Blu Ray Players: is it (now) worth getting one?

[richardfinegold]

Here is the manual for the model our OP has been considering - http://pdf.crse.com/manuals/4537148111.pdf

It seems that it will do screen mirroring from a portable device (perhaps an iPad or tablet, or mobile phone). It has a few other nice features. It's only got one HDMI socket, which generally should not be a problem, but it will depend what is to be done with it. I think some users like to feed a TV and also an AV surround system, though there are pass through routes which enable the same thing with many AV systems, or other devices which overcome this "limitation".
For surround sound an AV amp/receiver will be needed, otherwise fed into a TV only stereo will come out. It has a digital out - though this is not optical as I'd expected, but coax. That should be compatible with many audio DACs.

I don't think this model does play SACDs - despite a comment earlier up the thread. Some models do, some don't. This one doesn't.
It may not play DVD-As either.

It does look like good value for money - and if the reviews are good then go for it - unless something significantly better is wanted. Our Blu Ray (Sony) cost a lot more with a surround system but that was years ago.

I have 2 bare bones Sony BRP that both play SACD. Neither machine listed this as a capability.
I have read in product reviews that since Sony invented SACD, they apparently make it a standard feature on BRP.
If it is important, one can always bring an SACD into the store and try it.
Sony BRP don't play DVD-A, as that format was the chief competitor to SACD back when people gave a hoot.

[Dave2002]

I have 2 bare bones Sony BRP that both play SACD. Neither machine listed this as a capability.
I have read in product reviews that since Sony invented SACD, they apparently make it a standard feature on BRP.
If it is important, one can always bring an SACD into the store and try it.
Sony BRP don't play DVD-A, as that format was the chief competitor to SACD back when people gave a hoot.

Interesting!

SACD is not listed on page 37 of the manual as a playable disc format. DVD-Audio is explicitly ruled out in that section of the manual.
Could it be that your players treat SACDs as CDs, as most SACDs have a CD layer?

[Stunsworth]

I would buy the Blu-ray disc if Decca were to issue it separately, as I have the other parts of the jumbo set already

It's also available as a 24 bit download (either 44.1k or 48k, can't remember which). This is the same mastering as on the Blu-Ray.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

It's also available as a 24 bit download (either 44.1k or 48k, can't remember which). This is the same mastering as on the Blu-Ray.

[Stunsworth]

On a 13" screen I doubt if you'll notice much, if any, improvement over DVD.

The Samsung player that I have also gives access to iPlayer, Netflix and the Berlin Phil Concert Hall amongst others.

It probably be of no interest, but there's a new 'super Blu-Ray' due out by he end of this year/early next that will support 4k recordings.

[Dave2002]

On a 13" screen I doubt if you'll notice much, if any, improvement over DVD.

Surely that 13 is a typo - isn't it?

[Stunsworth]

Surely that 13 is a typo - isn't it?

I can't imagine Panasonic sold too many 13" HD TVs.

If I was putting the formats into a hierarchy it would be...

1.Blu-Ray
2 Streamed HD
3.DVD
4. Broadcast SD

[Bryn]

I was a fairly early adopter, and wish I had not been. Early models tended to have very noisy cooling fans and were rather expensive. I do not use either of my early machines any more. A couple of years ago I bought bargain models of the Philips and Sony brands from HMV. Both are fine. The Philips has a very useful USB input linked to a useful variety of audio CODECs, including raw aac (rather than wrapped up as m4a). As has already been mentioned, the Sony models also play SACDs.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

It probably be of no interest, but there's a new 'super Blu-Ray' due out by he end of this year/early next that will support 4k recordings.

It interests me a great deal.

[Stunsworth]

It interests me a great deal.

The advantages aren't just in resolution. Improved dynamic range and colour gamut too...

http://www.techhive.com/article/2922039/ultra-hd-blu-ray-discs-are-finally-ready-to-bring-4k-movies-to-your-home-theater.html

[jayne lee wilson]

A friend of mine spent part of his redundancy package on a Blu-Ray player and the "sooper-dooper" Solti Ring box. The sound from the Blu-Ray disc is astonishing in its detail and "three-dimensionality" (if that makes sense - the sound doesn't just cross from Left to Right speakers, but there's also a real sense that the woodwinds are further back from the strings - just as in a concert hall).






Pity it was Solti.

Tangentially.... it's worth pointing out that great 3D sound-staging isn't just in the gift of hires media, whether blu-ray or downloads. You can get it from any high grade medium from LP or CD up, entirely depending on the system quality - the reproducing chain - and the speaker/room interaction.

Even the quality of blu-ray music remasters will be largely due to careful remastering rather than the medium itself, extra data rate or not. One CD transport I have (17 years old...!) frequently outpoints it's 24-bit WAVEfile equivalent in 3D imaging.
If you wanna watch & listen to blu-rays themselves great - you're quids in. Just don't expect to get anything like 3D-CD at its potential best out of them.

But for stereo music there's that vast, often cheap, back-cat of CDs to enjoy & it may only need a new DAC to realise better sound-staging. Only lossless/hires downloads will ever approach CD for repertoire availability & they're catching up fast!

[richardfinegold]

Interesting!

SACD is not listed on page 37 of the manual as a playable disc format. DVD-Audio is explicitly ruled out in that section of the manual.
Could it be that your players treat SACDs as CDs, as most SACDs have a CD layer?

No, because the receiver lists the stream as DSD, which it does not do when a plain vanilla CD is playing

[richardfinegold]

Tangentially.... it's worth pointing out that great 3D sound-staging isn't just in the gift of hires media, whether blu-ray or downloads. You can get it from any high grade medium from LP or CD up, entirely depending on the system quality - the reproducing chain - and the speaker/room interaction.

Even the quality of blu-ray music remasters will be largely due to careful remastering rather than the medium itself, extra data rate or not. One CD transport I have (17 years old...!) frequently outpoints it's 24-bit WAVEfile equivalent in 3D imaging.
If you wanna watch & listen to blu-rays themselves great - you're quids in. Just don't expect to get anything like 3D-CD at its potential best out of them.

But for stereo music there's that vast, often cheap, back-cat of CDs to enjoy & it may only need a new DAC to realise better sound-staging. Only lossless/hires downloads will ever approach CD for repertoire availability & they're catching up fast!

I would add that while the cheap and cheerful Sonys play SACD, they don't do it nearly as well as the dedicated (ok, more expensive ) SACD players that I have in those two systems. Presumably whatever is reading the SACD layer in the cheap Sonys isn't doing it very accurately, which at this price point, would be churlish to complain about. What is of greater importance is that, to echo Alpie in this thread, the HDMI output that transmits the Blu Ray sound is doing a great job. The Blu Ray audio discs sound spectacular. Does my Oppo 105, which costs 12 times as much as the cheapo Sonys sound better on Blu Ray? Yes, but not 12 times better. These cheap BDP play Blu Ray very well.
The Oppo kills the Sony in every other format, and can be used as a stand alone DAC. However, Not only do the cheap BDPs do a great job with Blu Ray, but they also come with apps. My wife and I watched an episode of Foyle's War on Netflix on one of the Sony players last night

[Conchis]

I bought one today but was not supplied (via Argos) with the player I wanted. On getting it home, it turned out they'd given me this model

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Search/searchTerm/bdps5500.htm

- which is £25.00 dearer. I got it for the price of the cheaper model I wanted (£69.99 - in redeemed nectar points), so don't feel too minded to complain.

Have played my DVD of the Czinner Rosenkavalier, which is marvellous and currently listening to my sole SACD (Rolling Stones' Beggars Banquet).

Only issue seems to be the screen mirroring: have loaded opera browser but no results. It's connected to my internet but my iPad isn't recognising the new device in the room. I've read that Sony blu ray players are incompatible with Apple products. Not such a big tragedy if they aren't but why should the consumer be repeatedly screwed because of ridiculous 'format wars'?

[Dave2002]

I bought one today but was not supplied (via Argos) with the player I wanted. On getting it home, it turned out they'd given me this model

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Search/searchTerm/bdps5500.htm

- which is £25.00 dearer. I got it for the price of the cheaper model I wanted (£69.99 - in redeemed nectar points), so don't feel too minded to complain.

Have played my DVD of the Czinner Rosenkavalier, which is marvellous and currently listening to my sole SACD (Rolling Stones' Beggars Banquet).

Only issue seems to be the screen mirroring: have loaded opera browser but no results. It's connected to my internet but my iPad isn't recognising the new device in the room. I've read that Sony blu ray players are incompatible with Apple products. Not such a big tragedy if they aren't but why should the consumer be repeatedly screwed because of ridiculous 'format wars'?

I'm a bit confused as to which model you thought you were getting, but anyway I hope you are pleased with it. I'm not sure about the relative pricing of the models you mention. For the 5200 - http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produc...er/3097467.htm should have been a £30 reduction on a price close to £100 (£99.99) so actually £69.99.

The 5200 model should have screen mirroring, but looking at the manual for the 5500 which is the one I think you have bought, there is no mention of this feature that I can see - http://download.sony-europe.com/pub/...4549800112.pdf

So it's an open question as to whether the 5200 model is compatible with Apple products. The manual for that model doesn't specifiy which phones, tablets etc. it will work with.

I've just remembered why our Blu Ray isn't permanently left on Standby. It has a nasty (to us) habit of powering up whenever we switch to EXT 6 on our TV and then relabels EXT 6 as BD xxx (can't remember what - maybe BD SYSTEM). As one of our other receivers is also connected to that input via an HDMI switch it manages to override the other device, which we use much more frequently. If you've only got a few devices connected to your TV via HDMI you probably won't get that issue. I've never found a way of turning that feature off - though for some people without extra devices and HDMI switches it could be helpful.