pls recommend a blu-ray player for a hard case

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  • ECGnovice
    ECGnovice Posts: 31
    edited July 2010
    I just purchased the samsung BD-C6500, for just under $200. It complements my new Samsung 55" LCD.

    http://www.crutchfield.com/p_305BDC6500/Samsung-BD-C6500.html?tp=171
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  • Roy Munson
    Roy Munson Posts: 886
    edited July 2010
    Micah Cohen wrote: »
    Found some 981s on amazon, but they are upwards of $400. Way out of my price range for this. Back to square one?

    MC

    Micah, the Oppo 981 has been discontinued and sold new for about $199.00 (if I remember correctly). You should be able to find a used one for much less. Buying a BD player just to play SD DVD is a waste of money plus as was stated in a previous post not all upconverting players are equal and that includes BDPs.

    Damn, if used 981's are selling used for $400.00 I think I better list mine for sale!
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  • Micah Cohen
    Micah Cohen Posts: 2,022
    edited July 2010
    Here's what I did:

    I went to HHGregg to talk to my main man Ly Foung Vang (South Blvd, Charlotte). Ly is the guy who went the distance to help me get the very last Sony RPTV. I brought this thread with me. We looked for some of the models, found most of them out-dated, and he guided me to the Sony BluRay player S-470.

    I connected it direct to the TV via HDMI (separate optical audio). I calibrated with AVIA.

    And I can't tell the difference between the picture from the crappy old Pioneer DVD player (noted as 480p on the input display of the TV) and the new Sony BD player (shown as 1080p on the TV display)! What the heck?

    Can I assume that the Sony BD player is sharing the upconverting with the TV's excellent upscaler? (Should I assume that the BD player is upscaling?) Should I tell the BD player not to upscale, but to let the TV do it? (How do I do that?)

    Am I doing anything wrong that would cause me to not have a phenomenal leap in picture quality of SD-DVD from the DVD player to the BD player?

    MC
    ultramicah@yahoo.com

    "There's nothing funny about a clown in the moonlight." - Lon Chaney
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  • packetjones
    packetjones Posts: 1,059
    edited July 2010
    You are not doing anything wrong. You will want to choose the device with the best possible scaling to scale the image with. The 470 is not necessarily known for it's dvd up scaling. I dont think that there is going to be a phenomenal improvement in pic quality on a DVD regardless of the player. To let the TV upscale the image set the sony to output 480p. This will be the native dvd format and the TV will scale it.
    Front - RTiA5's
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  • vc69
    vc69 Posts: 2,500
    edited July 2010
    Sorry Micah, but I think you might be expecting too much from your player. There is no reason to expect a leap in PQ just because you are playing a DVD in a BD player. In fact, the opposite is often the case.

    I'm sure your BD player will do a fine job of playing a BluRay disc. However, as has been said, you get what you pay for when it comes to scaling a SD disc.
    -Kevin
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  • digitalvideo
    digitalvideo Posts: 983
    edited July 2010
    The Oppo's and Pioneer's are consistently rated highest for dvd upconversation plus they're the only two players with the 'Source Direct' feature. I recommend the Pioneer bdp-320 or Pio Elite 23FD or Oppo 80.
    dane_peterson wrote: »
    The 120 and 320 will not load quickly. That ES player is a nice value.

    I just bought a Pioneer Elite BDP-23FD which is pretty much the same as the Pio 320. I updated it to the latest firmware and it runs pretty fast and is smooth and quiet, mind you it's not blink of an eye snap of your fingers instant fast, but it's a good speed.

    Right when I hit the power button it takes around 8 seconds for the Pioneer logo to appear on my tv screen. The bd movie Zombieland took around 12 seconds to load to the main menu. It rewinds and fast forwards very fast, and the PQ is excellent! I have it hooked up to a Pioneer Elite Kuro Pro plasma. I'm very happy with mine.

    One of the most important aspects to picture quality is your tv and how good it handles 480i, 720p, 1080i. 1080p sources and can handle 1080p/24fps. A $2000 bd player won't give you a better PQ than a $300 bd player.
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  • digitalvideo
    digitalvideo Posts: 983
    edited July 2010
    There is only so much you can do to make a DVD look good, it will never look as good as bluray. Plus I believe a lot of these dvd's were made and created when 4:3 tv's were the norm. BD's are specifically designed for newer 16:9 tv's.

    Watching the AMC channel on my old 4:3 tv the movies are sharper than watching dvd's on my Pioneer Elite Kuro Pro. Some newer tv's aren't good for standard definition programing. 480i looks horrid on my Pio Elite Kuro plasma but it looks good on my old 4:3.

    720p, 1080i, 1080p looks amazing on my Pio plasma. DVD is 480i.
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  • blockatvalpo
    blockatvalpo Posts: 87
    edited July 2010
    I'm slowly making the switch to blu-ray's and I'm looking at 3 different players. They are the Sony BDP-S1000ES ($199), Panasonic DMP-BD65 ($125), and the Insignia NS-BRDVD3 ($100). This blu-ray player will be connected to my Pioneer SC-25 and Toshiba 52" DLP and won't be my primary blu-ray player. My primary player would be my PS3, which is connected to a different tv. Would one player be better than the other? Wi-fi doesn't matter to me bc my router will be right next to the player. Thanks for your input.
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  • digitalvideo
    digitalvideo Posts: 983
    edited July 2010
    blockatvalpo wrote: »
    I'm slowly making the switch to blu-ray's and I'm looking at 3 different players. They are the Sony BDP-S1000ES ($199), Panasonic DMP-BD65 ($125), and the Insignia NS-BRDVD3 ($100). This blu-ray player will be connected to my Pioneer SC-25 and Toshiba 52" DLP and won't be my primary blu-ray player. My primary player would be my PS3, which is connected to a different tv. Would one player be better than the other? Wi-fi doesn't matter to me bc my router will be right next to the player. Thanks for your input.

    For people who are most concerned about picture quality they tend to go towards dedicated bd players and for sound too. The PS3 is a good all around performer for speed/load times and gaming. I would go with a dedicated bd player as my main bd viewing.
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  • blockatvalpo
    blockatvalpo Posts: 87
    edited July 2010
    The blu-ray player we use will depend on what type of movie it is and what time it is. Kid friendly = PS3 because it's in the kid-proof room and PG-13 = in the basement where the better HT set-up is. I have the SC-25, so I've been looking at the Elite BDP-31FD. Is it worth the extra $200 (comparing it to the Sony BDP-S1000ES @ Crutchfield)?
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  • packetjones
    packetjones Posts: 1,059
    edited July 2010
    I picked up the 1000ES from Vanns yesterday for $180 shipped. I will post a review when i get it.
    Front - RTiA5's
    Rear - RTiA3's
    Center - CSiA4
    Sub - PSW110
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  • domflane
    domflane Posts: 653
    edited July 2010
    I never thought I'd buy into the Blu-Ray thing myself, but after buying a 1080p Samsung LCD, I realized that SD just doesn't cut it. I have my Blu's delivered via netflix and don't plan on ever looking back. The picture and sound cannot compare to DVD, period. My almost 500 DVD strong collection sits unused. A PS3 handles my BR duties and it does the job very well, although I'd love to pick up an Oppo 83 one day. Upgrading from DVD's to blu-ray's doesn't make you a sucker Micah, especially if you have a good HDTV. Just my .02
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  • moraks
    moraks Posts: 49
    edited July 2010
    thinking about getting a Blu ray player but my current set up is with a sanyo plz 4 and component cables no hDMI, will that work and is it worth upgrading?
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  • digitalvideo
    digitalvideo Posts: 983
    edited July 2010
    blockatvalpo wrote: »
    The blu-ray player we use will depend on what type of movie it is and what time it is. Kid friendly = PS3 because it's in the kid-proof room and PG-13 = in the basement where the better HT set-up is. I have the SC-25, so I've been looking at the Elite BDP-31FD. Is it worth the extra $200 (comparing it to the Sony BDP-S1000ES @ Crutchfield)?

    The new 2010 Pio bd players have been discussed some what on other forum websites, there are people saying that their new bd players are rebranded Sharp players. Some say the 2008-09 Pio bd players were the last true bd players that were Pioneer. I would look for a Pioneer bdp-320 or Pio Elite 23FD first. If you can't find those then get one of the Oppo's. Just make sure it has a 'Source Direct' feature.

    AVS Forum Pioneer BDP-330 / Elite BDP-24FD Elite BDP-31FD / Elite BDP-33FD Thread:

    http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1237058

    Bluray Player Audio Support Comparison Chart:

    http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1050507&highlight=blu+ray+player+comparison+chart
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  • digitalvideo
    digitalvideo Posts: 983
    edited July 2010
    moraks wrote: »
    thinking about getting a Blu ray player but my current set up is with a sanyo plz 4 and component cables no hDMI, will that work and is it worth upgrading?

    I would go full HDMI for bluray.
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  • moraks
    moraks Posts: 49
    edited July 2010
    my problem is that my wiring is in the wall/ceiling and i am not sure if I can get HDMI cable from the blu ray player to the projector
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  • digitalvideo
    digitalvideo Posts: 983
    edited July 2010
    moraks wrote: »
    my problem is that my wiring is in the wall/ceiling and i am not sure if I can get HDMI cable from the blu ray player to the projector

    Sure you can, I would get someone who his knowledgable in wiring installation if you're not. Bluejeans HDMI wires are UL CM rated for "in-wall" installation and have successfuly passed a 1080p/60 signal through their 100 feet length HDMI wire. People wire their projectors all the time with HDMI wires through the walls.

    http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/belden-blue-jeans-cable-shatter-hdmi-record
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  • Micah Cohen
    Micah Cohen Posts: 2,022
    edited July 2010
    Upgrading from DVD's to blu-ray's doesn't make you a sucker... My almost 500 DVD strong collection sits unused.
    Har. How much you want for it? Couple bucks? I'll buy it off ya.

    So, I'm going to post some here to update y'all on my digital progress.

    Frankly, I'm underwhelmed with the performance of the Sony BD player I have now hooked up via HDMI and calibrated twice. Underwhelmed, because I'm overwhelmed with digital information, resulting in lots of noise. I have it set to output 480p via HDMI to the Sony upscaling TV.

    Last night we watched KRAMER VS KRAMER. Granted it's a TERRIBLE DVD, poorly mastered. But there were moments where the difference between component connections and HDMI were evident. (I flipped the disc back and forth from the BD player to my old Pio DVD player.)

    Opening moment of the film: Meryl Streep's face on a black background. Via HDMI, the black is crawling with mosquitos. Via Component, it's smooth pure black. Courtroom scene: Dustin Hoffman's hands are flying about while he gets emotional. Via HDMI, they are stuttery and smeary. Via Component they are much more film-like, smooth, realistic.

    Now, maybe there's a setting on my TV I'm missing. Something that smooths digital info to be more filmic. (Anyone know?)

    But, so far this is my experience. I'm annoyed at new digital noise being introduced into my images via HDMI.

    MC
    ultramicah@yahoo.com

    "There's nothing funny about a clown in the moonlight." - Lon Chaney
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  • acmf74
    acmf74 Posts: 937
    edited July 2010
    I just bought another Sony BDP-S570 for $178 from Provantge.com

    Great picture, fast load times and built in WI-FI.

    This one was a clear winner for me.

    Plus it offers quite a few free services. I especially like Slacker radio feature. I connected the player to my outdoor receiver, and now I have commercial free music.
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  • blockatvalpo
    blockatvalpo Posts: 87
    edited July 2010
    digitalvideo wrote: »
    The new 2010 Pio bd players have been discussed some what on other forum websites, there are people saying that their new bd players are rebranded Sharp players. Some say the 2008-09 Pio bd players were the last true bd players that were Pioneer. I would look for a Pioneer bdp-320 or Pio Elite 23FD first. If you can't find those then get one of the Oppo's. Just make sure it has a 'Source Direct' feature.

    AVS Forum Pioneer BDP-330 / Elite BDP-24FD Elite BDP-31FD / Elite BDP-33FD Thread:

    http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1237058

    Bluray Player Audio Support Comparison Chart:

    http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1050507&highlight=blu+ray+player+comparison+chart

    Thanks. I looked for the Pioneer bdp-320 or Pio Elite 23FD players and they are goind for the same price as a new Oppo. I'm leaning towards the Oppo BDP-80, but I'm also considering the Sony BDPS1000ES. I'd love to get a Pioneer Elite so everything matches and I could use the Kuro link feature on my reciever, but I'm beginning to think it's not really worth the extra money. I think my SC-25 will pair nicely with either the Sony or Oppo. Thoughts? The Oppo has a source direct mode, but I don't think the Sony does.
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