Blu-ray HD audio - which players?

[ladyg11]

Which make/model Blu-Ray players have high bit rate audio?

[stevekaden]

If you mean output to HDMI. As far as I know - ALL freestanding players and the PS3 do. It's the standard.

To find out particulars, like which output it as PCM vs. raw Bitstream vs. decode internally and output to the 5.1/7.1 audio outputs you will need to do a little research. Company websites and questions to forums like these - but it would help to narrrow it to a brand/model that has caught your eye and fits in your budget.

[ladyg11]

How about Samsung BDP-1400? It's one of few that seem to have good reviews and yet not as expensive as most BD players.

[stevekaden]

I am not real solid in the BR players. I only potentially own a BR player. I have a used Panasonic D..something..30 on the way. Got it for about half street retail - $300. To really get into each player, you should go to AVSFORUM.COM and go to the HD area, then the BluRay player area and look for a Samsung 1400 thread.

Problem is....there is just a massive amount of letters there. Sometimes, I just go to end, explain I can't read 500 entries, and ask for opinions. Best to state what equipment you are going to mix with. For example, I would not be able to get this Panasonic to output any advanced audio except with a new HDMI receiver that has the new decoders. A few people made that clear for me.

Good luck!

[ladyg11]

You're probably referring to the Panny DMP-BD30K. Nice unit with just the features I want except,,,,,,,an ethernet connection. I already have the Toshiba A35 hooked to up to my router for updates and I want a BD player that will update just as conveniently. The Samsung unit has the ethernet. Actually I got the answer to my original question from one of my other forums (HTF) and those two BD units seem to be the most popular - or maybe I should say of a reasonable price range. Good price for yours by the way. I found the Samsung for just a little over $300 - both units have good and bad points according to all the reviews I've read but the ethernet feature gets my vote hands down. I just got a new HDMI receiver - that's the very reason I was asking the question.
Thanks anyway

[stevekaden]

Yes...I have a history in HD DVD players, and no doubt the built in in net connection is super convienient.

Off the subject, but even better is DISH Network's receiver's built in power line home network - you just plug the power in to a non filtered socket - and if you have source unit - $30 at Fry's - you're up. And it's self configuring and fast: 85mb. I started using them a lot, stable, fast and no need for cat drops nor wifi adaptors ($$).

I am not technologically challenged, but CD burning can be tedious. I mean, in an era of 64gb thumb drives...plastic seems so ancient.

Oh well - maybe I should have shopped a bit more - it was a real impulse buy, I was still in mourning for HD DVD (and just a little bit regretting my HW/SW, uh, investment).

[akirby]

Why not try a PS3?

[stevekaden]

I had thought of it, but to get the SACD it would have cost more (80gb system), the remote has to 'built' to use with a typical all-in-one IR remote, you can't stack on it, and some percentage of them are noisy.

[ladyg11]

"you can't stack on it,"

Yeah, the shape of it wouldn't work at all with my setup. I also read it doesn't quite have have the features as a stand alone. I'm not a gamer anyway,,,,

[stevekaden]

LOL..."not a gamer"...tell that to the few million people who bought it for BluRay only!!! It's what won the war (IMHO). And that is now drawing the non-gamers into - you guessed it - buying games.

Killer marketing by Sony.

I understand though, I am not a gamer and the thought of having it in the house sort of subliminally bugs me. Not that we don't have a Wii for the exercise value!

I think others might argue that it is lacking in features compared to stand alones. It has a lot of fans. Very aggressive ones at that.