Save me some research time... hybrid players

[MooglePorn]

So I have my PS3 that plays BD movies, as you know, and I am using it sparingly for that function as of now... and it works.

I was thinking the signs were all there for a BD win in the near future though, and with Paramount's recent decision that hope is lost.

I got angry... I got mad... I got over it.

So, now I guess it's time to relent and go dual-format, again, so I can buy whatever I want in HD. Yay!

Since I have a 360, an Elite with HDMI output even, common sense says "get the add-on for $170!" Unfortunately I never was one for common sense.

The add-on is ugly and a piece of crap, IMO, and I didn't want to use my PS3 for too long as a BD player anyway because in my experience using your game console for a movie player AND a game player burns them out quicker.

So...

Long post, I know, I like to type...

Are there any new hybrid players coming out? I know LG has one out that's pretty expensive... is it a piece of crap? I want it to do 1080p. I want it to upconvert rather well. I don't want to get one now and a better one comes out next month.

Opinions, advice, research requested. No payments will be given.

[chlngr1970]

Samsung has one on the way. It is supposed to be completely compliant with both HD DVD and BRD ( Unlike the LG ). IIRC, it was priced about $1150, and the LG was just dropped to $999.

j

[MooglePorn]

Damn... $1150?

That's... expensive.

[chlngr1970]

BD-UP5000 will be the second player to handle both Blu-ray and HD DVD discs. It's the first to support the interactive layer of HD DVD, known as HDi, which enables full interactive-menu use. It also features, like all 2007 Samsung Blu-ray players, Ethernet ports, HDMI 1.3 ports and the ability to output 1080p/24 video from Blu-ray (but not HD DVD) discs, although in our tests of the Samsung BD-P1200 and other BD players, 1080p/24 was a letdown on the displays we tested.

Hope this helps...

j

[Ruined]

Samsung BD-UP5000 is the best one. It is the only hybrid that officially supports both formats (the LG one is a piece of crap that does not officially support HD DVD and fails HDi - LG's also has probs with numerous movies and omits special features due to lacking HDi). However, there are some caveats. First its MSRP is $1k. Second, for that money though it supports all the features of HD DVD it is similar to a gen2 Blu-Ray player (does not support profile 1.1/BD-Live).

You are probably best off keeping your PS3 for BD and buying a Toshiba HD-A35 for HD DVD for now - then replace the HD-A35 with a hybrid player when they come down in price and Blu-Ray gets its interactivity spec in order. The HD-A35 will likely be SoC based; meaning it will likely be faster, less noisy, and more stable than gen1/gen2. Also, it supports HDMI 1.3, 720p/1080i/1080p60/1080p24, has all the necessary decoders, and can even pass DTS-HDMA via bitsteam. If you don't need all that jazz, save $100 and get an HD-A30.

If you don't want to go the "HD DVD standalone -> eventual hybrid replacement down the road" route, though, the Samsung BD-UP5000 is really the only sensible hybrid choice of the near future. Its going to cost you, though.

[MooglePorn]

I guess my point is if I'm getting a stop-gap for now I might as well get the 360 add-on again, since it's so cheap and I have the HDMI model now anyway. I was just thinking if $1000 could make it where I'm set for life with these formats and take strain off my game consoles it would be worth it.

But the Samsung is missing some BD functionality eh?

Sucks.

[Reaver]

Last I read, that Samsung was going to be released for around $650. I'll have to see if I can't find a link for that...

[Ruined]

Originally Posted by MooglePorn

I guess my point is if I'm getting a stop-gap for now I might as well get the 360 add-on again, since it's so cheap and I have the HDMI model now anyway. I was just thinking if $1000 could make it where I'm set for life with these formats and take strain off my game consoles it would be worth it.

But the Samsung is missing some BD functionality eh?

Sucks.

Well, the Samsung BD-UP5000 is missing as much as players like the Samsung BD-P1200... It is more robust than the first Samsung, but still does not comply to final BD-Live specs.

[Ruined]

Originally Posted by MooglePorn

I guess my point is if I'm getting a stop-gap for now I might as well get the 360 add-on again, since it's so cheap and I have the HDMI model now anyway.

I must say, though... Don't you think its worth what will probably be an extra $50 at most for the HD-A3 over the HDAO? I mean, yeah the HD-A3 is only 1080i, but on most good 1080p TVs there is no difference anyway with HD DVD material. And the HD-A3 supports lossless output unlike the HDAO. Plus the HD-A3 looks nicer and is likely an SoC solution unlike the HDAO.

The HDAO is a good value if you plan to hook it up to your PC now or later. But if the HD-A3 is $299 MSRP, that means it will likely street at 225-250 - making the HDAO a not-so-great value in comparison if not using it for PC DVD.

[Ruined]

Hey Moogle, FYI, LG just announced their second-gen dual format player at CEDIA. It will support HD DVD and HDi in full. There is not much info on it available yet.

[MooglePorn]

Is LG even a good company? I have never owned anything of theirs...

I know you'll love to hear this but I'm sort of a Sony/Panasonic hardware fanboy. Samsung at least I know of though, and have read good things.

[Ruined]

Originally Posted by MooglePorn

Is LG even a good company? I have never owned anything of theirs...

I know you'll love to hear this but I'm sort of a Sony/Panasonic hardware fanboy. Samsung at least I know of though, and have read good things.

I haven't owned any LG DVD players, but in the cell phone area I find LG makes superior products than Samsung. It shouldn't matter too much anyway, as all the HD DVD players coming out are based on the same Microsoft/Broadcom reference design.