[gus738]

Hey guys i would like to know if the BDP-S301 is a BDP-S300 ? or why the 1?


Also why this Blu ray player and why not? pro's con's? i thought i read in the past that the ps3 was/is? the best blu ray player?


i'm trying to get as low as possible (sub $500 i think)


too confused with all the audio modes and 1.0 2.0????


i thought i'v seen charts or reviews that compares blu ray players but cant find any please help thanks in advance!


im new to blu ray please help

 

[JimboTHX1138]

You should consider the PS3. Especially if you're new to Blu-ray and want to spend as least as possible and don't want to worry about the audio and profiles.


Player comparison thread is here:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=996843

 

[gus738]

hey thanks for the reply i went to this thread but it quite doesnt cover what im looking for or atleast not what i seem to understand.


i saw that costco only has ps3 and the bdp-s301 which i think i want to stick to costco since if it does break down the road i can just take it in


what i gatherd is that the 300/1 sony series is slow and does not have the newest sound coding right?


also i dont have HDMI receivers i have onkyo TX-sr 600 and TX sr 701 ..... any help guys thanks in advance much apriciated

 

[JimboTHX1138]

Out of those two the PS3 is the better choice. The 300 is slow, doesn't support the advanced audio codecs and is profile 1.0


Without an HDMI reciever you are limited in your audio options. If your reciever has multichannel anolog connections you could look at a player with analog multichannel outs for PCM. Otherwise you are stuck with [email protected] (which is still a higher bitrate than DVD which uses 448kbps) and [email protected] (also higher than DVD which is at the half rate of 750kbps) via bitstreaming.


But if it's out of those two players, the PS3 is the clear winner. It is the most upgradeable player, supports all audio codecs except bitstreaming of DTS-HD MA (although it does decode it), profile 2.0, fast load times and has argueably the best picture.

 

[gus738]

what is bitstream vs the internal decode and the only ps3 choice is the 40gb which is 500 at costco.....

 

[JimboTHX1138]

They are practically the same. If a reciever supports decoding of the audio formats then some people prefer bitstreaming. If the reciever doesn't support decoding then internally decoding in the player enables you to still listen to the advanced codecs. The difference is much of a muchness. However the reciever needs HDMI in both cases which yours doesn't have as toslink doesn't have sufficient bandwidth to carry the advanced audio codecs. However you can have bitstreaming of [email protected] and [email protected] via toslink which is still better than DVD until you update your reciever.

 

[gus738]

so with bitstream the receiver handles the advance audio coding right? and internal decoding is in processed inside the blu ray player?


well i guess this means i would need to upgrade my receiver to enjoy better sound right?


besides sound theirs speed that another issue with blu ray right? lack of speal features funtions?


but video PQ wise 301 will do fine?

 

[JimboTHX1138]

Yes, you would need a new reciever to enjoy the advanced audio codecs. The PS3 has very fast load times and is full profile 2.0 so you get access to all special features. The 300 would be fine PQ wise but the PS3 probably beats it in that department too. If you got the 300 you wouldn't be able to listen to the advanced audio codecs even if you updated your reciever and being profile 1.0 would lock you out of advanced special feature content. I still say PS3 out of these two.


EDIT: As a side note the 300 has 5.1 analog out and if your reciever has 5.1 analog connections you can get lossless PCM. That's if you're not bothered by load times and special features and have no plans to update your reciever and want to make the most of what you have now. If your reciever has 5.1 analog connections you will get the same [email protected] and [email protected] bitstreamed via toslink that the PS3 would give you in addition to lossless PCM (which you can't get from the PS3 as it has no 5.1 analog outs). In this scenario the 300 might be better suited to you. But the PS3 is overall the better player being more futureproof, faster and likely reliable being a profile 2.0 player.

 

[gus738]

what you mean by lossless pcm and whats lpcm and all those words ?

 

[robotec]

The PS3 doesn't bitstream HD content at all. Right? It only internally decodes and sends the audio via multi channel PCM. I would suggest you investigate a little further before making a decision to buy a unit that does not bitstream the HD audio. There has been some debate and claims from some who think Bitstreaming is the way to go as far as the audio quality is concerned. There are some low priced stand alone units on the market that are being compared favorably to the PS3. Just check out some of the other threads.

 

[gus738]

yeah it doesnt seem to support bitstream but if i understand correctly internaly is the best choice


bitstream = requiring a receiver = $$$$ and i cant upgrade yet which is why i said SUB $500!


internal decode = the blu ray decodes it properly and just outputs the signal.


also yes theirs better blu ray players like the sony s2000es but no way i would pay that much! again sub $500 for a blu ray.

 

[robotec]

I bought the Yamaha RX-V663 for 349.00 shipped. It does it all.


I paid 348.00 for the Samsung BD-P1500 Blu Ray. It bitstreams it all and decodes Dolby Tru HD.


See this link below in regards to proper bass management from Blu Ray players that send via PCM.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1043541

 

[gus738]

thanks for the info but when i buy something its got to be worth it and to me a receiver has to be better then those specs and yes i do intend to pay more for a receiver but right now i dont intend to buy a receiver since i cant afford a great one .


ex it only has 95w per channel


and i dont like yamaha


also as far as the bd player it dont see it being in the higher end or contender to the ps3


i dont want to sound like a prick but it sounds like you just said " frik it and got what ever you saw ....


no offense intended i want to do proper research to make a good purchase not to make a quick and cheap purchae then later re buy more equipment because i didnt made a good choice the first time...

 

[aviman33]

If you not a gamer, why don't you wait a month and get the soon to be released Sony BDP-S350. It will have the latest audio codecs and should be much faster loading than the S300.

 

[gus738]

well i wont game on it but if i'll have the ps3 then i'll "MIGHT" get a game that is exclusive to ps3. but my main reason for buying it in costco is because the life time return policy when it does break out on me i want to make sure i can return it for an exchange for another blu ray player.


granted it will be updated even better version so i dont know i guess either the 301 or the ps3 as long its from costco.


the 350 will it have 2.0? and bitstream or internal audio codes? is it a "300" replacement but updated? version of it?

 

[aviman33]



Quote:
Originally Posted by gus738 /forum/post/14202187


well i wont game on it but if i'll have the ps3 then i'll "MIGHT" get a game that is exclusive to ps3. but my main reason for buying it in costco is because the life time return policy when it does break out on me i want to make sure i can return it for an exchange for another blu ray player.


granted it will be updated even better version so i dont know i guess either the 301 or the ps3 as long its from costco.


the 350 will it have 2.0? and bitstream or internal audio codes? is it a "300" replacement but updated? version of it?

The S350 is profile 1.1 and upgradable via a plug in memory module to profile 2. And yes it has all the latest audio codec's and can bitstream HD audio.


At today's prices the PS3 is a much better way to go than the S300/S301. But I would prefer the S350 over the PS3, no fan noise and compatible with my infrared remote.

 

[garien]

gus,


if you are a costco guy - i would wait till the fall. Like everyone says here wait on the 350 (or costco's equivalent model), or get the PS3.

 

[my65ffrcobra]

At least it looks like the costco bundle has improved, Grand Turismo is a good game and the DS3 controller is nice, remote is a plus as well.


I will echo everyone else, PS3 and a hdmi receiver or wait for another player to come out that decodes everything, I love my PS3, hadn't played a game in 15 years now having a blast with them and there are some great exclusives.

 

[gus738]

im waiting on the msg4 bundle from costco but no luck we'll see if i keep the 301 or not thanks everyone

 

[austinlvfr]

I would NOT get a Sony S300/301 from costco. The difference between the 300 and 301 is costco/sams clubs sell the 301, everyone else sells the 300. I bought one to replace my 60gig PS3 because the PS3 made so much fan noise. The S300 takes nearly two minutes to turn on and load compared to 30 seconds for the PS3. The entire time you are wondering if it is working at all. Also there is no way get lossless audio from the S300. I can only decode Dolby Digital Plus, not TrueHD or DTS-HD. For the price the PS3 is much better. I returned the S301 and got a 40gig PS3. The PS3 is not the only option though. The Samsung BDP-1500 is good as is the Panasonic DM-30, both bitstream all formats and internally decode most so you are good either way. Waiting for the S350 is a good idea also if you don't get a PS3. Remember with a PS3 you need a HDMI receiver to get lossless audio (you can still use an optical/LOSLINK cable a get normal dolby digital/DTS with an older reciever and probably not notice the difference).


For an explanation of PCM/internal dedcoding vs. bitstream/reciever decoding read this...

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...1#post12874951