HELP....I am completing HT room and will need a Blu Ray Player...Advice needed...

[HDTVFREAK]

I will have a 7.1 set up, using a 1080P Projector on a 150" screen.

Will most likely have Def Tech Front's 7004, BP1X surrounds and rears.

Which Blu Ray player should I get??

Budget is not huge concern if the quality is worth it. Don't want to break me though.

 

[jostenmeat]

For simple BD playback, I recommend Panasonic BD35. However, the price went up, so maybe a Sony S350 atm. There are rumors swirling about, a new Pana model to come soon. Newer players always seem to be cheaper as well, and better. My recs are with having an HDMI receiver on hand, with budget/performance in mind.

The bd35 cannot output DVD at 480i for those who demand the use of outboard video processing, and using the bdp for their dvd's. This is the only real knock on this player, performance/features wise.

 

[sahihai]

I would recommed the Pana BD55 having recently bought one. Its performance is great and especially the analog outputs help me a lot since my rceiver is non HDMI. With your setup looks like that is not the issue, so BD35 is an equally good choice. But as the previous post mentions, weirdly it is more expensive than BD55.

Also, you may want to check out the new Sammy or LG ones which are able to play Netflix movies through direct download. Sounds neat.

 

[BMXTRIX]

Panasonic is the majority patent holder in Blu-ray, mostly in the hardware side, and has really proven that it wants to make BD succeed with players which have consistently gotten better from generation to generation. The BD35 & BD55 are excellent, but can be hard to get right now.

Seems they keep selling out of their production runs, and the 35/55 may be gone now as we wait for the new players to come to market in the next few months.

I have heard solid reports on the Samsung BD2550, but have little personal insight into whether one of those makes sense or not.

If I were to buy today, and budget was less of a concern, I would probably go with the BD35 or 55 if I could get it. If I wasn't on a deadline, I would more likely wait for the new Panasonic players to come to market and get one in a few months.

 

[GlocksRock]

I will still say get a PS3, even if you only use it for dvd and blu ray playback.

 

[j_garcia]

I'll throw in that Oppo will be releasing a new player, hopefully this month, that is highly anticipated and expected to be a solid player like all their other players. www.oppodigital.com

Otherwise, I'd hold out for the inevitable next models from Panasonic as well.

 

[aberkowitz]

I will still say get a PS3, even if you only use it for dvd and blu ray playback.

I'll second that.

 

[j_garcia]

PS3 would be my second choice (and happens to be what I use for BD )

 

[MinusTheBear]

If you don't play videogames I would go with the Panasonic BD35 or BD55 if you can find them.

The Panasonic runs silent while watching a movie. Some people might find the fan noise annoying with the PS3 (not as loud as the 360 though ).

 

[allargon]

I will have a 7.1 set up, using a 1080P Projector on a 150" screen.

Will most likely have Def Tech Front's 7004, BP1X surrounds and rears.

Which Blu Ray player should I get??

Budget is not huge concern if the quality is worth it. Don't want to break me though.

It's nice that everyone decided to chime in... However, no one asked you what receiver/pre-pro you have? This is what determines what you need. With a 150" screen, good upconversion will likely be a factor, so the Samsung BD-P25xx will probably be your best bet. However, that may be overkill or unnecessary depending on what your displays capability is as well as what your receiver's capability is.

So, what's powering the Def Tech's?

 

[HDTVFREAK]

I will be purchasing....

Pioneer VSX 1018 will be my receiver of choice.

Unless some has another choice with a 500 budget in mind.

 

[klix58]

I also nodd to the PS3, constant upgrades, great performance, usable as a small media server with storage onboard. For the dollars and the reviews on Audioholics........................

 

[perato]

If you don't need mutlichannel outputs and can't wait for the Oppo player, I'd say go with the PS3. I sit about 12 feet from the PS3 and fan noise is not obtrusive. You can play games, run Linux, use PS Network, stream media with the PS3.