Arcam BDP100 review spot on!!

[admin_exported]

Just read WHF review, and agree word for word 100%. I like the natural picture and love the big sound I'm getting. However, I'v had this player since October and as the number of Bluray discs it wont play grows week by week, don't think I can 'persevere' with it for much longer[]

I'v been told they are aware of issues with certain discs and there is an update in Jan to sort this out, if not its going back and its back to the drawing board for me.I was hoping this player was the perfect partner for my AVR600, then again, I guess they both have issues!! Dont get me wrong, when it finds a disc it likes, and the amp behaves itself, it makes for an amazing viewing experience. And I feel I am very close to getting real hifi from a AV set up when listening to CD's now, which was always my goal when moving from a hifi set up to av. So come on Arcam, sort it out, and get a re-review!!

 

[Andrew Everard]

Given the ability so far to sort the flakiness of the AVR600, I wouldn't hold your breath.

 

[roger06]

It would go straight back if it were me. I'd not tolerate any of those glitches on a £1000 machine...

 

[Andrew Everard]

Some comments from our 'living with' feature on the AVR600, in the January issue:

"Prolonged use in our test rooms (this was a potential reference amp) had already uncovered some inconsistencies - notably occasional issues with varying volume levels. A second unit plus firmware fixes helped matters, but the AVR600 remained a highly strung creature - too many changes (unplugging a source; even changing channel) could spook it into freezing up. Would switching to a more settled home environment help? Sadly, the foibles continued - but the amazing performance was initially enough to negate them"

"Week 2
Reaching for the remote we find we can't alter the volume: the Arcam, though still working, has become non-responsive to its control handset. A reboot cures this."

"Week 3
More niggles emerge: pops when you change source; ?random lines appearing on screen; slight delay to DAB broadcasts compared with other digital radios in the house; ?random volume changes. Reboots generally fix things."

In the meantime...

"We've moved the Arcam to a handy plug socket, to help with its semi- regular reboots"


"Week 5
The AVR600 freezes up again, and this time even a reboot won't have it talking to the remote. A full system reset does the trick, but means all our carefully calibrated settings have been lost."

"Week 6
The Arcam is swapped out in favour of a more reliable receiver. We're sure a more patient user would put up with its foibles, but we've had enough. Mind you, we've missed its stunning performance ever since..."

 

[Sabby]

Andrew Everard:
Some comments from our 'living with' feature on the AVR600, in the January issue:

"Prolonged use in our test rooms (this was a potential reference amp) had already uncovered some inconsistencies - notably occasional issues with varying volume levels. A second unit plus firmware fixes helped matters, but the AVR600 remained a highly strung creature - too many changes (unplugging a source; even changing channel) could spook it into freezing up. Would switching to a more settled home environment help? Sadly, the foibles continued - but the amazing performance was initially enough to negate them"

"Week 2
Reaching for the remote we find we can't alter the volume: the Arcam, though still working, has become non-responsive to its control handset. A reboot cures this."

"Week 3
More niggles emerge: pops when you change source; ?random lines appearing on screen; slight delay to DAB broadcasts compared with other digital radios in the house; ?random volume changes. Reboots generally fix things."

In the meantime...

"We've moved the Arcam to a handy plug socket, to help with its semi- regular reboots"


"Week 5
The AVR600 freezes up again, and this time even a reboot won't have it talking to the remote. A full system reset does the trick, but means all our carefully calibrated settings have been lost."

"Week 6
The Arcam is swapped out in favour of a more reliable receiver. We're sure a more patient user would put up with its foibles, but we've had enough. Mind you, we've missed its stunning performance ever since..."

No matter how wonderful the Arcam sounds, nobody and I mean NOBODY should have to put up with such rubbish, especially at that price! How can Arcam even have the nerve to put such a half baked product on the market. I know of no other manufacturer that would take such liberties and market a product that is essentially, for all intents and purposes, still in the development stages.

 

[Anonymous]

Andrew Everard:

"Week 6
The Arcam is swapped out in favour of a more reliable receiver. We're sure a more patient user would put up with its foibles, but we've had enough. Mind you, we've missed its stunning performance ever since..."

And thats the exact reason I'v stuck with the 600. But dont think thats going to be the case with the bluray. As I'v said before, I'v been quite lucky with the AVR600 compared to what I'v read about, and only really have issues with volume now and then with sky, something I forget all about when watching a bluray in full swing. Maybe the BDP100 goes, put the Pioneer lx52 back for now until a real allrounder comes along with no bugs........

 

[Dazmb]

TrevD:Andrew Everard:

"Week 6
The Arcam is swapped out in favour of a more reliable receiver. We're sure a more patient user would put up with its foibles, but we've had enough. Mind you, we've missed its stunning performance ever since..."

And thats the exact reason I'v stuck with the 600. But dont think thats going to be the case with the bluray. As I'v said before, I'v been quite lucky with the AVR600 compared to what I'v read about, and only really have issues with volume now and then with sky, something I forget all about when watching a bluray in full swing. Maybe the BDP100 goes, put the Pioneer lx52 back for now until a real allrounder comes along with no bugs........

Trev, I don't know if you are aware of the discontent felt by 'Arcamites' at the BDP100 (mostly on another forum..). The history of Arcam's BDP development has been tough for them, with as you likely know having to restart the project all over after their bespoke chipset development partner pulled out of the project. This has forced Arcam to use a generic Broadcom chipset and it also features a cheap Lite-on disk drive. If you open the player up there is so much fresh air inside the case you can imagine lichen blowing by... (Google for a picture of that!).

My question to you is Trev as an owner is do you really feel that this £1000 player made in China is worthy of the FMJ badge it wears? Is it the equal in pride of ownership terms as your AVR600?

I can't see it's worth £600 more than the Cambridge 640, having less features and perhaps middling 2 CH analogue and video performance by the standards of Arcam's illustrious custom Zoran chipset based DV88 / DV27 / DV29 / DV79 / DV139 history.

 

[Ronald Archiebald]

Sabby:

No matter how wonderful the Arcam sounds, nobody and I mean NOBODY should have to put up with such rubbish, especially at that price! How can Arcam even have the nerve to put such a half baked product on the market. I know of no other manufacturer that would take such liberties and market a product that is essentially, for all intents and purposes, still in the development stages.

I agree 100% with your view.

 

[plastic penguin]

The dark clouds are well and truly hanging over Cambridgeshire.

 

[iainl2005]

I have to agree, when the BDP100 plays the pictures are beautufil and the room filling sound is breathtaking, but I would say over the past 2 months 90% of films either stick or chapter skip. You would have thought they would have learned their lesson from the AVR600... obviously not!

 

[Anonymous]

Dazmb: My question to you is Trev as an owner is do you really feel that this £1000 player made in China is worthy of the FMJ badge it wears? Is it the equal in pride of ownership terms as your AVR600?

My answer is no and no again!! I think I will hang on for alledged 'fix' in Jan, if no show I can't live with it. As much as I want it to be, its not the player I was hoping and waiting for. If nothing comes along in the way of a fix, thinking of giving the Marantz UD8004 a demo.

P.S. I will google ''empty arcam box'!!

 

[Anonymous]

iainl2005:I have to agree, when the BDP100 plays the pictures are beautufil and the room filling sound is breathtaking, but I would say over the past 2 months 90% of films either stick or chapter skip. You would have thought they would have learned their lesson from the AVR600... obviously not!

I share your frustration

Are you sticking with it or moving on??.

 

[iainl2005]

Trev, I am going to stick with it for now, at the moment my projector is away getting fixed so not getting a chance to use it anyway. I don't understand how a company can make a product be so erratic, I had a Yamaha Z7 and Denon DVD2500BT for 2 years and never had a single problem with both, I know these companies are massive manufacturers compared to Arcam, but its not as if this is their first product.

 

[Ronald Archiebald]

iainl2005,

In your opinion, is the picture and sound quality of the Arcam superior to the Denon?

Ronald

 

[DandyCobalt]

IMO, send it back and wait for the Cambridge Audio 751BD to come out (end-Feb apparently £799) Video preview from CES in the review section. A better, more reliable product for less money?

As it looks identical to the existing 650BD (which I have and very pleased with), I might be able to get it into the house without the wife even noticing

The 650BD has been 100% reliable so far on all Blu-rays, DVDs, SACDs that I've thrown at it, with great motion and image (via plasma and projector) and excellent sound. So hopefully the 751BD will be even better sound and picture.

 

[iainl2005]

In my opinion there was a significant jump in picture and sound quality, as I said before the Arcam produces amazing pictures and a stunning soundstage, I am just hoping a firmware upgrade sorts out the reliabilty issues.

 

[Ronald Archiebald]

iainl2005:In my opinion there was a significant jump in picture and sound quality, as I said before the Arcam produces amazing pictures and a stunning soundstage, I am just hoping a firmware upgrade sorts out the reliabilty issues.

That's odd, considering the fact that the review concluded that 'it's pictures are very good: not dramatically better than the best budget kit..' while the Denon has always been a reference status blu-ray player for it's picture and sound quality.

I hope I will get the opportunity to demo one myself soon.

 

[DandyCobalt]

DandyCobalt:

IMO, send it back and wait for the Cambridge Audio 751BD to come out (end-Feb apparently £799) Video preview from CES in the review section. A better, more reliable product for less money?

Or is this the same as the Oppo BDP-93 now available?

 

[iainl2005]

As I said, 'in my opinion' there was a significant jump in quality... even the girlfriend noticed and she doesn't bother about all this technology.

 

[Anonymous]

I had the Denon for a week long demo, and could not see what all the fuss was about. At the time I was using the Arcam DV-137, I found with bluray it was just ok, but a step back with DVD playback for both picture and sound. For me, I felt the Denon lacked something sonically. I went for the Pioneer lx52 (which I preferred to the Denon) as a stand in untill the Arcam arrived. Maybe its just down to partnering.....

 

[iainl2005]

I wonder if Arcam will be forced to change their packaging... 'Bringing Music and Movies to life... occasionally!'

 

[Anonymous]

Very good

!! Perhaps 'fmj' actually stands for Film May Jump............

 

[plastic penguin]

Purchased the Feb edition and the it all looks pretty grim. However, I think I'll hold back on the Blu-ray for a few months to see whether Arcam can iron out these reliability problems.

 

[Anonymous]

plastic penguin:
Purchased the Feb edition and the it all looks pretty grim. However, I think I'll hold back on the Blu-ray for a few months to see whether Arcam can iron out these reliability problems.

Don't hold your breath

 

[plastic penguin]

MosesJ:plastic penguin:

Purchased the Feb edition and the it all looks pretty grim. However, I think I'll hold back on the Blu-ray for a few months to see whether Arcam can iron out these reliability problems.

Don't hold your breath

Where there's life...

One hope that the size and rep of Arcam should really get themselves tuned in to customer requirements.