Thinking about upgrading my blu ray

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robbon44

229 posts

Master Geek

#226139 22-Dec-2017 09:31

Just starting to think about upgrading my old Pioneer BDP450 (multi region dvd/region B BR)

it has served me well and i use it for SACD play as well

I have always had half an eye on the Oppo range but keep thinking that approx $1000 is a bit steep for my set up

Here is my set up. What are peoples suggestions for a new BDP

Marantz SR5007

B&W Series 2 fronts and rears

B&W ASW sub

BENQ projector and 120" screen

mainly for movie use, some CD playing and SACD

Multi region DVD capability would be useful but not essential

Dont really see a need now for multi region BR

thoughts ??

my budget would be $500 ish

Senecio

713 posts

Ultimate Geek

Subscriber

#1923564 22-Dec-2017 09:49

Do you have a 4K TV? Even if you didn't I'd still suggest a 4K capable BD player for the future.

https://www.panasonic.com/au/consumer/home-entertainment/blu-ray-and-dvd-players/dmp-ub300gnk.html

The Panasonics are generally well regarded and this one is under budget.

lchiu7

5252 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#1923577 22-Dec-2017 10:19

I suspect if you want SACD also then your only choices would be Oppo and possibly a high-end Sony like this

https://www.amazon.com/SONY-X800-2K-4K-UHD/dp/B01JGXQ0SM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1513891111&sr=8-3&keywords=sony+blu+ray+player+sacd

That is in budget and is 4K also

I have a library of both SACD and DVD-Audio and so I am retaining my Oppo for that and have a Samsung UHD player for when I get into 4K.

Staying in Wellington. Check out my AirBnB in the Wellington CBD. https://www.airbnb.co.nz/rooms/32019730 Mention GZ to get a 10% discount

System One: Popcorn Hour A200, PS3 SuperSlim, NPVR and Plex Server running on Gigabyte Brix (Windows 10 Pro), Sony BDP-S390 BD player, Pioneer AVR, Raspberry Pi running Kodi and Plex, Panasonic 60" 3D plasma, Google Chromecast

System Two: Popcorn Hour A200 , Oppo BDP-80 BluRay Player with hardware mode to be region free, Vivitek HD1080P 1080P DLP projector with 100" screen, Denon AVRS730H 7.2 Channel Dolby Atmos/DTS-X AV Receiver, Samsung 4K player, Google Chromecast, Odroid C2 running Kodi and Plex

robbon44

229 posts

Master Geek

#1923588 22-Dec-2017 10:35

good point. its not as if i am getting rid of the 450. so i still have SACD capability

I used to have a panny dvd player back a few years but not looked at them in terms of BDP

In terms of 4k i dont have a 4k TV and my preference at the moment is getting the most use out of my projector so no plans on a flash new tv just yet. However, am i right in thinking that the new breed of 4k BDP players upscale to HD quite well ? and would that benefit my old DVD collection ?

I guess im not sure how much of an improvement would be visible. Would love to test a new player vs my old Pioneer.....

Dunnersfella

3722 posts

Uber Geek

#1923624 22-Dec-2017 11:35

The new players will tend to be a little more stable than your current Pioneer.

To add to that, the TV brand versions often come with the likes of Netflix / Youtube etc built in, they can connect to your network via Ethernet or WiFi, so they're pretty flexible.

If you're looking at UHD players, the Sony or Panasonic's seem to be the pick of the bunch unless you're planning to drop the dosh on an Oppo UHD (which doesn't have the likes of Netflix etc).

Personally, I have 3 Blu-ray capable devices (Panasonic, PS4 Pro, XBox) and I don't play discs anymore... *sigh*

kiwifidget

1819 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#1923630 22-Dec-2017 11:45

Just out of curiosity, I read the specs for the unit recommended by @senecio.

It says it will play DVD's from region 4 and ALL. This is not the same as region free is it? ie a region 2 DVD will not play?

Life is too short to remove USB safely.

Behodar

6961 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1923641 22-Dec-2017 12:07

kiwifidget: It says it will play DVD's from region 4 and ALL. This is not the same as region free is it? ie a region 2 DVD will not play?

Correct. Panasonic seems to love region codes.

JimmyH

2663 posts

Uber Geek

#1923713 22-Dec-2017 17:05

What is the purpose of the upgrade?

It would help if we had a bit more of a feel for what you are trying to achieve. In the sense of, if the old unit is still working well, what do you want the new unit to do that the old one won't?

robbon44

229 posts

Master Geek

#2142760 10-Dec-2018 21:02

Cough cough.. bit dusty this old thread....but still relevant!

I wanted to upgrade my pioneer as the thing was starting to show signs of wear and tear, the tray didn’t fully open, the load up took quite a while and it was doing occasional funny things to the image...

However, I decided what the heck I have a budget for upgrade so let’s see if I can overhaul the thing myself ..if I bugger it then I get a new Panasonic!! If I don’t then I will hold out a year....

Well I fixed the tray, tightened the hdmi connections and blew a bit of dust out of the box, replaced a couple of rubbers and ...well it’s lasted another year...

Occasionally I get a rather annoying panning of the image but I think this a handshake issue with my maranta amp and also the long hdmi cable run...but that’s another challenge...

So it’s on my Christmas list to jump in to the UHD and 4k player range and I’m contemplating the pano 420... seems like a good middle ground player from the reviews I have seen and would be a useful Netflix player...

Unless there is something out there in the ssshhhhh don’t tell everyone but the.......is the dogs gonads ! bracket that I should know about...

Cheers and good to be back in geekland ......anyone want to hear about my solar install this year I will be posting a bit on that later...

Rob

Paul1977

3005 posts

Uber Geek

#2142956 11-Dec-2018 09:24

Why not an Xbox One S or X. The X can be currently had for about $650, and gives you a very powerful 4K gaming console as well. The S is less powerful, but cheaper and will still play UHD Blu-Rays.

They added support for bitstreaming audio from the Blu-Ray player app a while ago.

How they compare to standalone players I don't know, but I would have thought it's worth considering as an option.

robbon44

229 posts

Master Geek

#2142961 11-Dec-2018 09:36

hadnt considered that as we already have a PS4 (not pro) so gaming im not bothered but as a 4k player.... its worth a thought..