Panasonic DMP BD35 or DMP BD60

[Alec]

A couple of people seem to have aligned surround sound with HD sound but,whereas HD sound may be better appreciated with a multi channel setup, they are different are'nt they? You could, in theory, send a HD audio stream into just 2 speakers, and you could have multichannel sound without it being HD...?

 

[professorhat]

Well, I for one classify HD audio as really only truly beneficial in a true 5.1 / 7.1 setup. My reasoning behind this is simple - all the HD audio formats (be it Dolby TrueHD, DTS HD Master Audio, uncompressed PCM etc. etc.) contain at least 6 channels of sound (i.e. 5.1). So to truly enjoy proper HD audio, you therefore need 6 speakers to play each of the 6 channels. The way I see it is, if you're going to miss out on those four channels of audio, then there isn't much point in paying extra to have HD audio since you're not hearing most of it.

I'm sure others will disagree, but that's my own personal viewpoint.

 

[professorhat]

Scotsgirl:Could you please recommend a 2.1 system which would give me great sound and HD audio for about £400?

Been looking around and, without going separates, the only one I can see is the Onkyo d4v3pum4 mentions above. You do have the Sony HT-IS100 but this a 5.1 system (though the speakers are very small!).

I still personally think the soundbar is the best bet for you if you don't want to have speakers all over the place.

(EDIT - ooo, 5,000 posts!)

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks ever so much everyone! I really appreciate your help although have to confess I do get quite bamboozled!

I do like the look of the Yamaha soundbar. Sorry to be thick but take it I can't get HD audio through this?

I take it that the sound through this,even on Blu-ray, will still be really good?

 

[Anonymous]

shado:Hiya Scotsgirl, Sorry did not think the photo would have uplifted ok. I use this with my setup and a Subwoofer hidden under my coffee table and the YSP 30D or 40D are available for your budget on either Amazon, Sound and vision or Richer sounds , both have vierra link that works with Panasonic.

Thanks ever so much for doing this for me Shado and I really like your set up. Do you think I would need a subwoofer along with the Yamaha YSP600?

Also, would it be okay to set it up in front of my TV on a wooden TV unit? My TV cabinet is closed in so not sure whether I could put it in there?

 

[Alec]

Thanks Proff - but would 2 channels sound be much improved by being in HD? Wonder if anyone has any experience of this...?

Scotsgirl - there is an article - few weeks old - in the news section here about a new panny system that has wireless rear speakers. Panny are seldom rated for their cinema sound systems, and it would mean buying the bdp that comes with the system, so it may not be a goer, but thought it was worth mention, as it may give the best of all worlds...

 

[d4v3pum4]

Other options for HD audio are the Sony HT-SF1300 and HT-DDGW800 systems but they might be getting replaced. I'm afraid the Sony site is rubbish for keeping you updated with current and future products.

Those soundbars can be quite effective but unless you're sitting square on and the TV is at right angles to the wall they sound like a speaker and you lose the effect. A mate of mine has an older Yamaha one and if your'e sat square on, you can get the surround sound effects but if you move, they're lost. Obviously a budget receiver and a decent set of bookshelfs could do now for now. You can always add the sub, rears and centre later.

I wouldn't buy a soundbar without a demo and make sure you can return it if it doesn't suit your room/seating arrangements.

 

[professorhat]

Scotsgirl:I do like the look of the Yamaha soundbar. Sorry to be thick but take it I can't get HD audio through this? I take it that the sound through this,even on Blu-ray, will still be really good?

No probs, it's pretty confusing and manufacturers don't make it easy for you with misleading marketing terms etc. You aren't getting HD audio through the Yamaha soundbar, but it will still be a much improved sound over your TV. I'm assuming this is your main aim in a nice, tidy package as opposed to actually getting any kind of surround sound as, good as the soundbars are, as d4v3pum4 says, they won't give a particularly good surround effect compared with a real system. However, they do provide a massive improvement over the TV's speakers in a neat, tidy package.

 

[Anonymous]

Cheers everyone and thanks for not making me feel thick but I have never had a sound system before and it is very confusing.

Yes Prof you are correct in what you say in that I would like a nice 'tidy' system which is easy to use and would give great, clear sound.
I am not too sure though as to whether the soundbar will be okay if you need to be sitting straight on? I will but others won't.

 

[professorhat]

I think you need to be sitting head on in order for the pseudo surround effect to work properly. So others watching won't get the full benefit of the soundbar's attempts at surround sound, but they'll still be able to hear the important stuff okay.

Scotsgirl:Also, would it be okay to set it up in front of my TV on a wooden TV unit? My TV cabinet is closed in so not sure whether I could put it in there?ÿ

Just seen this - make sure you measure how much room you have beneath the TV's screen and how high the soundbar is to make sure it isn't blocking part of the screen!

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks again Prof. Your help is always very much appreciated.

 

[shado]

Hiya Scotsgirld, sorry for the delay in replying. I thought a hassle free setup would interest you which is what I like about it. I made do with TV sound when I bought my LCD and Bluray equipment last year and only added the Soundbar during Xmas. The beauty is you are not having to pay out on a seperate Amp, speakers, stands and all the relevant cabling. All you need is 2 HMDI leads and you are away. A subwoofer is a preference only. If you are happy with the bass coming out from the Digital Sound Projector to give its full name, especially if SRS TruBass is selected then you will not require the additional add on (plus you could always buy one later on when funds permit).

I was lucky to audition one at Sevenoakes (The YSP 1100 model) and the room upstairs was bigger than my front lounge and the surround sound came over no problem (admittedly 120 watts in total). Mine is 82 watts with 2 x 20 watts Bass speakers at each end and 21 little speakers at 2 Watts that combined provides the clever sound projection. My subwoofer kicks out up to 130 watts and between the pair does a fantastic job of surround sound. The other clever bit in a normal square/rectangular room is in the 5 beam mode (there are others) it bounces the sound towards the walls at the side and behind you to give that psuedo rear surround and I have ran out to the conservatory thinking it was raining but it was the clever soundbar doing it stuff. If you have an irregular room like mine then you can use My Surround where it will throw the sound effects to a point in the room (e.g. your sofa). My settees are at the end of each wall that is 4 metres wide with the nearest sofa being 3 metres away. You get the effect ok from both sofas in all modes as I set the calibration mic in midway between the sofa and towards the rear of the nearest sofa, but you can manually adjust too!!

Sorry don't want to frighten with the technical side but it plays out at 2.1, 3.1 and 5.1 (the point one being the subwoofer) and works well with Bluray and DVD audio content. I have experienced dts 5.1 from DVD and PCM 2.1 up to 5.1 from Blu-Ray as the Yamaha adjusts to what the Blu Ray player gives it on the audio front. I had to change the settings on the Blu Ray Player to get the 5.1 working on the Yamaha. But even in the stereo setup - it still gives out a cracking sound. It is not capable of playing full HD sound as it has not been engineered to do this but it will convert it into what the Soundbar can project.

Professor Hat is right when you can place the Soundbar next to your TV and I have some dimensions for you (WxHxD):

The YSP 600 610x120x220mm and weighs 8.5Kg.

The YSP 900 800x153x115mm and weighs 9 Kg.

The YSP 30D 800x155x152mm and weighs 11.3 Kg.

YSP 1100 1030x194x118mm and weighs 13Kg.

YSP 40D 1030x198x144mm and weighs 15.2Kg.

websites include digitalsoundprojectors and yamaha-uk

I am sure a full seperate setup will provide a better sound but the Yamaha is a cracking piece of ingenuity and your friends will be impressed by the sound that appears from nowhere without the clutter. On another note the 1100 and 40D was designed for 40 inch telly and above because they roughly fit those dimensions, however the choice is yours and only the 30D and 40D has the Vierra link. Sorry if I have rambled on a bit but they are that good. If you do buy one just post it up and most of us on here will talk/type you through setting it up. Whatever you decide, enjoy.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Shado

No apology needed as it is very good of you to reply.

Thanks ever so much for the very welcome advice and I think the Soundbar sounds like it will be the perfect solution for me.

I must go and see what is the best price I can get for this.

Just one more thing please. The best place for mine would be in front of my TV on a wooden unit. Would vibrations be a problem do you think?

Thanks again for your help. I truly appreciate it!

Liz

 

[Anonymous]

Hi guys,

Sorry to interrupt. Nice following this discussion.

Just wonder, if i use pana bd35 with onboard HD sound decoding), I do not need to have a HD av receiver right? can I still enjoy HD sound if I connect the BD35 to Onk 506? TQ

 

[professorhat]

No, I'm afraid not as the Onkyo 506's HDMI port does not accept audio and the BD35 does not have multichannel analogue outputs. You don't need the amp to be able to decode the HD formats, but it does need to be able to receive LPCM through the HDMI port. The lowest model Onkyo with that ability is the 576.

 

[shado]

Scotsgirl:Hi Shado No apology needed as it is very good of you to reply. Thanks ever so much for the very welcome advice and I think the Soundbar sounds like it will be the perfect solution for me. I must go and see what is the best price I can get for this. Just one more thing please. The best place for mine would be in front of my TV on a wooden unit. Would vibrations be a problem do you think? Thanks again for your help. I truly appreciate it! Liz

Hi Liz, will contact Yamaha and Sevenoakes reference your query. I will update this post once I get a reply.

Regards, Gerry

 

[shado]

No word back yet from Yamaha-uk apart from automated e-mail confirming query. Sevenoakes have not had any problem with the store model or from customers concerning vibration. My TV pedestal is just too wide to allow me to place the soundbar on the same tier.

Hope this helps.