I've been using my PlayStation 3 for Blu-ray up til now, hooked up to my Panasonic TH-42PX70 via HDMI, and my Onkyo HTS5105 5.1 surround system via optical cable - and it has served me well.
But now the PS3 has begun freezing during playback and rejecting discs (amongst other glitches), and I am awaiting Sony's decision on whether or not it will be exchanged for a new/refurbished model. Now that the PS3's reliability has been called into question for the first time, I'm getting more and more tempted to add a stand-alone Blu-ray player into the mix.
I am considering the discontinued Panasonic DMP-BD35, which is still available in many places, and it seems a good option. WHF's Nov 2008 Group Test rates it above the PS3 in terms of picture and sound quality, and it is a mere 4.9cm tall, which is important since I have only 5.6cm of space in which to fit a Blu-ray player in my rack. But I am hung up on the fact it has no multichannel analogue outputs, which I could use to connect to my Onkyo receiver and get an upgrade in audio quality too (which would make the purchase even more worthwhile). I have also looked for a BD55 to solve this problem, but alas these seem to have disappeared completely by now.
I also considered the Sony BDP-S550, but at 7cm it is far too tall to fit in my available space. I could even have stretched to a new Panasonic DMP-BD80, but even this is slightly too tall at 6cm.
So I'd like to put a few questions to WHF forum users:
1.) Do you think it'd be worth me having a stand-alone Blu-ray player (costing no more than £300) alongside my PlayStation 3 for Blu-ray and DVD playback? Is there really an even slightly noticeable difference in their performance?
2.) Should I go for the Panny BD35 and use an optical cable as I have done with the PS3, or would I be much better off trying to get another player with multichannel analogue outs so I can enjoy HD audio?
Any input will be greatly appreciated.
But now the PS3 has begun freezing during playback and rejecting discs (amongst other glitches), and I am awaiting Sony's decision on whether or not it will be exchanged for a new/refurbished model. Now that the PS3's reliability has been called into question for the first time, I'm getting more and more tempted to add a stand-alone Blu-ray player into the mix.
I am considering the discontinued Panasonic DMP-BD35, which is still available in many places, and it seems a good option. WHF's Nov 2008 Group Test rates it above the PS3 in terms of picture and sound quality, and it is a mere 4.9cm tall, which is important since I have only 5.6cm of space in which to fit a Blu-ray player in my rack. But I am hung up on the fact it has no multichannel analogue outputs, which I could use to connect to my Onkyo receiver and get an upgrade in audio quality too (which would make the purchase even more worthwhile). I have also looked for a BD55 to solve this problem, but alas these seem to have disappeared completely by now.
I also considered the Sony BDP-S550, but at 7cm it is far too tall to fit in my available space. I could even have stretched to a new Panasonic DMP-BD80, but even this is slightly too tall at 6cm.
So I'd like to put a few questions to WHF forum users:
1.) Do you think it'd be worth me having a stand-alone Blu-ray player (costing no more than £300) alongside my PlayStation 3 for Blu-ray and DVD playback? Is there really an even slightly noticeable difference in their performance?
2.) Should I go for the Panny BD35 and use an optical cable as I have done with the PS3, or would I be much better off trying to get another player with multichannel analogue outs so I can enjoy HD audio?
Any input will be greatly appreciated.