Blue Ray

[Lester]

OK, time to take the plunge into blue-ray. Any recommendations for a player?

I get the impression that the PS3 is the way to go, as you get a good player with a games console thrown in for free effectively. Is this the case?

Any advice welcome, cheers

Lester

 

[TdC]

I have a PS/3 and it's absolutely fabulous.

 

[Yaka]

its the most sensible choice but remeber to buy the offical remote for it as well.

 

[TdC]

troo. controlling the thing via one of the game controllers is not a class act tbh.

 

[ST^]

PS3 was the only real choice because it was both the best and cheapest blu-ray player. It isn't the cheapest anymore, but it's still the best.

 

[Aada]

OK, time to take the plunge into blue-ray. Any recommendations for a player?

I get the impression that the PS3 is the way to go, as you get a good player with a games console thrown in for free effectively. Is this the case?

Any advice welcome, cheers

Lester

If you want everything rolled into one then the PS3 is a great choice.

However if you couldn't give a monkeys about games then i kno blockbusters are doing sony bluray players for 200 quid plus 6 free blurays.

 

[Trem]

Playstation 3 for sure (like I bloody said ages ago Lester ).

You just don't trust my judgement anymore

 

[old.user4556]

Once again, I will offer the PS3 alternative. Whilst the PS3 is awesome for blu-ray because it used to be the cheapest way of getting into blu-ray (when other players were £500 and upwards). That's no longer the case.

Play.com (UK) : Sony BDP-S350 Blu-ray Player (With Casino Royale And Batman Begins Promotion) : Electronics - Free Delivery)

This player can also been updated; it comes with an ethernet port. Additionally, it can internally decode HD audio and provide analogue outputs for your amplifier if you don't have a reasonably modern home cinema receiver than can decode Dolby True HD and DTS HD audio. It also provides bitstream HD audio. The PS3 does none of this, although will pass through HD audio via LPCM to an amp that can decode it (like I do). Most of all, it's cheaper than the PS3 by some margin.

The PS3 is no longer the only sensible blu-ray choice, yes it's brilliant but there are better, cheaper players on the market now.

Edit: that player has been getting rave reviews. Lester, I would seriously get some advice from the guys on avforums.com before you go and shell out unnecessary cash on a PS3.

 

[Bodhi]

Cheaper? Yes. Better value? Not in the slightest. 100 quid isn't much when you get a stonking games console, an internet, media pc, 2 free games (one awesome, the other Need for Speed) a bluray and a remote thrown in now is it? Didn't think so. So click the link below and purchase good Lester, and may your evenings be forever full.

Play.com (UK) : Sony PlayStation 3 PS3 Console with 80GB HDD + Need For Speed: Undercover + LittleBigPlanet + I Am Legend (Blu-ray Movie) + Blu-ray Remote Control : PlayStation3 - Free Delivery

 

[old.user4556]

That's only if you want a games console Bodhi, that might not matter to him, it's a pain in the ass that the PS3 doesn't decode HD audio internally for us home cinema freaks because I had to shell out extra on a new amp when I realised it wasn't going to be supported - so it depends on what he needs. All I'm saying is give it some thought on what you want/need before being rail-roaded into the PS3, because it's not the best anymore.

 

[old.user4556]

IGNORE ME

It's the S550 that has the internal decoding and analogue outputs.

SONY BDPS550 BLU-RAY/DVD PLAYER (MULTI-REGION FOR DVD) - available from Superfi UK Visit http://www.superfi.co.uk/index.cfm/page/moreinfo.cfm/product_id/4578 for details

 

[ST^]

That's only if you want a games console Bodhi, that might not matter to him, it's a pain in the ass that the PS3 doesn't decode HD audio internally for us home cinema freaks because I had to shell out extra on a new amp when I realised it wasn't going to be supported - so it depends on what he needs. All I'm saying is give it some thought on what you want/need before being rail-roaded into the PS3, because it's not the best anymore.

PS3 does decode HD audio. DTS-HD/MA, Dolby TrueHD etc are decoded and sent to the amp as PCM.

 

[old.user4556]

Yes I know, but doesn't it do PCM over HDMI only? Your amp would need to allow that, if you have an older amp (my old one didn't have HDMI on it) you're screwed.

 

[Ch3tan]

Thats because optical does not have the bandwidth to carry Hd audio, so it would not be the same quality anyway G. If you want HD sound you need HDMI on your amp.

 

[ST^]

Optical technically has the bandwidth to carry HD audio, but the protocol it uses doesn't support it. As Ch3tan says, you need HDMI for 5.1 HD audio. Otherwise you're stuck with DTS.

 

[old.user4556]

Thats because optical does not have the bandwidth to carry Hd audio, so it would not be the same quality anyway G. If you want HD sound you need HDMI on your amp.

Exactly. So if your amp doesn't have HDMI inputs you're limited to non-HD audio with a PS3 - something to consider if you're a home cinema geek.

 

[TdC]

err, I don't mean to diss your geekness, but I have fiber running from my PS3 to my dolby digital/dts amp and it's just fine and dandy. some of us are not the quickest to upgrade things that work perfectly fine.


edit: meaning that HD sound is still far away from casa teedles, and I don't give a hoot atm.

 

[old.user4556]

The difference between Dolby True HD and vanilla flavour is awesome if you've got the kit.

 

[Ch3tan]

Exactly. So if your amp doesn't have HDMI inputs you're limited to non-HD audio with a PS3 - something to consider if you're a home cinema geek.

No, you are missing my point. You CANNOT have HD audio over optical or coaxial. It does not matter what your player outputs or what your amp can accept.

A standalone BD player does not change this. It can decode and downmix the same as a ps3 can and output over optical, but it is still not HD audio, so I do not get what point you are trying to make?

 

[nath]

But what if the BluRay player has analogue outputs, isn't it possible those could be higher quality than standard optical audio?

 

[Ch3tan]

Yes, ignore me, overlooked analouge mutichannel.

 

[old.user4556]

No, you are missing my point. You CANNOT have HD audio over optical or coaxial. It does not matter what your player outputs or what your amp can accept.

A standalone BD player does not change this. It can decode and downmix the same as a ps3 can and output over optical, but it is still not HD audio, so I do not get what point you are trying to make?

Chet.

No. You are missing my point.

A standalone player, such as the 550 (not the 350, my mistake on that one), has analogue outputs that will allow the player to decode HD audio and provide this decoded audio via several analogue connections for left, centre, right etc etc.

The PS3, to the best of my knowledge will only support HD audio over LPCM via HDMI - therefore, if you had an AV amplifier that doesn't have HDMI but you did want to use HD audio, then you can't. You would need a standalone player that was able to decode HD audio internally and provide this by means of analogue outputs.

This is a common requirement for those that don't want to shell out another £400+ on an amp with HDMI connections and something to consider.

Now to explain it further to you; my previous AV amplifier didn't have HDMI connections on it, so my PS3 was useless for HD audio where as I could have bought a standalone player that was able to decode it internally and provide the HD audio as mentioned above by way of analogue connections from the player, to the amp.

I felt it was necessary to bring this to the dicussion because I wouldn't want someone making the same mistake I made on that issue.

Edit: i've noticed you've noticed

 

[TdC]

But what if the BluRay player has analogue outputs, isn't it possible those could be higher quality than standard optical audio?

tbh I'm thinking optical would have a better signal, and it wouldn't have to be D/A'd?

 

[Yaka]

its more dependant on the kit its connecting to

 

[ST^]

If you use the analogue outputs with the S550, be warned the LFE will be 10-15db too low. I think this is pretty normal for players sending analogue, and the receiver might have an option to boost the LFE only for analogue. Otherwise you'll have to up the level whenever you change input.

HDMI really is the way to go =/ get with it!

 

[Trem]

I just thought Lester, why don't you just buy a Blu Ray drive for your media centre pc?

Thats right, Lester has a media centre connected to his amp and big telly so surely a BR drive is the way to go on this?

Hes such a stirrer

 

[Ch3tan]

That would certainly make erm.... *struggles*

Erm what Trem said is c c c c or *gah*

Trem, may be, possibly, just this once, have got something right.

 

[Lester]

Trem, i do trust your judgement still

However, in classic style I posted this thread, clicked on the IE tab I had open with the PS3 link on, and thought "fuck it" and bought it because I am:

Impatient
Incredibly lazy

Thanks for all the advice though everyone. It's true I have a high end media centre, but the "sleep" function kept fucking up, and it now sits unused in my study (although the HDMI cable has come in handy ...). And having read this thread, i'm now contemplating a new AV AMP (AARRgh)

PS3 turned up last night - left in the back garden, no signature. I toyed with the idea of claiming I never received it, but unbelievably, couldn't bring myself to claim a free one.

Anyway, love the player, got the official remote etc, but i'm probably going to regret the decision as The Boy is in the lounge now playing big planet, and he is alternating between that and COD 4 (XBOX) in the playroom and this is probably how it's going to go all weekend...

So it's likely that another blu-ray player is in my near future....

Anyone got a good source for well priced discs? Play.com seems to offer the best value as far as I can see.

 

[Trem]

Yeah I've been using Play mostly, because well.....I'm lazy as well.

Dark Knight is out on BR in the next week or so *fap* and I saw the Godfather trilogy on there today for not much money and also the Matrix trilogy.

I got a few you can lend as well Lester, as well as some games.

I got erm...Dark City, Apocolypto, Batman Begins, Sunshine and some others I can't be arsed to go look at.

 

[ST^]

Check movietyme.com for blu-rays. They import from America but they tell you which ones are region free -- and most of them are.

Speaking of The Dark Knight, the two-disc blu-ray is only £14.99 on play.com (the two-disc DVD is £11.99!!). Even better, my copy just got delivered TODAY! OH YES ALL OVER MY FACE AAHFAEFAF