Looking for a Blu-Ray Player

[koberulz]

I've currently got a Panasonic DMP-BD35. It has a few problems, though. I won't play some of my home-burned dual layer discs, freezing at the layer break. It plays the second layer fine if an appropriately late chapter is selected, but won't play all the way through. Additionally, with one particular batch, it simply refuses to play them initially at all, though I can skip the pre-menu sequence and go straight to the main menu with the menu button, after which it will play the first layer before freezing at the break. Most it's fine with, though, so I'm not sure what's causing this. It's not an authoring issue, as the discs played fine on my previous DVD player.

It's also not region free for Blu-Ray playback, though it is region free for DVD playback. It doesn't play data discs, either.

Is there a player out there that will do what I want?

Necessary
Data disc playback
Region-free DVD playback
Playback of all home-burned dual layer disc all the way through

Preferable
Region-free Blu-Ray playback (I've only got the one Region A disc and can play it on my computer, so it's not a massive problem, but I'd like the option if possible)
3D compatibility (I have neither 3D discs nor a 3D TV, but it'd be nice to have the Blu-Ray player compatible should I invest in a 3D TV in the future)
No discernible layer break pause. Layer breaks were completely invisible on my DVD player, yet there's a good second-long pause with the Blu-Ray player on the discs that don't freeze forever.

I think that's it. More may come to me later. No sound system is required, or even really wanted, as I already have one separate of the Blu-Ray player.

[jman98]

I'd suggest avoid Sony and Samsung players. They are among the most difficult in the world to unlock. While we've had reports that SOME models by both companies sold in Oz MAY be able to be unlocked, you buy at your own risk. And that does NOT mean that ALL models they sell can be unlocked.

BluRay licensing expressly forbids manufacturers from producing players that are region free even for only DVD playback. The only BluRay players I've ever heard of that can be made region free for BluRay and DVD playback are the Momitsu/Hitecker models, some Insignia models (but you may need older firmware), and Oppo. That's it. I cannot speak for Australia but in Europe some companies make special hardware to modify BluRay players so they can be region free. I cannot explain why a few companies make BluRay players for sale in Oz that can be made region free for only DVD playback as this violates the licensing agreement with BluRay, but it happens.

As far as I know all modern BluRay and DVD players can correctly play consumer burned DL discs, BUT for best results you really do need to ONLY burn Verbatim DVD+R DL discs. You are throwing your money away with anything else. And you should burn ONLY with the free ImgBurn program for best results too. I'm sorry but even if you do everything right I cannot personally guarantee you that there won't be a very slight pause at the layer break, but you can certainly expect your discs to not freeze forever.

Please define exactly what you mean by the vague term "data disc playback". For example you could burn a bunch of Real Media files as a data disc and those aren't going to play. What format are you really wanting to play here? Divx should be OK on many players and more and more support MKV too.

I know it's under "preferable" but right now I don't know of any 3D players that can made region free for DVD playback, but maybe there are some. I definitely haven't heard of any that can be made region free for BluRay playback.

I'm not sure of specific models, but I think LG makes some players that may be able to be made DVD region free in Oz and can play Divx and MKV files.

[koberulz]

I cannot explain why a few companies make BluRay players for sale in Oz that can be made region free for only DVD playback as this violates the licensing agreement with BluRay, but it happens.

I didn't even make it region free, it came out of the box region free. Rumour has it region-locking is illegal here due to some sort of trade agreement, though I've no idea if that's true.

for best results you really do need to ONLY burn Verbatim DVD+R DL discs. You are throwing your money away with anything else.

I've never understood the Verbatim fetish this forum has. I've never had a problem with any other discs, just with this player.

even if you do everything right I cannot personally guarantee you that there won't be a very slight pause at the layer break

The pause happens with commercial discs as well, so that's certainly not my doing. The DVD player at my dad's place has the same issue. It was completely unnoticeable with my old player, though, which was nice.

Please define exactly what you mean by the vague term "data disc playback". For example you could burn a bunch of Real Media files as a data disc and those aren't going to play. What format are you really wanting to play here? Divx should be OK on many players and more and more support MKV too.

Divx and XVid mainly. MKV would be nice if that cane be done (I really don't know; I'm just working off the features of my old DVD player which obviously didn't include MKV playback). Image and sound files if possible. XVid/DivX is the main concern here, though; sometimes I just want to burn something to an RW and watch it, rather than bothering with menus and whatnot.

[hech54]

I've never understood the Verbatim fetish this forum has. I've never had a problem with any other discs, just with this player.

Verbatim DL discs burned with ImgBurn. Can't beat it. Verbatim DL discs are the only DL discs that work in both my newer Toshiba player and my ancient Centrum player. Delete Nero, download ImgBurn and try a few Verbatims....the brand you are using right now do not work well in your present player....FACT.....not fetish.

[koberulz]

The brands of disc to which I have burned is neither here nor there. I have the discs, some hundreds of them, and would like that they play. I have had zero problems on my prior machine (a Pioneer model), and the only problem I had with the one before that was fixed by moving from -R to +R. Non-Verbatim discs have worked perfectly even on my current Blu-Ray player. I see no reason to pay twice the amount for Verbatim discs, when I could simply buy a Blu-Ray player that will actually play everything I own (yes, the latter is cheaper, not to mention easier).

[fritzi93]

I too suspect your discs *are* the problem.

It's something of a miracle that burned DL discs work at all. I've used several brands other than Verbatim and they're pretty much either Ritek or CMC, and unreliable. If they fail the burning stage (and many do), that's one thing, but I've learned to verify them as well. Many that burn with apparently no errors will have unrecoverable read errors on verification.

Now, if the same drive that burned it can't read it, it's obviously a failed burn. You won't know unless you verify. Which even then doesn't guarantee they will play on all standalone players. Add in the fact that Nero is not as reliable as ImgBurn, and one is asking for trouble.

OTOH, I only ever had one failed burn with Verbatim DL discs, and that was one of my first ones and due to user error. Oh, BTW, I count myself lucky if no more than 20% of CMC DL discs fail outright. I don't quite trust them even when they verify okay, so I only use them for unimportant backups. When they run out, I'm done screwing around with them.

Do what you want, but maybe you should reconsider the possibility it's the discs.

[koberulz]

They play on more players than they don't. I don't have a single disc that won't play all the way through on my Pioneer DVD player. It's not the discs.

[hech54]

They play on more players than they don't. I don't have a single disc that won't play all the way through on my Pioneer DVD player. It's not the discs.

But with the player before that...you ended up

moving from -R to +R.

to get them to play.

That was a disc problem and this time it's not?

[koberulz]

It wasn't a brand problem, that's for sure. It was a compatibility problem. You know, like my current player doesn't play XVid. That's not a disc problem, it's a compatibility problem.

[hech54]

Amazon.com
#1 rated +R disc product by customer review:
Taiyo Yuden 16X 4.7GB Silver Thermal Lacquer DVD+R 100-Pak
(the discs I buy and use for important stuff - 8x or 16x...doesn't matter to me though I usually
buy the -R version because I no longer need +R since my Philips recorder is on it's last legs)

#2 rated +R disc product by customer review:
Verbatim DVD+R DL 2.4x 8.5GB 50 Pack

#1 rated -R disc product by customer review:
Taiyo Yuden/JVC WaterShield - 50 x DVD-R - 4.7 GB 16x - white - ink jet printable surface - spindle - storage media

#2 rated -R disc product by customer review:
Verbatim 96552 AquaAce 4.7 GB up to 16x Glossy White Inkjet PrintableHub Printable Recordable Disc DVD-R (50-Disc Spindle)

I don't do "printables"....they are a waste of money. The names Taiyo Yuden and Verbatim still pop up constantly in the top rated....that never changes....hasn't for many years.
I have a feeling that even if you did go out and buy a few Verbatim D/L discs(and burn them with ImgBurn)....and they worked in your machine...you would still come back and say they didn't work....so I'll leave you to it then.
Have a nice day.

[koberulz]

Amazon.com
I don't do "printables"....they are a waste of money.

How so?

The names Taiyo Yuden and Verbatim still pop up constantly in the top rated....that never changes....hasn't for many years.

That's nice.

I have a feeling that even if you did go out and buy a few Verbatim D/L discs(and burn them with ImgBurn)....and they worked in your machine...you would still come back and say they didn't work....so I'll leave you to it then.

What? I've never had a bad experience with a non-Verbatim brand, therefore I'm lying? Some non-Verbatim discs play fine in my current player. Every disc I've ever burned played fine in my previous player. Every disc that wasn't a -R, regardless of brand, played fine in the player I had before that.

Interestingly, I currently am burning a set on Verbatim DL discs, and the player took far longer than usual to read the disc. It did eventually play it, though I didn't watch all the way through and can't say what it does at the layer break (though the other discs in that series, all Verbatim, did work fine).

I'm looking for a Blu-Ray player, not advice on which brand of disc to use. That's why I posted in the "DVD & Blu-Ray Players" section, not the "Media" section. Given that I've had zero problems on basis of brand in the past, and that non-Verbatim discs work in even this player, I'm not open to being told that's the issue.

[KBeee]

IIRC the reason why DVD players were sold in Oz as either Region Free or unlockable, was because an Aussie trading standards organisation found region locking to be anti competitive and against the consumers interests (the only ones to disagree with this view are the major studios and content providers).
Then BluRay came along and gave them another chance to tie people into the ghettos they've decided the World should be divided into.

[Nelson37]

What you do not understand is that this is a numbers game. How many DVD players have you had, 2, 3, maybe 4? Do you have any idea how many DVD players are and/or have been owned, and tested, by the members of this forum? Many thousands.

This is EXPERIENCE, which you do not have, telling you that for DL burning, Verbatim disks are the only way to go, coupled with ImgBurn. This EXPERIENCE is such that if you do not follow this procedure, and have problems, virtually NO ONE will focus on any other problem until the KNOWN GOOD procedure is followed.

If you think you know better than this collective wisdom, by all means, have at it.

[jagabo]

LG BD530, BD570 and BD590. Not sure about region free DVD and BD.

[koberulz]

What you do not understand is that this is a numbers game. How many DVD players have you had, 2, 3, maybe 4? Do you have any idea how many DVD players are and/or have been owned, and tested, by the members of this forum? Many thousands.

This is EXPERIENCE, which you do not have, telling you that for DL burning, Verbatim disks are the only way to go, coupled with ImgBurn. This EXPERIENCE is such that if you do not follow this procedure, and have problems, virtually NO ONE will focus on any other problem until the KNOWN GOOD procedure is followed.

If you think you know better than this collective wisdom, by all means, have at it.

And if I wanted everyone in the world to have the best chance at playing my discs, this would be relevant. But since I'm the only one who needs to play them, it's not.

[Seeker47]

I'd suggest avoid Sony and Samsung players. They are among the most difficult in the world to unlock. While we've had reports that SOME models by both companies sold in Oz MAY be able to be unlocked, you buy at your own risk. And that does NOT mean that ALL models they sell can be unlocked.

BluRay licensing expressly forbids manufacturers from producing players that are region free even for only DVD playback. The only BluRay players I've ever heard of that can be made region free for BluRay and DVD playback are the Momitsu/Hitecker models, some Insignia models (but you may need older firmware), and Oppo.

What jman98 said.

The OP wanted us to focus on the players and their features. I chose a Samsung, because at the time (and maybe still ?) the Oppo Blu-Ray units -- which cost a bit more than twice as much -- did not offer built-in networking for streaming Netflix & etc. Nevertheless, I would much rather use my Oppo dvd player, any day of the week, even though I'd have to "settle for" regular DVDs. (I'm generally underwhelmed by Blu-Ray, in any case.) My Oppo has convenience features that either never were available in Blu-Ray players, or were deliberately removed. It also plays more formats than most anything else I've seen. A lot of so-called tech "progress" is really moving backwards, as the mfr.s strive to lock everything down tight in order to kowtow to the MPAA. It may be that Oppo continues to buck that trend with their Blu-Ray models, but I wasn't keen on spending $500 to $600 to find out.

[aedipuss]

LG BD530, BD570 and BD590. Not sure about region free DVD and BD.

superseded by the bd690, bd670, bd630.

not much different the first 2 added 3d playback

[TBoneit]

I used to use Generic silver top CD blanks

I went to get something off of them and most were dead. OTOH the name brand CDs I had used prior were still fine.

Live and learn.

I now use Verbatim DVDs & verbatim BluRay media.

Be Frugal. I learned better.

Also note that there are many reports that certain brands of BluRay blanks only hold there data less than a year.

[Seeker47]

Also note that there are many reports that certain brands of BluRay blanks only hold there data less than a year.

Could you be a bit more specific ? (Hoping that this does not include the Verbatim BR blanks someone recommended here, which I recently bought . . . . )