Need a Blu-Ray player

[Tafflad]

Donating my Panasonic DVDR to my parents - will get a BluRay player in its place.
Don't need all the bells & whistles as my SMART TV does streaming, apps etc.


In UK so purchase will be European model.
Need HDMI connectivity
Nice if it has optical output for Audio
DVD -R, DVD-RW, DVD RAM
CD
USB port
Happy with Ethernet connectivity for upgrades etc. (or WiFi)

Advice seems to be to get Dual core processor ....

Read elsewhere the Sony BDP-S5200 was mentioned as a contender, (but don't think either are dual-core though) ... if that is the case I might as well wait for Sony BDP-S5500 the replacement which comes out next week for only £10 more.

However my concern is the position on Multi Region capability ...... several dealers sell this as multi region .... others state region 2 only.

Whatever I buy ( and please feel free to make recommendation) if it is not multi-region is there likely to be a 'remote' code fix that can be applied, understand people here know of many of these.

[DB83]

There are two angles with 'Multi-region'. DVD Playback only and DVD + Blu Ray Playback.

This one will do multi-region DVD only

http://www.amazon.co.uk/MULTIREGION-BDPS1200-Blu-ray-playback-Black/dp/B00LBA2WXQ/ref=...+region+player

This one does both

http://www.amazon.co.uk/BDP-S5200-Wi-Fi-Multi-Region-Player/dp/B00JZRZXJM/ref=sr_1_3?i...+region+player

Slight difference in price tho

[usually_quiet]

Just to add to what DBB8 wrote, you will need to buy those Blu-Ray players from a retailer specializing in multi-region, multi-system players, like the Amazon sellers from his links. The players such retailers sell have been modified by them or imported from a Middle-Eastern country where all players sold are region-free out of necessity. The standard UK versions are not going to be region-free and you won't be able to make them region free with a remote.

[newpball]

Why not instead build a simple HTPC?

[Tafflad]

OK ... the BDP-S5500 out next week .. advance order price shows it a good p rice ... maybe I'll wait a week and get that.

I don't have any Blu-ray discs .... just have to avoid temptation to buy other than region 2

Unless there is a remote code hack

[DB83]

So, my friend, you do not really need a Blu-ray player. An up-scaling dvd player is suffice unless, that is, temptation will be the better of you.

[Tafflad]

well I have an HD 1080p TV ... better to fill screen with real data than guessed at upscaling

I have to buy a new player ... so might as well make it Blu-ray ...... can then drop hint to kids to buy me Blu-ray discs for birthday & Fathers day !

[DB83]

But if you are playing dvds through a Blu-ray then that is exactly what you are doing - you upscale.

Only pure Blu-ray have the HD resolution over and above 576i.

Of course, if you intend on obtaining any BDs in the future you will need the player.

[Tafflad]

appreciate that .... and even if I play in current DVD player the TV upscales.

What I meant was that for future would buy Blu-ray not DVD

[DB83]

Not so sure about the tv (guess that depends on the particular model)

I would have thought that it zooms to fill rather than actually upscale. Up-scaling through a player is better anyway.

[Tafflad]

It does state true upscaling .... but no way for me to tell

[jman98]

Up-scaling through a player is better anyway.

You can't make a blanket statement like this. It's certainly possible for a TV have better upscaling than a player. Unless someone does a test it's not possible to know which is better at upscaling in any given combination of TV and player.

Newbies always come on here in freak out mode over upscaling assuming that their TV is complete dog feces in terms of upscaling when in fact I doubt seriously that they could even tell a difference if given a choice between seeing what they get when the TV upscales and what they get when the player upscales.

And what exactly is Tafflad's reference in the first post to "dual core processor" supposed to mean anyway if we're talking about standalone players and not PCs?

[Tafflad]

> And what exactly is Tafflad's reference in the first post to "dual core processor"

My reference came from several reviews where they advise that many of the 'newer' players have dual core hardware platforms that give superior performance.
I'm assuming that this would be of use for running apps, etc. I have since decided it is not a must have for my use, where I am after base playing functionality ... which will be from video hardware.

[usually_quiet]

And what exactly is Tafflad's reference in the first post to "dual core processor" supposed to mean anyway if we're talking about standalone players and not PCs?

I have seen product descriptions for some high-end models from Samsung and Sony that mention dual core processors. I guess a processor of some kind would be needed to run apps for streaming services, among other things.