Non-videophile finally moving into HD... (1 Viewer)

[Tim Hoover]

Okay, I used to be a regular poster way back in the day, but due to starting a family and having my nice job outsourced, I've taken a hiatus from the HT world. With that being said...


I've gotten permission to finally replace my old 32" CRT set with a new HD set. I figured I might as well get a BD player, too. Total budget is around $900. Please keep in mind that I'm NOT a videophile at all. I've pretty much decided on a Panasonic BD-65 as the player, due to past good experiences with Panny players as well as several recommendations I've seen on here. TV wise, I'm looking at the Dynex DX-46L150A11 on Best Buy's website. Being a guy, size matters! From what research I've done, the size of this screen and the number of inputs seems to be a better choice for me than something like 120Hz processing. If I'm off in my thinking, please let me know!


We will be using this set for BD and DVD movies, as well as lots of Xbox gaming. I don't have HD cable, so I will be watching HD content OTA. All audio will be routed through an older Harmon Kardon Signature 2.0 pre/pro, which doesn't have any HDMI connections. It also won't do the lossless surround audio formats, which is fine with me.


Basically, I'm trying to see if I have all my bases covered. I know I'll be needing HDMI cables for the Xbox and the BD player, but everything else will analog. Thoughts? Advice?

 

[Walter Kittel]

If you upgraded from the Panasonic BD-65 to the BD-85 you would get analog outputs on your BD player which would provide you with lossless audio. (The HK Signature has 5.1 analog inputs, doesn't it?) If you have a path to lossless I highly recommend it.


- Walter.

 

[Tim Hoover]

Yes, the Sig 2.0 has 5.1 analog inputs, but they're currently occupied with a Pioneer 563 universal player for hi-rez audio. Is the step-up to lossless surround really that big compared to full-bitrate DD and DTS?

 

[Walter Kittel]

I'm not a big audiophile type of guy, but even to my ears there was improvement. Lossless is more dynamic, has more 'presence' and even improves the legibility of dialog - IMHO. The fact that the 5.1 inputs are already used complicates the decision. Perhaps the BD-65 makes more sense in this particular circumstance.


- Walter.

 

[Tim Hoover]

Yeah, I'm thinking next year might be time for a new pre/pro...one that includes plenty of HDMI connections (that would negate the need for analog outputs on a BD player) and lossless surround processing. I've lived with 5.1 DD for so long that I can last another year