New Panasonic DMP-BD55 for $399

[wes]

Originally Posted by topshag01

I'm questioning the Circuit City purchase as they are filing for chapter 11, and I opted for the 3 yr warranty. Although, I heard that warranty issues were more of a pain with Amazon.com Best Buy carries them as well.

Also, here's an exerpt from a review by Sound and Vision which indicates that one can receive 1080i using component video.

"As I watched Transformers on Blu-ray, the BD55’s picture looked remarkably detailed and punchy. In a scene where Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) flips over the handlebars of the girls’ bike he’s riding past a prominently placed Burger King, the pink bike and red/orange signage in the background looked vivid and clean. And when the mysterious muscle car that’s been chasing him enters the scene, its yellow body paint displayed a wide range of finely delineated hues. The same scenes viewed in 1080i using the player’s component-video output looked notably softer when compared with HDMI, but that’s often the case with Blu-ray players and other high-def sources."

http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/blu...sc-player.html

Extended warranty for $329 please give me a break By then just buy a better and new one.

[topshag01]

Originally Posted by wes

Extended warranty for $329 please give me a break By then just buy a better and new one.

A three year Circuit City extended warranty is approx $75......yes a rippoff, but I tend to keep stuff for as long as possible. Although, I suppose if a unit lasts a year, the typical mfr warranty, then it usually lasts the technical lifetime of the unit. I've had the Mitsubishi 55 inch Reap Projection since 2001, and I'm reluctant to replace it as it gets a great picture, and it cost me over $3K back then.

[hostchecker]

yeah i love amazon

[wes]

Originally Posted by topshag01

A three year Circuit City extended warranty is approx $75......yes a rippoff, but I tend to keep stuff for as long as possible. Although, I suppose if a unit lasts a year, the typical mfr warranty, then it usually lasts the technical lifetime of the unit. I've had the Mitsubishi 55 inch Reap Projection since 2001, and I'm reluctant to replace it as it gets a great picture, and it cost me over $3K back then.

Yes I know I bought a Seleco HT300 720p in 2001 for $13K and it died twice once in 2003 I repaired it and again in 2007.

So this time I ditch it and bought a JVC DLA-RS2 1080p for $6000 and it is wonderfull.

[Westcoaster]

Originally Posted by topshag01

I just bought the Panasonic DMP-BD55 at Circuit City for $399. I have a Denon 3805 reciever coupled with a Mitsubishi WD55 (1080i max) Rear Projection Wide Screen TV. Both Denon and Mits are non HDMI units so I have everything hooked up thru Component Video and TosLink audio. I'm not sure whether I'm upconverting to 1080i with standard DVD's or whether I'm getting 1080i with Blu Ray Discs either. I'm not inclined to spend another $4K to buy a new HDMI Receiver and TV, but I want to maximize my experience with my existing equipment. Should I hook up the audio via analog instead of TosLink? Any ideas.

I have the Denon 3805 as well and will be buying the BD55 because it has the ability to provide analog 7.1 full resolution sound.

To take advantage of this all we have to do is connect all 8 (7.1) outputs from the BD55 to the 8 (7.1) 'EXT-IN" on the Denon 3805. These inputs are on the left hand side of the back panel, use the 'system setup' function of the Denon to assign the 'EXT-IN' to your desired input selection, ie. DVD and you will be golden!

Al

[Thefilmwall]

I Love this so i like it....
Panasonic's DMP-BD55 is the top Blu-ray Player in their fourth generation model line. The DMP-BD55K features 5.1 or 7.1-channel analog audio outputs for compatibility with non-HDMI-equipped receivers and preamp/processors. We've seen an early demo of the DMP-BD55 and it looks like it offers even better video performance than its predecessors, the DMP-BD50 and DMP-BD30 so pre-order it from Amazon.com now before they change their minds!