Looking for Blu-Ray player... need analog video outputs

[Downgraded286]

I need a Blu-Ray player that has analog video outputs, has streaming options (netflix), and will play data BD-R discs (like compatibility with h.264 .mp4s). It helps if it will be compatible with the cheaper LTH type BD-R discs. Any recommendations?

[usually_quiet]

I need a Blu-Ray player that has analog video outputs, has streaming options (netflix), and will play data BD-R discs (like compatibility with h.264 .mp4s). It helps if it will be compatible with the cheaper LTH type BD-R discs. Any recommendations?

What kind of analog outputs? Per AACS licensing requirements (necessary for playing commercial Blu-Ray discs) after 2010, component video connections could no longer be included on Blu-Ray players and starting in 2013, there could no longer be analog connections of any kind.

[Ai Haibara]

You might try looking into the earlier Playstation 3s... I don't know if the more recent models can still do it, but the early models could still be connected to analog TVs - my sister had her first-model PS3 connected to a big-screen analog TV for the longest time. I think they have a Netflix app, too.

[84lion]

You might try the Panasonic DMP-BD65 (or 655) which had the analog outputs, Netflix app, and could play BD-Rs (at least mine could). I don't think it could handle the LTH discs, though - only my Oppo BDP-83 can do that (of the players I have).

[Downgraded286]

I am actively looking for a PS3, but I was hoping to maybe get away with something a little cheaper. I might wind up getting one anyway because I know the PS3 will handle LTH disks and will do netflix and all that.

I believe even the latest PS3 models still carry the analog output dongle...

[usually_quiet]

You will need some luck get what you are looking for at a bargain price. Between those who want analog outputs and those who are worried that Cinavia will prevent the next downloaded Blu-Ray rip they burn to BD-R from playing on a new BD-player, good older Blu-Ray players in decent shape are selling for as much or more than they sold for when new.

[jman98]

Just so you know, there are digital to analog video converters available, so you could always buy a current player and a converter. Sometimes older players can be made happy with BD-R LTH with a firmware update. In general, my limited experience is that newer players should be OK with BD-R LTH discs, but you should stick with Verbatim ones for the best chance of success.

Since you are new here you may not know this. There have been concerns among some consumers that BD-R LTH may not last as long as regular BD-R discs because of the difference in manufacturing. Right now this is all conjecture rather than hard facts, but if you intend to keep stuff for a long time, it might be better to not take chances and just avoid LTH discs.

[usually_quiet]

Just so you know, there are digital to analog video converters available, so you could always buy a current player and a converter. Sometimes older players can be made happy with BD-R LTH with a firmware update. In general, my limited experience is that newer players should be OK with BD-R LTH discs, but you should stick with Verbatim ones for the best chance of success.

Since you are new here you may not know this. There have been concerns among some consumers that BD-R LTH may not last as long as regular BD-R discs because of the difference in manufacturing. Right now this is all conjecture rather than hard facts, but if you intend to keep stuff for a long time, it might be better to not take chances and just avoid LTH discs.

HDMI to composite video converters are relatively easy to find, but HDMI to component video converters are now difficult to find in the USA.

About 3-4 years ago, the manufacture of HDMI to component converters became a violation of the HDMI licensing agreement. Subsequently, HDMI.org ordered US retailers to stop selling such products, since they are unlicensed.

Prospective buyers have to be careful. Analog to HDMI converters are more common, and listings are sometimes incorrect about the nature of the conversion.

[hanshotfirst1138]

I need a Blu-Ray player that has analog video outputs, has streaming options (netflix), and will play data BD-R discs (like compatibility with h.264 .mp4s). It helps if it will be compatible with the cheaper LTH type BD-R discs. Any recommendations?

What kind of analog outputs? Per AACS licensing requirements (necessary for playing commercial Blu-Ray discs) after 2010, component video connections could no longer be included on Blu-Ray players and starting in 2013, there could no longer be analog connections of any kind.

Why did they legislate that? To save money? It seems like analog outputs wouldn't hurt anybody.

[Kerry56]

Look up the phrase "analog hole". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analog_hole

Essentially it is a means of bypassing copy restrictions.

As for a player with component outputs, I'd look up the best blu ray players of 2011, make a list of acceptable models, and then go shopping on Ebay or Craigslist, or your local pawn shops. Examples would be the very expensive Oppo BDP-95 or the LG BD 670.

[jman98]

Why did they legislate that? To save money? It seems like analog outputs wouldn't hurt anybody.

I don't know of "legislate" is the right word because that implies that US law was behind this when actually Hollywood just simply forced the manufacturers to do their will. To give you an example of how crazy it is, most commercial software BD players can't take still photos of movies they play. Do you know why? I'm not joking - it's because Hollywood feared that someone would use the ability to do screen captures a bazillion times to "copy" movies that way, even though that in no way touches how they'd get the audio too using such a crazy method.

[usually_quiet]

Look up the phrase "analog hole". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analog_hole

Essentially it is a means of bypassing copy restrictions.

As for a player with component outputs, I'd look up the best blu ray players of 2011, make a list of acceptable models, and then go shopping on Ebay or Craigslist, or your local pawn shops. Examples would be the very expensive Oppo BDP-95 or the LG BD 670.

Those who want HD component video connections on their Blu-Ray player need to look for a model released or at least licensed in 2010. Starting in 2011, licensing required component video output for Blu-Ray players to be limited to 480i/480p or eliminated entirely. See http://hometheater.about.com/od/hometheatervideobasics/a/High-Definition-Via-Component...y-1st-2011.htm

[Kerry56]

Good catch usually-quiet. I had forgotten that they changed that so early. I think that Oppo 95 I mentioned still has 1080i on component, at least, according to their manual. They must have released it just under the wire. But that LG is definitely affected.

[Cornucopia]

Why did they legislate that? To save money? It seems like analog outputs wouldn't hurt anybody.

I don't know of "legislate" is the right word because that implies that US law was behind this when actually Hollywood just simply forced the manufacturers to do their will. To give you an example of how crazy it is, most commercial software BD players can't take still photos of movies they play. Do you know why? I'm not joking - it's because Hollywood feared that someone would use the ability to do screen captures a bazillion times to "copy" movies that way, even though that in no way touches how they'd get the audio too using such a crazy method.

I may have inadvertently contributed to that: Back in ~2005-2007 there was a thread here where someone was boasting that BD couldn't be copied because it (up to that point) hadn't had AACS cracked. I countered (with a little humor and sarcasm added) that it would be painstakingly slow and laborious, but fairly straightforward to do a series of Screencap+NextFrame, ad-infinitum until the end of the movie. Thread devolved into other dribble, but wouldn't you know it - six months later someone had actually created a script to do just that. Couple of months later, Hollywood "closed the loophole" by forcing Cyberlink, et al to remove that screencap feature.

Silly I know. I retroactively apologize and won't lightly repeat all my tech secrets, even in the face of taunting.

...but I did warn about the dangers of the analog sunset! And, again on my soapbox, I suggest to not wholly abandon using physical media, which would just accelerate the problem of control by THE MAN.

Scott

[Cornucopia]

Good catch usually-quiet. I had forgotten that they changed that so early. I think that Oppo 95 I mentioned still has 1080i on component, at least, according to their manual. They must have released it just under the wire. But that LG is definitely affected.

Time to go looking for older model BD players at pawn shops...

Scott

[Kerry56]

Yeah, I never thought I'd buy a Blu-ray player, but found an older Sony at an estate sale for $15 in mint condition, so I said, why not? Its old enough that it has no Cinavia or 480i/p restrictions on component. Works fine so far, even on the very latest movie I watched, Non-Stop.

I'm spoiled though. I usually just put the movie on the hard drive, without trailers or other crap, so skipping through that nonsense just to watch the movie is a pain.

Anyway, moral of the story is that older players are available, but be careful of their capabilities.

[usually_quiet]

Now that I have a TV with HDMI, I don't really mind loosing analog outputs on Blu-Ray players except for one thing: Blu-Ray players don't decode closed captions. I have a one or two old commercial DVDs that don't have subtitles, only closed captions, and a lot of recordings made by a DVD recorder, so I'll have to do something about those if I want to watch them with a BLu-Ray player in the future and find it necessary to use captioning.

[Brad]

For what it's worth, the PS3 finally gained the ability to decode CCs from discs with a Dec 2013 update: http://us.playstation.com/support/systemupdates/ps3/ps3-4-53-update/index.htm

[usually_quiet]

For what it's worth, the PS3 finally gained the ability to decode CCs from discs with a Dec 2013 update: http://us.playstation.com/support/systemupdates/ps3/ps3-4-53-update/index.htm

Thanks, for that. It may help someone who has enough hearing loss to need closed captions and subtitles for everything. I only use close captions once in a while, so I don't know that it is worth spending the money on a PS3 for myself.

[hanshotfirst1138]

Look up the phrase "analog hole". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analog_hole

Essentially it is a means of bypassing copy restrictions.

As for a player with component outputs, I'd look up the best blu ray players of 2011, make a list of acceptable models, and then go shopping on Ebay or Craigslist, or your local pawn shops. Examples would be the very expensive Oppo BDP-95 or the LG BD 670.

Huh. It still sounds a bit foolish to me though; who the heck goes to a friend and says "Hey, make me a VHS copy of that gorgeously transferred 4K-mastered Blu-Ray?" I'm sure they're super-wary of anything which even might be capable of copying, but given the amount of stuff kicking around in grey market and on torrent sites, it still seems like analog would be the least of their worries.

Thanks for that info, incidentally, about the closed captions, I've always wondered why I've been unable to access them.

[usually_quiet]

Thanks for that info, incidentally, about the closed captions, I've always wondered why I've been unable to access them.

Assuming a DVD player or Blu-Ray player doesn't strip closed caption data from the signal (some do), composite and S-Video are the only connections that will allow a TV to receive them.