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 decoders.  Pioneer’s Blu-ray player features outputs for digital audio as well as 7.1 channel analog outs.

Audiophiles will appreciate a dedicated analog audio power supply, eliminating the possibility of interference from a shared supply, and a toroidal transformer which also helps to cut down on electrical interference.  The BDP-09FD employs eight Wolfson Audio DACs which run in dual mode.

Weighing in at just over 30 pounds, the BDP-09FD features a solid construction.  Aluminum front, side and a double layered top panel cover steel cross bar supports and a solid steel bottom place.  On the inside, each component – the analog audio board, video board and digital and analog power supplies – are kept separate from one another.

Networking and streaming options are absent, though the BDP-09FD does offer 4GB of built-in memory for BD Live support.  The player runs a bit slow as well, with loading times upwards of a minute on some discs.  The video and audio specs are quite impressive though, and waiting a few seconds longer for high quality video may not be that bad.

The Pioneer Elite BDP-09FD is available from Pioneer and authorized retailers at right around $2,200.

Manufacturer

Pioneer

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