How good a bluray player do you need?

[admin_exported]

I have, after receiving first class advice on this forum, bought and enjoyed my Pioneer 4280XD. I am still thrilled and amazed at how good DVDs look on this TV, not upscaled DVDs, just DVDs played on a regular DVD player (well, a Pioneer 757).

Anyway, I find myself now trying to decide on a bluray player and would like to know that if I am looking to choose between say a PS3, Sony 350, or Pana 55, or even a Pioneer LX71, will I reap all the benefits in increased picture quality on the players as my TV is only HD Ready and will effectively be downscaling the picture?

I also have a Pioneer VSX2011 which was a 5star receiver 5 years ago, so do I get a better bluray player with onboard processing and send the outputs to the amp, or do I buy a slightly cheaper bluray player and look to get a newer amp?

How much progress has been made in AV amps over the last 5 years?

Your thoughts please....

 

[Anonymous]

Personally a Sony PS3 is all I will ever need.
It's a top class Blue Ray player that is improving all the time with the latest up dates sent to it off the internet.
Set to bitstream it allows the AV amp to do the upgrading, which on my Onkyo 875 does the job much better.
Also has a hard drive to store and view your digital pics on the telly.

 

[professorhat]

If you're not interested in the other aspects of the PS3 (gaming, media hub etc. etc.), I'd go for the Pana 55. It will allow you to enjoy HD audio from your current amp and, if you ever do decide to upgrade your amp in the future, it won't be the weak link in the chain.

 

[Sorreltiger]

I'm glad you're enjoying your 4280XD. ÿTo put your mind at rest over the 'Full HD/HD Ready' issue, I succumbed to the introductory offer price on the Sony 350, having previously intended to wait until Christmas! ÿThis sends a 1080p signal through my receiver to the TV, which downscales it to 768, of course. ÿPicture quality, on the best blu-ray discs, is pin-sharp - a notch up from the best on Sky HD. ÿColour and contrast are also superb. ÿIt isn't possible to generalize, as discs and broadcasts both vary so much in quality. ÿIn short, if you can afford a BD player you won't regret it. ÿThe enhanced picture and sound will give you great pleasure; 'Batman Begins', with its all-consuming inky darkness, could have been shot as a demonstration disc for the Kuro.