Pioneer Elite BDP53FD Discussion thread. Review will follow soon.

mantis

Quick question ,
Am I expecting to much?

smglbrth

One phrase comes to mind. "Jack of all trades but master of none". I don't think you're expecting too much from a player if it claims to do all it says. As if it actually does it or not, well, you know already.

As a side note, I'm enjoying my new Yamaha BD-A1010. It does everything on your list except HDCD. I have a dedicated CDP for that. As if it actually does everything, I don't know. I don't have any SACD's or DVD-Audio discs, much less any 3D Blu-ray discs. I bought it mainly for the mutli-channel outputs...

cnh

mantis wrote: »

Quick question ,
Am I expecting to much?

I don't think so. Remember the BD-09fd, Over 30 lbs, over 2000 dollars, built like a freaking tank. Awesome video and audio and even that unit did not do SACD, if I'm not mistaken.

Heck my BDP 51fd, a higher MSRP. Almost 13 lbs. Good picture (slow loader), good enough sound to be used a spare CDP (which is really what I use mine for). You say the 05 (it's Elite clone) and the 51 are experiencing a "high failure" rate. But mine works "flawlessly" (fingers crossed).

Look even the upscale Oppo is around a 1000! So how can Pioneer put out a Universal Elite for a mere 499. The 51 was 600 and the 05 was 800?

It's just not possible to produce a TOTL Universal for 499 MSRP. Don't even know why you would expect that at that price range. We all know the adage, you get what you pay for!

So where is Pioneer's 1500 dollar Elite??

cnh

drselect

mantis wrote: »

Quick question ,
Am I expecting to much?

No.
You appear to be have the same issues that I have read about and made me hold off on upgrading.
They need to do better.

mantis

smglbrth wrote: »

One phrase comes to mind. "Jack of all trades but master of none". I don't think you're expecting too much from a player if it claims to do all it says. As if it actually does it or not, well, you know already.

As a side note, I'm enjoying my new Yamaha BD-A1010. It does everything on your list except HDCD. I have a dedicated CDP for that. As if it actually does everything, I don't know. I don't have any SACD's or DVD-Audio discs, much less any 3D Blu-ray discs. I bought it mainly for the mutli-channel outputs...

When Universal player hit the market , Pioneer Elite led the way with the mighty DV-47a which I owned the day it came out. It was a $1200.00 DVD Univeral player. It was built very well and performed excellent in everything it did. It has discrete codes for custom integration. Excellent player all around. Then came the mighty DV-47ai which fixed the Chromo bug , most players suffered for this and the 47ai addressed the issues. Hardly no one even knew what the bug was or has any issues with their video quality. I never experienced this and put in all players. Following up such great acts came the 59 an then 79avi models which sported HDMI and the best overall players Universal wise Pioneer made. Pioneer did make a super high end DVD player which the model number slips my mind. I think it only did 2 channel sacd as well and it was silver. It was like 5k or something like that.
Once Blu ray hit the market and the war was settled with HD DVD , Pioneer was back to making quality products but slower then hell. This was how all Blu ray players where and even HD DVD was amazing slow. But the players had excellent audio and video quality , Elite built quality and all discrete coding. What got lost was Universal players. I longed for such a thing and just picked up a PS3 to hold me over until Pioneer released their Universal player. I waited years for this to come out and all the Elite players after the BDP05 and BDP09 all sucked ****. I thought they where no longer Elite quality players , they where still Discrete but I noticed built quality was falling and failing which in history , Elite DVD players had no failure rate I was aware of and I installed them every single day for many years.

Finally The BDP53fd hits the market and it's loaded with issues. How disappointed can one be after waiting for so many years to own once again a Pioneer Elite Player. I hold Pioneer Elite in high regard , they have built some of the best gear dollar to dollar including the still to this day Kuro model Tv's.

Life lost some sweetness when B&K went down which is another brand I really loved for many years. Rotel started making crappy preamps and had some issues with HDMI , Denon crashed and burned before anyone else again another brand I held in high regard. Now Elite is really slipping , Kuro went away , now they license the Elite name to Sharp and stand behind a LED , They lost the Urushi finish on the new models , whats next? Is the world really that bad that all good things must come to an end?

mantis

cnh wrote: »

I don't think so. Remember the BD-09fd, Over 30 lbs, over 2000 dollars, built like a freaking tank. Awesome video and audio and even that unit did not do SACD, if I'm not mistaken.

Heck my BDP 51fd, a higher MSRP. Almost 13 lbs. Good picture (slow loader), good enough sound to be used a spare CDP (which is really what I use mine for). You say the 05 (it's Elite clone) and the 51 are experiencing a "high failure" rate. But mine works "flawlessly" (fingers crossed).

Look even the upscale Oppo is around a 1000! So how can Pioneer put out a Universal Elite for a mere 499. The 51 was 600 and the 05 was 800?

It's just not possible to produce a TOTL Universal for 499 MSRP. Don't even know why you would expect that at that price range. We all know the adage, you get what you pay for!

So where is Pioneer's 1500 dollar Elite??

cnh

I long for the 1500.00 Elite player to come out. I would be first to own one.
The way they could hit the price point is removing all Analog connections . They failed at that as they left analog audio left and right and a composite video. There is no 6 channel out for Sacd you are required to send it over HDMI which is fine by me. It's how I use my Cambridge anyway. I do however like it over analog as it sounds amazing but it's a wire mess and I like the one wire solution. It's so close it's hard to tell actually the difference , it's small details.
So with all analog stages removed , all DAC's removed the price point of 500 bucks is yeah a little light but they cut more corners then that. They should have been around 799 or 999 and had a killer quality player worthy go the ELITE badge.

WilliamM2

mantis wrote: »

Quick question ,
Am I expecting to much?

From a player built by Sharp? Yes.

tonyb

Seeing that Pioneer has had so many issues with BDP's over the last few years, one has to wonder and maybe you know Dan, what the process is before releasing a product. I mean, does anyone put these things threw the paces before giving the ok for a production run ? Why make so many if you know about the issues ahead of time ? Surely someone in R&D must put together a few proto types, gives them a once over before ordering thousands of parts for production.

Or do they just keep going off a designed platform, previously deemed acceptable, and just add or subtract from that to meet price points without ever having to take a unit for a spin ?

I don't know, just asking.

mantis

tonyb wrote: »

Seeing that Pioneer has had so many issues with BDP's over the last few years, one has to wonder and maybe you know Dan, what the process is before releasing a product. I mean, does anyone put these things threw the paces before giving the ok for a production run ? Why make so many if you know about the issues ahead of time ? Surely someone in R&D must put together a few proto types, gives them a once over before ordering thousands of parts for production.

Or do they just keep going off a designed platform, previously deemed acceptable, and just add or subtract from that to meet price points without ever having to take a unit for a spin ?

I don't know, just asking.

Whoever was inspecting for Pioneer Elite must work elsewhere. I'm assuming older Denon Inspectors work there now.

There is no reason why a product should be released and automatically need an update to function somewhat properly. This is truly unexceptable. I'm ashamed of Pioneer ELite.

JuanR

If you remove the Elite badge and set the price tag at $250, is this player worth the $250?

Looks like Pioneer was trying to compete with Oppo's 93 but failed to add a few features and failed to have the Product tested and certified prior to releasing it. If they farmed this out to Sharp, it is still their responsibilty making sure this product works, it's their name on it. The Supplier Quality Engineers sat on their behind on this one and trusted everything their supplier told them. Maybe Pioneer laid off a few and now the one SQE is so overwhelmed he doesnt give a crap anymore. I've personally seen that happen.

Anyway...i'm looking to upgrade from my 23fd to the 53fd for the 3D capability and have it match my SC07 (or 57 if I decide to buy it)....should I stay away from this player? Is this player worth half it's pricepoint?

Juan

mantis

JuanR wrote: »

If you remove the Elite badge and set the price tag at $250, is this player worth the $250?

Looks like Pioneer was trying to compete with Oppo's 93 but failed to add a few features and failed to have the Product tested and certified prior to releasing it. If they farmed this out to Sharp, it is still their responsibilty making sure this product works, it's their name on it. The Supplier Quality Engineers sat on their behind on this one and trusted everything their supplier told them. Maybe Pioneer laid off a few and now the one SQE is so overwhelmed he doesnt give a crap anymore. I've personally seen that happen.

Anyway...i'm looking to upgrade from my 23fd to the 53fd for the 3D capability and have it match my SC07 (or 57 if I decide to buy it)....should I stay away from this player? Is this player worth half it's pricepoint?

Juan

Your questions are very valid. Instead of going off my heated reviews , I'm gonna post a PRO's and CON's of this player to wear out all my anger. I think a reply like that will help you and anyone else who wants to purchase this player ,help them to decide if it's the right choice or not. I'm also going to pull the lid and have a peak inside.
The price point to me is low from the start for an Elite player thats Universal 3D and a Streamer. It does everything a Blu ray player should in Todays HDMI moving away from Analog world , I get that part.

tonyb

That will help alot Dan, I know it's easy getting pissed off at products when your used to having better from a certain brand. I wish someone who worked at Pioneer would join the club. He might get an earfull though. The last truely Elite piece I can think of they put out was the SC 09, after that they just rebadged the lower lines. Shame really, when you force a loyal base of customers to look elsewhere.

The mid-low consumer market is so saturated with players, very few stand out as being head and shoulders above the rest. Oppo has taken a good chunk out of the BDP market, and for good reason. I just don't see the drive on a corporate level anymore to put out a product that beats up the competition. They all seem to shoot for being the same as one another.

mantis

Many people out there probably don't have the high regard like I do for Pioneer Elite. So I decided to clear this thread for anyone who would like to look at this player and see if it's a good choice for their system.

PRO's
1) Discrete Power ON/Off - This is a huge deal for anyone who uses a Universal type remote control or control system. You must be running Firmware version 3.11. The player hit the market with firmware version 3.01.

2) Video quality - Top notch , It's crystal clear and smooth. DVD's even look fantastic as it's probably the best under $1000.00 player for up converting DVD's I've seen. I can't compare to Oppo's 9 series but I have seen all the 8's and this player can compete easily.

3) Audio out HDMI - Top notch ,internally or Bitstream out to your pre or receiver. This is a very good sounding player. It handles Digital out over HDMI very well with no loss in Audio performance. I honestly haven't really heard a Blu ray player sound like crap over HDMI.I've Installed many $199.99 players and they all seem to perform well . If you have a Pioneer Elite receiver with PQLS , I suggest you use it as it sweeten's up the sound a bit. I noticed by turning it on and off , the sound overall quality seems deeper and more natural. Not night and day difference but enough to notice a clarity discovered. All of this Audio is purely for video only.

4) Start up - Top notch , this player is fast once you turn on quick start , it's a huge step up from former Blu ray Elite players. They paid attention to the demands of consumers need for give us our video now. Loading disc's and opening the tray is also top notch , when the unit is off , if you press the eject button , with in a second or 3 the tray is open. Thats even faster then my Cambridge Audio 650BD which I thought was the fastest in the business. I haven't side by side yet but thats going to be another part of my final review.

5) Build quality - Pro's and under Con's as I have very mixed feelings. I'll do my best not to fully judge with my highest expectations of Elite products.
Compared to all players costing $600.00 and down , this is in the game of good fit and finish. it's beefy in todays standards. It's chassis is sturdy and strong with nice feet on the bottom , they included a very thin but usable dampening bottom on the feet. Slighty less then Elites of years ago where they had very nice dampening. Compared to most Blu ray players on the market , this one is much better here. It also stands taller then most others as nothing bothers me more then a slim crappy plastic lightweight player.

6)Removable power cord - This is huge for me as I use replacement power cords for 2 reasons 1- I have found they perform better and 2 - I like custom lengths as I'm a wire management nut. I take great pride in my wiring skills and using fixed or captive power cords drive me insane. I have to coil them up all over the place and make mini antenna's out of them as thats what happens when you make coils of wire. Yeah I know it probably has no effect as 6 or so feet of coiled wire probably isn't strong enough to pull in radio noise but it's a possibility and I don't sleep well knowing the chance.

7) Universal Disc Player - This is a huge feature for me as I'm a Universal player lover , ok a Pioneer Elite Universal player lover. I've had other brands and the whole time wishing I had a Elite model. Not to discredit Cambridge audio or Denon which both make very nice universal players , I've own several over the years and really liked them but I like Pioneer Elite Universal player a bit better. I've had several models and they always where my favorite performers all around. I had no complaints what so ever or any of the models I've owned.Even my last which was a cheaper model in the DV58avi.

8) Streaming - Netflix , Pandora , You Tube and Picasa. They all seem to work well with nice GUI. No complaints here as if you need a player to have these , this one will not disappoint. It's a worthy streamer after the firmware 3.11 upgrade. The upgrade fixed some of the lock up issues the player had with networking.

9) IcontrolAV2 app - it's pretty cool to give consumers IP control over gear. Cable boxes do it , receivers and Blu ray players. Some TV's are starting to get into this game. The pioneer app is very nice clean and pretty easy to setup. It's a few presses and your on your way to controlling you player with your IOS device. I'm not sure if other have this app as I only have delt with the IOS apple devices in the field and personally.

CON's
This will be slightly Difficult for me as I'm very emotional over anything negative with anything Pioneer Elite does wrong. It's a personal Issue but I hold them in the highest regard.

1)Built quality - It's a PRO but it's a CON as this is an Elite player and I would have liked the traditional Urushi finish. Pioneer has moved to a Brushed Aluinium look and it looks just like any other typical player. No Elite stand out anymore which is a negative in my book. Some may welcome the more modern look but for me it's tradition that means a lot. The disc tray seems a bit flimsy and you can easily put the disc in and have it slide out of position. The feet on the bottom are big like they should but the dampening material is very thin and seemed like it was put there so it didn't scratch furniture.

2) Front panel buttons - Ok this for me is a slight issues , not huge as I see they must have been going for a cleaner look and some again may welcome. Personally I like front control as when you put a disc in , it's nice to do a few things, not a deal breaker.

3) Out of box malfunctions - Elite players have Discrete Power on and off, first firmware version didn't allow control over this. Even the toggle power commands didn't always work from the factory or Universal style control. So if you try to use this player without connect to the Internet , your going to get angry really quick. So please firmware update even before you use it. Streaming has issues with locking up so if your trying to firmware update and even at this stage is a issue , unplug and start over you will get it to work.

4) SACD - When you find a disc to play , it sounds incredible but not all disc's play for some reason. I went through about 12 disc and got 2 to play. Even after firmware update , this was not addressed. This is a huge CON as it's one of the Soul reasons to consider a Universal player , if one doesn't have SACD's , this player isn't really a good choice when there are so many others that perform very close to it. Without direct compare I can't say it's much better then others but it's damn good without flaw in Blu ray play back. So unless Pioneer addresses this issue , for me It's not a keeper.

5) DVD AUDIO - I only had one hiccup with one disc and after a stop and replay , it worked so it might have been a smug or something. I can't fault it as it played all my DVD AUDIO disc's fast and well. It does decode it internally as it sends PCM. There is no settings to change that and maybe pre's and receivers don't have decoding for MLP Losses so I'll leave this as a CON but you can be the judge as it does work.

6) No multichannel out - OK this could be more industry inspired then Pioneer deciding to cut cost somewhere. The problem is for those who have older pre's and receiver with NO HDMI abilities but have a unit they love the way it sounds and still works. I don't like forcing people to upgrade to newer gear when their older gear still works and works well. Example B&K AVR owners , these receivers are still in the field and many have higher end speakers and theater that they love. They have 6 channel in and can benefit from SACD and DVD AUDIO this way. Not to mention for Blu ray , they can listen to Dolby Digital True HD and DTS Master Audio. It's a shame this player doesn't have these connections but again I get it was moving forward analog is being phased out.

7) No Component video - but they felt composite was a good idea to leave? Really? Reason is Component video can pass 1080p and can be stolen so all of us have to suffer due to people stealing and coping thanks crooks for making many peoples lives more difficult , If I find one of you,be prepared thats all I'm saying. Composite is the worse possible video connection and I assume IF your going to steal , your recording will suck , take that you ****. Why this is a CON is the fact that again older Projectors and Tv's without HDMI can't use this player. I know I know I get it move forward and this is a good thing. I still find it to be a negative for this who are not completely ready to upgrade because they have high quality products that still perform well. Think of all those high end projectors that people spent thousands of dollars and video scalers? Just throw all that out and upgrade to **** HDMI? Maybe they are the smart ones and something new will come along (10baseT maybe) and do a much better job then HDMI has done.

8) Warranty - Elite Products in History 2 year warranty , this player 1 year. REALLY?

So overall this is a pretty nice player, some areas are weaker then I would personally like but if Pioneer Keeps addressing it's quirky bugs I can see this player making many very happy especially coming from a lower end model. It does give you the impression of a higher quality unit over the standard offerings.
I expect much more , I know the price is low but when I'm buying a Universal player , I'm not looking for a cheap alternative , I'm looking for a fantastic performer so I don't have to have 2 or more players to do the job. I'd pay 1200.00 again for a Pioneer Elite player. Pioneer needs to seriously look at Cambridge and Oppo as competitors.

mantis

tonyb wrote: »

That will help alot Dan, I know it's easy getting pissed off at products when your used to having better from a certain brand. I wish someone who worked at Pioneer would join the club. He might get an earfull though. The last truely Elite piece I can think of they put out was the SC 09, after that they just rebadged the lower lines. Shame really, when you force a loyal base of customers to look elsewhere.

The mid-low consumer market is so saturated with players, very few stand out as being head and shoulders above the rest. Oppo has taken a good chunk out of the BDP market, and for good reason. I just don't see the drive on a corporate level anymore to put out a product that beats up the competition. They all seem to shoot for being the same as one another.

I hear yeah loud and clear. Pioneer can have regular Pioneer to have products in that market. They already do , when you make a ELITE product , it should hold ALL of the reasons to be called ELITE. I would love to have a Pioneer Employee with a voice in the company to join this forum. I think all companies should have people join forums for research on their product feed back. The market if full of cheap units that most people can be very happy with. Nothing wrong with that. Just not except able with Elite or any Elite style products. It's the entire reason to buy one , to get the "BETTER" one.

JuanR

Great review Mantis!
While I do not have all your years of experience with the Pioneer brand, I obviously like them since I own a few of their products and still continue to purchase their brand. It is a shame though, that corporations now look into how they can do something cheaper to increase their bottom line, so they outsource and reduce their head count (which by the way, the company loses experts with years of experience in the company) and thats where the companys product suffers. Anyway, enough of my crappy ranting!

I also own a limited number of SACD's but hope they all play when I want them to. I beleive this may be fixed by a firmware update in the future so it will not be a show stopper for me to purchase this unit.

I was glad you confirmed the picture was outstanding. The Marvell QDEO processor did not dissapoint and this is a major reason I would like to try this player.

Do you happen to know what DACS this unit uses? Did you open her up yet?

and finally, are you using the AS-WL300 wireless network adapter? Is this something I would need to purchase for streaming?
sounds like a dumb question but just curious how you are doing the streaming?
Thanks

Juan

leroyjr1

Just get the Oppo93/95 and be done with it. I'm personally not interested in anything after the BDP elite 05/09 and the BDP 51fd. The sc-57 is my last piece of pioneer besides my 151 plasma and unless they turn things around and have products for the audiophiles I'm done with them. With so many other great audiophile products out there why would anyone choose any of pioneers new stuff.

mantis

JuanR wrote: »

Great review Mantis!
While I do not have all your years of experience with the Pioneer brand, I obviously like them since I own a few of their products and still continue to purchase their brand. It is a shame though, that corporations now look into how they can do something cheaper to increase their bottom line, so they outsource and reduce their head count (which by the way, the company loses experts with years of experience in the company) and thats where the companys product suffers. Anyway, enough of my crappy ranting!

I also own a limited number of SACD's but hope they all play when I want them to. I beleive this may be fixed by a firmware update in the future so it will not be a show stopper for me to purchase this unit.

I was glad you confirmed the picture was outstanding. The Marvell QDEO processor did not dissapoint and this is a major reason I would like to try this player.

Do you happen to know what DACS this unit uses? Did you open her up yet?

and finally, are you using the AS-WL300 wireless network adapter? Is this something I would need to purchase for streaming?
sounds like a dumb question but just curious how you are doing the streaming?
Thanks

Juan

Yes I did ,This is the DAC I found.
[AK4480]
AK4480

High Performance 114dB 32-Bit DAC
The AK4480 is a 32-bit DAC, which corresponds to Blu-ray Disc systems. An internal circuit includes newly developed 32bit Digital Filter for better sound quality achieving low distortion characteristics and wide dynamic range. The AK4480 has full differential SCF outputs, removing the need for AC coupling capacitors and increasing performance for systems with excessive clock jitter. The AK4480 accepts 216kHz PCM data and 1-bit DSD data, ideal for a wide range of applications including Blu-ray Discs and SACDs.
? 128x Over Sampling
? Sampling Rate: 30kHz ∼ 216kHz ? 32Bit 8x Digital Filter
- Ripple: ?0.005dB, Attenuation: 70dB - Minimum delay option GD=7/fs
- Sharp Roll-off Filter
- Slow Roll-off Filter
? High Tolerance to Clock Jitter
? Low Distortion Differential Output
? DSD Data Input
? Digital De-emphasis for 32, 44.1, 48kHz Sampling
? Soft Mute
? Digital Attenuator (Linear 256 steps)
? Mono Mode
? External Digital Filter Mode
? THD+N: -100dB
? DR, S/N: 114dB (117dB when Mono mode)
? I/F Format: 24/32bit MSB justified, 16/20/24/32bit LSB justified, I2S, DSD ? Master Clock:
30kHz ~ 32kHz: 1152fs
30kHz ~ 54kHz: 512fs or 768fs 30kHz ~ 108kHz: 256fs or 384fs 108kHz ~ 216kHz: 128fs or 192fs
? Power Supply: 4.75 ∼ 5.25V ? Digital Input Level: TTL
? Package: 30pin VSOP
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
FEATURES
MS1146-E-01
2010/02
-1-
[AK4480]
■ Block Diagram BICK/DCLK
LRCK/DSDR/WCK SDATA/DSDL
BCK DINL DINR
CSN/SMUTE CCLK/DEM0 CDTI/DEM1
DVDD VSS3 PDN
AVDD VSS4

SCF
PCM
Data Interface
8X Interpolator
DSD
Data Interface
DATT Soft Mute
External DF Interface


Bias Vref
ΔΣ
Modulator
SCF
Control Register
Clock Divider
VSS2 VDDL AOUTLP
AOUTLN
VREFHL VREFLL VREFLR VREFLL
AOUTRP
AOUTRN
VDDR
VSS1
CAD0/SD CAD1/DIF0 PSN DZFL/DIF1 DIF2
Block Diagram
MCLK DZFR

I have a 10/100/1000 hard wired network with Wireless N. I have this unit and all my gear hardwired. I use an unmanaged 10/100/1000 8 port switch.

Here is some Pic's

JuanR

Thanks again Mantis for taking the time to do your review and opening her up so we could see whats in it. I will probably purchase one, just have to take care of a little business first.

Leroy - call me or shoot me a PM.

Juan

mantis

leroyjr1 wrote: »

Just get the Oppo93/95 and be done with it. I'm personally not interested in anything after the BDP elite 05/09 and the BDP 51fd. The sc-57 is my last piece of pioneer besides my 151 plasma and unless they turn things around and have products for the audiophiles I'm done with them. With so many other great audiophile products out there why would anyone choose any of pioneers new stuff.

I'm gonna get my hands on one and compare it to my Cambridge Audio. Once I'm finished with the SC-07 , I'm going back to separates or a higher end receiver. I have no real desire to own the SC-57. It doesn't outperform my SC-07 so I'll I would gain is inputs in HDMI and IP control. It doesn't even look as good IMO.

MADGSF

Thanks for the review Dan. Can you comment on the drive noise for this unit? I had a BDP-52FD at the house for a day and I could hear the drive running from my couch and it was inside my cabinet with the door closed. I know they are not the same units but I knew that would bother me so much I returned it the next day and went back to my cheap Panasonic BDP. Just curious if this unit was better in that regard.

Monster Jam

mantis wrote: »

Quick question ,
Am I expecting to much?

No.
But your are spending too much.

Over $1,000 for a Blu-Ray player? Ouch.

mantis

MADGSF wrote: »

Thanks for the review Dan. Can you comment on the drive noise for this unit? I had a BDP-52FD at the house for a day and I could hear the drive running from my couch and it was inside my cabinet with the door closed. I know they are not the same units but I knew that would bother me so much I returned it the next day and went back to my cheap Panasonic BDP. Just curious if this unit was better in that regard.

None , I don't hear it run and mine is in a Salamander Triple 20 with Perforated doors. It's probably 12 feet from where I sit. Now when I had the PS3 in the same position , I could hear that from other rooms. I hated that. The Xbox360 is also loud when on. I have Netflix on the New Apple Tv so I don't use the Xbox anymore for streaming. Vudu is on it still so I would like another way to get Vudu and not have to listen to the Xbox screaming. The Oppo I believe has all of the above so it's on my short list for a new player.

mantis

Monster Jam wrote: »

No.
But your are spending too much.

Over $1,000 for a Blu-Ray player? Ouch.

All Blu Ray players on the cheap are crappy in one way or the next. I don't buy low end gear never have never will. No I'm not a audio video snob but I like high quality gear and I'm willing to pay for it IF it meets ALL my needs. Currently I own a Cambridge Audio 650BD which went for $699.99 . I've had plenty of $1200.00 DVD players and would own a Blu ray player of the same caliber like the Oppo 95 for $999.99 or the new Cambridge Audio 751BD at 1299.99. I don't use my Blu ray player just to play movies , I also expect a good audio disc player.

mantis

RIP BDP53FD , you never had a chance to be great. Your makers tried to cheap you out , make you with someone else then the people who made great players of the past.

So RIP means it died. I went to watch a EP of Smallville Final season and guess what? I would not turn on. I usually turn in on with the iPhone app so it can be ready by the time I get to the Familyroom. But it said "NETWORK ERROR , PLEASE CHECK YOUR PRODCUT" AWESOME RIGHT?!?1?!
So I went out to find the power light around the power button to be on glowing in it's usual blue. Then another blue light underneath the Disc tray. Ok so I unplugged it and tried again , nothing. It just sits just like this and will not turn on open tray nothing.

So I now have a conclusion of this player EFF IT!!! Do yourself a favor and look else where for a universal player. Denon , Cambridge Audio and Oppo all seem to make very nice players. This player is not worth anyone time with all the issues and failures.

It's a sad day in my world folks , my Faith in Pioneer Elite is really tarnished. I see myself shopping elsewhere from now on. I'm gonna tell our rep that as well.

leroyjr1

How old was the unit?

leroyjr1

mantis wrote: »

I'm gonna get my hands on one and compare it to my Cambridge Audio. Once I'm finished with the SC-07 , I'm going back to separates or a higher end receiver. I have no real desire to own the SC-57. It doesn't outperform my SC-07 so I'll I would gain is inputs in HDMI and IP control. It doesn't even look as good IMO.

The looks of the 57 is starting to grow on me. It matches the oppo bdp perfectly. 3D was my biggest reason for going with the 57.

JuanR

Dissapointing to hear! BUT thats what management gets for outsourcing their brand name....you want it done right do it yourself.... I know it's an old cliche but that's what happens when your are looking to save a buck, these guys do everything and anything to make the balance sheet look good, whatever it takes, even if it means sticking your neck out. In this case the neck (Pioneers Reputation) will pay with lost sales and the reputation gets TARNISHED! Let the complaints start rolling into headquarters!

Mantis you should write them a letter or better yet, just send them the link to this thread so they can see what real customers say about them on a daily basis.

JuanR

I think a Denon would look better with that Oppo Leroy!:cheesygrin:

leroyjr1

I'll be getting the 4311 shortly.

leroyjr1

JuanR wrote: »

Dissapointing to hear! BUT thats what management gets for outsourcing their brand name....you want it done right do it yourself.... I know it's an old cliche but that's what happens when your are looking to save a buck, these guys do everything and anything to make the balance sheet look good, whatever it takes, even if it means sticking your neck out. In this case the neck (Pioneers Reputation) will pay with lost sales and the reputation gets TARNISHED! Let the complaints start rolling into headquarters!

Mantis you should write them a letter or better yet, just send them the link to this thread so they can see what real customers say about them on a daily basis.

I'm sure Pioneer already knows about how audiophiles are starting to feel but I don't think they care. Im guessing they are catering to the 95% non audiophiles that dont care about half the stuff people are complaining about.