Panasonic DMP-BD60 plus UP blu-ray for $125 (or $115)

[j_garcia]

I am pretty certain my disc was burned correctly. I followed their steps to the letter and it isn't the first time I've burned a firmware disc before, so...

 

[Adam]

John, which version of firmware do you have on the player?

 

[jostenmeat]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it?

I am in sort of a conundrum. I haven't thought this through, but maybe someone can give me sage advice.

My older trusty BD30 worked so darn smoothly with my 805 for a long time. Many, many, many movies.

I think I now have a DTS bitstreamed bomb issue, with the newer BD60. So far, on Terminator Salvation once that I remember, and on the Orphanage at least once in that movie. With the latter, the loud pop was reproducible at the same spot even after rebooting the bdp. This movie played perfectly twice, IIRC, on my BD30.

I ran a few searches elsewhere, and found one person from 1.5 yr ago who had the same thing in this movie, very close to the moment I had it. He was using 805 and BD30. Funny how BD30 played Orhpanage twice without issue, AFAIR.

Do I ask the recipient of my BD30 if she would swap players with me? She only uses red/white analogs: no issue.

Do I update my FW to 1.08 on my 805? Seems like this might be the best thing to try . . . but it worked just fine with my BD30!! I am currently on 1.06 IIRC. The FW is not "official" but tons of people have done it at AVS. I think I might have to obtain some sort of proprietary "dongle". I guess it's this topic that makes me think of the title I chose for this post.

What I also can do is sell the 805 to my brother, and update my pre/pro. I guess it's either spend more money, ask a somewhat uncomfortable request of my friend, or attempt a receiver FW for something that used to work perfectly fine.

A penny for your thoughts. Thanks.


edit: here are two Onkyo/Integra FW threads
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1016297
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1013565&highlight=

edit #2: this might be more than I bargained for, I'm glancing thru the first pdf linked in this post:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=14481327#post14481327

edit #3, ok the above might be for the "SOL" owners who are "stuck" at FW 1.0.

Oh dear.

 

[Adam]

Hi. I don't think that your friend would mind an upgrade. Seriously, I don't think that she'd mind at all.

What FW are you running on the BD60? How do you have it connected to the 805?

I don't recall any audio issues with Terminator Salvation on my BD60 connected to my Pioneer.

 

[jostenmeat]

Yeah, you're probably right about my friend. She left me a message earlier today regarding something else, but oops she's calling right now! Yep, she's totally cool with it. I will grab it perhaps tonight, or she can bring it by Tuesday night.

The BD60 never played a single disc without the most current 2.2 FW, if that's what it's called. It's connected only via HDMI to the 805, as was the case with the BD30. It is connected to the same HDMI port that the BD30 was as well.

I have seen Salvation twice, and I don't remember a pop the first time. I'm going to in fact search my posts here to find out if the date would tell me which player was in service at that time.

Thanks Adam!

edit: ok, I think T.S. most likely was only played on BD60. I cannot recall exactly if there was a pop the first time. Hmrz. There was the last time though. I don't remember the spot either.

 

[jostenmeat]

Just got back, BD30, same bomb. Which means either I never remember the bombs from before, or newer FW suxors. Perhaps something else, but those two are the first things that come to mind. My bro's lady was present for the first and last viewings of Orphanage, and she doesn't remember the bomb from the first time either. A movie can be very engaging at my place, so it wouldn't surprise me if we didn't remember. I can't say. I'm going with "I just don't remember", out of respect to Pana's historically excellent support, but gosh I'm confused.

So, there is an extremely knowledgeable member at AVS that I get along very well with, and he is taking great interest in helping me. I'll let you know if and how I fix it. I don't think he'll mind me quoting the PM I just got.

John ol' buddy, it is ALWAYS a pleasure hearing from you, and you are NEVER a bother! In fact, I was gonna hit you up over the next few days anyway just say hi and to see how thing's are going since we hadn't talked in a while. Hope you had a great holiday, too, btw.

Sounds to me like the issue is more with the BD60 than the 805, but it could just as well be partially responsible for your issues as well, depending.

It's been a while, so I don't remember if you updated your DSPs yet. The DTS bomb is directly addressed with the DSP update, as it completely lays that issue to rest. It also definitely doesn't hurt to update your Main Firmware from v1.06 to v1.08, and if you have a serial port on your computer, it's even easier than you might imagine. (People have had mixed results using USB-to-serial adapter cables, however.)

Panasonic products (both BD players and HD projectors) are known to be problematic with Onkyo receivers, particularly the x05 series. I think it has something to do with a communication link (EDID) issue between the two manufacturers. Whereby one Panny product could be relatively problem free, another could easily just wreak havoc. The only negative I can think of in going back to the BD30 is that it's not BDLive-capable. Then again, that's only an issue if you're into the extras and what-not.

In addition to the DSP and Main firmware updates, you may also need to update your HDMI firmware as well. I borrowed a friend's Panny AE-3000 projector once, which wouldn't work with my 805 with HDMI firmware v1.01; when I updated it to v1.02, the projector worked like a charm. Panny and Onkyo simply don't always play nice together, and it's a known issue.

Go back to the Firmware/Update Requests thread that you linked to and do a search for member TSPEER. In his signature there is a link to an All-in-One update package that contains ALL the updates necessary for the 805 (Main, DSP and HDMI) along with complete and illustrated instructions. It's an amazing package, John, and it has been a godsend to a great many of us. After you download the package, you can either burn it to CD as an .iso (like you would with a music CD) or open it with a zip reader like WinRAR that extracts the files without having to burn a disc. Whichever way you go, just take a little time out to read it's contents thoroughly and then decide if you want to proceed. I'm willing to bet, though, that once your 805 is COMPLETELY up-to-date, you'll have fewer and fewer problems with discs and attached players (even the Pannys).

First thing's first, though... let me know what firmware versions your unit does or does not have, and then we'll take it from there, okay? Again, it's great hearing from you... and I'll be more than happy to help out any way I can.

So, I did the "first thing", and this is what I got:

1.06/07925A
DSP1 7601A
DSP2 7518A
DSP3 7820B
HDMI 1.01 07706A
Video 3.62/xxxxx(didn't write down)

I had to scribble the above pretty quickly, so it may not be 100% accurate. Anyways, I just wanted to share where I was at, and will most likely not chime in here with this issue again until much more is known, since it might very well have nothing to do with the BD60 itself. I decided to share for the moment, because it once in a while helps someone at some point in time.

Time to take a moment, then reply to friend with above info, then start reading about this stuff, if hindered by scotch and beer.

 

[Adam]

...if hindered by scotch and beer.

What? No bourbon?

It might be the Panny, but I watched Terminator Salvation with FW 2.2 on my system and didn't notice anything. That's not to say that it wasn't there, though - as perhaps I simply didn't notice it.

I think that I know the effect that you are talking about. I used to get something similar (a loud high-pitched pop) from my older Toshiba DVD player connected to my Yamaha receiver when playing a particular DVD in Dolby Digital. I didn't hear it ever once I got my new DVD player, so I know it's not the disc.

 

[jostenmeat]

What? No bourbon?

Heh. I bought my first bottle of scotch in what's probably been years now. Edradour 10 yr. I was looking for a decent bottle, but not something that would be wasted on me as I now always pour over the rocks. It was heavily discounted at this fantastic store near me.

Before I hit that, I had a Glenfiddich at a bar near my friend's place, and then a bit of Glenlivet at my friend's place, haha.

It might be the Panny, but I watched Terminator Salvation with FW 2.2 on my system and didn't notice anything. That's not to say that it wasn't there, though - as perhaps I simply didn't notice it.

I think that I know the effect that you are talking about. I used to get something similar (a loud high-pitched pop) from my older Toshiba DVD player connected to my Yamaha receiver when playing a particular DVD in Dolby Digital. I didn't hear it ever once I got my new DVD player, so I know it's not the disc.

Something dawned on me in my more sober state. If I just set the BD60 to decode the DTSMA stream, perhaps I will be cured of the bomb. I can bitstream TrueHD still. While the receiver update will very likely have everything working as advertised, I am a man of many compromises!

 

[jostenmeat]

Hey do any of you BD60 owners find that the open/close button on the player to be rather unresponsive? Sometimes I have to hit it a few times to get it to work. I haven't tried the remote yet. I've experimented with holding down the button a little longer, but I don't think that's doing anything for me, not sure. The BD30 was immediately responsive from what I remember.

Hmrz.

oh, btw, decoding MA in player has erased the Orphanage bomb. I have the Onkyo FW downloaded (took a while too) to computer, but I'll have to buy a 9 pin serial port for my computer to continue. Before I even do that, I need to feel more comfortable with the whole thing.

 

[Adam]

My open/close button works everytime. Perhaps it's just taking longer to open than you expect? I used to think something was wrong until I just grew more patient. Do you have the "Quick Start" set to "On"? I set mine to "On" and like the quicker response.

As for the upgrade, would a cable like this work for you?

 

[jostenmeat]

My open/close button works everytime. Perhaps it's just taking longer to open than you expect?

Hmmmmmm . . . . mebbe . . . . but if that's the case, it's slower than the BD30. I mean waaaaay slower. Hmmm.

I used to think something was wrong until I just grew more patient. Do you have the "Quick Start" set to "On"? I set mine to "On" and like the quicker response.

Mine is off, just for energy consumption's sake. I know, silly perhaps, when I got receiver + amp + beefy sub + PJ + many speakers. Maybe I should change that.

As for the upgrade, would a cable like this work for you?

It's possible with that kind of thing if I understand correctly, but it seems people say that going with serial/serial is the WTG for easiest time. I don't know why, but that's my strong impression.

I don't have a 9 pin serial output on my computer. I was thinking of browsing newegg at some point. I dunno.

 

[Adam]

Mine is off, just for energy consumption's sake.

I did that for a while, too, for the same reason. However, when I changed it to quick start, I didn't notice any change in the power draw from my Belkin and I didn't notice any increase in temperature in the BD60 - so I suspect the power draw is pretty low.

I don't have a 9 pin serial output on my computer.

That's why I wanted to point out that cable in case you hadn't heard of them.

 

[Alex2507]

Has anybody run the Avia II disc with the BD60? Did the settings remain the same? I haven't done anything with it other than set the resolution to 1080p like Adam said. I have noticed some graininess with DVD's that I don't recall seeing with the Denon 1920. Is this just me being more observant or a calibration issue or a real phenomenon with upscaling (tell me that's the right term).

With the Denon, 720p was better than 1080i using a static image. I wonder what would happen if I just ran 480i with the BD60 and let the TV do it all. With the Denon I could change the resolution by pressing a button on the player. With the BD60 I have to hit 'STOP' and 'SETUP' so there is no quick comparison. I'm not crying about it ... yet.

 

[Adam]

Has anybody run the Avia II disc with the BD60? Did the settings remain the same?

I have, but it was the first time that I used the disc, so I have no previous Avia II settings to compare to.

I have noticed some graininess with DVD's that I don't recall seeing with the Denon 1920.

Well, you could always...

I wonder what would happen if I just ran 480i with the BD60 and let the TV do it all.

I say try out all the different resolution choices and see how they look.

You still have the 1920, correct? I say hook it back up and do a comparison between the two units.

 

[Alex2507]

You still have the 1920, correct? I say hook it back up and do a comparison between the two units.

It doesn't really work like that for me. It took me a long time to figure out how to compare different resolutions effectively with the 1920. Comparing one machine to the other would be really tough and would take me forever. I'd rather just save myself all that effort and just do what you think is best.

So ... with that bright/dark thing, did you go with bright?

 

[Adam]

It doesn't really work like that for me. It took me a long time to figure out how to compare different resolutions effectively with the 1920. Comparing one machine to the other would be really tough and would take me forever. I'd rather just save myself all that effort and just do what you think is best.

I think that it'll be easier than you think. You'll just need two copies of the same DVD. Put one in the BD60, one in the 1920, and then just switch between different video inputs. Maybe your set-up wouldn't easily accomodate that. That's how I compared the BD60 against the Oppo 980.

So ... with that bright/dark thing, did you go with bright?

Which bright/dark thing? Black level, front display?

 

[jostenmeat]

Has anybody run the Avia II disc with the BD60? Did the settings remain the same? I haven't done anything with it other than set the resolution to 1080p like Adam said. I have noticed some graininess with DVD's that I don't recall seeing with the Denon 1920. Is this just me being more observant or a calibration issue or a real phenomenon with upscaling (tell me that's the right term).

It might be any of the above, or a combination of the above.

With the Denon, 720p was better than 1080i using a static image. I wonder what would happen if I just ran 480i with the BD60 and let the TV do it all.

I forgot what your TV is. First of all, interesting 720p looked better as a static image than 1080i, because the latter definitely has the advantage if still. 720p may look better for motion (which is why ESPN is one of the rare broadcasters to use 720p, AFAIK). IN ANY CASE, it sounds like progressive output is the WTG with your display for sure, especially because I now think I remember you have a plasma which is not a Hitachi.

The BD60 cannot output 480i, AFAIK. I think the lowest it can go is 480p, a stickler point for some mad videophiles who demand the rawest output so that their $xxxx video processor can handle the deinterlacing (and scaling) before feeding it to their display.

The one thing I'd be most curious about in playing with is the 24p output. However, your display probably can't even accept it, so moot point. The better one will look smoother (USE ROLLING CREDITS), and whichever is doing it worse will look more juddery. It might also be a push. The winner depends on which device is better at 3:2 pulldown. I think*.

So ... with that bright/dark thing, did you go with bright?

If you mean the panel display, I'm on "auto" for the moment. If you mean the black level setting on the BD60, I am on lighter (which seems to always be the best, whether it's the tv, player, etc).

 

[Adam]

The BD60 cannot output 480i, AFAIK.

It can, but not over HDMI.

 

[jostenmeat]

I did that for a while, too, for the same reason. However, when I changed it to quick start, I didn't notice any change in the power draw from my Belkin and I didn't notice any increase in temperature in the BD60 - so I suspect the power draw is pretty low.

I think that did the trick. Thanks again, Adam. I watched District 9 last night, after making that setting. Much more responsive, at least on one try so far.

 

[Adam]

Cool!

BTW, now that more of you all have one of these - do you get the track number on the front display? I've never been able to get that on mine. It shows it on the Amazon images, but all I get is the time.

Thanks.