Anyone got the new Pioneer 320 ? whats it like
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I'd be intrested to hear this too, the its wins the the supertest in the latest issue even though the Sony is £160 better (and got exactly the same ratings), so be intrested to see if its that much better.
Also can it send audio to a hdmi amp via bitstream (which my ps3) still cant ?
Also can it send audio to a hdmi amp via bitstream (which my ps3) still cant ?
Sliced Bread
Well-known member
I've reserved one and I'll pick it up on Saturday - Woohoo. I'll let you know my thoughts
EvertonMonkey:Also can it send audio to a hdmi amp via bitstream (which my ps3) still cant ?
Yes it can.
EvertonMonkey:Also can it send audio to a hdmi amp via bitstream (which my ps3) still cant ?
Yes it can.
I've just got the Pioneer BDP-320 today from TLC Broadcast. Been waiting to see what What HI-FI thought of it, so after reading the rave review in the September issue I went ahead and ordered it. Had pretty much decided on it anyway as I've got an LX-5090 so seemed like a perfect match. Plus I've read other reviews of how good the picture and audio is. I'm also one of those lot that really isn't too bothered about speed of loading etc. Though after having set it up this evening and trying out Monsters Inc Blu-Ray on it I was actually more than satisfied with the time it took to load and get into the main menu. Guess I was expecting it to be really slow after peoples comments but it wasn't bad at all. Certainly not much different from the Panasonic DMP-BD35 that I previously had. The picture though is just stunning! real smooth too on the LX-5090. Sound too is fantastic. Love the simple and good looking GUI as well. Really quiet machine as well. Still got to learn more about the player with the manual's help and try out some more films etc. but very very impressed so far.
Can you tell me if it memorises the position of blueray discs and dvd's if you eject them part way through?
Andrew Everard:Indeed the PS3 can, as LPCM. It just can't do it as raw DD HD/DTS HD.
ok but I meant send it as bitstream so that my amp can do the decoding and not the ps3 / blu-ray player. I was led to believe that the amp (STR DA5300ES) should do a better job of it or am I misinformed ?
ok but I meant send it as bitstream so that my amp can do the decoding and not the ps3 / blu-ray player. I was led to believe that the amp (STR DA5300ES) should do a better job of it or am I misinformed ?
It's likely the two will be very much on a par. There's a school of thought that suggests it's best to 'unpack' the audio in the player and send it as LPCM to the receiver for processing.
anchorman_02:Can you tell me if it memorises the position of blueray discs and dvd's if you eject them part way through?
Any ideas on this Andrew? I have a Pan DMP30 which does the job but it is a pain when you ahve to keep searching for the last played position. I subscribe to WHF and have read the group test. Do these modern players memorise locations or is it still a chore?
Any ideas on this Andrew? I have a Pan DMP30 which does the job but it is a pain when you ahve to keep searching for the last played position. I subscribe to WHF and have read the group test. Do these modern players memorise locations or is it still a chore?
anchorman_02:
anchorman_02:Can you tell me if it memorises the position of blueray discs and dvd's if you eject them part way through?
Any ideas on this Andrew? I have a Pan DMP30 which does the job but it is a pain when you ahve to keep searching for the last played position. I subscribe to WHF and have read the group test. Do these modern players memorise locations or is it still a chore?
I haven't seen any players yet that do this. I think it's more a product of the BD-Java loading process at the top of this disc. I think this is why some studios (like Universal) include the ability to save bookmarks with the disc so you can easily (once you've spun the thing up and started playback) get back to where you was.
anchorman_02:Can you tell me if it memorises the position of blueray discs and dvd's if you eject them part way through?
Any ideas on this Andrew? I have a Pan DMP30 which does the job but it is a pain when you ahve to keep searching for the last played position. I subscribe to WHF and have read the group test. Do these modern players memorise locations or is it still a chore?
I haven't seen any players yet that do this. I think it's more a product of the BD-Java loading process at the top of this disc. I think this is why some studios (like Universal) include the ability to save bookmarks with the disc so you can easily (once you've spun the thing up and started playback) get back to where you was.
I'm sure I saw an online review of the Marantz BD7003 that said it did remember the position of the disk.
Hi
Just read the review in the Whathifi mag it gets 5 stars and wins the group test. They say it is the best player for the price range.
Best picture and sound for the price range.
Just read the review in the Whathifi mag it gets 5 stars and wins the group test. They say it is the best player for the price range.
Best picture and sound for the price range.
6th.replicant
Well-known member
gel:
Hi
Just read the review in the Whathifi mag it gets 5 stars and wins the group test. They say it is the best player for the price range.
Best picture and sound for the price range.
Fancy a Pioneer 320 but it's beyond my budget at £350. Which machine scored best in the £200-300 price range? Ta. (Local newsagent 'awaiting delivery' of Sept issue...)
Hi
Just read the review in the Whathifi mag it gets 5 stars and wins the group test. They say it is the best player for the price range.
Best picture and sound for the price range.
Fancy a Pioneer 320 but it's beyond my budget at £350. Which machine scored best in the £200-300 price range? Ta. (Local newsagent 'awaiting delivery' of Sept issue...)
Great review wonder if anyone will do a Multiregion mod like you can get with Panasonic.
As a PS3 user for BD like most, I wonder how reviews could score players against the PS3 to make considering upgrading worthwhile?
I would think the Pioneer 320 would fall into that category
Regards
Andy
As a PS3 user for BD like most, I wonder how reviews could score players against the PS3 to make considering upgrading worthwhile?
I would think the Pioneer 320 would fall into that category
Regards
Andy
Sliced Bread
Well-known member
Andrew Everard:It's likely the two will be very much on a par. There's a school of thought that suggests it's best to 'unpack' the audio in the player and send it as LPCM to the receiver for processing.
Hey Andrew,
Do you know what the logic is for this, and whether in your experience it has made a difference?
Also if you send the signal as LPCM then does the player or receiver take care of the bass management?
Thanks
Hey Andrew,
Do you know what the logic is for this, and whether in your experience it has made a difference?
Also if you send the signal as LPCM then does the player or receiver take care of the bass management?
Thanks
Sliced Bread
Well-known member
This weekend I picked up a BDP-320 and in short, I couldn't be happier. This is the first blu-ray player that I've owned and I'm now really sold on the format and the player. My initial concern was that my non full HD plasma would not provide me with much of a picture improvement over the upscaled DVD picture of my Denon DVD Player. However after plugging in the BDP-320 and firing up Casino Royale (which I already thought was near HD quality on the upscalled DVD) I was very pleasantly surprised by the quality of the picture. It was a huge step up from the DVD I had been using, with the extra detail of the blu-ray immediately obvious. One area that I was surprised to see a big difference with was the colour. The colours from the blu-ray were both, more natural and more vivid (where appropriate). The sound also surprised me, with the extra resolution of the HD formats being quite apparent simply from the roaring Lion in the MGM logo. Valkyrie was particularly impressive, with the sound of the propellers in the aircraft sounding powerful and detailed in a way that I havn't heard from DVD. In comparison the DVD sounded like it had been smoothed over. Vocals and instruments also sounded fuller and more natural. As with the picture, there was an area of improvement that I was not expecting...the bass. I'm using the same amp / speaker and sub that I had before I used the 320, yet somehow the bass seemed deeper, more powerful and definitely better defined.
DVD was also very good and seemed a good match for the Denon player I was replacing. The pioneer probably had the edge when it came to darker scenes, although I did not a-b compare the two.
Any problems? Well yes. Firstly the machine froze the first time I put a disk in it...it wouldn't eject or even power off, so I had to pull the power cable which resolved the issue (I have a replacement on order). The second, is that the mechanical noise from the player is definitely louder than my Denon and can be quite noticeable in quiet scenes during the film (although it is not terrible). Thirdly, the player does not output bluray at 720p, instead choosing to opt for the arguably inferior 1080i - I have mentioned this as a negative, however in actual reality the picture is stunning so I don't think I have anything to complain about. And finally, slow panning shots (while acceptable) are not as well handled as when the player is playing a DVD. I have heard that this happens on a lot of blu-ray players if not outputting the native 1080P signal...I'm not sure if there is any truth in this.
Please take the negatives in context though...none of the issues are that big and the player performs so well that I can easily forgive it. The player was a BIG sonic and visual upgrade and worth every penny.
EDIT: I did not measure the loading times, however the three films I have tried so far took longer than a DVD to load, but didn't take long enough to be an issue.
DVD was also very good and seemed a good match for the Denon player I was replacing. The pioneer probably had the edge when it came to darker scenes, although I did not a-b compare the two.
Any problems? Well yes. Firstly the machine froze the first time I put a disk in it...it wouldn't eject or even power off, so I had to pull the power cable which resolved the issue (I have a replacement on order). The second, is that the mechanical noise from the player is definitely louder than my Denon and can be quite noticeable in quiet scenes during the film (although it is not terrible). Thirdly, the player does not output bluray at 720p, instead choosing to opt for the arguably inferior 1080i - I have mentioned this as a negative, however in actual reality the picture is stunning so I don't think I have anything to complain about. And finally, slow panning shots (while acceptable) are not as well handled as when the player is playing a DVD. I have heard that this happens on a lot of blu-ray players if not outputting the native 1080P signal...I'm not sure if there is any truth in this.
Please take the negatives in context though...none of the issues are that big and the player performs so well that I can easily forgive it. The player was a BIG sonic and visual upgrade and worth every penny.
EDIT: I did not measure the loading times, however the three films I have tried so far took longer than a DVD to load, but didn't take long enough to be an issue.
A quick question on resolution output of the 320. On the strength of WHF review I bought it as my first BD player, along with a Denon 1910 and some HDMI. It's all connected to a Pioneer PDP436XDE. Now I thought this older plasma (I've had it 3 years now) only output in 1080i (or 1125i in Pioneer speak). BUT as soon as I played a blu ray, the info screen in the top right of the screen flashed up as 1125p !! The player menu then confirmed this as 1080p/24 !! WHOOHOO as Homer would say. Is this too good to be true, or is my old telly just getting confused?
Sliced Bread
Well-known member
According to the Pioneer website (http://www.pioneer.eu/eur/products/archive/PDP-436XDE/index.html) the screen has a resolution of 1024 (Hor) x 768 (Ver). Assuming this is accurate then this is not enough pixels to display a full HD picture, which requires a minumum of 1920x1080. However your screen is probably able to accept the signal and downscale it to the size of the screen, hence while you see it on the screen. But don't worry about it, it's a good screen with a good picture anyway
I ASSUME FROM THE ABOVE THAT IT IS RARE IF NOT NON EXISTENT FOR BLU RAY PLAYERS TO MEMORISE THE DISC POSITION. I NOT ETHAT MY PS3 PLAYS FROM WHERE YOU LEFT OFF EVEN IF YOU HAVE PLAYED OTHER DISCS SINCE YOUR LAST PARTIAL VIEWING - THI SIS A PARTICULARLY NICE AND HELPFULL FEATURE !!
Sliced Bread
Well-known member
Just a quick update for those who are interested.
The I received my replacement 320, and not only does this one not have the freezing issue, but it is also significantly quieter than the first one I had so it looks like it was a dud.
I've also been able to spend some more times with bluray and DVD's. I'm still very impressed by the quality of the blu ray pics, however I think that my Denon 1930 had a better DVD picture (despite what I said earlier). Initial impressions was that this player was better in darker scenes, however I believe that this is just because the player is less detailed in darker scenes and therefore it gave the illusion of a cleaner picture. Colours are also very slightly better on the Denon. BUT the difference is minimal and the bluray pictures are so good that I can forgive it.
The I received my replacement 320, and not only does this one not have the freezing issue, but it is also significantly quieter than the first one I had so it looks like it was a dud.
I've also been able to spend some more times with bluray and DVD's. I'm still very impressed by the quality of the blu ray pics, however I think that my Denon 1930 had a better DVD picture (despite what I said earlier). Initial impressions was that this player was better in darker scenes, however I believe that this is just because the player is less detailed in darker scenes and therefore it gave the illusion of a cleaner picture. Colours are also very slightly better on the Denon. BUT the difference is minimal and the bluray pictures are so good that I can forgive it.
I too have taken the plunge and purchased last weekend the 320, and am very very happy! JohnNewman sums things up very nicely, so no need to repeat everything said there.
And as stunning as the picture is, it is the sound that has really blown me away (note I only have 32"-HD ready TV).
I'm not usually one for buying kit the minute it hits the shops (a fair chunk of my kit is ex-dem), but I'm glad I did on this occassion.
PS for anyone who likes to be on the latest firmware, 3.25 is out offering "better bd-live stability and improved performance" (mine shipped with 3.12 or 3.13, can't remember exactly which). You will need to download the firmware from Pioneer's site and burn it to cd-rom (instructions on Pioneer's website).
PPS As I don't play a lot of games on the PS3, it looks like its going to be gathering a lot of dust!
And as stunning as the picture is, it is the sound that has really blown me away (note I only have 32"-HD ready TV).
I'm not usually one for buying kit the minute it hits the shops (a fair chunk of my kit is ex-dem), but I'm glad I did on this occassion.
PS for anyone who likes to be on the latest firmware, 3.25 is out offering "better bd-live stability and improved performance" (mine shipped with 3.12 or 3.13, can't remember exactly which). You will need to download the firmware from Pioneer's site and burn it to cd-rom (instructions on Pioneer's website).
PPS As I don't play a lot of games on the PS3, it looks like its going to be gathering a lot of dust!
I have decided to play things safe and stick to what I know - I'm going to buy the new Sony BDP-S560 as soon as it is available; if anyone knows when this will be then please let me know?
I'm more than happy with my budget Sony and the new S360 has improved on what I've already got so I expect the S560 to be better still. I almost bought the Pioneer; in fact I have got a buy now pay later agreement on one from Peter Tyson's but have decided not to sign it and send it off. I'll be patient, wait for the Sony and buy one cash ... I'll have been paid by then! Ha
I'm more than happy with my budget Sony and the new S360 has improved on what I've already got so I expect the S560 to be better still. I almost bought the Pioneer; in fact I have got a buy now pay later agreement on one from Peter Tyson's but have decided not to sign it and send it off. I'll be patient, wait for the Sony and buy one cash ... I'll have been paid by then! Ha
woodster
Well-known member
Bought the pio 320 from audio t in portsmouth after a comparison with big brother the new 52. Had really good service there and despite the salesmans pitch of I thing the 52 picture is more detailed, i simply could not see or hear the differance.The 320 is awesome and i have relgated my pana bluray to the bedroom.
The sound from my kef 3005/onkyo 606/pioneer 320 is breathtaking on bluray as is the picture and i have to sat the upscaled dvd picture is equally credible.
This is my third bluray player and my last for some time now i think, this is awesome, been wthcing movies all week.
Reccomend........hell yes, its a bargain
The sound from my kef 3005/onkyo 606/pioneer 320 is breathtaking on bluray as is the picture and i have to sat the upscaled dvd picture is equally credible.
This is my third bluray player and my last for some time now i think, this is awesome, been wthcing movies all week.
Reccomend........hell yes, its a bargain
andyb1984:
I have decided to play things safe and stick to what I know - I'm going to buy the new Sony BDP-S560 as soon as it is available; if anyone knows when this will be then please let me know?
I'm more than happy with my budget Sony and the new S360 has improved on what I've already got so I expect the S560 to be better still. I almost bought the Pioneer; in fact I have got a buy now pay later agreement on one from Peter Tyson's but have decided not to sign it and send it off. I'll be patient, wait for the Sony and buy one cash ... I'll have been paid by then! Ha
As far as we know, the only difference between the 'S360 and 'S560 is the addition of wireless connectivity. Picture and sound quality should (theoretically) be virtually identical.
I have decided to play things safe and stick to what I know - I'm going to buy the new Sony BDP-S560 as soon as it is available; if anyone knows when this will be then please let me know?
I'm more than happy with my budget Sony and the new S360 has improved on what I've already got so I expect the S560 to be better still. I almost bought the Pioneer; in fact I have got a buy now pay later agreement on one from Peter Tyson's but have decided not to sign it and send it off. I'll be patient, wait for the Sony and buy one cash ... I'll have been paid by then! Ha
As far as we know, the only difference between the 'S360 and 'S560 is the addition of wireless connectivity. Picture and sound quality should (theoretically) be virtually identical.
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