Sony Ships New BDP-S300 Blu-ray Player

[wes]

Originally Posted by AudioFileZ

I have purchased the Sony BDP-S301 (same as S300 w/ HDMI cable & sold in warehouse stores). I replaced a $1000 Sony DVD/SACD player. Well...the picture is tremendous, even on regular dvd's, but I cannot get the optical audio out to work with my old Sony TAE-2000ESD pre-amp. It should be sending a mixed down 2-channel PCM audio stream to the pre-amp, but the pre-amp is totally mute, so something is not right. Is there something I need to be aware of to be sure the Blu-Ray player is sending the right type of audio PCM stream? Any help is appreciated as otherwise this player is a keeper. BTW, it takes about a minute to load a disc ready for playing. I know this is tons faster than the first generation BD players, but it still seems too long. Still, the picture is soooo good that I can live with the loading time.

Try the coax cable!

[AudioFileZ]

I found out later that you had to activate the optical by using the remote and working through a menu to get to it. When I did this it the Toslink worked. I had another problem which apparently Sony designed into the player. It would not recognize any BD-RE discs burned on my Sony Vaio vgn-ar290g laptop. This was the tipping factor. I took the player back to Costco. I eventually got one of the Toshiba hd-2a players from WallyWorld when they had them for $97...This one has really good up-conversion, better even than the Sony. The Tosh is a keeper.

A bit later I also purchased the Samsung dual-player model BD-P5000. It has pretty good up-conversion (though I feel the Toshiba bests it even). I like the BD-P5000 a lot and have found only one kink in the armor. It doesn't like homemade burned DVD+Rs...At least it doesn't like the TDK ones I normally use. It will play over half the disc trouble-free at which time it starts freezing, advancing, freezing, advancing, etc, etc... I then have to take the disc out of the Samsung and put it in the Toshiba which plays it flawlessly. By having to do this so many times I ended up convincing myself that the Toshiba also has the better up-conversion. I wonder if anyone else who may have both thinks this too?

[kennyt]

Originally Posted by AudioFileZ

I found out later that you had to activate the optical by using the remote and working through a menu to get to it. When I did this it the Toslink worked. I had another problem which apparently Sony designed into the player. It would not recognize any BD-RE discs burned on my Sony Vaio vgn-ar290g laptop. This was the tipping factor. I took the player back to Costco. I eventually got one of the Toshiba hd-2a players from WallyWorld when they had them for $97...This one has really good up-conversion, better even than the Sony. The Tosh is a keeper.

A bit later I also purchased the Samsung dual-player model BD-P5000. It has pretty good up-conversion (though I feel the Toshiba bests it even). I like the BD-P5000 a lot and have found only one kink in the armor. It doesn't like homemade burned DVD+Rs...At least it doesn't like the TDK ones I normally use. It will play over half the disc trouble-free at which time it starts freezing, advancing, freezing, advancing, etc, etc... I then have to take the disc out of the Samsung and put it in the Toshiba which plays it flawlessly. By having to do this so many times I ended up convincing myself that the Toshiba also has the better up-conversion. I wonder if anyone else who may have both thinks this too?

Dude,

You DO realize HD DVD LOST right???

Spending money on any HD DVD player is wasting cash nowadays.

Sure, they are cheap now, and so are the now totally finite # of HD DVD discs out, but their will never be any more, so take every one back you can, either that or go look for a good laser disc player to buy!

[deacongreg]

HD-DVD?? Should not even be in a conversation anymore.

[AudioFileZ]

When I purchased the $97 HD-DVD player at Wal-Mart I had already months ago returned my Sony Blu-Ray player. At the time, November, no one yet knew that it was eminent Toshiba would pull the plug on HD-DVD. I would not call a very good up-converting DVD player (that just happens to play HD-DVDs) for the sum of $97 wasting money. I wasn't too concerned with the HD-DVD part anyway.

Not long ago I decided to purchase the Samsung BD-P5000 because the price came down to around $530 at which time I felt like jumping back into Blu-Ray again. It really is a decent player, perhaps due to the Silicon Optix REON chip? Anyway it can now pass the HD lossless codecs too with the recent update so it is just icing on the cake that it can play some old HD-DVD's...moot issue or not. As for laser discs I see the humor because I still own a Magnavox top loader...It sits in the closet next to the Sony SL-5200 Betamax, the worlds first consumer video recorder with Hi-Fi (helical scan recorded) sound. I'm ready for 4K so I can closet the Toshiba HD-2A. the Samsung BD-P5000, The JVC Dila projector, and the Samsung 1080P 50" plasma. The Sampo 34" 720P direct view would be in there too, but it wouldn't fit...I had to give it away. Gotta love obsolence!

[wes]

Originally Posted by AudioFileZ

Not long ago I decided to purchase the Samsung BD-P5000 because the price came down to around $530 at which time I felt like jumping back into Blu-Ray again. It really is a decent player, perhaps due to the Silicon Optix REON chip? Anyway it can now pass the HD lossless codecs too with the recent update so it is just icing on the cake that it can play some old HD-DVD's...moot issue or not. As for laser discs I see the humor because I still own a Magnavox top loader...It sits in the closet next to the Sony SL-5200 Betamax, the worlds first consumer video recorder with Hi-Fi (helical scan recorded) sound. I'm ready for 4K so I can closet the Toshiba HD-2A. the Samsung BD-P5000, The JVC Dila projector, and the Samsung 1080P 50" plasma. The Sampo 34" 720P direct view would be in there too, but it wouldn't fit...I had to give it away. Gotta love obsolesce!

Well I wouldn't count on 4K anytime soon, so if you have a good blu ray player 2.0 profile like the PS3 you should be set for the next 10 years. I went straight from VHS to DVD I knew laser disc was never going to take on too expensive....

DVD was developed in 93 and launched in 97, and until today remained the king soon to be displaced by Blu Ray if the studios can get off the greed and lower prices of their movies.

Way to go New Line and Warner...

I don't mind changing my system every ten years, people on average change cars every three years and that is a lot more money than video