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This Month's Featured Equipment Reviews |
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Blu-ray Hardware Forum Topics: |
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Classic Video Players Reviews |
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Past Blu-ray Hardware News |
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Blu-ray Players
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Wednesday, 28 October 2009
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Written by
Thomas Spurlin
It’s natural to assume that technology-initiator Sony would be a market leader in the player category, though the widespread implementation of the PS3 might be a bit of a shock. For those who weren’t swayed towards using a video game machine as a high-definition unit, Sony also wedged into the mix with their BDP-S350 and S550 models – both of which are excellent players. Naturally, Sony has followed up their previous line with the S360 and their step-up model reviewed here, the S560. As with their other players, Sony’s BDP-S560 naturally stand up against the company’s versatile PS3 – now available as a slim, less expensive unit -- and it does so with admirable quality, though it’s a tug-of-war between the benefits and negatives between the two.At first glance, Sony’s player will look strikingly familiar. It carries the signature dark-blue ...
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Monday, 26 October 2009
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Written by
Dick Ward
The BDP-09FD is Pioneer’s highest offering in its Elite line of Blu-ray players. Bonus View and (thanks to an April firmware update) BD Live compatible, the BDP-09FD has a wide variety of assets that are certain to attract Blu0-ray fanatics. The BDP-09FD wasn’t constructed solely to appeal to movie buffs though, it also houses many of the same features as high end CD players.
The BDP-09FD features three 16-bit video processors which help to keep the 10809/24 video crisp and smooth. The dual HDMI 1.3 outputs offer support for 48-bit Deep Color, as well as X.V. color. The Pioneer Developed 16-bit video processing LSI allows for 15 different video adjustments.
Pioneer Elite’s BDP-09FD is capable of decoding Dolby TrueHD and Dolby Digital Plus right out of the box, and a firmware update will enable DTS-HD Master Audio and DTS-HD High Resolution Audio ...
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Wednesday, 21 October 2009
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Written by
Thomas Spurlin
Pioneer made a nice-sized splash at the 2009 CEDIA conference in Atlanta, touting several high-quality Blu-ray players with a slate of appealing hardware underneath the hood. One of those players was the BDP-320 (released earlier this year), their second-tier model currently priced at $399.99 list. With versatility and quality in mind with this 1080p/24, Profile 2.0 machine, it delivers a ravishing high-definition experience – though you’ll likely be waiting for prolonged gaps in between load times for the content to appear. You’ll discover that it’s a player inadvertently designed for the patient once you’ve grown accustomed to some of its slights, and persistence will eventually pay off once this Pioneer gets on the move. Out of the Box:At first glance, the BDP-320 is a sleek unit with a very appealing aesthetic. It’s pitch-black with a glossy sheen and somewhat prone ...
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Wednesday, 21 October 2009
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Written by
AVRev.com
Samsung’s BD-P3600 is a network capable Blu-ray player with a variety of regularly updated streaming options. Out of the gate, the WiFi enabled BD-P3600 is able to stream both the Pandora music service and Netflix. Thanks to a recent firmware update, the player is now able to access both YouTube and Blockbuster On Demand.
The BD-P3600 is a capable Blu-ray player, with a 1080p output for both Blu-ray discs and upconverted DVDs. It decodes high definition audio formats like Dolby True HD and DTS HD Master Audio, as well as legacy formats. Audio can be sent through HDMI or separately through optical or analog 7.1 outputs.
Featuring a gigabyte of local storage, the BD-P3600 supports BD Live, and can be connected via either the included WiFi dongle or through a built in Ethernet port. Audio, Video and JPEG format pictures can ...
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Thursday, 15 October 2009
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Written by
Dick Ward
The BDP-CX960 MegaChanger is a Blu-ray player capable of storing and changing up to 400 Blu-ray discs. Part of Sony’s entrance into Blu-ray changers, the BDP-CX960 is the more economical of the two changers released. Up to 400 discs – CD, DVD and Blu-ray – can be stored and played in the CX960. Blu-ray discs are displayed in 1080/24p while standard DVDs are upscaled to near HD resolutions. Sony’s newest MegaChanger does offer support for BD-Live, though an external USB drive for storage is required.The included Ethernet port on the BDP-CX960 is used for more than just BD-Live. By tapping into Gracenote, the CX960 is able to download cast information, jacket artwork and more for each DVD or Blu-ray disc. By displaying this information on screen while searching through discs, the CX960 makes it a bit simpler to find the ...
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