Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater Blu-ray players

I'm thinking about picking up a Blu-ray player this weekend.
I'm trying to decide if I just want to get a Ps3 or go with a stand alone player. Value wise I know the playstation would be the best deal, but since it does not support Dolby TrueHD or DTSHD I'm wondering if the extra sound features are worth the extra expense.

How about a Blu-ray Burner?

I thought the PS3 and Panasonic were the only two BD players that DID support the new codecs.

The PS3 does not have analogue, 8 channel outs though. Unless you have HDMI 1.1, you won't get to here uncompressed PCM (which would be shame cause it sounds terific). If you have HMDI 1.2, you will also get a great SACD player with the PS3. It sounds/plays SACD's better than my Oppo 970.

With the PS3 you also get a mini HTPC. You can load CD's / DVD's onto the hard drive. Then there's the Ethernet support if you're into that.

It's friggin weird using a game machine for disk play back, but I think it's the best BR machine out there right now.

If you do get it, make sure you pick up the DVD remote. I'm using the game controller and it's a PITA.

PS: seeing how you got me into the whole HD game, I really hope I can help get you into BR and blow another grand or so it!!

Mike, after further research I found that the Ps3 will support DolbyTruHD through HDMI, that fact alone just sold me on it, thanks for the heads up. So you actually saved me about $600.00 and if Blu-ray bellies up I've got another game system.

Yes, and as Mike stated that's more than most of the other standalone bluray players. The Sony BDP-S1 for example doesn't support either Dolby True-HD or DTS-HD MA. Only the Panasonic player has promised support, but as of yet doesn't either.

Considering the best stand-alone Blu-ray player currently available seems to be the Panasonic for $1400.00, you have to ask yourself if purchasing one now is worth all that cash. I want to get into Blu-ray right away too, but I’m not going for buy a first generation player that may or may not support all the new audio formats coming out in the near future. I’d suggest waiting until either the prices drop on the current models, or they start releasing their second generation players. I, myself, will not pay more than $600.00 for my first Blu-ray player, which is what I spent on my first DVD player. If you can resist, wait until the fall. After all, most, if not all, of the current titles available will be re-released in a couple years in ‘New’ 7.1 channel versions with improved picture and sound. They did it with DVD, they’ll do it to us again with Blu-ray...

I would agree that waiting for prices to drop is the sensible thing, the problem is, as soon as I got my HDDVD for my XBox and started watching movies in HD I'm hooked. Since most the studios are either making HDDVD or Blu-ray only, the amount of good HD content in DVD's is split between the two. Needless to say I now need a Blu-ray so I can have a good choice of HD material.

“To wait”

Do you guys really understand what you are saying when you say that in regards to this disgustingly expensive A/V hobby? When has technology not changed from month to month this past decade? There is always some new gadget or process that ‘improves’ video or audio getting released.

Right now the only unknown is just exactly what the studios will throw our way to get our money. HD is the holy grail of cash cows for this current decade. You can wait for ‘version II’, but why wait for that? You might as well wait for ‘version III’, or hell wait for ‘version IV’. And just when it starts to look as if ‘they’ have finally got to the end of the HDMI chain, wireless will be rolling out. Might as well wait for that if you’re really patient. But then there will be some sort of full body stimulated or telepathy method for transferring media being dreamed up by that time.

To hell with ‘waiting’ is what I decided to do. Every day I wake up is a blessing and I don’t want to ‘wait’ to enjoy something I can enjoy today just because there might be something better available in six months.

Well said, my philosophy exactly!