to get there.

Are there any players from last year hanging around still that could do all the streaming formats + Netflix in DD-5.1???

What about the LG 620? Does that do Netflix DD-5.1 & most of the video streaming formats?

Looking for a 3D Blue-Ray player to go with my new setup.

I ordered a Panny 60GT50 and looking at ordering a Yamaha YHT-595BL home theater system.

was looking at the panny 220 & 320 and wondering if i should go with a different brand or not.
Does it make sense to get a panny that will have all the same apps as my TV will have?? seems kind of redundant to me....lol.

or is it better to have the same brands?

was also thinking about the panny 490 3D blue-ray HTIB too to keep everything the same.

any input would be much appreciated as all this stuff is way over my head anymore.
Just to tough to keep up with the new technology.

It doesn't really matter whether or not the brand of TV and brand of BluRay player match (the only advantage to match is that you might be able to use one remote for both). That being said, the Panny 220/320 are excellent players. Also take a look at the Sony 590. The Panny and Sony are the most popular players here, along with the Oppos (which are more expensive but excellent players).

I'm comparing between the S790 and the BDT500. I will only be using it for blu-ray movies with 3D as well. I need the two hdmi outputs for the separate audio connection. Which of these two has the upper hand?

I don't have Netflix so I can't comment on that, but the LG plays most of the file formats I have tried including mkv, mp4, avi depending on codec,mts, vob.

They are both excellent, and BluRay PQ is pretty much the same with all players. Panny may be a little faster loading than the Sony. IMO, get whichever one is cheaper.

The Samsung EM59 and ES6000 both claim to have "Full Web Browser" capability although both have gotten horrible reviews from everything I've read. Most of the negative reviews I read were because of the Disc to Digital false advertising thing which I care nothing about anyways as long as the browser really does work. Are there any other players that have a built in browser now?

If you wanna read my quick review of the EM59 read the next paragraph otherwise skip to the bottom section...

I just bought an EM59 but I'm wandering if I should take it back while I still can. In addition to the disc to digital not working at all, the wireless capabilities on it are very limited as well. I cant even use the wireless ability as my setup stands right now mostly because of the distance from my HT to my router (different floors of my house). I'm in process of rectifying that but I have not had a chance to hardwire it to my network. I'm hoping for a much better result after I do. On the positive side, the SD DVD upscaling on the EM59 seems to do the job pretty well from what I can tell. This is my first experience with BR players at all but the picture looks better than my Xbox 360 and not too much worse than actual BR discs.

I've read LOTS of complaints about the same wireless problem in pretty much every "Smart" blu ray player out there. So I'm just guessing that the wireless technology for ANY of the companies has just not come along enough yet to make them satisfactory for most people. I love the idea of having an internet browser in my blu ray player and not HAVE to hook up a computer but if its not gonna work right its rather pointless... you know...




So my dilemma is trying to decide whether to keep the EM59 or possibly get one of the other players I've seen mentioned in this thread multiple times such as the Panny 220 or Sony 590. Here's the rundown in order of importance...

Wants/Desires:
Upscaling SD DVD's
Wireless Ready
Analog output and digital analog output/optical digital (would be nice for zone 2 listening)
3D capable
DLNA networking
FULL BROWSER if possible

My current setup looks like the folowing:

Onkyo TX NR709
Mitsubishi 73737 w/ 3D emitter
Wireless N Router (and hardwire soon)
Edited by ten8yp - 8/5/12 at 7:51am

Sony does all those things, although its browser sucks as bad as everyone else's. Panny doesn't have a browser. IMO it's just too difficult to use a browser with a remote instead of a full keyboard/mouse. You really need a PC for that, as Selden said. If by analog output, you mean full 7.1, then you'll need an expensive player. Most every make has such a model. Nearly all players have at least 2 ch analog plus digital coax or optical.

I've never had problems with wifi on any player. I think many of the problems others experience are due to the complexity of configuring their routers and unrealistic expectations about range.

Thanks. I went with the Panasonic since I heard it is slightly better in handling 3d. My current panasonic 300 player died, it won't read blu-ray discs. Hopefully this one will last much longer.

Thanks for the input Dave...

the EM59 does not have 2 channel analog output. But I understand that most others do. Hence why I think I'm going to switch to another player if I can find one with a browser. Which of the Sony models have browsers? That might be a big deciding factor for me.

The lack of a keyboard wasn't really the issue as I have a nice USB keyboard that seems to work well with my EM59 and assuming it will with the Sony's I think I might go that route.

Can you elaborate on "unrealistic expectations about range"? Yes my router is upstairs and my player is down. BUT, My Xbox360 doesn't seem to have any issues handling the same range I'm asking the BR player to. Why should they be any different? In your opinion, will hard-wiring the player give me better results and/or good enough to stream movies on without buffering and such?

Unfortunately, there are many things which can cause interference with a wireless signal. Typical devices which cause problems are microwave ovens, cordless phones and your neighbors' wireless access points.

An intermittent connection that's acceptable (unnoticable) for downloading software and transferring brief commands is unacceptable when trying to transmit a continuous stream high-bitrate video and audio.

Best with scratched discs/DVD-R ETC.....

Hi, I have a player that just died and I am rushed to get an order out today. Will anyone share feedback on which player, the Panny BDT500 and/or the Sony BDP-S790 do with homemade dvd's and scratched/less than stellar discs please? I know oppo's are great at this, and it is important to me. I just really can't search through all this info and still get an order placed soon before I have to leave today Please?? THANKS!

Hi i'm about to buy a blu ray player and would like to have some smarrt tv features integrated. I need to decide between the samsung bd- e5900 the samsung bd- e6500 and the sony bdp-s590.
Most importantly I'd like to know how the web browsers and apps perform on the blu ray players.

Of those choices, Sony 590 without a doubt. Samsung has not been as reliable. Check threads for each player. Sony apps are great and work without any problems. Web browsers on BD player simply ****.

S~
Edited by teachsac - 8/7/12 at 12:29pm

thanks for the reply, i'll definitely be getting the s590 now!

Just from personal experience, I never get more than 30-40' range in my house with any player. They just don't have the kind of antenna needed for better range. I've never compared them to Xbox.

Only the latest x90/x9 series sonys have a browser, AFAIK. Don't get your hopes up, it's very basic. Not sure about USB keyboard support either. Smart phone remote app is probably easier anyway.

Wanting a BD player with built in WIFi

Just moved into an apartment and am looking for 2 BD players with built in WiFi. I am not brand specific but would like for it to have Netflix streaming. Don't want to break the bank with these either. Thanks

The most popular choices are the Panasonic 220 and 320, and Sony 390 and 590, depending on the features you want.

So why aren't the LG players popular this year? They play a lot of file types and from what I hear, the build quality is great. What gives? The reason I ask is because I've tried the Panasonic 220 and Sony S390 and had irreconcilable differences with both. Now I'm looking at a basic standalone bluray player and a Roku 2 for streaming, so I need a budget bluray player and playing a lot of file types is a plus. I don't care about 3D or need wireless for this guy. Any thoughts? Anyone know much about the LG BP220? It fits my needs and budget on paper, but I'm skittish since I've had so much trouble with bluray players in the past.

...or if I can decide today, I can get this player with a coupon code for $40 shipped: http://www.cowboom.com/product/1036003/?utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_source=552179&utm_campaign=CJ#

Blu-ray or DVD that doubles as media player

It's been awhile since I've been on this forum and I am admittedly out of touch with the latest DVD and Blu-ray players because I mostly use a home theater PC for my media. However, I would like to add a media player to my downstairs tv. I like the Patriot PBO, but before making a purchase I was wondering if there are any Blu-ray or DVD players out there that might meet my needs. I don't stream from the internet or use services such as Netflix, YouTube or the like. But I do watch movies, view pictures and listen to music which is stored on a computer in another room. I have an ethernet cable from that pc to my downstairs tv. Is there a Blu-ray or dvd player that is also capable of networking with my computer so I can play my music, view pictures and watch movies in avi, mkv, mp4 and mpeg formats?

Well, compared to last years LG players, the current models seemed very underwhelming. They actually lost several streaming channels that were on the 2011 models, including Amazon. I have not used the 2012 LG players, but I own the BD670 (2011) and BD570 (2010). They weren't horrible players, but I would be reluctant to buy LG again anytime soon based on my experience. My complaints:


1) The BD670 seems to have a high number of reports of failed disc drives. My player lasted about a year and half and now it's drive is showing signs of failure as well so I gave up on it and replaced it with a Sony. Based on reports in this forum and on Amazon it looks like many others had this problem happen much sooner.
2) LG has a track record of poor quality control with their software updates (saw this especially on the BD570 player, but also with the BD670). One bug which occurred on both player models that I own caused the player to hiccup and drop audio every time a DVD changed chapter. They released multiple updates with this bug, it took a few months to issue a fix and then after they fixed it in several versions, it recently came back in the recent BD6xx software updates after having been fixed for several months!
3) Their DLNA implementation is buggy (I use it with Serviio and it generally works okay, but I constantly get "Network Error" reports after stopping playback or after a file in a folder completes playback. Once this happens, you have to refresh the server list and navigate back to the content you want to view, which is tedious. This happens with the BD570 as well as the BD670). In most of the software versions available for the BD670 I had frequent and consistently reproducible buffering issues, even when using a wired (MoCA) connection that was more than fast enough to transfer the files I was playing back.
4) The Amazon app on the BD670 does not support 5.1 and has a clumsy interface.
5) There is no native output mode (if you want Blu-rays to output at 1080P the player will upscale DVDs as well...)

Good things about the LG players (I'm assuming this applies to the 2012 players as well as past models but cannot confirm...)

1) LG seems to have the widest variety of file format support for playing back media over network or USB when compared to other players in the same price range (though for some reason the BD670 seemed to refuse to playback 1080P files for any format other than MKV)
2) LG players generally play back region free PAL discs on the US models, which most players from other manufacturers will not do
3) Software design allows for installing old software updates over new ones provided you collect the installers from the LG web site (and believe me you'll need this if you go with LG)
4) User interface is pretty simple and user friendly


What were the irreconcilable issues with the Sony and Panasonic players you had?

Let me get this straight.... Sony, Panasonic and Oppo players are the only reliable players on the market?? There are no other reliable brands out there?

I don't think anybody has said anything about reliability (mean-time-to-failure). In general, if you're paying less than about $500 US, you have to expect that all of the components are minimum cost and thus minimum reliability. They'll most likely last for the period of the warranty, but if you use the drive a lot, its mechanical parts aren't going to last as long as you'd like.

The things distinguishing Sony, Panasonic and Oppo from the others are their features. Sony seems to have the best user interface for interacting with network sources. Panasonic has high-quality multichannel analog audio outputs. Oppo provides "universal" disc format decoding (BD, DVD, CD, SACD, DVD-A) as well as multichannel analog outs and build quality.

Edited to add:
FWIW, I have Sony, Pioneer and Sharp BD players. Pioneer's current generation of BD players are rebadged Sharp units. Only the logo is different. Sharp's user interface leaves a lot to be desired and they only support a minimal number of computer audio and video formats, far fewer than Sony. Given Sharp's current financial problems, it isn't obvious if they will be producing any players next season.
Edited by Selden Ball - 8/10/12 at 7:14am

Depends on what you mean by reliability. Is it:

1. Will it stop working within the next year or two
2. Will it play any bluray disk or other disk (CD, DVD) without a problem
3. Will the remote stop working, the HDMI connection have problems, or some other component stop working
4. Will the drive stop working
5. Will the more complex functions - DLNA, Streaming, firmware updating work correctly, without having to call support.
6. Will it play well with my receiver (if you have it connected that way)
7. Will it get new features after I buy it, or fix existing problems reliably by firmware update
8. If I need to call support, is there a chance in hell I get help?

You get what you pay for. If you buy a low priced Bluray player, it is a commodity, and like many commodities, has planned obsolescence built in. The lower the price, the less likely items from this list will be done right. But you did pay a small amount compared to one of the Bluray players that has better build quality, support, etc., so it can be replaced by one that is also low cost.

Right now, the base price for a low cost player seems to be around $70; as Selden Ball mentions, this is where you get lower end components which cost the least amount to give them a profit. You still get bluray quality for what's probably an acceptable amount of time given the price. I have an Oppo BDP-83 that has shined in all the above, haven't even had to call Oppo for any problems, I had DLNA a good year before anyone else, and it is still cranking along with any disk I want to use on it. My parents (in their 70's) have a mid range Oppo (BDP-80) no longer made, which also has been no problem at all for a couple of years.

I expect I'll keep mine for a long time, as long as my bluray collection lasts; Oppo is very good about supporting players beyond their warranty time. I paid $499 for it two years ago and it still sells for about $450 used. So it is rock solid and has acquired many new features along the way. I imagine the Sony and Panasonic players have good components as well, reflected in their price.

So if Vampidemic is correct about LG, I should stay away, mostly because I don't want to risk a failed disc drive in a year, though with moving parts you never know on any of these.

What's happened is that I have given up on an all-in-one bluray player/Netflix streamer/media file player device, and I've bought a Roku 2 XS so that my Netflix experience is very solid (so far, IMO). Now I have an extremely limited budget to find something to play my blurays. While file support is important...the very little I do could be worked around by transcoding, though we know there is a quality loss...but like I said, it's so rare, and I have budget constraints. My current options seem to be:

1) Find a deal on a refurbished low-end Panasonic or Sony for about $40 (like the Sony S185 or the Panasonic BD77 or BD78) - this way if it fails in a year I'm not out too much, I'll be ready for a new toy to satisfy my upgraditis.
2) Go out and buy one of these same players for around $80 and stay clear of the refurbs, get a 90 day warranty and support (which seems a bit pointless in some respects as recently noted in #8 above by Hernanu)
3) Buy a very gently used Sony S390 from a friend for about $90 shipped and figure this is a decent deal, though spending more, "you get what you pay for", and this gets me out of the lowest tier models. Also, the Sony DOES play most of the file types I need, while the Panasonics are way pickier.

Anyone care to weigh in?

The 390 seems like a reasonable deal, it's listed at $105 new, so you save about 10%. Why is he / she selling it?