Blade

I am planning to upgrade my projector early next year and I was going to buy a blu-ray player then too.

But now that I know I'm going to be upgrading, I find myself reluctant to buy new DVDs since I'll be getting a blu-ray player soon. At the same time, I don't have a BR player now, so I'm not buying new discs as I couldn't play them if I did.

So now I'm thinking I should just buy a BR player now.

My main question is whether there are new BR players expected to be coming out by February or March that I should wait for?

Right now I'm looking at going with a Sony BDP 550 because my receiver is a Denon 3805, so I would need the audio outs and player audio decoding to take advantage of the new audio formats of HD-DVD. (If it matters, it's set up for 6.1 right now and I'm using Monitor Audio speakers Silver 9is mains, 12i center, 5is rears, 10i center for center rear and a Definitive Technologies PF 15TL sub (I think that's the right sub model number, memory is hazy on that.)

Since I'm asking this, I thought I'd also ask if I will have any problem using component video cables with a BR player. Or will it work, but HDMI would give me a better picture?

And if anyone knows of any decent 1080p projectors you can get for around $2000-$2300 I'd appreciate suggestions on that too. I've been using and Infocus SP 4805. Though I'll probably start shopping for it's replacement in February.

I've been pretty out of touch with all this HD stuff, so I appreciate the input. Thanks.

DVD Polizei

I would get the Panasonic BD55 over the Sony 550. The BD55 also has analog audio outs.

Component cables are just as good as HDMI. But HDMI was created so you could only use it for HD resolution with only "compatible" equipment. In other words, you will only be able upconvert to 480p over component cables with your Sony 550. Same goes for any Blu-ray player currently available.

Don't know much about projectors, but I would seriously question the need for a latest model projector. Get one that is being clearanced out this year.

mzupeman2

As long as you're a little patient, it won't be very long before Oppo's blu-ray player comes out.

Blade

Why the BD55 over the Sony?

So you're saying if I'm playing a BR disc on a BR player connected to a 1080p projector via component cables, the highest resolution I can get is 480p? Hmm, guess I'll have to run a new cable after all. Or is this just in relation to upcoverting regular DVDs?

As for the projectors...it doesn't have to be the latest model. I'd like something similar to the 4805 in the sense that it was a universally popular, yet very inexpensive, projector.

Wanted to keep this around $400 as if it were any more, I'd rather spend the money upgrading my receiver and getting a player in the $300 range. And that's going to be stretching my budget beyond what I think I'll be able to afford. Also the 3805 is only 2 years or so old, so not crazy about buying a new receiver so soon.

DVD Polizei

Found this on AVS for you for DVDs:

It appears as if maybe you can do 720p or 1080i via component, as I just checked a spec on a player (Samsung BD-P2550):

Component Video
Y : 1.0 Vp-p (75 Ω load)
Pr : 0.70 Vp-p (75 Ω load)
Pb : 0.70 Vp-p (75 Ω load)
Blu-ray Disc : 1080i, 720p, 480p, 480i DVD : 480p, 480i

HDMI - 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 480p
PCM multichannel audio, Bitstream audio

I say the BD55 because from my observations, Panasonic is historically better for playing Blu-ray discs. Others can chime in at this point, but I was initially looking at a 550 but now I'm going Panasonic.

kefrank

For projectors, you should consider the Epson Home Cinema 1080UB. There is a next-gen replacement coming for it soon, so you should be able to find a pretty good deal on it.

I have its predecessor, the Home Cinema 1080. While I've had some minor issues with it, the projector overall is a fantastic value and Epson's customer service has been really outstanding.

lizard

Re: Panny BD55 versus Sony S550.

Analog outs:
To the best of my knowledge, the Panasonic player appears to have more audio management control for analog outs, although neither are as good as I would like. From my reading of the operating manual, the BD55 will allow sound level adjustments for each speaker in the surround setup. I believe that the S550 will only adjust volumes in pairs, but I can't determine this for sure from the operating manual. Both set delays in pairs, can set speakers to large or small, and have fixed crossovers (100 Hz for the Panny).

[For the record: an ideal player would have:
• adjustable crossover
• adjustable delays for each individual speaker in a 5.1, 6.1, or 7.1 setup, preferably stated as distances
• adjustable volume for each individual speaker in a 5.1, 6.1, or 7.1 setup and a fairly wide range of adjustments
• The ability to set each speaker to "large" or "small"]


Slow motion:
Reports I have read suggest that the S550 has no slow motion feature. The BD55 does have this feature (page 19 of the manual).

DVD playback:
The consensus of user reports suggest that the BD55 is a bit better at upscaling DVDs than the S550, but such reports tend to be pretty subjective. That wouldn't matter to you if you really do use component because one can't upscale most DVDs over component, as others have mentioned above.

DivX playback:
The Panny BD55 supports the playback of DivX discs. I believe that the Sony S550 does not. What this is good for, I am uncertain. Something to do with homemade videos I believe.

The Panny has compatibility problems with certain Onkyo receivers when using 24p output. This is being worked on by both manufacturers and wouldn't affect your setup.

There are also size and cosmetic differences between the players. The Sony S550 seems to be a bit more widely available and at slightly lower cost, having been out longer than the Panny BD55. Both players have been reported to handle BDs well and more quickly than first and second generation players, but not quite as quickly as the PS3. Neither player is appropriate for people using HDMI capable receivers because the sister players (BD35 or S350) would suffice for lower cost. But for those of us using older, non HDMI capable, receivers with analog inputs, either the BD55 or S550 would allow the use of lossless audio codecs.

Mr. Cinema

I own several BD players and out of the standalones, the Sony BDP-S550 is the fastest at powering on. I also think it handles java menus better than either of my Panasonics. It's not as sluggish on menu selections.

And regarding BD quality, I doubt most people are going to be able to find substantial differences in video quality between all of the brands out there.

DVD upconversion looks about the same to me between the Panasonic BD35 and the Sony.

The Sony is a big, solid built unit. And it does come with a 1gb flash drive for BD Live features.

Sony and Panasonic, imo, are clearly the 2 best standalone brands. They're very reliable and are very quick to add firmware updates.

Blade

Thanks for looking that up for me. Looks like I can get away with component until I get the new projector then.

Can't I do all of this through my receiver? Or does using the analog audio ins bypass the receivers ability to control speaker output settings?

----------------

Thanks to all for the great info on the difference between Sony/Panasonic. Does anyone know how much the studios will be using the BD Live features? Is Sony's 1gb flash drive an advantage?

And it sounds like there aren't any $400 Bluray players coming out soon that people are eagerly looking forward to then? Guess that makes for an easier choice. Might be able to show Iron Man for the family Christmas party after all.

lizard

Excellent question. Most HT receiver don't have the ability to adjust speaker settings when using analog inputs. They just amplify the signal as received and distribute it to the speakers. The reason, as I understand it, is that the signal would have to be re-digitized to allow for speaker adjustments such as delays. However, there are some high end HT receivers that are able to make speaker adjustments for the analog inputs. You can check the manual for your receiver to see what the options are.

I didn't mention it, but another option would be to use the S/PDIF optical or coax connection to your receiver. While this doesn't have the bandwidth for lossless audio, it should be a bit better than the standard DVD audio. But, for those of us with older, non-HDMI, receivers, the only way to get lossless is via analog.There have been a number of BDs with "BD Live" (Profile 2.0) features. My sense from those who have sampled them is that, so far, they range from boring to useless. Others can correct me if I am wrong in that assessment.

For me, I don't have broadband so I couldn't hook a player to the internet even if I wanted to (which I don't).

The 1 GB of extra storage is a requirement for BD Live. The extra memory can (and should) be added to the Panny BD55 for minimal cost. There are reports that some discs won't play their "Bonus View" (Profile 1.1) features without the extra memory in place. Bonus View includes such features as PIP commentaries and the like and tends to be much more interesting than BD Live, unless one doesn't like to view any special features on discs. (Some people have stated that they are only interested in the main feature and don't care about extras. It seems to be a point of pride for them, for some reason.)To the best of my knowledge, the BD55 and the S550 are the best players in the sub $400 range that meet your requirements. I'm sure there will be others next year but isn't that always the case?

I'd say go for it. I am looking for a good sale price for the BD55 over the next few months. It appears to be good enough for my needs.

DivxGuy

FYI home theater PCs with AnyDVD HD will upscale SDVD to 1080i over component, as well as play back Blu-ray (and HD-DVD if equipped with a compatible drive) at 1080i (without regard to the Image Constraint Token).

druryd

Here are two resources I found very useful when purchasing my projector.

http://www.projectorcentral.com/
http://www.projectorreviews.com/

Hope that helps

abintra

Is there a list somewhere that shows all the released and soon to be released players, which profile they are, any compatibility issues, whether or not they play everything out of the box or require a firmware upgrade, compatibility with all the audio formats, reliability, etc.?

DthRdrX

I'm going to pick one of these two units up in the next month sometime. Any truth to various talk on other sites that the Panny contains higher quality internal components?. The Sony "looks" better to my eyes.

lizard

Not to my knowledge.

Grubert

Oppo will probably have its BD player by that time. Apart from that, Sony, Panasonic and Samsung just launched their players, so I wouldn't expect a lot from them in the coming months.

That's a good player. Other choices are the Panasonic BD55, and the Samsung BD-P2550 (which supports video streaming from Netflix if you're a subscriber).


In general, it is better to use HDMI. Firstly, HDMI supports 1080p whereas component is usually limited to 1080i with Blu-ray (and 480p with DVD). Secondly, component video is analog, and therefore there is a digital-to-analog conversion in the player, and an analog-to-digital conversion in the display. Ideally, the fewer times the signal is futzed with, the better.

That depends on a lot of factors (screen size, viewing distance, etc.). Some popular models now are the Sony HW10, the Panasonic AE3000, the Epson 1080UB and the Mitsubishi HC5500/6500. There are specialised forums on this stuff if you want to read up on it.

Superman07

Really? No expectations to see anything new at CES? That's still January, right?

I'm thinking of picking up a BD55, but I could honestly wait, especially if anything new is coming out.

Aside from my first dvd player I never spent more than $100. The second was better than the first, but I never delved into the $300,600,1000, etc. dvd players. How, if at all, could any future BR players be "better"? I know there are some $1k Sony and Denon BR players, but why? Is it a different and better video processor or is it just audio related, etc.? At what point are you wasting (relative) your money over upgrading or buying a better receiver?

Gizmo

SACD/DVD-A/BD Region Free/DVD Region Free....lots of things they could add for the HT geeks.

Me? I'm happy with my S550. Unless Toshiba drops a BD player with XDE I'm done.

DthRdrX

Depends on the player I guess. I personally think it's too early in the format's lifecycle to put out a lot of cash on an expensive player.

Some of the players I researched have the audio/video electronics seperated inside the player, while others have features like gold plated connections. Some use different DACs such as Pioneer/Wolfson.

Superman07

I know it's subjective, but what's the point for diminishing returns for some of the addative features then (e.g. connection, seperate a/v components, DACs, etc.)?

Blade

Thanks again for the advice, everyone. I just got my Panasonic BD55 in yesterday and downloaded the new firmware and tried out the Iron Man BR I got.

Very nice so far, though I was surprised to see there was no resume play feature and I'm starting to see what people mean about how slow loading the discs are...it's not just the start up, but transitioning from movie to menu or from menu to menu. The in movie menus make that not as much of a problem though. Still have to hook it up to the projector (component) and Denon receiver (analog audio outs). Maybe this weekend. Looking forward to hearing the lossless audio. Won't get to experience the 1080p until I upgrade the projector unfortunately.

I've gotten pretty behind the curve on all this HT stuff, and even when I was up on it, I wasn't into the "hard core" $1000+ per amp stuff. I kind of viewed it as a kind of Monster Cables kind of thing, though with some products offering an actual (though limited) improvement for the money.

That level of quality seems more for those who care more about quality than money, or have the money to spend and would rather not have to worry about missing out on potential quality even if they aren't able to see/hear it for themselves.

Superman07

Very good points. I suppose, in a good way, I've never had the ability to experience that level of HT experience, so I don't know if I can or cannot see/haer the difference. However, if I've learned anything from my car buying experience I should stay low and good, or I'll easily get sucked into high and really good, but with a higher price tag (e.g. Honda v Audi).

acp35

I am still using my ps3. Is there a blu-ray player out there superior to that right now. Serious question I am not the as versed on the newest players.

Grubert

Both the Sony S550 and the Panasonic BD55 are "superior" inasmuch as they have added BD functionality: they decode and bitstream high-resolution audio, and have analog audio outputs.

The PS3 is still the fastest player loading discs and menus.

Personally I like Panasonic, but their remotes don't have a subtitle key so I have to access the disc or player menu to change the subtitle track. WTF!

lizard

^Interesting. I wonder if Logitech has a subtitle function in their Harmony universal remotes database?