Let's Discuss HD Combo Players!

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 07 Mar 2008, 01:31

Fate.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 07 Mar 2008, 01:34

EvaUnit02 wrote:Yeah, we already knew that your were in the Klan. No need for reminders.

Yeah, we already knew that you were in the Klan. There is no need for reminders.

saltysam · Post by **saltysam** » 07 Mar 2008, 01:37

Fete? garden fete? can i go please

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 07 Mar 2008, 08:08

Further information and a longer press release confirming the cancellation of the Samsung BD-UP5500:

http://blogs.pcworld.com/staffblog/archives/006597.html

From that link:

"Samsung believes that a multi-format player like the current BD-UP5000 Duo HD Player (Duo) offers the best and only solution for consumers that want access to all available High-Definition (HD) titles in the short term."

Are Samsung on crack?

saltysam · Post by **saltysam** » 08 Mar 2008, 20:31

my Dead E-1 is now fully multi-region for SD, found out a neat move today to play the problem fox discs,tested and works a treat 8)

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 08 Mar 2008, 20:50

I presume you mean Dead as in HD-DVD support has been dropped?

That sounds neat. Does it allow access to all parts of Fox discs, including extras? What is the work-around btw? Thanks.

saltysam · Post by **saltysam** » 08 Mar 2008, 23:47

if a dvd says wrong region-open tray,press t-search, 1,3.9,1 t-search then play.voila-takes you straight to the menu screen of the disc where you can select as normal.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 09 Mar 2008, 00:39

Great stuff.

This reminds me when RCE first came out, many Toshiba pre-RCE compatible DVD Players really struggled in particular with RCE but if you pressed few remote buttons you could get them to play, or so I read.

You have to wonder how someone managed to work out that work-around. I guess those buttons must confuse/disable the region checking in the player. Thankfully you don't have to do it with many discs, as that could be annoying if you did.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 09 Mar 2008, 05:59

I've updated the "Movies the Samsung BD-UP5000 will not play" Thread over at AV Forum. While things are better with Firmware 1.1 it's still a disater:

http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=673730

Following the "Movies the Samsung BD-UP5000 will not play" Thread I started an equivalent one for the LG BH200 over at AVS Forum and so far not one disc has been reported.

It seems this is because there simply aren't any. Here is a particularly interesting reply:

casey.christian wrote:"Hey, there - just thought I'd drop you a quick note. I've been reading and posting in several of the same threads I've seen your posts in.

After two months or so of research, I can honestly say I still haven't come across any reports of disks that the LG has consistent issues with. There were a few of the Profile 1.1 (PiP) Blu-rays that seemed to give it a little trouble -- maybe 3:10 to Yuma (???). But the most recent firmware update seems to have fixed that. And, it seems to handle most all HD DVDs pretty much without any flaws.

The three issues, by far, that I see mentioned most often are:
1. HD audio support (should be addressed in the next firmware)
2. audio and/or video dropout (being looked into by LG)
3. green line overscan issue (haven't heard anything from LG on this)
... and that's really about it.

Since the LG tech guy posted his infamous comments in the official owner's thread I really am just counting the days until I buy the thing. I swore I wouldn't do so until they released the next firmware update fixing the HD audio issues, but at this point I'm pretty much convinced that they will do so and am tired of waiting."

Source: Discs the LG BH200 has problems with @ AVS Forum - http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1002769

* I am not sure how to take the video/audio drop out issue. It seems to be affecting a fair few people but I also remind myself that there isn't a Player on the market that everyone is happy with. I am inclined to consider this one an issue that won't affect me.

* The Green Line issue only affects people with 1080p TVs that can Disable Overscan.

saltysam · Post by **saltysam** » 09 Mar 2008, 06:24

Video-audio dropout?that's a pretty major problem i'd have thought if not addressed by an update.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 09 Mar 2008, 06:33

The LG BH200 also has the hardware to be made Profile 2.0 (it has 1GB Memory) whereas the Samsung BD-UP5000 it's thought only has 256Mb so will never be more than Profile 1.1.

Personally I'm dubious the LG BH200 will ever be more than Profile 1.1. Not that it bothers me Profile 1.1 looks enough to me.

saltysam wrote:Video-audio dropout?that's a pretty major problem i'd have thought if not addressed by an update.

I knew you'd pick that out and assume the worst

, ignore all the good things I've posted why don't you

Have you read up on it?

. Not everyone gets it and to be it doesn't sound that big of a deal, more a nuisance. To be honest it reads to me as a "Forum Techie Bug that Joe Average will not notice".

You know the sort of problem people go ape about online but in reality doesn't mean much. I don't know for sure though. I do know loads of people complained my LCD TV had a serious Picture Problem, yet I bought it anyway and not once have actually spotted it. I've even forgotten what it was supposed to be.

The Samsung BD-UP5000 has serious problems. So does the LG BH200 (No 5.1 of any type on Discs which only offer TrueHD in the Main language) but I reckon LG are more likely to fix them. It's not like I'll buy one until the firmware I mention above is released.

I don't consider this problem a deal breaker, considering I'm very dubious about how serious "it actually is".

Are you telling me the PS3 or your Toshiba HD-DVD Player has received 100% perfect reports online? If you are you cannot have looked deep enough.

Like I said there isn't one Player out there which everyone likes. At the end of the day you need to judge how "severe" the problems are to "you" and then buy what suits.

I also wouldn't assume highlighting problems such as I am in this thread makes them more abnormal than they are. For all we know there could be users out there with problems with their PS3 (I'm sure there are) but the difference is I've not bothered to highlight them.

See?

saltysam · Post by **saltysam** » 09 Mar 2008, 15:56

bradavon wrote: Are you telling me the PS3 or your Toshiba HD-DVD Player has received 100% perfect reports online? If you are you cannot have looked deep enough.

why would i search the internet looking for flaws in machines i already have?Here's the results of my research-143 discs-compatibility-100%-flaws-the ps3 is region-locked.-bonuses_ a multi-region capable and superb upscaler of my normal SD'S (hd-dvd player)

bradavon wrote: buy what suits.

please do then this War & Peace saga can end.i'd look for a new tv as well,as your 32' portable really doesn't cut the hi-def mustard.

bradavon wrote: I also wouldn't assume highlighting problems such as I am in this thread makes them more abnormal than they are. For all we know there could be users out there with problems with their PS3 (I'm sure there are) but the difference is I've not bothered to highlight them.

even the most reliable machines will have the odd demic unit.look at my samsung lcd.

saltysam · Post by **saltysam** » 09 Mar 2008, 17:30

gasteropod wrote:The PS3 did that, did it? I could have sworn the PS3 wasn't even selling well, never mind few people actually being interested in its Blu-Ray functions.

amazing how stances and opinions changed dramatically over the course of this thread

saltysam · Post by **saltysam** » 09 Mar 2008, 17:31

romerojpg wrote:and?

You obviously have seen the full industry figures latley, it will take a LOT more than the matrix to save it, Blu Ray has won.

Romero got it right last April,well done!

gasteropod · Post by **gasteropod** » 09 Mar 2008, 17:32

saltysam wrote:
gasteropod wrote:The PS3 did that, did it? I could have sworn the PS3 wasn't even selling well, never mind few people actually being interested in its Blu-Ray functions.
amazing how stances and opinions changed dramatically over the course of this thread

I've just gone back to see what I was responding to, and I was simply saying that Blu-ray hadn't won back then... which it hadn't

saltysam · Post by **saltysam** » 09 Mar 2008, 17:33

bradavon wrote:Both will survive, the Samsung combo will be mine

saltysam · Post by **saltysam** » 09 Mar 2008, 17:36

gasteropod wrote:Is it really wise to import an American player? I reckon that Sony will end up implementing a feature where it checks which part of the world you are in, and then will refuse to play your disc if you're in the wrong region.

do you still think this'll happen?

saltysam · Post by **saltysam** » 09 Mar 2008, 17:42

saltysam wrote:my tv indeed is 1080i but i'm considering going for a 50 incher next year which would definitely be a 1080p model.

wrong,i got a 46'

Shingster · Post by **Shingster** » 09 Mar 2008, 18:13

gasteropod wrote:Is it really wise to import an American player? I reckon that Sony will end up implementing a feature where it checks which part of the world you are in, and then will refuse to play your disc if you're in the wrong region.

How exactly does one go about making a player or a disc know what country it is currently sitting in if it isn't connected to the internet or a phone line?

gasteropod · Post by **gasteropod** » 09 Mar 2008, 19:22

Shingster wrote:
gasteropod wrote:Is it really wise to import an American player? I reckon that Sony will end up implementing a feature where it checks which part of the world you are in, and then will refuse to play your disc if you're in the wrong region.
How exactly does one go about making a player or a disc know what country it is currently sitting in if it isn't connected to the internet or a phone line?

By making you have to connect it to the internet, even if just to 'authorise' the disc when you first try to play it.

And Salty, yeah I guess it's still a possibility.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 09 Mar 2008, 20:14

If it's not how Gasteropod describes it down the line Sony will try something else. Right now they don't need to as BD MR isn't a fully functional thing but when it is (and I see it coming) Sony will try something else.

DVD had RCE
CD has had various types of flawed Copy Protection over the years.

saltysam wrote:why would i search the internet looking for flaws in machines i already have?

I wouldn't either. I was just saying no electrical kit is "100% perfect". The Samsung is far from it, the LG is getting much closer.

I was right about HD-DVD and BD surviving. I never said to what scale HD-DVD would survive

. Laser disc, DVD-A and SACD all have survived in their respective niche format.

saltysam · Post by **saltysam** » 09 Mar 2008, 20:23

bradavon wrote:
I was right about HD-DVD and BD surviving.

do you EVER admit to being wrong.you can still buy sega master systems,megadrives,super nintendos etc.but can you buy new product for them?hd-dvd is history,with the exception of a few remaining releases what's out now is what you have to work with.besides it's you who likes the term "dead format"

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 09 Mar 2008, 20:25

Of course. I was wrong I'd pick up a Samsung Combo.

Happy now?

I supported both DVD-A and SACD for many years despite only the odd format being released (the last DVD-A was back in 20076 with The Beatles Love) and only this year decided to get rid.

p.s - I wasn't entirely being serious with my comment above

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 09 Mar 2008, 20:44

The LG BH200 is OUT in Switzerland. It cannot be long now for the UK model

Notice where he says he has no Green Line issue or Audio/Video Dropouts:

AlfaGT wrote:"I am new to this forum and have made a registration only to share my experience with the LG BH200 with you.
I live in switzerland and finally the LG arrived on this side of the planet last week.
So, I want to give you some feedback how the european version works. How I read in this thread you have 3 major problems with your american players:

The thing with the green line watching SD-DVD's:
The past two days I watched about 5 DVD's movies and had no green line appearing. I hooked mine up (through a Denon Receiver) to a Toshiba LCD (52ZF355DG) and put in the TrueScan mode which gives me a 1to1 pixel-mapping without overscan.

The audio- and video-dropouts:
I also watched 2 HD-DVD's and 2 Blu-Rays and didn't have the dropouts.

So it looks like they have fixed the problems with the european players. Unfortunately I can't say which firmware I have on my player. I didn't find the information. But I think its possible I have already a newer firmware running on my player which has fixed this issues.

Unfortunately they still didn't fix the audio-issue. I hooked up my player on a Denon Receiver (AVR-4308) which is capable of handling and decoding the new HD Audio-formats. The EU version still gives only DTS and DD bitstream out of the HDMI cable. Putting the settings to PCM gives me 5.1 PCM but also only 2.0 PCM with DTS HD Masteraudio. This point, like all of you, lets me hope for a software-update.

I have also found discs that didn't run on my player. When the LG is booting he never stops booting and the screen stays black. Its the EU version of Top Gun (HD-DVD) and the Code 2 version of Pistol whipped (DVD) - new movie with Steven Seagal. I have not yet checked all my HD-DVD's (about 60 movies) and Blu-Rays (about 50 movies).

I hope giving you my experience, can give all of you a little bit hope, that LG will fix this problems also with your version of the BH-200."

Source: AVS Forum.

saltysam · Post by **saltysam** » 09 Mar 2008, 20:49

thought it had no issues playing discs