Official Panasonic DMP-BD10 Blu-Ray player thread (1 Viewer)

[Kevin. W]

Why is this still an issue? Can't the chipmaker get it right by now? Poor choices in software, use of an inferior codec, macroblocking still present in hardware, price through the roof. What else can BR offer me to take me past these hurdles and purchase a unit?

 

[Ben_Williams]

I was referencing a bit of macroblocking that I saw during The Fifth Element. This is a poorly done transfer and the macroblocking could and most like is a result of that bad transfer. Don't blame the hardware... You'll notice that I've seen macroblocking exactly ONCE during repeated testing of this player on a multitude of titles from a variety of studios.

For the record, I've seen macroblocking on HD-DVD as well. This is a non-issue for either format as long as the encodes are done properly.

 

[Ben_Williams]

Just a followup to this question. I must have missed it before, but there is a selection in the setup menus to disable the video during DVD-A playback. It isn't nearly as convenient as a front panel button, but it is nice that they though of including this feature.

 

[GoldenRedux]

EDIT: Just some more questions on the topic. Does the setting turn the video section off automatically during DVD-A playback, and then back on again for video discs, or is it something you have to turn back on again? Also, is it just during DVD-A playback, or would it also be off for CD playback and potentially any audio-only Blu-ray discs that may come out down the road?

 

[Dave_BG]

And more positive reviews:


http://www.canadahifi.com/review52.php

 

[Cees Alons]

Positive review yes. More or less. But which BD movie did he watch on it? He hardly speaks about that.
Were the MPEG-2 transfers already better, or did he watch a VP-1 compression? One has to wonder, and that's what we would like to know.


Cees

 

[DaViD Boulet]

Great review. Just what I've been hoping for!


Fantastic. As long as the Panny can be flashed to do advanced audio, then the investment might be worth it. Now I just have to wait and see how the PS3 performs to make up my mind!

Thanks for the great review!

 

[Dave Moritz]

How well built is the Panasonic DMP-BD10 really? How good is the performance of this player? I have allways been weiry about buying a Panasonic player for my HT. Will there actually be a Dolby True HD and DTS-HD upgrade for this player?

I have put off both the Sony and Pioneer Elite Bluray players because they do not have the ability to decode DTHD or DTSHD. And with no way to output ether format to a upcoming reciever. I have decided to put off buying a player to avoid having to purchase a second player later. I do however like the fact that the DMP-BD10 has a 7.1 output instead of a 5.1. This is another one of my problems with the other Bluray players, only having 5.1 analog outputs and a HDMI 1.2 output. I would love to know how well the video from the DMP-BD10 looks conected to a projector using a 100" screen. My goal is to have not only a HD-DVD player but a Bluray player as well. And to upgrade to a 1080p projector so both players must have close to flawless video.

 

[GoldenRedux]

 

[DaViD Boulet]

 

[Grant H]

I'm guessing Dave's comment meant something along the lines of "Is it really going to happen?"

I can't knock him for not believing it until he sees it. But the fact Panasonic supplied an actual card to mail in and it's not "a mysterious Panasonic insider says..." inclines me to take them at their world.

But I've been wrong before.

Is it true the Pioneer player isn't going to offer DD True HD or DTS HD? As often ast they've delayed it, you'd think they could pack in everything.

 

[DaViD Boulet]

Panny has always been good about firmware updates for their DVD players... they started doing that before it was the "in thing" with electronic consumer gear. So there's a good manufacturer history there with providing updates... and yeah, the card gives me confidence that the particular issue of advanced audio is one they are going to do right.


agreed. I've heard reports from those who've spoken with the Pioneer reps that they just don't understand why enthusiasts care about these new features. Let's hope they've managed to "get it" and are delaying the player to incorportate the goods...

 

[Grant H]

It was 10 years ago that I picked up a Panasonic HiFi 4head VCR (using scholarship money to pay for it!), and that puppy runs as well today as the day I got it. It was the only player I could find at the time that was actually built in Japan and didn't have an ultra-noisy picture. I guess it had come in 2nd to (surprisingly, at the time, a Samsung I believe) in an electronics magazine test. Oh, the old days.

Both Panasonic and Pioneer have earned my respect though, as I bought a used Pioneer LD/DVD combo unit that still works great (anyone else admire the raw power of a LD player motor), and the the $70 Pioneer DVD players I picked up at Wal-Mart a couple years ago have ended up my favorite players (but only because I let the iScan do the de-interlacing).

I'm definitely keeping an eye out for the next-gen Pannys, in hopes they will only improve and not subtract any features (in which case I go looking for markdowns).

And I'll hope Pioneer gets it together too. How can they be "Elite" if they don't have all the bells and whistles? And here's a company that's been well known for AUDIO gear!

But then there's the PS3 that could be too great a value to pass up. But can I live without lossless audio (if it doesn't end up offering it through analog means) considering the amount of time I watch movies vs. play games? Then again, it's not like it's some crappy game system. Aahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

 

[Dave Moritz]

I believe that one of the videos from this years CEDIA show included the Pioneer Blu-ray player. And if I remember correctly the Pioneer rep was asked about HDMI 1.3 availability. And the reply was something like "oh you guys are all about the new codex's". Not sure why you wouldn't want to include the newest technology for a cutting edge product? Sony seems to be taking the same route with there own player. No internal decoding and no HDMI 1.3. I thought thats why these players where being pushed back so many times. That they where looking to do it right and offer these technologies. But at this time I don't think the Pioneer is going to offer anything but 1080p video also including mp3 and mpeg video playback off of your pc network. Not sure what other new features the Pioneer will have but it seems to be missing the really important ones! :frowning:

 

[GoldenRedux]

Not to mention they only have 5.1 and not 7.1 analogue outputs. That is ridiculous, IMO. The Panasonic is looking like the way to go for me.

 

[Dave Moritz]

That is one of the reasons I am rethinking this matter and may end up getting a Panasonic. The other alternative is to wait for 2nd generation Bluray player with HDMI 1.3 to come out. I am planing on buying a next generation reciever anyway. One with Dolby True HD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding available. That will just mean that I will allready have a pre-exsisting Bluray library once I buy a player, if I decided to put it off and wait for HDMI 1.3.

I am just very impatient and want's my 1080p precious now, I must have the precious!

 

[GoldenRedux]

Myyeeeehhhh PREh-Shussssssssssss....

BTW, I just pulled the trigger on the Panny at Abt Electronics, but they are out of stock already. It's showing 7 to 14 days, but we all know it could be far longer than that. :frowning:

 

[Dave Moritz]

I am in a different boat myself, I have had my current Yamaha RX-V995 since about late 1997. This reciever has no assignable digital or video inputs. It has no HD compatible video and only has one 5.1 analog input which is being used for my Toshiba HD-A1 currently. It was being used for my Denon DVD-2200 for multi-channel SACD and DVD-A. I can not justify spending money on a current model reciever without HDMI 1.3 and without the advanced audio decoder. I have no doubt that the decoder in the recievers will be superior IMHO to the decoder that is in any of the HD players right now. I might even go as far to say that even the 2nd gen players will not use the quality of decoder that the recievers will be using. Granted you get a good quality reciever that is not the bottom of the barrel model. For me the best thing to do is to wait one more year and upgrade my reciever as I will not be upgrading it for maybe another 10 years.

 

[DaViD Boulet]

Hey Dave,

good points. something to consider however is that there the term "decoder" for advanced audio is being used in a slightly different context than they way it applied to DVD players with "audio decoders" built in.

The reason is that DVD players with audio decoders are generally not only "decoding" (decompressing) the DD/DTS in the DVD palyer, but are also converting the digital signal to analog.

That last step is really where your comments apply: That a receiver or dedicated audio decoder can sound much better than the "decoder" in a DVD player etc.

However, in regards to HDMI 1.1 and 1.2, the "decoder" in a BD or HD DVD player can merely unzip (decompress) the lossless DD or DTS audio and then send this as LPCM to the outboard audio decoder/receiver for converting to analog. That's a sort of in-between that wouldn't really have an audiophile compromise since the outboard audio gear is still doing the d/a conversion.

Using the 5.1 or 7.1 analog outputs of a BD or HD DVD player decoding lossless audio formats could potentially, as you say, sound less favorable compared to a high-end audiophile receiver/decoder.

BTW, one area where sending the *compressed* advanced audio stream over HDMI 1.3 *might* sound better than going LPCM over HDMI 1.1/1.2 is with HD DVD which might monkey with the original auido signal to mix in menu-beeps and secondary audio tracks etc. which, IMO, is a step away from an pure, audiophile path. I don't think the BD format has the same issue with mixing audio streams but I could be wrong.

 

[GoldenRedux]

Oh, I hear you. I don't know about the quality of the decoders though. I also use a Denon DVD-2200 universal for DVD-A playback - I have a Sony XA9000ES I use for SACD/CD playback and a Samsung DVD-HD931 upscaling player via DVI for DVD playback - and to me, at least in comparison to the Sony DA4ES, the Denon has much better sounding DACs and analogue stage. Remember, it's not all about the DACs either, it's the analogue stage, jitter, all sorts of things. Of course, as you said, your A/VR is nearly ten years old, so it's probably time for it to go. I've only had mine for 4 years, and I am not getting rid of it. I don't even use mine for video switching, just audio, so HDMI 1 point whatever in an A/V receiver is no big deal to me, at least not at this point in time.

From a purely spec point of view, these first-gen players seem to be coming out with pretty good audio sections, so I'm not worried. Isn't a big part of the Blu-ray propaganda about the audio quality anyway? It would make no sense for them to put out players with poor audio. So farm according to most reviews, the panasonic sounds great which is why I will probably replace my Denon 2200 with the Panny for DVD-A duty and stick the Denon on eBay.