|
- Our Take -
Having screened almost
every HD player in our theater including D-VHS we have yet to see much
if any difference between them while playing HD media. The media's
source and transfer quality will overridingly determine how the images
appear and the audio sounds.
We aren't saying that one player isn't better
than another even for HD playback. Certainly some are better suited for
your installation based on their feature set such as needing analog
output if your AV receiver doesn't support HDMI audio. It's just our
recommendation to pick your player based on everything but HD playback
because it's the smallest variable between all of the players.
-
HD Player Comparison Chart
-
Amazon's
-
High Definition Home Entertainment
-
-
Blu-ray Store
-
-
HD DVD Store
-
Five free
Blu-ray movies with the purchase of any Blu-ray player.
Five free HD DVD movies with the purchase of any
HD DVD player.
-
Panasonic DMP-BD10A
-
●●●●
Rating
Finally announced a Blu-ray
player that decodes almost all of the new high definition audio formats. The
Panasonic DMP-BD10A ($599) even comes
bundled with five first-rate Blu-ray movies at half the price of their
previous model. As every other Blu-ray player it's missing a few
features. In this case DTS Master HD audio and 1080p 24fps video playback appear to be the
biggest.
However with the new lower price especially
considering the five free Blu-ray movies the entrance fee to Blu-ray
high definition movies is definitely getting lower and the players are
itching closer to offering the features that should be been including
from the beginning.
-
Samsung BD-P1400 -
●●●●
Rating
Samsung's BD-P1400 ($499) is yet
another profile 1.0 Blu-ray player that will be outdated if and when the
new Blu-ray standards materialize. Until then it offers just about every
feature you can find at a great price. With HDMI 1.3, 24fps playback,
7.1 analog outputs and DTS-HD MA there is no reason to look at the other
stand-alone players.
If you can live with a little more noise and the
PS3's Bluetooth remote we still recommend the PS3 over the stand-alones.
It's faster to operate, offers the same great picture and sound (outside
of DTS-HD MA) and it won't become obsolete as the new Blu-ray standards
become available in the profile 1.1 players.
With the PS3 you can even sneak in a few games
not to mention a ton of free content such as movie trailers. Once the
Blu-ray market matures you could always sell your PS3, as it will
maintain its value far beyond the current Blu-ray players. However the
BD-P1400 makes a strong case for itself with its many features and low
price. You make the call.
-
Samsung BD-P1200
-
●●●●
Rating
Hands-on Report
Samsung's BD-P1200 ($599) is the first second
generation Blu-ray player to ship replacing the BD-P1000.
Features include HDMI 1.3, 5.1 analog outputs and HQV
1080i to 1080p interlacing for one sharp image. With street pricing
around the PS3's the time has come to consider stand-alone Blu-ray
players. They are much quieter and controllable via your IR remote.
Having used the BD-P1200 for several weeks we
have come to the following conclusions. In our eyes it's a one and a
half generation player as there are simply too many missing features to
be a true second generation player. These include support all of the
Blu-ray audio codecs including TrueHD and DTS-HD. Not to even mention
lack of support for the new BDA specifications scheduled to be released
October 31st. Our other major complaint is lack of support for 6.1 or
7.1 audio via both analog and HDMI.
There is a long list of items we like about this
player starting with the ability to play video at 1080p24sf. It's very
responsive although not nearly as quick reacting as the PS3. The
included LAN support came in extremely handy when Pirates of the
Caribbean wouldn't play as Samsung resolved the issue by
providing a firmware upgrade the same day the Blu-ray movies were
released.
Performance wise we were very pleased. The
BD-P1200 replaced a PS3 in the theater and our first impression was that
both audio and video were up to the PS3's level of performance and
perhaps even exceeded it. Certainly not by leaps and bounds. However
reviewing the player's menu we noticed the HDMI's sharpness setting was
set to low and later testing showed this added edge enhancement to the
image and we quickly set it to off. As the manual states setting this
option to off the player will display what's encoded on the disc. After
several movies everyone agreed bypassing the sharpness setting produced
a more natural image and the ringing and other artifacts the edge
enhancement added didn't improve the image even at 110 inches.
Our conclusion: Unless you
really need 24fps playback or stellar DVD upscaling we recommend going
with the Panasonic DMP-BD10A. It supports audio up to
7.1 with additional codecs, and comes with five free Blu-ray movies to
jump-start your collection. If you do need 24fps consider the new Sony
BDP-S300 which is $100 less. Any differences in performance would fall
into Our Take comments at the top of the page.
-
Sony BDP-S1 -
●●●●
Rating
Hands-on Report
The
Sony BDP-S1 ($799) is built like a tank
and recently received a firmware update that allows it to compete nicely
with the recently released second-generation players. With the new lower
pricing and updated firmware we decided to spend some quality time with
it in the theater.
Our first impression was it's heavy, solidity
built and just plenty pretty. Unfortunately the remote isn't in the same
class although it doesn't feel cheap rather the layout leaves much to be
desired. Finding the right button is difficult since they all look the
same and you certainly can't read the tiny labels in the dark.
The recent firmware adds support for a few more
audio codecs placing it on par with most of the other players. It
doesn't include HDMI 1.3 so it will never support delivery of the
encoded HD audio codecs which up to now isn't even supported by the
players with HDMI 1.3. It does feature 5.1 analog output and up to 7.1
HDMI output. Currently Samsung's Blu-ray player only supports up to 5.1
HDMI (PCM).
Performance wise we were quite pleased and
appreciated that fact that we could force 24fps even when our amplifier
was playing middleman. With the Samsung even though it supports 24fps we
were unable to use this feature when it was connected to our amplifier.
Apparently our Yamaha V1700 isn't passing enough information between the
projector and player so being able to manually select this feature came
in handy.
Image wise we were impressed with the BDP-S1.
Having had roughly six different models of HD players in the theater we
have yet not been impressed. Each and every player has thrown a great
image with the audio being equally impressive. Today we feel even
stronger about our take at the top of the page. Decide on your player
for every other reason other than image and sound quality as long as
they support the audio codecs important to you.
The new lower price makes the BDP-S1 more
attractive than before but with Sony's BDP-S300 offering every feature
of this player for $300 less and the new Panasonic DMP-BD10A at $599
with five free movies it's hard to recommend the BDP-S1. Two reasons we
can come up with are it's extremely quiet and isn't entirely made of
plastic. If those are worth it to you outside of the remote you'll have
a winner. For us we are still waiting for a little more hands-on time
with the second-generation players.
-
Sony BDP-S300 -
●●●●
Rating
Pick of the Page (Blu-ray)
Hands-on Report
The
BDP-S300 ($499) comes with the all of the features found on the
Sony BDP-S1
($799) and adds a few of its own including the ability to play CDs. Well
almost all of the features since a recent S1 firmware update added
decoding for TrueHD which may or may not come to the S300. After
swapping the S1 for the S300 we noticed the menus were identical as well
as the remote outside of being black instead of silver.
Video and audio also appeared identical when
comparing two Blu-ray movies. The only difference we noted was the newer
S300 is faster responding to the remote's commands. Pausing and resuming
now is fluid and if you use the multiple scanning speeds the player
keeps up. The S1 would often fail to jump to the next scan rate or the
image would drop for a few seconds while it caught up.
Our conclusion: We love
the build quality of the S1 but with the S300 you can get identical
performance for $300 less. Absolutely identical if Sony offers the same
firmware update the S1 just received. At this point in time all Blu-ray
players are a work-in-progress and as such we recommend investing as
little as possible and the new Sony BDP-S300 currently holds the record
for stand-alone players.
-
Sony PlayStation 3 Blu-ray Player -
●●●● Rating
Top Five Selection
Hands-on Report
The
Sony PS3 ($499) let's you view many of the
next generation HD movies with its built-in Blu-ray drive. Unlike
Microsoft's Xbox 360 and its optional HD DVD drive the PS3 includes HDMI
with uncompressed audio and video resolutions all the way up to 1080p.
The PS3 games have a way to go but as a Blu-ray player it competes very
nicely with the stand-alone players at about half the price.
To view a movie simply insert the disc into the
drive and around 10 seconds later the movie begins. After a movie or two
the game controller works great as a remote control. However if you are
old school Sony will be happy to sell you a traditional remote for
$24.95 although like the game controller it uses RF. So if you are
looking to get into HD movies the PS3 is a great choice and if you are
like us you just might sneak in a few of Sony's free downloadable games.
With most of the stand-alone Blu-ray
players being more expensive without offering any appreciable
features (some offering even less) or better image and sound we
recommend the PS3 until the next generation or two of players ship.
Extended Use Update: After two
dozen or more movies and several firmware updates the PS3 keeps on
performing without a single issue. We are using HDMI for audio and video
with the later looking as good as we have seen and the former lossless
tracks bringing the theater alive. We simply love uncompressed audio
tracks!
The second generation players from Samsung ($599)
and Sony ($499) are lower priced than the first generation and are
starting to give the PS3 a run for its money. If you are looking
strictly for Blu-ray movie playback our recommendation is beginning to
transfer to the new generation of stand-alones. Not that they
necessarily perform any better but they will be quieter and offer IR
remote control so you can use your universal remote.
However if you want to download a ton of free HD
movie trailers, playable game demos or perhaps even play a game or two
the PS3 still offers the most bang for the buck. Until you have drifted
in 1080p with Ridge Racer you haven't really drifted!
-
Toshiba Announces Third-generation Players
-
-
Toshiba HD-A3
-
-
Toshiba HD-A30 -
-
Toshiba HD-A35 -
Starting this September Toshiba will release the
HD-A3 ($299 October), HD-A30 ($399 September) and HD-A35 ($499 October)
as replacements for their current models. The HD-A3 will still be
limited to 1080i with the HD-A30 and HD-A35 supporting 1080p and
1080p/24. The HD-A35 also includes 5.1 analog outputs. Since the
second-generation 1080p models are scheduled to support 1080p/24 via a
firmware update this fall the biggest difference appears to be the lower
price of their high-end model the HD-A35.
-
Toshiba HD-A2 -
●●●●
Rating
Toshiba's second-generation entry-level HD DVD
player the
HD-A2 ($299) offers a great bank for
the buck based on its street price and the five free HD DVD movies
Toshiba is offering through this summer. The HD-A2 unlike its bigger
brothers only supports 1080i (not 1080p) and its upscaling abilities
aren't as strong. If you want to get your feet wet while the HD wars are
being fought the HD-A2 is a good choice. However if you are backing HD
DVD we suggest taking a close look at the HD-XA2.
-
Toshiba HD-A20 HD DVD Player -
●●●●
Rating
Pick of the Page (HD DVD)
The price keeps dropping on Toshiba's HD DVD players with the
HD-A20 now at $399. The HD-A20 supports
1080p and later this year via a firmware upgrade should implement 24fps.
If you require analog output for your audio or really desire the
absolute best upscaling of your existing DVD collection go for the
HD-XA2. If you can live without both of the above the HD-A20 is our
recommendation of the current HD DVD players.
-
Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD Player
-
●●●●
Rating
The
HD-XA2 ($799) is Toshiba's top of the
line HD DVD player and the only model that comes with Silicon Optix Reon
HQV processing and HDMI 1.3a. It also includes 5.1 analog outputs, which
is required for lossless audio if your AV receiver doesn't support HDMI
audio. The Reon HQV processor will allow you to tweak the HD image a
little beyond the other HD DVD players.
The real reason to purchase the HD-XA2 over the less
expensive HD DVD players if not the Blu-ray players as well is for its
glorious DVD upscaling ability. This player competes very well with
high-end upscaling DVD players at a much lower cost and Toshiba throws
in a HD DVD player to boot.
When introduced the HD-XA2 list price was $999
and now the price appears to be dropping weekly. There are still a few
non-fatal issues that hopefully firmware updates will address especially
considering this is their top of line model. However with its new
pricing the additional cost over their other models now appears to be well worth it.
| HD Player Comparison |
Panasonic DMP-BD10A
Price
Audio Decoding
Analog Output
24 fps
HDMI 1.3
LAN |
$599
PCM 7.1, DD/DD+, TrueHD, DTS/DTS-HD
7.1
No
No
No
|
Pioneer
BPD-94HD
Price
Audio Decoding
Analog Output
24 fps
HDMI 1.3
LAN |
$999
PCM 7.1, DD/DD+, TrueHD, DTS
5.1
Yes
No
No |
Samsung BD-P1400
Price
Audio Decoding
Analog Output
24 fps
HDMI 1.3
LAN |
$499
PCM 5.1, DD/DD+, TrueHD, DTS/DTS-HD (MA)
7.1
Yes
Yes
Yes |
Samsung BD-P1200
Price
Audio Decoding
Analog Output
24 fps
HDMI 1.3
LAN |
$599
PCM 5.1, DD/DD+, DTS
5.1
Yes
Yes
Yes |
Sony BDP-S1
Price
Audio Decoding
Analog Output
24fps
HDMI 1.3
LAN |
$799
PCM 7.1, DD/DD+, TrueHD, DTS/DTS-HD
5.1
Yes
No
No |
Sony BDP-S300
Price
Audio Decoding
Analog Output
24fps
HDMI 1.3
LAN |
Pick of the Page (Blu-ray)
$499
PCM 7.1, DD/DD+, DTS
5.1
Yes
No
No |
Sony PS3
Price
Audio Decoding
Analog Output
24fps
HDMI 1.3
LAN |
$499
PCM 7.1, DD/DD+, TrueHD, DTS/DTS-HD
None
Yes
Yes
Yes |
Toshiba HD-A3
(1080i)
Price
Audio Decoding
Analog Output
24fps
HDMI 1.3
LAN |
$299
PCM 7.1, DD/DD+, TrueHD, DTS/DTS-HD
None
No
No
Yes |
Toshiba HD-A30
Price
Audio Decoding
Analog Output
24fps
HDMI 1.3
LAN |
Pick of the Page (HD DVD)
$399
PCM 7.1, DD/DD+, TrueHD, DTS/DTS-HD
None
Yes
Yes
Yes |
Toshiba HD-A35
Price
Audio Decoding
Analog Output
24fps
HDMI 1.3
LAN |
$499
PCM 7.1, DD/DD+, TrueHD, DTS/DTS-HD
5.1
Yes
Yes
Yes |
Toshiba HD-A2
(1080i)
Price
Audio Decoding
Analog Output
24fps
HDMI 1.3
LAN |
$399
PCM 7.1, DD/DD+, TrueHD, DTS/DTS-HD
None
No
No
Yes |
Toshiba HD-A20
Price
Audio Decoding
Analog Output
24fps
HDMI 1.3
LAN |
$499
PCM 7.1, DD/DD+, TrueHD, DTS/DTS-HD
None
Yes
Yes
Yes |
Toshiba HD-XA2
Price
Audio Decoding
Analog Output
24fps
HDMI 1.3
LAN |
$799
PCM 7.1, DD/DD+, TrueHD, DTS/DTS-HD
5.1
Yes
Yes
Yes |
-
Return to the Top of the Page -
|
