Panny DMP-BD30K upscaling ability?

Charles_Y · 01-04-2008, 10:23 AM

I'm looking at Blu-Ray players in the new year having purchased a Toshiba HD-DVD player (A35) last year. The upscaling on the Tosh was great and an important factor for me as my DVD collection is huge.

I guess I'm hooked and will bring Blu-Ray on board as well this year. I don't want a game system period so any support for the PS3 will fall on deaf ears here. From my research the Panasonic seems a good possibility. It's one of the first players with the Final Standard Profile (about time this format finalized something at last - ridiculous!). I have the Onkyo TX-SR805 receiver so bit-streamed DD, etc. will be decoded.

My question is how well does this player upscale standard DVDs? While we are at it also, how fast is the power up and response time on average?

Thanks for your input!

Jamey K · 01-04-2008, 07:00 PM

I'd like to know the same thing. If I'm going to get a BR player, and all the reviews on this Panny are glowing, I want to know how the upconvert looks...as compared to the Tosh A2?

Todd H · 01-04-2008, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charles_Y

I'm looking at Blu-Ray players in the new year having purchased a Toshiba HD-DVD player (A35) last year. The upscaling on the Tosh was great and an important factor for me as my DVD collection is huge.

I guess I'm hooked and will bring Blu-Ray on board as well this year. I don't want a game system period so any support for the PS3 will fall on deaf ears here. From my research the Panasonic seems a good possibility. It's one of the first players with the Final Standard Profile (about time this format finalized something at last - ridiculous!). I have the Onkyo TX-SR805 receiver so bit-streamed DD, etc. will be decoded.

My question is how well does this player upscale standard DVDs? While we are at it also, how fast is the power up and response time on average?

Thanks for your input!

Its upscaling isn't bad and looks decent on my 50" SXRD @1080P. It's not as good as some of the REON players however.

I've owned both the BD30 and a PS3 and the BD30 loads just as fast as the PS3. Load speeds are extremely quick, even on Java titles.

Chris PC · 01-05-2008, 11:54 AM

What makes the BD30 better than the PS3? What video solution is the BD10 and BD30 using to output 1080p? How does it compare to the XA2's Reon chip and the DVDO solutions? A moot point for me, as I'll probably just output 1080i to my VP50.

Do either of the BD10 (10A?) or BD30 decode HD audio? DD True HD and DD+? DTS-HR and DTS-core from DTS MA? Can they output these PCM over HDMI?

Dave H · 01-05-2008, 11:48 PM

The BD30 and BD10 are using different chip solutions. The BD30 is only designed for bitstreaming advanced audio which means you need an HDMI receiver which will decode them.

Having compared the PS3 to the BD30 at 1080p/24, the BD30 does produce a slightly better BD picture.

As far as SD DVD upscaling, the BD30 is not very good. It's image is pretty sharp, but very noisey and non-smooth. Very "un-filmlike." In addition, it won't even pass one single test on the HQV benchmark disc.

I use the BD30 strictly for Blu-ray; however, I need to find a SD DVD solution - I'm keeping my eyes and ears on the new Oppo 983 which is coming out soon - it uses an ABT solution and should be quite a player.

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Chris PC · 01-06-2008, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave H

The BD30 and BD10 are using different chip solutions. The BD30 is only designed for bitstreaming advanced audio which means you need an HDMI receiver which will decode them.

Having compared the PS3 to the BD30 at 1080p/24, the BD30 does produce a slightly better BD picture.

As far as SD DVD upscaling, the BD30 is not very good. It's image is pretty sharp, but very noisey and non-smooth. Very "un-filmlike." In addition, it won't even pass one single test on the HQV benchmark disc.

I use the BD30 strictly for Blu-ray; however, I need to find a SD DVD solution - I'm keeping my eyes and ears on the new Oppo 983 which is coming out soon - it uses an ABT solution and should be quite a player.

So the BD30 does fine with 1080 Blu-Ray discs? How does the BD10 compare? How else do these players differ apart from the audio?

Dave Moritz · 01-19-2008, 06:22 PM

How well does the DMP-BD30K perform? Anyone here have this player hooked up to a HDMI 1.3 receiver that has Dolby True HD and DTS-HD MA decoding? Has there been any problems with the advanced lossless codex being sent to the receiver? I currently am looking into another player to upgrade my current Sony BDP-S300 because it will not bitstream DTHD or DTS-HD MA. I am looking to upgrade the Blu-ray player after I buy my receiver, most likely the Denon AVR-3808ci. I am also considering the Denon DVD-2500BTCI Blu-ray Transport. But since it does not use a Realta HQV or Reon-HQV™ processor so I am revaluating if I am going to actually buy it or not. I am now considering the Panasonic DMP-BD30K as an alternate player.

I would apreciate hearing from anyone that has this player and uses it with a new receiver.

How good does the video look via HDMI?
Does the player properly bitstream Dolby True HD?
Does the player properly bitstream DTS-HD Master Audio?
How well does the player perform overall?

Shane Martin · 01-19-2008, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Has there been any problems with the advanced lossless codex being sent to the receiver?

Yes 7.1 DTS MA titles aren't recognized by the Denon models when sent bitstream. The other formats(Dolby True HD, and PCM) work fine.

I'm impressed with it myself. It properly bitstreams audio even 7.1(as long as you don't own a Denon). The video looks spectacular. The loading of discs is super speedy. If Denon releases a firmware update(or a fix) then it's a solid combination. Until then, you don't get DTS MA 7.1 which hurts a bit because Lionsgate and New Line are using that exclusively now. It know 7.1 DTS MA is seen correctly by an Onkyo and a Yamaha so clearly it's not a player fault.

The only player flaw is certain discs aren't not playing friendly with the player. Sunshine is an example.

Dave Moritz · 01-19-2008, 07:53 PM

Hey Shane,

Thanks for the info I appreciate it.

Do you know how many discs do not play or have problems with the DMP-BD30K?

Since the Denon AVR-3808ci's firmware can be updated via it ethernet connection I fell its only a matter of time before Denon corrects it. Denon has a good reputation and I do not think it will take them long to correct the problem with the 7.1 DTS-HD MA decoding.

Also does anyone have the DMP-BD30K hooked up to the Onkyo TX-SR875? I am going to keep the Pioneer Elite VSX-94TXH and the Onkyo TX-SR875 as alternate choices if I do not buy the Denon AVR-3808ci.

Shane Martin · 01-19-2008, 11:54 PM

Quote:

Do you know how many discs do not play or have problems with the DMP-BD30K?

I know Sunshine was one. I don't know about the others.

I'm currently testing a Yamaha RXV3800. It's quite nice but a bit too shrill sounding for my tastes and I don't care for the EQ much as it's limited to >60hz. It's a loaner so I can't complain for the time being. I'll have to go back to non-lossless soon as my friend will finally want it. He's building a theater and let me try out the 3800 since I'm in the market. The 875/905 are the 2 receivers I'm looking at. My friend has the 805 and the 875 uses the same amp section except it has a better scaler. Beyond that, the differences between the 875 and 805 are subtle. The only real knock on the 875 is the heat it generates. It's a non-issue for me but if you have a closed cabinet, you want to make sure it has good airflow otherwise it's better IMHO than the 3808. The scaler is way better and it has more power. Sound wise, it's a matter of opinion. Between those 4(including the Pioneer), it comes down to brand preference and which options you value the most. The scaler is more valuable to me so the 875 is what I'm leaning towards. The DTS MA 7.1 issue isn't hurting matters either.

Tommy H · 01-24-2008, 12:40 PM

I currently own the Panny BD30, Sony SXRD tv, and HD cable box and am in the market for a new receiver. Like most people I have con