Firmware update 2.3 is available for the Panasonic BD60 and BD80. The fix is described as:
1. BD disc playability improvement
2. VIERA CAST improvement

I would guess that the "BD disc playability improvement" includes Avatar.

[Edit: Avatar plays fine on the BD80 with firmware 2.2, so firmware 2.3 is not necessary for the BD.]


BD80 Updating page:
http://panasonic.jp/support/global/c...index2_na.html

BD80 download page for burning to a CD:
http://panasonic.jp/support/global/c...0/bd80_na.html


BD60 Updating page:
http://panasonic.jp/support/global/c...index2_na.html

BD60 download page for burning to a CD:
http://panasonic.jp/support/global/c...0/bd60_na.html

I hoped that someone here who still uses a PS3 as a BD player would pick up your question. I can't answer it because I've never even seen a PS3, much less used one. Perhaps you can find the info you need in a PS3 thread in the AVS forums.

Thanks anyways, I've never joined at AVS, but I've lurked from time to time over the years. Come to think of it, I think my brother used to post there and he also has a PS3. Maybe I'll shoot him a message.

thanks

That's exactly where I would recommend looking. There is a very long thread that's specifically about using the PS3 as a BD player and an FAQ thread with recommended settings.

I've been really wanting to get netflix and a bluray in my bedroom. I have a 19 inch tube tv, so I'm not getting the player for the quality, just as a 2nd player to play discs and watch special features on. Is there any good prices on a Bluray player, that offers netflix, and is wifi? or would I be better getting a PS3. I already have a 360 in living room, so the PS3 won't be used for gaming very much.

The Wii is another option since you don't need high-def, just use it for streaming.

http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=4519#comments

Denon Announces Two 3D-Ready Blu-ray Players

Posted April 27, 2010 07:54 AM by Juan Calonge


DenonDenon Electronics has announced two new 3D-Ready Universal Blu-ray players to its lineup: the DBP-1611UD (SRP $399, available June) and the DBP-2011UDCI (SRP $799, available August). Full 3D capability will be added in the fall through a firmware update. Both players support BD-Live (with 1 GB of onboard memory), DVD-Audio and SACD, and Netflix and YouTube streaming, and are DLNA 1.5-certified.

Both players feature 36-Bit Deep Color, HDMI v1.4a outputs with 3D and CEC capability, and independent pathways for interlaced and progressive display.

The DBP-2011UDCI adds an Anchor Bay Technologies decoding engine and scaler, as well as all-new Burr-Brown 32-Bit, 192-kHz Audio DACs on all channels.

http://www.dm-holdings.com/brandnews....Rel.Final.pdf

You could get a Sony N460 for $159, the new Sony S370 for $179 (that's list price, and it can be expected to drop quite a bit over the next few months), or the LG BD370 for $197.

Whether any of those would be more cost effective than a more expensive PS3 is up to you.

Added the Denon players to the list in the first post.

Also added some other new players and reformatted the list to segregate newer models at the top.

Is anyone aware of any Blu Ray players that support streaming music from Rhapsody?

I'm in the market for my first BD player, and I'd really like to play music through my Rhapsody account on it.

Amazon finally has the new Toshiba BDX2500 in stock. It's currently $170. I'm tempted to order it and try it out. I can't find any reviews on it though, but it has all the streaming options, including VUDU. I'm just wondering if this is an actual Toshiba production and not another rebadge.

^I've no idea, although I doubt that Toshiba sells rebadged players. But I'd have said the same thing about Pioneer until they gave up making their own BD players.

Perhaps someone in the AVS forums knows, although it can be pretty tedious to wade through those threads.

Just get a LG BD570 instead. The new Toshiba looks like a hunk of junk (seen it twice now). It feels cheap, has no weight to it, and just looks like a rebadged POS you would find for $80 at Wal-Mart. The LG BD570 is WiFi with Vudu, Netflix, external HD support etc.

Why would you recommend LG when you posted this on AVS?

Yep, LG tricked me again. Somehow they made their newest players giant turds. Really, this is becoming a very cruel joke. My second BD590 is going back to Amazon and I'll just never touch another one of their products again. How the hell do they keep screwing things up? Why is it anytime there is any movement in the MKV/Avi whatever it feels the need to skip/glitch? I can't be the only person to experience this. (one file was 2.95GB and the other 1GB).

Anybody have feedback on the Samsung C6500 v the Panny BD85? I was leaning towards the Panny, but the more I look into the issue it sounds like the Samsung is actually better. For now, I will need the analog out, so the quality of that decoding is important.

aside from MKV (which you didn't say anything on), it's fairly solid for everything else it does. Moreso than the same prices Toshiba.

I've got the Panny BD80, which should be similar to the BD85 for analog out. One advantage of the Panny is that the speaker controls are pretty good. The speakers can be controlled for distance, delay and volume. The only thing that can't be adjusted is crossover (I think it is fixed at 100 Hz). Again, I presume that the speaker controls would be the same for the BD85.

I've never seen the Sammy player, so I don't know what the speaker controls are like. Perhaps they are better, perhaps not. You might want to download the BD C6500 manual and read up on that before you decide.

Thanks for the info. Interestingly the manual says that it only allows access to the menu if using 7.1. I don't know why it wouldn't allow it for 5.1 - maybe it's a typo. Anyway, they only provide a picture and it seems basic by allowing you to select the size.

^The reason I mention speaker controls is that using analog inputs on receivers bypasses the usual receiver controls. It doesn't do much good to use multi-channel analog if one can't balance the surround system. Just having analog outs isn't good enough without decent speaker controls, so I try to emphasize the issue. But it only affects the handful of us who are using older, non-HDMI, receivers. In my case I refuse to throw away my perfectly good Outlaw receiver, which is built like a tank and will likely outlast me.

IIRC, my Panny has a setup where one has to make a counter-intuitive selection to be able to get to the speaker control menu. But it was explained well enough in the manual that I didn't have a problem with it.

An ideal analog output BD player would allow every individual speaker to be controlled for distance, delay, volume, and "large/small" as well as allow for adjustable crossover. I have an oddly shaped room, so controlling speakers in pairs doesn't work for me and it annoys me when player (or receiver) manufacturers set it up that way.

The Panasonic BD-65 is currently $142.xx w/ free shipping PLUS (3) Free blu-rays (from a mediocre list) PLUS $25 mail-in rebate if you purchase with Avatar BD or DVD.

As with most amazon promotions like this, the selection of discs steadily dwindles, so I can see the selection going from mediocre to terrible in a short while. On the other hand, the price of the player has been fluctuating and may go lower (it was $139.xx last night).

I hope to sell off the discs (especially Avatar) to recoup some cost.

Saw this on SD, here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.htm...12461&plpage=1

ETA: It's $133.55 now

I am probably too late to the game for this poster but this little vid should be helpful to all PS3 newcomers.


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Samsung is releasing a 3D BD Player with two HDMI outputs (for those people who don't have a 1.4 receiver):

If anyone needs a solid entry-level player, today's eBay DotD is the Panasonic BD-65 for $109 shipped (from Beach Camera).

Panasonic apparently has a new entry level BD player, which is Amazon's DotD for $100, shipped, today:

Panasonic DMP-BD45 "Ultrafast-Booting" Blu-ray Disc Player, MSRP $160.

Firmware update 2.5 is available for the Panasonic BD60 and BD80. The fix is described as:
1. BD disc playability
2. VIERA CAST Stability

Links:

BD80 Updating page

BD80 download page for burning to a CD

BD60 Updating page

BD60 download page for burning to a CD


Firmware updates for BD45/65/655/85:
Version 1.5 (BD45)
Version 1.27 (BD65, BD655, BD85)

DMP-BD65/85 firmware updating

DMP-BD45/65/655/85 firmware download page for burning to a CD