What Blu-Ray to get for KDL-46XBR2 (1 Viewer)

[Sent1nel]

I hope this post is in the correct location?

I have a Sony KDL-46XBR2, I am looking at buying a BLU-Ray player, but I not sure which one to get.

My TV manual says that that in is native 1080p, with 3 1080p/60 inputs.

I have been reading up on the different blu-ray players and am having a hard time picking what would be the better option for my older HDTV. What a difference only 3 years can make.

From my reading I find that my TV might not really do 1080p, it will do 1080I/60 not the new 1080p/24.

The forums say that some new players(LG) will output 1080p/24 off the disc directly and sends that signal unchanged to an HDTV.

Is sound like that my TV cannot process or display the 1080p/24 signal directly, so that the Blu-ray player will then reprocess the 1080p/24 signal to 1080i so that the my TV will recognize the signal.

My TV is 1080p/60 capable, the TV will reprocess the 1080i signal to 1080p/60 in order to be able to display the image on the screen.

I am looking at the a Sony BDP s350, LG BD-390/370, Samsung BD-P3600.

My questions are these:

• Which of these might be the better option?
• Would a little older model be better than these more expensive new models?
• Will we really see much of a difference between the 1080p/24 direct input and the 1080i that is converted to 1080p/60?

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Michael Reuben]

The correct location is HT Hardware - High Definition (not Audio Video Sources), and I've moved it there, where you should get lots of advice. Welcome!

 

[Stephen Tu]

• Which of these might be the better option?
• Would a little older model be better than these more expensive new models?
• Will we really see much of a difference between the 1080p/24 direct input and the 1080i that is converted to 1080p/60?

I would go with the LG models at this point in time. Which one to get depends if you need wi-fi or not, and what AV receiver you have if necessary. They are fast loading + have Netflix.

I would not go for an older model, they tend to be slow loading/menu operation. If you want cheaper, I would maybe wait couple months, manufacturers will introduce new cheaper players for Christmas shopping season. The LG 370 is only about $225 online now, I think it's a good deal.

- 1080p. Your TV accepts 1080p/60 through HDMI. There's no 1080i limitation. The difference between 1080p60 & 1080p24 is minimal, especially since you are probably used to the effects of 3:2 pulldown.

 

[Sent1nel]

Thanks for getting in the correct location.

 

[Sent1nel]

Wi-fi is not important to me at this time. It may sound old fashion, but I do not use wi-fi in my home network.

I see your point with the older models, my price point is about $250 to $275, maybe $300.

Now do not laugh, my AV receiver is an Onkyo TX-DS656, no HDMI inputs. I am using the optical input for my DVD player.

The Samsung BD-P1600 and the LG BD370 as well as the Sony BD-350 are three I have been looking at.

However, I was just reading a review on the Samsung PD-2550 and Cnet said something about Samsung players being glitche with some disks.


Why can they just make the perfect Blu-ray player and be done with it?

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I am not familiar with the LG models, but I do own the Sony BDP-S350 that you mentioned. It has been a solid player, and has played every disc I have tried (probably over 150 different titles). Sony has provided several firmware updates, so they are supporting the player.

Even though your receiver has no HDMI inputs, you can still enjoy quality sound. All BD players have digital outputs for lossy Dolby Digital and DTS audio, which will sound at least as good as the comparable tracks from SD-DVD. In most cases, the tracks on the BD discs are encoded at a higher bit rate than on SD-DVD, so the audio quality may even be slightly better.

However, if your receiver has 5.1 or 7.1 analog inputs, you could purchase a model with multi-channel analog outputs and enjoy the new lossless Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD-Master audio tracks. The Sony BDP-S350 does not have this feature, but the BDP-S550 does (as do certain models from other manufacturers).

 

[Sam Posten]

PS3, hands down. New firmware will even integrate nicely with Bravia Link!

 

[RAF]

The current king of the hill in "affordable" models is the OPPO BDP-83 unit. While it's a little more pricey than some other units ($499 list) it outperforms them all. My former favorite Blu-ray player (I currently own four of them) was my PS3 but the OPPO not only outperforms it in every way (better picture, faster load time, better REGULAR (i.e. IR) remote, better scaling) but also is one of the few players that plays every kind of disc imaginable including DVD-A and SACD titles. It also has a standard HT form factor for using in an equipment rack or stack. Check out the specs HERE.

True, it doesn't play games, but if you want the absolutely best Blu-ray player in the under $500 category, the BDP-83 stands alone as far as I'm concerned. To get the same level of performance elsewhere you literally have to spend thousands of dollars.

 

[Doug Schiller]

Others will mention their high priced players they bought but only one player really stands alone, the PS3.
And now with the Slim which lets the receiver decode high def audio, it is even a greater margin.
The most compatible of any player with timely firmware upgrades and picture quality that matches players that cost $400 more then it.

Watching a blu-ray in 1080p/24 still impresses me to no end.

The Oppo sounds interesting with the DVD Audio since I own some discs but they will need to rethink their price point to come close to the PS3.

 

[smithb]

Another vote for the Oppo, if you can go the extra amount, the Oppo also has the best processing of SD DVD material, which is typically not a high priority for BR players. So if you still have plenty of DVD's around this is the best overall single player solution.

 

[BrianM]

I have two blu-ray players, the first one is the PS3 and my newer one is the OPPO BDP-83. I think if your priority is watcing movies (Blu-ray or DVD) the OPPO is the way to go. If you play games then get the PS3. The OPPO does everything I would want in a movie player. My DVDs have never looked better and it does not run as hot as the PS3.

 

[Bob_L]

Under $200: Panasonic BD60
Under $300: PS3 Slim