Is this a good BD player?

[Markgway]

1080p is so common place now you're as well to get it.

[bradavon]

You'll be hard pushed to see any difference between 1080i and 1080p.

Do you? If so, why wouldn't Grim? I thought it was supposed to be much better. Grim: Remember with a HD Ready NOT 1080p TV it has to downscale the 1080i so you still want 1080p either way.

1080p is important IMO but as Salty has actually seen it he's a better judge than I am. I'd imagine all 100Hz TVs are 1080p.

[saltysam]

My relegated to the bedroom HD DVD Player produces stunning images on my 1080i bedroom set,there is no way i would be able to tell the difference between 1080i and P. Sure my Sharp 46" produces the best image but i think that's down to it simply being a much better tv than my earlier Samsung 40". To be honest it's a moot point,1080p is standard now and Grim will no doubt be getting one,unless he visits the likes of Richer Sounds and gets a clearance model dirt cheap.

[grim_tales]

Hey,
We have Sky (not Sky+) at home Can you watch Freesat with that dish or will I have install a new one? Looking at the Panasonic TX-L32G10B which isnt cheap, but its the Freesat AND Freeview, 1080p, 100Hz you're paying for I guess plus the 5 year guarantee.

[saltysam]

You need to go bigger than 32" Grim.

[romerojpg]

You'll be hard pushed to see any difference between 1080i and 1080p.

Do you? If so, why wouldn't Grim? I thought it was supposed to be much better.

It's the biggest load of overated (brads fave word haha) bollocks ever, i and p mean little to anyone except on the massive screens it seems, or crap screens where they judder endlessly, but seriously any new screen wont have any problems like that unless its a total piece of cheapo crap.
I have never ever seen any differnece between i or p, neither has anyone I know (in real life that is, and I know people with amazing set ups that piss on mine from miles above).

[gasteropod]

Well if the discs are encoded progressively then it makes sense to display them progressively.

[romerojpg]

Maybe but can people see a difference?
I know some people who acctually set their player to 1080i on some discs, becuase 1080p plays havoc with the screen and causes problems (which sounds strange, but I know many projectors still have HD issues).

[bradavon]

A 1080p TV will be able to display the 1080i signal natively though, which has to account for me than i or p. Whereas a HD Ready TV will downscale it.

We have Sky (not Sky+) at home Can you watch Freesat with that dish or will I have install a new one?

Sky dishes work just fine with Freesat but you'll need to convert the dish to send a signal to different places. It's not as simple as an aerial solution.

Why are you considering Freesat? Your TV has Freeview I'd just use that. Unless you want the two HD channels that is. Freeview HD is coming by Xmas but you'll need a new box for that, whereas you can get Panasonic Freesat TVs now. Remember though pretty much all PVRs are Freeview not Freesat. Humax do make a Freesat PVR though too.

[grim_tales]

I wasn't considering it per se but mum was in John Lewis today and got shown that TV.
There's less chance of me complaining about a dodgy picture I suppose with Freesat, and that will be in HD (some of it anyway) not just SD too.
What HD channels are there?
BBC, ITV C4 HD?

[luckystars]

Thanks to the heads up on this thread I just picked up the Sony BDP-S350 Blu Ray player for £99.97 at PC World - brand new in box.

Also popped into HMV and got The Thing as my test disc.

I am now the Blu-Ray king 8)

[romerojpg]

Thanks to the heads up on this thread I just picked up the Sony BDP-S350 Blu Ray player for £99.97 at PC World - brand new in box.

Also popped into HMV and got The Thing as my test disc.

I am now the Blu-Ray king 8)

:mrgreen: :thumbleft:

[grim_tales]

Is that player MR for BD/DVD?

This sounds like a good player too (like the Panasonic):

http://www.hispek.com/P/Sony-BDPS350BM- ... 50BM).aspx

[Markgway]

No, multi for DVD only with remote code.

[bradavon]

I wasn't considering it per se but mum was in John Lewis today and got shown that TV.

There's no denying it will be a nice TV and you can choice which to use (or both) with that TV. You'll likely use both as both services offer a different selection of channels.

There's less chance of me complaining about a dodgy picture I suppose with Freesat

I'm not sure. I don't think it's compressed greatly less.

and that will be in HD (some of it anyway) not just SD too.
What HD channels are there? BBC, ITV C4 HD?

Just BBC HD and ITV HD. C4 HD is only on Sky:

http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/t ... faq.html#7

Freesat used to interest me for it's basic HD plus eventual BBC iPlayer support but with Freeview HD coming by Xmas I'll now stick with that. I cannot get Freesat until I move out anyway. BBC iPlayer on Freeview HD will be sent over Broadband not Aerial though, which makes you wonder why they cannot give it to Freeview SD too.

Is that player MR for BD/DVD?

This sounds like a good player too (like the Panasonic):

http://www.hispek.com/P/Sony-BDPS350BM- ... 50BM).aspx

It's the same on at PC World for £99. You can do the MR bit yourself.

[grim_tales]

What are the codes?
ETA: It does say Freesat HD.
If I get that TV I might as well get a digital outdoor aerial installed as well.

[bradavon]

What are the codes?

Mark posted codes above to make that BD Player MR.

If I get that TV I might as well get a digital outdoor aerial installed as well.

If you have no problems now you won't need one, signal is signal. If you don't then, you already should. It will be the signal not your box at fault.

[grim_tales]

I was just looking at the Digital UK site, it says 'Crystal Palace' (likely our main transmitter for London) and other local ones like Hemel provide "Good" coverage so they're fine, but the local "St. Albans" transmitter is shite, they list it as "poor", only going up to "variable" in the switchover forecast.
It also said no channels are available at our address (type in the postcode) and quality is "variable"
That's rubbish though, most of the time its fine.

[bradavon]

Only go by those to an extent, they're only a rough indicator. Speak to an expert (not Freeview tech support) and GET a decent aerial. That's likely 75% of your problems. Where my Dad lives it says poor, we paid for a decent aerial and problem fixed. That was a few years ago too.

It also depends which direction your aerial is pointing at. In theory at least you may not even be using that transmitter. I have two in my area, one is shit and one is good.

[grim_tales]

I was thinking that, it says its best to wait until after the switchover "to avoid having unnecessary work done".
I'm not sure where the aerial is pointing TBH, good point.

[bradavon]

In a way yes but how long do you want to wait? That's years away. Personally I'd get it sorted now.

[grim_tales]

Popped into Hi-Spek today - really like the look of that TV with Freesat (the Panasonic). I want to get the one that I want though, not some compromise (we'd need a twin LNB connecting Freesat and the sky dish) and now I'm worried I can't have that as mum "doesnt understand it", I'm paying for it FFS! I'm not expecting her to organise everything. Installation is needed for Freesat to make it work if I don't want another dish. End of.

[bradavon]

Dude! Why are you so interested in Freesat? Unless you really want the HD channels. Actually it would be nice to have the HD channels but it does bring with it extra complication. You'll need to get someone out to adapt the sky dish. That TV has both Freeview and Freesat.

Installation is required with your own dish, which would be dumb. Do you know if you can send both Sky and Freesat signals through the same dish? It might be one or the other. I'm unsure.

[grim_tales]

They can be sent through the same dish AFAIK, it's fine ATM we have Sky downstairs (sitting room) and the feed goes into the kitchen TV and my bedroom one (strangely also the sitting room one!), but you can only watch what is on Sky right then (not 2 channels simultaneously) in mono. So I'm unsure whether I have a twin/quad LNB or not. if I do all that has to be done is someone running a cable from the dish to the back of my Panasonic TV. Of course, I dont want the 2 signals interfering with each other.
As you say it would be nice to have the HD channels But the one with Freeview alone would probably be fine. Its not the G10 though (I think).

[saltysam]

Seems a bit daft to have a HD tv and not have at least a selection of HD tv content.