Become a Site Supporter and Never see Ads again!

Author Topic: Help with Blue Ray Looking at getting one for xmas  (Read 26040 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline tmfraley2

  • Trade Count: (1)
  • Taperssection All-Star
  • ****
  • Posts: 1845
  • Gender: Male
  • FOB is where I want to be....
Help with Blue Ray Looking at getting one for xmas
« on: December 05, 2008, 03:43:16 PM »
OK so I am trying to decide if I should move to blue ray and wondered what players are worth the investment, any help would be great , going to do some research but I know folks here know what they are doing  :P
"Even jesus couldn't pull a good tape from the lawn" - Nick Gregory 6/28/05

KM140>V2>722

Offline Javier Cinakowski

  • !! Downhill From Here !!
  • Trade Count: (11)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *****
  • Posts: 4325
  • Gender: Male
Re: Help with Blue Ray Looking at getting one for xmas
« Reply #1 on: December 05, 2008, 03:45:31 PM »
I am a big fan of the playstation.   it is a great media player, blue-ray player, game console, and decent interent browser....

Best part is the firmware is upgradable.  As the blueray format changes, and it looks like it is in for some (see 400GB thread), a firmware upgradable player is the way to go.....
Neumann KM185mp OR DPA ST2015-> Grace Design Lunatec V2-> Tascam DR-100mkIII

Offline John Kelly

  • Been a while...
  • Trade Count: (1)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *****
  • Posts: 9753
  • Gender: Male
    • The Jokell
Re: Help with Blue Ray Looking at getting one for xmas
« Reply #2 on: December 05, 2008, 05:01:12 PM »
There are some serious drawbacks to the PS3 as a Blu-Ray player:
-Will not fit in a standard A/V rack space
-Cannot stack other components above it
-Will not work with universal remotes (without some expensive workarounds)
-Serious power draw, even when turned off
-Many features beyond Blu-Ray playback, which you may not ever use/need

The Sony BDP-S350 seems to be going for $199 right now and it's a pretty good player.  The S550 is also a great upgrade if your budget is a bit higher.

Also, every Blu-Ray player is firmware upgradeable.  What they are NOT is "spec" upgradeable.  Meaning a 1.1 spec player cannot upgrade to a 2.0 spec player (or BD-Live, as some companies call it).
« Last Edit: December 05, 2008, 05:02:48 PM by John Kelly »
Sennheiser MKH8040st > SD 702
XBL/PSN/Steam ID: thejokell

Offline kindms

  • Trade Count: (6)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *****
  • Posts: 5948
    • The Breakfast
Re: Help with Blue Ray Looking at getting one for xmas
« Reply #3 on: December 05, 2008, 05:17:24 PM »
There are some serious drawbacks to the PS3 as a Blu-Ray player:
-Will not fit in a standard A/V rack space
-Cannot stack other components above it
-Will not work with universal remotes (without some expensive workarounds)
-Serious power draw, even when turned off
-Many features beyond Blu-Ray playback, which you may not ever use/need

The Sony BDP-S350 seems to be going for $199 right now and it's a pretty good player.  The S550 is also a great upgrade if your budget is a bit higher.

Also, every Blu-Ray player is firmware upgradeable.  What they are NOT is "spec" upgradeable.  Meaning a 1.1 spec player cannot upgrade to a 2.0 spec player (or BD-Live, as some companies call it).

John

What exactlty do you mean a serious power draw even when turned off ? Vampire type of thing ?
AKG c426, AKG414 XLS/ST, AKG ck61, ck22, >nBob colettes >PFA > V3, SD MixPre >  TCM-Mod Tascam HDP2, Sony M10
Little Bear tube Pre >Outlaw Audio 2200 Monoblocks > VR-2's

Offline John Kelly

  • Been a while...
  • Trade Count: (1)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *****
  • Posts: 9753
  • Gender: Male
    • The Jokell
Re: Help with Blue Ray Looking at getting one for xmas
« Reply #4 on: December 05, 2008, 05:25:26 PM »
There are some serious drawbacks to the PS3 as a Blu-Ray player:
-Will not fit in a standard A/V rack space
-Cannot stack other components above it
-Will not work with universal remotes (without some expensive workarounds)
-Serious power draw, even when turned off
-Many features beyond Blu-Ray playback, which you may not ever use/need

The Sony BDP-S350 seems to be going for $199 right now and it's a pretty good player.  The S550 is also a great upgrade if your budget is a bit higher.

Also, every Blu-Ray player is firmware upgradeable.  What they are NOT is "spec" upgradeable.  Meaning a 1.1 spec player cannot upgrade to a 2.0 spec player (or BD-Live, as some companies call it).

John

What exactlty do you mean a serious power draw even when turned off ? Vampire type of thing ?

Well I looked it up and it's not as bad as I had thought - only about $.20/mo to keep the PS3 in standby mode at average prices.  However it will consume about 200W of power during BD playback, and about 175W during DVD playback.  That's pretty huge.
Sennheiser MKH8040st > SD 702
XBL/PSN/Steam ID: thejokell

Offline John Kelly

  • Been a while...
  • Trade Count: (1)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *****
  • Posts: 9753
  • Gender: Male
    • The Jokell
Re: Help with Blue Ray Looking at getting one for xmas
« Reply #5 on: December 05, 2008, 05:26:35 PM »
All that said, if you're willing to get past the issues I listed (don't care about A/V Racks or stacking, don't care about the remote) the PS3 is the best Blu-Ray player you can buy at the moment.
Sennheiser MKH8040st > SD 702
XBL/PSN/Steam ID: thejokell

Offline willndmb

  • Trade Count: (17)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *****
  • Posts: 6792
  • Gender: Male
Re: Help with Blue Ray Looking at getting one for xmas
« Reply #6 on: December 08, 2008, 11:45:25 AM »
The Sony BDP-S350 seems to be going for $199 right now and it's a pretty good player.  The S550 is also a great upgrade if your budget is a bit higher.

Also, every Blu-Ray player is firmware upgradeable.  What they are NOT is "spec" upgradeable.  Meaning a 1.1 spec player cannot upgrade to a 2.0 spec player (or BD-Live, as some companies call it).
i looked into the 350 at thanksgiving
a salesman told me in order for the BDLive to work you needed to upgrade the firmware, which required at least a 1gb add on memory hooked up via usb
???
Mics - AKG ck61/ck63 (c480b & Naiant actives), SP-BMC-2
XLR Cables - Silver Path w/Darktrain stubbies
Interconnect Cables - Dogstar (XLR), Darktrain (RCA > 1/8) (1/8 > 1/8), and Kind Kables (1/8f > 1/4)
Preamps - Naiant Littlebox & Tinybox
Recorders - PCM-M10 & DR-60D

Offline John Kelly

  • Been a while...
  • Trade Count: (1)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *****
  • Posts: 9753
  • Gender: Male
    • The Jokell
Re: Help with Blue Ray Looking at getting one for xmas
« Reply #7 on: December 08, 2008, 01:26:46 PM »
The Sony BDP-S350 seems to be going for $199 right now and it's a pretty good player.  The S550 is also a great upgrade if your budget is a bit higher.

Also, every Blu-Ray player is firmware upgradeable.  What they are NOT is "spec" upgradeable.  Meaning a 1.1 spec player cannot upgrade to a 2.0 spec player (or BD-Live, as some companies call it).
i looked into the 350 at thanksgiving
a salesman told me in order for the BDLive to work you needed to upgrade the firmware, which required at least a 1gb add on memory hooked up via usb
???

That may be true, as 2.0/BD-Live requires 1GB of persistent storage.  I was unaware that the 350 did not have it built in...
Sennheiser MKH8040st > SD 702
XBL/PSN/Steam ID: thejokell

Offline willndmb

  • Trade Count: (17)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *****
  • Posts: 6792
  • Gender: Male
Re: Help with Blue Ray Looking at getting one for xmas
« Reply #8 on: December 08, 2008, 01:57:23 PM »
The Sony BDP-S350 seems to be going for $199 right now and it's a pretty good player.  The S550 is also a great upgrade if your budget is a bit higher.

Also, every Blu-Ray player is firmware upgradeable.  What they are NOT is "spec" upgradeable.  Meaning a 1.1 spec player cannot upgrade to a 2.0 spec player (or BD-Live, as some companies call it).
i looked into the 350 at thanksgiving
a salesman told me in order for the BDLive to work you needed to upgrade the firmware, which required at least a 1gb add on memory hooked up via usb
???

That may be true, as 2.0/BD-Live requires 1GB of persistent storage.  I was unaware that the 350 did not have it built in...
the 550 has it built in, actually 2gb i think
Mics - AKG ck61/ck63 (c480b & Naiant actives), SP-BMC-2
XLR Cables - Silver Path w/Darktrain stubbies
Interconnect Cables - Dogstar (XLR), Darktrain (RCA > 1/8) (1/8 > 1/8), and Kind Kables (1/8f > 1/4)
Preamps - Naiant Littlebox & Tinybox
Recorders - PCM-M10 & DR-60D

Offline jhirte

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *****
  • Posts: 2274
  • Gender: Male
  • At ease atleast yeah.
Re: Help with Blue Ray Looking at getting one for xmas
« Reply #9 on: December 11, 2008, 01:16:41 PM »
PS3 is the way to go IMO. constant firmware updates, the ability to use it for audio playback from PC (wireless even), gaming (if your into that). Movie rentals via playstation store, etc.
It'll fit in a standard av stand/shelf, as long as your not standing it on end. You can use the controller for playback, sort of an inconvenience, but it works. You could purchase the remote for BR playback (25 bucks) but why bother, what controls do you really need more than play/pause/stop/ff/rew? its all available using the controller.
For the money, and what you can do with it, PS3 all the way. ;)

Offline todd e

  • Trade Count: (3)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • Posts: 3537
  • Gender: Male
  • ***Team Schoeps***
Re: Help with Blue Ray Looking at getting one for xmas
« Reply #10 on: January 08, 2009, 09:21:16 AM »
i just got thru this, and my recommendation is the LG BD300.

had the entry level sony first, and the invicta.  didnt like either.  ended up getting the LG because it streams netflix (in HD too)
definitely worth it to me, as i have no interest in gaming.  just another opinion in this thread. 

watched my first blue ray in 7.1 last night, LOVED it.  cant wait for more, definitely noticing the difference in terms of the higher resolution audio.

Offline sparkey

  • Trade Count: (5)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *****
  • Posts: 4054
Re: Help with Blue Ray Looking at getting one for xmas
« Reply #11 on: January 08, 2009, 10:17:34 AM »
because it streams netflix (in HD too)

How is that in hd?

Josh
#Generalstrike for president in 2024

Offline todd e

  • Trade Count: (3)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • Posts: 3537
  • Gender: Male
  • ***Team Schoeps***
Re: Help with Blue Ray Looking at getting one for xmas
« Reply #12 on: January 08, 2009, 01:28:58 PM »
because it streams netflix (in HD too)

How is that in hd?

Josh

no better than 1080i, but that's the best directv can do too as i understand it.  i have a phat connection, which helps dramtically.
works great, been catching up on CSI, Heroes, and 30Rock in HD this past week and it's great.

Offline sparkey

  • Trade Count: (5)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *****
  • Posts: 4054
Re: Help with Blue Ray Looking at getting one for xmas
« Reply #13 on: January 08, 2009, 01:47:55 PM »
So the resolution is 1080i....any glitches, artifacts, anything like that?  Does it cache the images and then start playing?  Thumbs up???

because it streams netflix (in HD too)

How is that in hd?

Josh

no better than 1080i, but that's the best directv can do too as i understand it.  i have a phat connection, which helps dramtically.
works great, been catching up on CSI, Heroes, and 30Rock in HD this past week and it's great.
#Generalstrike for president in 2024

Offline todd e

  • Trade Count: (3)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • Posts: 3537
  • Gender: Male
  • ***Team Schoeps***
Re: Help with Blue Ray Looking at getting one for xmas
« Reply #14 on: January 08, 2009, 03:12:54 PM »
So the resolution is 1080i....any glitches, artifacts, anything like that?  Does it cache the images and then start playing?  Thumbs up???

because it streams netflix (in HD too)

How is that in hd?

Josh

no better than 1080i, but that's the best directv can do too as i understand it.  i have a phat connection, which helps dramtically.
works great, been catching up on CSI, Heroes, and 30Rock in HD this past week and it's great.

it's starts a cache for the movie, for about 30sec at the beginning and will re-adjust if the network activity gets spotty mid-way, but i've only heard of that, never seen that happen.  all of this is assuming that netflix has the content in HD, not all movies are in resolution higher than SD.  thumbs up for me, but it's also the FIRST blu-ray player with this feature.  there is a $100 box made by roku, which delivers the same content, but you have to have a seperate blu-ray player then.  i'm sure it'll get better, and i bet sony will start pulling their content from netflix as they plan to unveil a similar streaming service for the ps3

 

RSS | Mobile
Page created in 0.092 seconds with 41 queries.
© 2002-2024 Taperssection.com
Powered by SMF