going crazy... pioneer bdp450 or sony s790???

[bigboss]

Managed to speak to a pioneer rep at the show and he tells me the older units like my lx54 are actually using Sharp components! This is why support has stopped and moved over to the newer pioneer players with pioneer parts.

So 450 it is then, out of those two.

No idea what the rep meant by that. In 2009, Pioneer and Sharp Corporation agreed to form a joint venture on their optical business called "Pioneer Digital Design and Manufacturing Corporation". This venture still exists. Sharp is the largest shareholder of Pioneer Corporation.

http://pioneer.jp/press-e/2009/pdf/0625-1.pdf

What different has happened though, is that in 2011, Pioneer and Asia Optical agreed to alliance on parts production in Brazil through a joint venture "Pioneer Plaza Ginza".

http://pioneer.jp/corp/profile-e/history/

Maybe this is where the improved components are coming from. :?

 

[bigboss]

Not sure of the Brazil alliance having anything to do with parts either. According to press release, it's for digital cameras and "mechanical components":

http://pioneer.jp/press-e/2011/pdf/0801-1.pdf

Sharp may not have a good reputation in the UK, but they're a respected brand in Japan and the US, as far as I'm aware.

I don't think the quality dipped due to Sharp components in previous models; there may have been teething troubles with the newly established joint venture which have been ironed out now.