what would you all suggest for my tv

[selkec]

Ok, I currently have a 50" plasma panasonic tv with a toshiba xa35 hddvd player. I see no need for this player any more since hddvd is dead and I sold off most of my hddvd movies. So Im going to sell it. But not sure what I should get to replace it. Should I get a Blue ray or just an oppo. I want good upconverting and also I like to play mp3s in it when Im partying (which the stupid toshiba can not do). I heard certain oppos look better with plasma because of macro blocking and I would not want that. So What would you suggest. Arte certain model numbers and brands of blue ray better? Any help is greaty appreciated. I wish emotiva had blue ray player since Im currently building an emotiva set up. Just got my xpa3. yay

 

[jostenmeat]

All you need is about an hour to read all of the opinions, pros/cons here at this subforum.

PS3 is the best value to many because its a gaming console and media center, with fast load times.

If, however, you might shove it in a cramped cabinet, need an IR sensor, want to see logos pop up on your receiver, blah blah . . .

for stand alones Panasonic is very good, and is my recommendation. BD-35, unless you need to have audio internally decoded and sent as m-ch, for example, then step up to the BD-55.

I think* that step up models are pretty identical in bluray performance otherwise. For instance, same kind of thing between Sony S350 and 550. Just other features, often of the audio connectivity sort.

Others have their advantages. Insignia is cheaper. Samsung offers Reon. But, IMO, their disadvantages outweigh their advantages.

Again, my vote: Panasonic BD-35 (if you have an HDMI receiver), or the BD-55 if you have an older receiver.

Or the PS3 if you like gaming too, or browsing, etc.

 

[BMXTRIX]

Generally with Blu-ray, you want the player to decode the audio. This way you can take advantage of multiple audio streams at the same time which is not possible if you send the native bitstream to your receiver. But, an internal decode, plus HDMI and PCM audio is a great way, and in my opinion, the best way, to deliver audio.

What player?

The PS3 is still a rockin' product. For $20 you can add IR with the Blue Wave remote, and you don't just get mp3 playback from a disc, but can network it to your PC for streaming of photos, mp3s, and videos if you want. Likewise, you can load mp3s onto it, or rip your CDs to mp3 format right on it.

But, we are finally seeing price competitive products hit the market, including the new Samsung BD-1500 which is a value leader at around $200 for profile 2.0 compliance.

Since we have players around $200 that are profile 2.0 I would stick with that. Especially if you have the Internet connection there, which I believe you would if you have a A35 already. But, for 'best' stand alone at a reasonable price, I would likely look towards Panny. Since Panasonic has the most patents in Blu-ray, you are likely to see some of the best products hit the street from them. Yet, your xa35 HD DVD player was a killer loss leader product and a great value. It offers superior upconversion compared to almost any other DVD player on the market. You are NOT going to get better upconversion without going to the top of the line Denon, which makes little sense. The Oppos (for DVD) can have the same quality, but will cost as much as a Blu-ray player.

I would likely go with the Sammy BD-1500 or the Panny BD-55 if the PS3 was not something that I could live with.

 

[selkec]

I like the idea of storing mp3s on the playatation. But I never play games and not sure how it would look in a rack. So does the blue ray players you mentioned including the playstation upconvert as good as the a35? Also also does Blue ray players play mp3s stored on a cd or dvd? For some reason the a35 I have will not play them. Not to mention I have little patients and hate how long it takes to start up. Its about 45 secs I bet.

 

[selkec]

bump......

Anyone else have any suggestions. Does the PS3 upconvert very good? And which blue ray players play mp3s? I have looked but not all of them mention playing mp3s. Also Someone told me the 40g ps3 is not backwards compatable?

 

[allargon]

bump......

Anyone else have any suggestions. Does the PS3 upconvert very good? And which blue ray players play mp3s? I have looked but not all of them mention playing mp3s. Also Someone told me the 40g ps3 is not backwards compatable?

The 40GB PS3 is not backwards compatible with the PS2. The PS3 upconvert has been rated as a good upconverter especially compared to the lower priced standalones. Certain higher priced standalones are much better than the PS3. If your display is less than 60", you may not care. Most modern standalones (e.g., my LG BH200) play mp3 and wma. However, it's hit or miss. DivX, SACD and DVD-A playback are much more rare.

 

[DTS]

I have a 55 inch plasma with a PS3, very pleased with its up converting abilities, and along with the versatility of media/gaming/bluray.....its hard to beat.