OT :Blu-Ray players

[gasman]

I finally broke down and got a 50" Samsung plasma TV. The picture is great even with SD. I stuck a paper clip antenna in the back and the HD from out local stations is great. So now I want to buy a Bluray player to watch movies. The hot tip used to be to buy a PS3. Is this still true ? Is there a reliable Blu-ray player that anyone would reccomend ?

[vqdriver]

i would say so.
my ps3 loads WAAAY faster than my bdp-s350, and i haven't noticed any drops yet.

the only negative so far is that the bluetooth remote for the ps3 will power on the unit when any button is pushed. also, since it's bluetooth, you don't actually have to point it at the unit, so if you sit on the remote by accident, you could easily skip a chapter, bring up the menu, etc... pretty annoying in the middle of a movie.

[csm]

I second the annoyance about the ps3 controller but it's easy enough to live with.

[maunahaole]

I have a samsung bdp2550 that I really like. This model has been dropped from the lineup, however you may still be able to find one. It will do streaming netflix through a cabled ethernet connection and stream music via pandora. It also has the Reon video co-processor, so upscaling of SD DVD looks nice on the big screen (I have a 46" samsung lcd). It was a Best Buy only item, the pandora streaming being what differentiates it from the bdp2500. You may still be able to find one if you look, however there is some geek appeal to this model because of the slate of features.

[Hard Fit]

oppo, if its in your price range.

[RPS]

It also has the Reon video co-processor, so upscaling of SD DVD looks nice on the big screen (I have a 46" samsung lcd).
Is that what they use on upscaling DVD players also?

Like gasman I’ve also been considering switching to Blu-Ray and have been wondering if it’s worth it for me since I don’t buy that many new titles. Most of my viewing would be existing DVDs, at least for the time being.

Which brings me to the question, how much difference is there between Blu-Ray and when watching upscaled DVDs? I’m interested mostly in watching DVDs/Blu-Ray discs and little else (connectivity to Net not a big factor). If little difference, I’d probably buy an upscaling DVD (maybe recorder) and wait on Blu-Ray for a while. I want to be able to record.

[slowgoing]

www.cnet.com for reviews

[gasman]

Yea-I checked out Cnet before I posted-the choices become overwhelming at times. I appreciate the real world views from fellow forumites.

[maunahaole]

(disclaimer - I'm not an expert on this stuff)

Sometimes the upscaling is done by the player, sometimes it is done by the AV receiver. Depends on settings. Like all things there are better upscaling chips than others. At the time the player came out, the reon was considered a pretty good chip, especially at the price point of the player, and better than most in receivers.

An nicely upscaled dvd looks good on the big screen. The edges are a little soft, but it gives kind of a "film" quality. Blu-ray images are really sharp - the colors pop and the contrast seems more pronounced. The big and mostly unsold advantage of blu ray (in my opinion) is that the higher capacity of the media allows for the newer sound options (HD sound formats). When coupled with a good AVR that decodes it properly and all the channels filled, the sound is a step above, more range, better surround imaging, etc.

I highly recommend reading reviews and checking the AV forums for more info. It will overload you with info first, so take your time and sort through the chaff (esp on the forums). I really dont know much on the recorder decks, so I dont want to try to speak to them.

[zap]

Easy. Panasonic.

Oppo makes the best dvd players but are new to blu so maybe wait another 6 months or so.

[Marcusaurelius]

I first tried a Sony Blu-ray player and recently I got a Panasonic Blu-ray player. The panasonic has a slightly better picture and sound but both do a great job with dvd and blu-ray discs. The panasonic also loads the discs a little faster.

[fierte_poser]

Easy. Panasonic.

Oppo makes the best dvd players but are new to blu so maybe wait another 6 months or so.

+1. I passed on the Oppo blu-ray because of the $500 price.

I chose to get a Panasonic BD80 over the PS3 because: 1) the panasonic will decode the lossless surround sound formats that my older Marantz receiver will not (receiver has 6.1 input). 2) the panasonic was $100 cheaper than the PS3. 3) i don't play video games.

The Panasonic was $300 at onecall.

[melonyogloo]

PS3 does encode lossless audio track. The best thing about PS3 is that there are software update. If you have wireless router, you can also watch video files from your computer. You can also rent/download Blu-ray movie at Playstation store.