Thinking of buying a bluray player

[jgags6]

Well as we are starting to see Sony deciding to leave HD DVD in the dust, im thinking of buying a bluray player, I have HD DVD now and i think its only a matter of time before bluray wins... With that said I want to know what the best player is out there. I was thinking of just getting a ps3 but then I read the posts about microsoft coming out with a bluray add on like the hddvd one. Should i wait to see what microsoft does or what?

 

[JAG72]

If you want Blu-Ray now then I would get the PS3. I only see Microsoft coming out with the Blu-Ray add on if HD DVD loses.

 

[BlackHitachi]

If you want Blu-Ray now then I would get the PS3. I only see Microsoft coming out with the Blu-Ray add on if HD DVD loses.

Yea this seems to be very true!

 

[navychop]

Yes, I strongly agree with the above posts.

A PS3 is a very good Blu-ray player, from what I hear, and is priced quite well. But there is some doubt that it will be upgradeable to full BD-java, including PIP/POP. That feature might require a hardware fix, and is a requirement for all Blu-ray players as of the end of October. This is not a major deal in any event, as it will always be able to play the movie.

I personally would not buy a player that does not have an ethernet connection. This will make firmware updates easy, as well as online features that may come out. The PS3 does this. Some of the other players don't. And check to see if they play CDs or the types of DVDs you have.

 

[mrsdrgn]

I have a PS3 and it works great. I also have the HD DVD player but I like Blu Ray better. I think the oicture quality is better on the BR. PS3 is the way to go. You have a lot of other options. Also buy yourself a PS3 TV remote. It works great.

 

[jgags6]

Well i was thinking of getting the ps3 at bestbuy today cause i got a 12% off coupon in the mail so by my calculations that would be like 72 bucks off the 60gb ps3, Id say thats a good deal...what about you?

 

[mrsdrgn]

That 12% is not good on PS3. Read the fine print. I thought the same before I got mine. I ended up buying it from Target. I applied for a Taret credit card an I got 10% off. Make sure you get the 60gb, it is worth the extra $$. Good luck.

 

[jgags6]

I read it and it doesnt say it excludes video game systems, but it doesnt say it does include them either. Damn i was going to be happy

 

[jgags6]

Make sure you get the 60gb, it is worth the extra $$. Good luck.

What are the differences, besides the hard drive. with the 20 and 60 gb ps3?

 

[JAG72]

Wireless and media card slots.

 

[tawhite]

Just be aware the PS3 does not have an IR reader so you will have to use either the game controller or purchase the Sony remote to control BD playback. If you have a universal remote it's probably not going to work with the PS3, a bit of a pain in the a$$ if you ask me.

 

[jmd102354]

Sammy BD-P1200

Just bought the Sammy 1200.
Great machine !

 

[CochiseGuy]

Going format neutral

OK. I've had my XA1 HD DVD player for a year now, and love it. I think it's been one of the best "bang for the buck" I've added to my home theater system for some time. And after long consideration, I decided it was time to give it some company - a Blu-ray player.

I realize this thread was started in the "dark days" of March (for HD DVD owners/supporters) when the initial wave of PS3's hit and, supported by a strong BD title release, it looked bleak for HD DVD. But for me, I decided to add a Blu-ray player because I am first and foremost a fan of High Definition, am convinced neither format is going away anything soon, and I'm darn sick & tired of watching the BD only releases I want to see on Netflixed DVD's.

So over the past few weeks I've "window shopped" online and on eBay and read reviews. My considerations - based on a budget of $400 - $450 were:

Samsung BD-P1000: This 1st gen. BD player was recommended to me by a dual format owner on another forum as one of the best values for the price. Amazon had them for $455, but they're now $490, and can be found refurbished, factory sealed & warrantied on eBay for around $400. Samsung has a Feb. 2007 firmware update on their website, so good continued support. But, in the end, my very first DVD player was a Samsung and I thought it was a POS.

Philips BDP9000: This 1st gen player was one of the poorest received. Although cNet gave it good reviews for design, build quality and fast load time (22 sec.), they really skimped on the audio. Although it can output the LPCM high def audio on most BD titles via analog 5.1 or HDMI 1.2, it has only the most basic DD decoding, and no DTS. This wasn't a big issue for me as my 6 yr. old Sony receiver supports both DD+ & DTS, and the analog outputs meant I could still use my perfectly good but old receiver for some time. I just missed a few bids on eBay for new, factory sealed units for just under $400, and an Amazon store currently has factory sealed units for $400 + $28 shipping. That was my backup plan if I grew weary of eBaying.

PS3: When Sony announced they were discontinuing the 20GB model is when I first thought about adding a BD player. I'm not a gamer & will only use it for BD playback. My router is in my home theater room, so I can easily connect it via ethernet cable for updates, etc. So if I could pickup one of the 20GB models "on the cheap" it may be the best way to add BD to my setup. The big drawback for me is no analog audio outputs. This is a big one for me, as I won't be able to enjoy HD audio until I get an HDMI receiver. I do have my eye on the Onkyo 605 receiver due out later this month. And the HDMI 1.3 on the PS3 is more "future proof" than the 1.2 HDMI on the Samsung & Phillips (the Sammy 1200 mention in the previous post does have 1.3 HDMI). And I expect Sony to provide much superior support for the PS3 than Samsung & Phillips will for their 1st gen. products.
There's quite a glut of PS3's on eBay; I think there's still a lot of "investors" out there who snapped them up early & planned on profiting by selling them above retail. But there no shortage of PS3's at retail stores these days, and the 60GB PS3's regularly go for less than $500 with these guys dumping their "investments". Well, last night I snagged a new, sealed box 20GB PS3 for $410.11 - the eleven cents did it; the last bid in the last few seconds was $410.00.

So, loading up the Netflix Q with Blu-rays, and looking forward to enjoying the best of both worlds.

And I guess I need to order that PS3 TV remote.

 

[teamerickson]

Why not wait for the new sony that's supposed to be out in a few months?

Trader! We lost another one to the dark side.

 

[CochiseGuy]

Why not wait for the new sony that's supposed to be out in a few months?

Trader! We lost another one to the dark side.

I don't want this to a "smackdown" post but:

- With current "slower than expected" sales for the PS3, and the newly announced Sony marketing plan pushing the PS3 as a BD player instead of just a "niche market" item, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Sony player "delayed", as it's priced at the same point as the PS3.

I own 40 HD DVD's already, and have 5 on pre-order. I honestly don't see a single BD title yet I want to own, and will just Netflix for now to see what I've been missing.

I'm ain't going over to the dark side just yet.

Aren't a few of BD only owners feeling lust for The Matrix, and some of those Universal titles?

 

[navychop]

Let me know how it is on the Dark Side. I'm probably heading there too, just slower. I got my $6,000 teeth put in today, so if some money comes back from the insurance companies, maybe I'll do a little shopping. But I suspect it'll be August or maybe later. Waiting for just the "right" BD player (ethernet, DVD-audio, HDMI 1.3, etc) will give HD DVD more time to prove it's viability, and we'll have a couple of dual format players out there to consider.

So, jgags6, what did you get?

 

[jgags6]

actually i havnt gotten anything yet, but i do have a plan. We just bought two TVs at best buy (i hate the place but they had the ones that i wanted) so i put it on my rewards zone card which gives us 5 bucks back for every 250 so by my calculations ill get 80 bucks back from the rewards program. Then im going to wait for a 10% off coupon which i asked the guy and he said that they can use it. So if i get a PS3 which is 599.99 ill get 59.99 off from the coupon, then with the 80 bucks off that should make the price go down to an amazing ........460 plus tax of course. So all im waiting for is another 10% off coupon which comes about once every 2-3 months so well see what happens. Ill keep you guys posted.

 

[mrsdrgn]

Just get it already. Everyone is missing out on it. So you save $80. Wow, big deal. I got my Netflix and I am enjoing my PS3. The PS3 is a much better player than any HD DVD player. I have a Toshiba AD2 and it takes forever to load a DVD. Or, to operated it sucks. My HD DVD skips sometimes, when the tray opens or closes to put the disc in it makes noise.
PS3 is very smooth. I also have a DVD remote for the PS3. It works great. just like a regular DVD.
Bottom line, GET THE PS3 ALREADY AND START ENJOING IT.

 

[jgags6]

I was wondering if someone could tell me the advantages of getting a ps3 or getting the new panasonic player. Thanks

 

[JoeSp]

The new Panasonic player decodes DTS HD (not MA) and it has 7.1 analog out for analog hook-up to some of the older receivers. However, the PS3 has ethernet, a hard drive that you can change out for one as big as you want, multiple card readers (this is a blast when you want to look at pictures) HDMI 1.3 (I haven't found if the Panny has 1.3 or not) and of course the PS3 plays games.

CC congradulations and welcome to the blue side! You are going to enjoy that PS3. My recomendation is to purchase the Bluetooth remote for it ($24). It is well worth it. Get yourself a few Disney movies -- they are doing a great job with BD and have put out some decent flicks. Enjoy!!