Fine, BluRay Wins. Any good units that play BR and DVD?

[innerSpaceman]

Now that the high-def disc war is won by Sony, I want to jump into the user market ... hopefully before player prices skyrocket.


But now it occurs to me why I'm uber-baffled at the winning format. Correct me if I'm wrong, but would an HD DVD player have been able to play both HD and regular DVD???

So if I want a single unit that plays both Blu Ray and DVD, I have to get a clunky "combo" unit ... sorta like the giant monster I had that played laserdiscs and DVDs then that transition happened.



Sigh.


Can anyone recommend a good, hopefully affordable, combination low-def / high def player that can play newfangled BluRay and old-fashioned DVD?

[Chernabog]

Playstation 3.

And no, you don't have to have a "combo" clunky drive, even if you get a standalone unit. 99.9% of all BD players play DVD. And most of them upscale DVD too. And the player prices only have one way to go -- down. (The Ps3 will remain around $399, and is fully upgradeable, unlike some of the players on the market. In fact, right now the Ps3 is the ONLY Blu-ray 2.0 Profile player on the market... the quickie explanation of the "Profiles" being that 1.0 plays Bluray discs (probably 85% of the players currently on the market), 1.1 does all of the above and can take advantage of video-in-video features on Bluray discs (the remaining 15%) and 2.0 does all of the above AND has online feature capabilities).

Question tho -- why are you getting Bluray if you don't have an HDTV?

[Kevy Baby]

But now it occurs to me why I'm uber-baffled at the winning format. Correct me if I'm wrong, but would an HD DVD player have been able to play both HD and regular DVD???Just as the Blu-Rays could (well 99% of them), HD DVD players could play both HD DVDs and standard DVDs. This was never a dividing issue between the two formats.

...and 2.0 does all of the above AND has online feature capabilities).Something that I feel is VERY important. Not so much for connectivity, but for firmware upgradability down the road.

Question tho -- why are you getting Bluray if you don't have an HDTV?I agree with Cherny: without an HD TV, you will never see the difference between a Blu Ray and a Standard DVD.

[innerSpaceman]

TeeHee, I "inherited" an HDTV from my mom when she downgraded from 6-room, 3 bath condominium to one-room Retirement Home for the Aged and Infirm.


So BluRay here I come. Ooooh, Sleeping Beauty got a beautiful restoration and is being released on BluRay soon.



But, ugh, I don't want a PS3. I'm not a gamer.


There are no consumer players with bluray two point oh??? That sounds, um, retarded to say the least.


Now that the format war is won, won't that change in a hurry? And why do you think player prices won't go skyhigh now that they are not loss leaders to win the format war??

[Ghoulish Delight]

Now that the format war is won, won't that change in a hurry? And why do you think player prices won't go skyhigh now that they are not loss leaders to win the format war??
Because now they'll go into mass production.

[Alex]

Yeah, same reason that VCRs kept getting cheaper. Unless they jack up the licensing fees astronomically you'll see new manufacturers enter the market and existing manufacturers able to price with confidence that they have time to recoup their start-up costs; unlike HD DVD player manufacturers who will end up eating a lot of costs.

If it costs $50 million to set up the manufacturing process and you think you might only have 5 years of selling products off that line your prices will be much higher than if you can assume the basic infrastructure will be going for a decade.

[Chernabog]

But, ugh, I don't want a PS3. I'm not a gamer.


There are no consumer players with bluray two point oh??? That sounds, um, retarded to say the least.


First, congrats on the inheritance of the TV! :) And yes size queen, how big is it?

Second, the Ps3 is way more than a gaming machine. We use ours every single day -- either for DVD/Bluray watching (it upscales regular DVDs beautifully), we stream audio/video from our computers to watch on the TV via the LAN, it stores movies and music, you can download movie trailers, etc. It's like having another computer hooked up to your TV (the Ps3 has a hard drive, etc.). And yes, if you ever want to try a game, you can do that too. I actually don't own one Ps3 game yet (I've rented some tho).

Mousepod doesn't use his for gaming either. Mebbe he can chime in here with some of the features he uses.

I don't know why 2.0 wasn't just standard to begin with. The Ps3 JUST upgraded like a couple weeks ago to 2.0 capability (not sure if anything beyond 2.0 is in the pipeline) and there are very few discs which have features for this (the first couple were released on the same day the Ps3 upgraded).

If your standalone player doesn't have 2.0 capability, you can still upgrade your firmware like you could with any disc media system -- you download the firmware, burn it onto a disc, and play the disc in the unit.

So the moral is, if you wait a while (like, until the fall), you'll get your standalone 2.0 player, which will probably be just as expensive as the Ps3, which probably won't have any price drops by then.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23833725/ <--- that link has the skinny on all of this confusing stuff.

The OTHER moral is, buy a Ps3 and you're covered.

[innerSpaceman]

oh, i think it's "only" 46 inches. Not up there with the big boys in length ... or do they call it "width" when talking the bigger penis that is Large Screen Television?


But, as a certain delightful person always qualifies, it's got GIRTH, baby.

In other words, it's not a flat screen ... which is why my mom dumped it on me ... this thing is a whopping 15" deep. Ok, that's not too terribly deep, but I don't want anything that deep inside ME!


Oh, I'm sorry ... are we talking televisions? Well, 15" is way too deep in the world of flat screen mania. But I'm glad it's not flat ... because if it were, it wouldn't now be MINE!

[RStar]

Isn't a PS3 about the same price as a BlueRay player? Does the PS3 have the same 1080p output for dvd, including can you hook it up with HDMI cable? And can you upgrade the firmware with ethernet hookup with the PS3?


Just wondering.....

[innerSpaceman]

^ me just wondering, too!

[Kevy Baby]

So the moral is, if you wait a while (like, until the fall), you'll get your standalone 2.0 player, which will probably be just as expensive as the Ps3, which probably won't have any price drops by then.The scuttlebutt I am hearing is that at best, we MAY see a price drop in time for Christmas this year. However, I do keep hearing differing opinions.

oh, i think it's "only" 46 inches.Pshaw - call me when you get a real TV. :D

[Chernabog]

Isn't a PS3 about the same price as a BlueRay player? Does the PS3 have the same 1080p output for dvd, including can you hook it up with HDMI cable? And can you upgrade the firmware with ethernet hookup with the PS3?


Just wondering.....

Yes to all of the above (there are, however, some profile 1.0 players that are cheaper than the Ps3).

According to that article I linked to, the 2.0 profile players will be in the $500-$650 range when they arrive this summer. They'll drop by Xmas, or next year of course. But the Ps3 is already at 2.0, and it costs $399-$499, depending on how big you want the hard drive (which you can always upgrade, since it's just a regular SATA drive).

[CoasterMatt]

Or just get a bluray drive for your computer (and of course, a HDCP capable graphics card)... that's what I did :)

[Chernabog]

Or just get a bluray drive for your computer (and of course, a HDCP capable graphics card)... that's what I did :)

LOL goober, but then you need to figure out how to out all that via HDMI to your TV, get a remote control going, figure out how to hook it to your 5.1 (or 7.1) receiver, etc. etc. Which I'm sure you know how to do ;) My computer is in the other room.

[CoasterMatt]

There's a computer in just about every room (and I'm working on ones for the bathrooms, too).

[innerSpaceman]

Yeah, won't work for me either (even if I were tech saavy enough to pull it off). I'm a one-computer household, and it's in a totally different room than where the TV's going.

Nope. Buying a player. Not waiting till Xmas. It's April, for lordy's sake!

[CoasterMatt]

Well, I do build computers, especially ones that look just like any other home theater component (complete with IR and RF remotes), just in case you wanna do something crazy.

[Kevy Baby]

Well, I do build computers, especially ones that look just like any other home theater component (complete with IR and RF remotes), just in case you wanna do something crazy.Yeah, but then I would be stuck with a pee cee. Not a smooth operating Mac.

:D

[CoasterMatt]

Yeah, but then I would be stuck with a pee cee. Not a smooth operating Mac.

:D
sorry dude, the HT boxes run Linux/MythTV, but I'm sure I could build one with a smaller Mac and an ATI Wonder card.

[mousepod]

Since Cherny requested I "chime in" - and since his recommendation was the tipping point for my PS3 purchase, here goes:

I am very happy with my PS3. I use it all the time. It handles blu-ray discs perfectly - I have a small but growing collection. I have it hooked up to TV with an HDMI cable and it's connected to my receiver with an optical cable. I have bought exactly one PS3 game: The Lego Star Wars Complete Saga. I've used the wireless controller to play it - and I've had hours of fun. I will probably buy one or two more games this year - just for the option of playing games. The PS3 is also connected to my wireless network, and I can stream audio and video from my computer. It's a neat little machine.

The only thing I don't love love love about it is that the upscaling isn't quite as good as my Oppo. When the Oppo blu-ray player comes out later this year (http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/02/20/oppo-next-to-create-a-new-blu-ray-player/), I'm sure I'll get one, too.

[CoasterMatt]

Ooooh - Oppo Bluray sounds good - Profile 2.0, too.

[€uroMeinke]

But is there an all region hack?

[CoasterMatt]

Who needs a hack if the player IS all region?

[mousepod]

But is there an all region hack?

Unfortunately, no. Another reason why I still use my Oppo for Standard DVDs. Luckily there are few Blu-Rays that are region-encoded for non-US. Here's a site that covers that topic.
(http://bluray.lindsite.dk/)

[Snowflake]

Congrats iSm!

You inherited a 46 inch tv, you suck! (to paraphrase NA)

[Kevy Baby]

When the Oppo blu-ray player comes out later this year (http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/02/20/oppo-next-to-create-a-new-blu-ray-player/), I'm sure I'll get one, too.Great. You go and post this just as I was thinking about throwing in the towel and getting a PS III.

[innerSpaceman]

You inherited a 46 inch tv, you suck! (to paraphrase NA)

:cool: Dont' be too jealous. It's silver trim, not black ... so, believe it or not .... I will not be putting it in my main viewing room because it will clash with the decor. I'm keeping my old, 40" analog, giant tube thing there until it dies.

The slightly larger set that can play HiDef is going in my bedroom, where it will - yes, match the decor. I will rarely watch the thing.

But here's why that works for me. I never sit around my main viewing room. I sit here at my computer, while Netflix discs play in the background. Rarely do I ever sit down and watch something with my full attention. I mostly multi-task and take in, at best, 60% of whatever video source is playing.


On the other hand, there's (alas currently) nothing to do in my bedroom that would take my attention away from the HiDef goodness of select films I will watching there in supreme comfort and focus.

I expect my HiDef collection to burgeon to all of maybe 10 discs by the end of the year ... though I'll likely rent a few, too.

;) The TV's free ... so I don't mind mostly ignoring it - - and watching it only for special occassions when ... thanks to its location ... I will be cut-off from other distractions.



:( I'd rather have distractions of a far different kind in my bedroom. Till then, the HiDef will have to do.

[RStar]

There's a computer in just about every room (and I'm working on ones for the bathrooms, too).

The Atomic Poopy Blaster with Fart Fan Cooling! :D

[Chernabog]

Great. You go and post this just as I was thinking about throwing in the towel and getting a PS III.

The oppo is still early in development, that article said. If you want one right now, the ps3 is the way to go :) It does a great job of upscaling DVDs (we put in a Lord of the Rings DVD to test it out, and it looked like crap on the old player, and really good on the ps3). I'm sure the Oppo is better as far as upscaling is concerned, though I haven't seen them back to back to make any kind of judgment about whether the Oppo is slightly better or significantly better.

As far as the regions are concerned for Blu-ray: The United States and Japan are on the same region (unlike DVD). I can really only think of a few movies that were Europe-only that I wanted :p

[RStar]

I've been holding off for the right time to go HD, particularly this HD DVD Blue-ray buisness. Here's some advice from SmartMoney.com:

With HD DVD out of the way, buyers of winning format Blu-ray need not worry that they're investing in the next Betamax. But hold off until the 2008 holiday shopping season, and you'll get a machine that's more advanced (the latest 2.0 models are due out this summer) and less pricey (Blu-ray manufacturers lost their common competitor in HD DVD, and so will now begin battling each other).

I didn't know there were other Blue-ray manufacturers other than Sony.

The Whole Story (http://www.smartmoney.com/dealoftheday/index.cfm?story=20080220-blu-ray&pgnum=1)

[Kevy Baby]

I didn't know there were other Blue-ray manufacturers other than Sony.While Sony developed the technology, there are many manufacturers of Blu-Ray already. And now that there is no question about which format will win, you will see many more competitors on the market. It just takes a while to retool and ramp up manufacturing lines.

[Chernabog]

Something I saw on Engadget:

Get a new 40GB PS3 system for $366

Posted Apr 15th 2008 9:45PM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: Deals and Bargains
It's not easy to find deals on PS3 hardware. Retailers barely make a profit on these packages, and it's usually up to glitches to find a new system for anything lower than MSRP. That seems to be the case with this latest Kmart deal. You can pick up a new 40GB PS3 system for $360 + $6 shipping. You'll have to use coupon code "AK10OFF7" to take advantage of the savings. We don't know how long this will last, but for those of you that have been on the border about buying a PS3, this might be your best opportunity yet.

[mousepod]

Remember, though, the 40GB won't play any PS2 games. (And to the question: "Why would I want to play PS2 games on a PS3 if I already have a PS2?" I'll say "Upscaling.")

[Chernabog]

Remember, though, the 40GB won't play any PS2 games. (And to the question: "Why would I want to play PS2 games on a PS3 if I already have a PS2?" I'll say "Upscaling.")

That is true. But if you're getting it mostly as a Bluray player, DVD upscaler and media center, it isn't a bad deal at all (of course appleTV isn't a bad deal either on the media center end of things... but it doesn't play blurays). And the Ps3 games are finally en route. One would assume that the non-gamers would pick up a few Ps3 games here and there to play, but not be all that concerned with old ps2 games. It just depends on what importance you place on the backwards compatibility (for instance, for me it was HUGE, but only cuz I never had a Ps2 and wanted to play those games).

[innerSpaceman]

Yep, I just want a bluray player with a very good DVD upscaler. I have the patience to wait for mid-summer, if there will be more choices. For some reason, I would rather by a unit made for bluray viewing rather than games, but there may not be any real difference, huh?

[Chernabog]

Yep, I just want a bluray player with a very good DVD upscaler. I have the patience to wait for mid-summer, if there will be more choices. For some reason, I would rather by a unit made for bluray viewing rather than games, but there may not be any real difference, huh?

Not really. Not sure if the Profile 2.0 systems will be cheaper than the Ps3 come summer either. Really Sony did a good job with the player (unlike, say, the DVD playing capabilities of their Ps2). According to Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Blu-ray_Disc_devices you can get a stand-alone 2.0 player this summer from Sony for..... $400.

It'll go down in price, but not by the summer. Depends on how impatient you are :)

[innerSpaceman]

I'm infinitely patient. At the rate life is traveling for me, end of summer will be in two weeks.

[Kevy Baby]

I'm infinitely patient. At the rate life is traveling for me, end of summer will be in two weeks.Perhaps wait until the Christmas season 2019 when prices will be coming down the on the players for IH (Immersive Holographic) movies with complete sensory interactivity.

[innerSpaceman]

Oooh, I can hardly wait for the porn of 2019.



(Or is that ... I'm hard while waiting for the porn of 2019?)

[Isaac]

Hardly

[RStar]

Hardly

You'd know.....;)

At this rate the money I'm waiting for may not come in untill the end of summer anyway. So I'll see about my HD upgrades at that point. 52" TV, Blue-ray, surround sound, and new Living Room furniture all at once!

[Alex]

Instead of waiting for blu-ray to get cheaper, perhaps you'd prefer to scrounge up $2,900 and by this system:

http://nikkoamerica.com/nhe/dvd_projector_video.html

I'm not much of a geek and I want one. They really do need to upgrade it to include Blu-Ray, though.

[BarTopDancer]

That is fvckin sexy.

Want. Now.

[Chernabog]

That is fvckin sexy.

Haha somehow it reminds me of a modified Roomba. ;)

[RStar]

I don't even want to know how much it costs......

Do they also have the Darth Vader Security System? ;)

Or the CP-30 Food Service Center? :snap:

[Alex]

There may have been a subtle hint in this thread that is costs $2,900.

[Kevy Baby]

The only thing I don't love love love about it is that the upscaling isn't quite as good as my Oppo. When the Oppo blu-ray player comes out later this year (http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/02/20/oppo-next-to-create-a-new-blu-ray-player/), I'm sure I'll get one, too.Did you get your update today?

We would like to thank you for the tremendous feedback that we have received from the community in response to our first BDP-83 Blu-ray player notification update. There were many great comments, suggestions and concerns which we will try to address in the release of the BDP-83. In particular, we would like to address the Early Adoption Program.

We have decided to take a democratic, by-the-people approach to the implementation of the Early Adoption Program. For the initial batch we will randomly choose 50 customers to participate in the Early Adoption Program. These 50 customers will have the opportunity to purchase the BDP-83 for $499 before the official release. After using the player for about a week, they will be required to vote on whether the program should be expanded or suspended based on end-user experiences. If a supermajority (at least 70%) votes in favor of expanding the program, we will expand the Early Adoption Program by another 100 randomly chosen customers. The player will be shipped with a pre-production firmware version. Firmware updates will be available from time to time.

The initial 50 Early Adoption Customers will be chosen no later than February 25th using the random number generator at random.org. After being contacted by us, the customer must place the order no later than 3pm February 27th Pacific Time; otherwise the opportunity to participate will be passed on to another customer. A simple "Yes" or "No" vote on whether to expand the program needs to be cast no later than March 15th.

Terms and conditions for the Early Adoption Program, as well as the current program status, can be found at our web site:
http://www.oppodigital.com/blu-ray-bdp-83/EAP.aspx

We would also like to take this time to update you on the status of BDP-83 developments. The last two months have been very fruitful, as the player now supports BD-Live (Profile 2.0) and can internally decode Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio formats. DVD-Audio has yet to be implemented through firmware, but we are working diligently on this feature. A preliminary features and specifications list will be available on our web site on Tuesday March 3rd.

[Kevy Baby]

The Oppo BDP-83 Blu-ray player (http://www.oppodigital.com/blu-ray-bdp-83/) is officially out.

[mousepod]

I so want to want the Oppo, but because of the region-coding, I think I'm going with the Momitsu.

[Not Afraid]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm How much foe either? Wait, is the Oppo not all region?

[innerSpaceman]

well, i'm officially drooling. I don't care about region-encoding, as that's never been an issue for me. For the past few years, I've made a concerted effort to pear-down my movie collecting. and I intend to continue that with Blu-Ray in the future ... only purchasing a movie if I love, love, love and love it.

Sheeh, Netflix means I can see any movie or tv show within a day or two, and that will get faster as downloadable becomes the norm in years to come. As for the discs I own ... any one disc is likely to get played behaps two or 3 more times In.My.Entire.Remaining.Life ... with a handful of titles getting a bit more play than that paltry average.

Upshot ... owning movies on disc is, with no offense meant to others, a kind of silly, money-sucking hobby.


Something tells me I don't need something as robust as the Oppo, but I'm very interested in having my existing DVDs look as good as possible ... as I plan to replace less than 1% of those with BluRay versions.


Too bad I don't have any SACD titles. I was impressed with that music format. If I buy the Oppo, I'll try to get my hands on 4 or 5 titles from ... somewhere? That would be a minor bonus. But, um, well, Five Hundred Bucks, huh?

[innerSpaceman]

Well, took the plunge and purchased the Oppo.


Of course, the rationale behind this at first was the inheritance of an HDTV ... that has long since ceased to work properly and my biggest problem now is how to dispose of it.

So I'm also in the market for a new HDTV. Can't be too big, because it has to fit in my car. So first I'll buy the smaller of two I ultimately plan on getting. Gonna go "affordable" on the 1st one, which I migh buy as early as this weekend or next. Then, after some serious research ... and soul search ... I'll look to get a mega giant highqual beauty.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Well, took the plunge and purchased the Oppo.


Of course, the rationale behind this at first was the inheritance of an HDTV ... that has long since ceased to work properly and my biggest problem now is how to dispose of it.

So I'm also in the market for a new HDTV. Can't be too big, because it has to fit in my car. So first I'll buy the smaller of two I ultimately plan on getting. Gonna go "affordable" on the 1st one, which I migh buy as early as this weekend or next. Then, after some serious research ... and soul search ... I'll look to get a mega giant highqual beauty.
There are online retailers that offer free shipping, so I wouldn't worry about car cargo space limits.

[innerSpaceman]

Yeah, I suppose if I were self-employed I could sit around at home all day and wait for deliveries. Ah, wouldn't that be swell?!


Alas, all deliveries must be made to my office ... and I have to take them home myself.



When I eventually buy the Big One, I'll get it from someone who can not only deliver it to my home on a date certain, but also take away the fantastically heavy behemouth tube unit it's going to replace.

Taking away the old unit will be of prime consideration.


But getting rid of the first one is going to be up to me. It's not very heavy, but I don't know if it will fit in my vehicle. Sometimes I really miss my truck.





but not often.

[Chernabog]

50" minimum is what I'd say.

[innerSpaceman]

Now who's a size queen? ;)


The first one's going to be quite a bit smaller than that ... but I hope the second one will be Leon's Growing Larger.

[mousepod]

Looks like there's a firmware region hack for the Oppo!

[innerSpaceman]

Yay! Tell me all about it and, who knows, maybe some day in the future I'll have some out-of-region disc to watch!!

[mousepod]

Yay! Tell me all about it and, who knows, maybe some day in the future I'll have some out-of-region disc to watch!!

Don't want to overly confuse you yet. When you're ready, I'll happily help you set it up.

[flippyshark]

I've got a few out of region discs - all of which are movies that are now available domestically - oh well.

I have a handful of DVD-Audio releases - is SACD supposed to be even better still? And are releases still happening on either of these formats? There are a few dozen albums I love enough to want to have them in the highest possible quality - though it may not even matter to my ears.

[innerSpaceman]

I heard SACD only once ... and I was really impressed. I would love to have a handful of discs of some of my fave stuff, if it's mastered well for that format.

Alas, I have a great stereo system that I hardly ever use. I mostly use my computer sound system, which is also quite awesome ... but the computer, though quiet, obviously interferes with the music ... and awesome though it may be, it's nothing as grand as my old component style system that I barely listen to anymore. :(

And that makes my cheese kinda sad.

[Chernabog]

Now who's a size queen? ;)

Well there are a lot of really good models that are 50" or over that you can get for $1000-$1500.

Honestly, if you're going to take the plunge, you might as well do it right. On a 50"+ screen, blu-ray is spectacular. On a 32" screen, not really. You might as well just have bought an upscaling Oppo DVD player, since it's too small to really see the detail that blu-ray offers. Getting a widescreen picture sans black bars would be the only huge advantage of buying such a small set.

[innerSpaceman]

ok, I should point out that the Oppo is going in my bedroom only temporarily, on the "small" HDTV set, even though it won't display BluRay to its best capabilities.

Later, hopefully when I have something else to entertain me in the bedroom, I'll be moving the Oppo to my new mega giant bigger penis display unit in the main room.

This is all in stages. Oppo first. Smaller HDTV. Boyfriend. Larger HDTV.


It's a plan. ;)

[Chernabog]

The plan especially works if the BF already has a large penis and a HDTV ;)

[CoasterMatt]

I've got plenty of SACD and DVD-Audio discs, as well as a whole bunch of DTS CD's (many of which are well done mixes from old quad vinyl).

[flippyshark]

Hey Matt - I'll bet one of my handful of DVD-A's is also in your collection as well - Frank Zappa - Halloween Live in New York 1978

[CoasterMatt]

Yup, that was one of the first things I picked up when I got my SACD/DVD-Audio player :D

[innerSpaceman]

But where can you get them nowadays?

[CoasterMatt]

Get what? The DVD-A or SACD discs? Or player?

[Moonliner]

The PS3 plays SCAD (http://www.ps3sacd.com/), or at least the early models did.

[innerSpaceman]

No, the discs. On Monday, I'll find myself with a bluray that happens to play SACD and DVD-A, and I'll want to pick up a few discs sometime in the next few months or so.


And, heheh, I'm glad I picked standard cheapest shipping on the Oppo, since that turned out to have been next-day FedEx. :)

[Ghoulish Delight]

Good deal on Woot (http://woot.com/) today for a blu-ray 5.1 wireless home theater in a box, $500.