New to Blu? Buy a PS3: the most featured BD hardware available... (2 Viewers)

[Grant H]

If you want some awesome bass effects check out the opening dream sequence of Total Recall. The DTS HD HR track renders it quite well!

Also, in case anyone was worried about Die Hard 2 (AVS pointed out some players out there bitstreamed the track incorrectly as HR instead of MA), the PS3 had no trouble decoding it properly as DTS HD MA.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

I was thinking about picking up Die Hard 4, but have been putting it off because people have been complaining that the PG-13-ification of it produced a lot of visible dubbing. What do you guys think? Is it distracting enough to wait for the inevitable double-dip?

 

[TravisR]

I would wait and just rent the PG-13 version. If only to spite Fox for not releasing the real version of the movie. Having seen the movie in the theater I can say that it's not that bad but I'd still wait to buy it until you can get the R rated version. And like you said, the re-release is inevitable so if you like the PG-13 version, you'll probably want the R rated one so why buy it twice when you don't have to.

 

[Jari K]

What are these "problems"?

 

[Cees Alons]

Jari,

Sorry, my memory played a trick on me. It wasn't HDMI, it has to do with the outputstream not being able to get forced to 1080p60 all the time:

A BD-player that scales all output to1080p60?

Isn't it? And how tough is that?
Or was it solved with this newest firmware upgrade perhaps?


Cees

 

[Jari K]

Follow-up post:

The problem was, that my PS3 was set to "bitstream" (with "optical", that I still use at the moment).

When I changed it to "PCM", now "DTS-HD MA" is visible in the display-menu and also bitrate (which is variable, approx. 4-5 Mbps* with "ID4").

(* "DTS core" is 1.5 Mbps).

Btw. So is it now confirmed that PS3 doesn´t support "bitstream" via HDMI (DTS-HD and Dolby TrueHD)?

 

[Aaron Silverman]

Thanks, Travis. Guess I'll borrow the 2-disc from the library and see how I like it.

 

[DaViD Boulet]

Hey Cees,

that issue is primarily a result of the peculiar requirements of the projector head for the JVC HD2K which can *only* accept a native 1080p60 stream... and literaly nothing else. That's bcs the JVC folks pulled out the video processing into an external Faoudja box... which stupidly cannot *accept* a 1080p60 signal... only up to 1080i60 (even though it outputs a constant 1080p60 stream to the PJ head).

Most displays can handle a variety of input formats so the PS3 switching resolution with BD media depending on content won't be a deal breaker, though it may be annoying since most displays take a few seconds to "relock" whenever the video signal changes format (regarless of HDMI or component input).

dave

 

[DaViD Boulet]

Uh, there's no "need" in that sentence. It's just *desireable* to show my friends with 1080p displays how incredible their HDTVs look with best native 1080p software currently available to consumers. After months of watching over-compressed digital cable and upconverted DVD, BD quality is nothing short of a revelation.

 

[Cees Alons]

Clear to me now. Thanks for the clarification, Dave!


Cees

 

[DaViD Boulet]

What's frustrating is now that the PS3 is decoding DTS-HD MA, the *only* benefit of the Panny BD30 that I have is the constant 1080p60 signal for the JVC PJ head... used to be that its streaming of DTS-HD MA to my receiver was also another serious perk over the PS3's core-limited DTS ability.

Well... for $500 for the Panny BD30 player, I'm now seriously considering returning it (still w/in 30 days) now that the PS3 can do full DTS lossless and just going to my friend's house when I have to review BD content that's not native 1080p60 (like many BD bonus features). It seems a real waste of $500 for just that... and there's a rumor afoot that a future update for the PS3 might include scaling of BD material as well (as it already upscales DVD material). In any case... if I can hold out a little longer, $500 might also get me a 2.0 profile player as the second player. Decisions Decisions!

dave

 

[Ron Reda]

Sadly, I don't own TR yet. I need to pick it up, it's one of my guilty pleasures. At this point, I'm looking to pick up more Fox titles (at a discount of course) due to all of this DTS MA-HD goodness. Gonna try for Fantastic Four next.

 

[Cees Alons]

Dave,

Is changing the Panny for a video processor an option? Or are prices of those too much higher?

I own the DVDO VP50, and I'm sure that would solve the problem if I had the same projector.


Cees

 

[ralphPerez]

Well, have had my PS3 for a few weeks and it appears to me that my std. DVD look better then the BD which it does not make sense to me using a 1080I Mits PJ 3000, you would think that the BD would look better even if the PJ is not a 1080P, don't you think?

 

[TonyD]

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well seems obvious something is connected wrong or set up wrong.

 

[ralphPerez]

I agree with you and have played around with the PS3 and PJ settings the only thing that I can think of is that when I calibrated the PJ settings it shows a better color and detail on stdvd, it is the item that I can think of.

 

[DaViD Boulet]

I actually contacted the company to see if they had any b-stock units they'd sell me direct at a discount.

That was my first thought before even considering a new BD player at this point. As you say it would work perfectly... but at a minimum of twice the cost of the Panny (and I really would want HDMI 1.3 which would mean the Pro version at an even higher cost). Ugh! So many choices, and they all cost money!

My neighbor is now blu-equipped along with a 1080p PJ (right across the street) so my thought is that if I return the Panny BD30 I can watch any non-1080p60 BD SE content at his place until the PS3 comes out with an update for BD scaling or the BD50 comes out... which is the real player that I want.

dave

 

[Jari K]

Your "1080p60"-issue is completely new to me, but then again, I use LCD (which changes the resolution very smoothly) and my 1080p-TV supports both 50/60hz. So you don´t have a TV-set, that you could use to watch those SD-extras? I doubt that you watch everything from protector anyway?

 

[Cees Alons]

Although it isn't in the same range you mentioned for the Panny (and I don't know about your intended budget anyway): I happened to notice an interesting offer in the FS hardware area (at the start of the second week of this month)...

(All I can add is, that the VP50 is a marvellous machine, and if feasible, something someone like you may be able to put to very good use for years to come.)


Cees

 

[Adam Gregorich]

I have an A stock NIB one I'm selling in the FS area for less than dealer cost.