Blu Ray Player Recommendation?

dpowell

My Oppo BDP-83SE has finally worn out and I am looking for recommendations on a good replacement in the $500 or under range.

rooftop59

Or go with this one if it’s just for movies and save some coin for something else:

https://www.amazon.com/Sony-UBP-X700-Ultra-Blu-ray-Player/dp/B078HXF9H2/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=sony+ubp-x700&qid=1603718198&sprefix=sony+ubp&sr=8-3

I have one in the game room and it’s been great, purely a BD player, no music or streaming. I also have the Sony UBP-x1000es in the living room and it’s been solid but rarely gets used. I got one on eBay for $80 shipped from a pawn shop...

dpowell

Thanks all. I have a separate Sony C333ES for 2 channel listening so this is purely for DVD/BD playback. The only differences i seem to be able to find between the 1100ES and 800M2 are output options on the back, longer warranty and front display but nothing to do with upgraded internals. ES sure doesnt mean what it did in the 80's/90's.

pitdogg2

ES sure doesnt mean what it did in the 80's/90's.

100%agree

They're some decent deals on older pioneer elite players if you're not opposed to used.

WLDock

dpowell wrote: »

ES sure doesnt mean what it did in the 80's/90's.

ES gear from the past in home & car audio was just awesome!

Anyway, I plan to pick up a UBP-X800M2 myself once I replace my aging 1080p 70" Sharp TV with a 4K Sony XBR. I stopped watching Blu-Rays awhile back but will pick up some in 4K in due time.

dpowell

ZLTFUL wrote: »

The warranty is a selling point for me as I have had to use the warranty on TVs and other brand BDPs in the past.

Good point. The 3 year warranty is nice but at double the cost, i can buy a second 800M2 player as a spare.

gyosa

If you scour the net , that Sony UBP-x700 is THE one to get .....
I believe it is one of the few Sony’s that WILL do dolbyvision automatically...

Bk

Grimster74

My choice would be the Panasonic UB820. It's at the top end of your budget but well worth it in my opinion. I have had nothing but great things to say about mine and the picture quality is out of this world. If your not already doing 4K once you do go 4K the 820 also has all kinds of HDR features to fine tune the picture quality. Here is a link, check it out.

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_133UB820K/Panasonic-DP-UB820.html?tp=171

dpowell

ZLTFUL wrote: »

My only real complaints about the 420 and the 820 is the build "feel" and a lack of IP control on all 3 models. IP control only becomes a challenge if your equipment isn't in a rack within your line of sight (mine is in a storage room across the hall from the theater). But an IR blaster easily solves that minor foible.

When you mention IP control are you referencing control via a smart phone app?

rooftop59

Grimster74 wrote: »

My choice would be the Panasonic UB820. It's at the top end of your budget but well worth it in my opinion. I have had nothing but great things to say about mine and the picture quality is out of this world. If your not already doing 4K once you do go 4K the 820 also has all kinds of HDR features to fine tune the picture quality. Here is a link, check it out.

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_133UB820K/Panasonic-DP-UB820.html?tp=171

I get want y’all are saying about these Panasonics and that’s a reasonable argument to get one, but man that 820 sure looks like a plasticy piece of crap for $500 bucks! Don’t get me wrong, my sonys are the same way, but I paid about $200 for both on eBay, so if one breaks in a year I won’t stress about it...

rooftop59

ZLTFUL wrote: »

rooftop59 wrote: »

Grimster74 wrote: »

My choice would be the Panasonic UB820. It's at the top end of your budget but well worth it in my opinion. I have had nothing but great things to say about mine and the picture quality is out of this world. If your not already doing 4K once you do go 4K the 820 also has all kinds of HDR features to fine tune the picture quality. Here is a link, check it out.

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_133UB820K/Panasonic-DP-UB820.html?tp=171

I get want y’all are saying about these Panasonics and that’s a reasonable argument to get one, but man that 820 sure looks like a plasticy piece of crap for $500 bucks! Don’t get me wrong, my sonys are the same way, but I paid about $200 for both on eBay, so if one breaks in a year I won’t stress about it...

That's my biggest problem with the Panasonics. For similar price points, Sony gives you the 800M2 and the 1100ES respectively in metal chassis. I get that plastic is cheaper to source and manufacture but Sony is turning a good enough profit on these pieces at slightly lower prices. Hard to believe Panasonic can't do the same...although, with their 2.1 HDMI chip debacle just getting ramped up, they may have other things on their minds. Heh.

Yes that's true, my 700 is plastic but the 1000 is more substantial even though its still not what I would call a reference or ES grade enclosure. I will say that i bought mine from a pawn shop on ebay, and they literally put it in a box that it barely fit in with no padding at all, and it wasn't damaged and works perfectly. So, it does appear to have solid build quality!

Emlyn

Build quality hasn't been a priority for most Panasonic DVD and Blu Ray players over the last 20 years. Their latest UB9000 surprised me though. Seemed like they jumped into the vacant Oppo market with that one.

WLDock

gyosa wrote: »

If you scour the net , that Sony UBP-x700 is THE one to get .....
I believe it is one of the few Sony’s that WILL do dolbyvision automatically...

Bk

https://slickdeals.net/f/14472053-sony-ubp-x700-streaming-4k-ultra-hd-blu-ray-player-150-free-shipping?src=frontpage

dpowell

That's a nice deal. I sure wish they didnt make them look so cheap and low end. I'm getting by with a basic spare samsung i have on hand and it looks so lame sitting in the same rack with a sunfire cinema grande and Pioneer elite receiver.

Grimster74

Emlyn wrote: »

Build quality hasn't been a priority for most Panasonic DVD and Blu Ray players over the last 20 years. Their latest UB9000 surprised me though. Seemed like they jumped into the vacant Oppo market with that one.

Almost jumped on this player but I had no need for 2-channel listening in my theater room so I saved myself $500. When I bought my 820, the 420 hadn't been released just yet or I would have gone that route.

pitdogg2

Dang they sure have gotten a lot cheaper. BB doesn't carry much in movies much here anymore either.

dpowell

I wish i could stream more but the max internet I can get at my place is 6 mbps and i get charged data overages. For now I have to keep spinning discs. I've found redbox to be a good source for picking up recent releases. If i wait long enough, i can purchase almost anything for $3.99 and the discs have always been in great shape. Granted its usually just the movie with no extras and a redbox case.

pitdogg2

Yea Ryan buy 4k get mp3 quality

dpowell

Rick88 wrote: »

^^ While I'm not knowledgeable on the topic of streaming, I suspected this.

Ditto. I have an Audioengine B1 bluetooth receiver connected to the X1 Pre that i use for streaming FLAC files from my phone when Im not in serious listening mode. Even with the better internals of the Audioengine, my daughter and I can both hear the difference between the original CD and the Bluetooth stream in an A/B comparison. Im sure its the same for any online streaming.

Thorton

I’ve had the UBD-X800 from 2017. It’s worked flawless. I really don’t see any need to upgrade. The 4K picture is awesome. It’s quiet and does what’s it’s supposed to, for me, pass the video and audio signal. I agree with Zitful. 4K streaming is good. However, it does not match the video and sound capabilities of physical media. At least to what I’ve seen. Every new release I find a must, I buy the physical media. Period. I’m sure the Panasonics are nice too.

dpowell

Right now B&H has the Panasonic 420 for $150 and the 820 for $350. Looks like the only difference between the 2 is Dolby Vision Is there a reaon to pay an extra $200 more to get the Dolby Vision capability if i use a projector and dont habe that capability?

French_guy

How does the Xbox S compare to the players listed above? Will I see an improvement with a Panasonic 420, or a Sony X700? Or it will be kind of the same, and I would need to invest much more than $150?

BlueFox

French_guy wrote: »

How does the Xbox S compare to the players listed above? Will I see an improvement with a Panasonic 420, or a Sony X700? Or it will be kind of the same, and I would need to invest much more than $150?

Good luck on that question. It would be better to buy the Xbox, and return it after the experiment.

dpowell

After much debate, I settled on the Panasonic 420. Figured I'd save the rest of the coin for other upgrades. It's on order but must promptly be placed in wrapping paper upon arrival for official unveiling on Christmas day.

dpowell

I figured i would post a quick review in case anyone else is in the market for a player. I unwrapped the Panasonic UB420 on Christmas and got it hooked up that afternoon. It is a very small unit and was easy to fit in the rack. I wish it was 19" for consistency with other components but thats not the end of the world. Setup was fast and easy. It let me know right off the bat it was not connected to a 4K or UHD display.

First test was Star Trek in Ultra HD Blu Ray. This was my first UHD Blu Ray purchase. The player is whisper quiet and the disc loaded reasonably fast. Picture and sound quality was great. I wont truly be able to rate UHD performance until i upgrade the projector in a few years. The remote is fine. Does what is needed.

I like that this player has the ability to download streaming apps. The Amazon Prime app setup was a breeze and it works well.

dpowell

skrol

My Marantz UD5005 has been serving me well and does SACD and DVD-audio. The Denon DBP-1611UD is the same exact player internally but says Denon when you power it up. I have both but use the Marantz because it matches my Marantz SR7010.

dpowell

After 4 months of use, i wanted to post an update. The player has a good image and generally works fine. There are a few annoyances that i want to relay. The eject button is on the top so in my case, i can only use the remote for that function. The remote signal strength is weak and requires battery changes frequently. The streaming apps menu and features are way outdated and very slow. The biggest annoyance is that the player simply cannot handle anything but perfect discs. Trying to play discs that have been through 3 kids is a consistent challenge. Even simple imperfections cause issues. The player has no playback memory. Take the disc out to clean and put it back in and it doesnt remember where you left off.

Bottom line is I wish i had gone with the Sony. At least im only out $150.

Rich502

Dpowell, thabks for following up on your impressions. That’s a good point, didn’t think of playback memory, currently using a PS3 and it does it since it has a hard drive. Wondering if there are any other standalone players that have this capability?