Pioneer LX55 vs Pioneer BDP 440 Picture Quality

[ellisdj]

Hi quick question for anyone who owns or maybe has auditioned these 2 pieces of kit.

In the old days supposedly the higher end model Pioneer Blu Rays had no difference in picture over the lesser models.

Thats what a lot of the early reviews say.

Sound I know was a different matter.

Does anyone know of that is the same today - More precisely does the BDP 440 have the same picture as they LX55?

Or is the LX55 better??

Intended TV is the Panasonic 55VT30

Sound is not of interest for this question - any help will be appreciated but please I am after actual experience, not what you assume.

I assume the LX55 to be better in every way but if its not then £100 can be saved

 

[v1c]

Basically if you have other kit with Marvell QDEO video processing the 440 will surfice if not then you should get the LX55 as it has the QDEO video processing. The 440 doen't have QDEO which is one of the reasons it's cheaper.

 

[f1only]

Basically if you have other kit with Marvell QDEO video processing the 440 will surfice if not then you should get the LX55 as it has the QDEO video processing. The 440 doen't have QDEO which is one of the reasons it's cheaper.

After reading a bit from the website about QDEO its used mainly for upscaling, so therefore if you are using a full hd source all the time get the 440, if not get the 55..

 

[ellisdj]

My understanding of QDEO is similar based on that website.

Its great tech for watching you tube videos via the bd player but if you dont overkill

I dont undertsnad why anyone would watch you tube on their main telly, thats what my pc is for.

Wasted money then unless anyone can suggest different?

 

[v1c]

Not sure i agree with your assesment of Qdeo

"With Qdeo your video—from QVGA to 4K×2K—will be rendered clearer and more natural, without the typical noise and artifacts."

Maybe i'm wrong ?.

 

[Anonymous]

I bought the BDP-LX55 3 days ago and connected it to my 40" Sharp Aquos TV with a Visual Innovations HDMI cable from Richer Sounds.

A Sharp TV, I hear you say!! Well my 21" Sharp monitor is as good now as it was 7 years ago when i bought it...not one dead pixel. Sharp build quality is top notch.

The LX55 is my first Blu-ray player and the picture quality is stunning. I watched standard DVD's Fifth Element, LOTR and Matrix and also Blu-Ray versions of Thor, Predator and Mission Impossible. The picture quality is fab.

I bought it coz I wanted SACD support, a second HDMI out for audio, gold plated connections and high build quality without spending 500 quid.

I love Pioneer kit anyway so I'm biased but my audiophile mate was blown away. For 315 quid, its worth it.

I will be buying the VSX-LX55 AV receiver and a KEF T305 sound system in a couple of months so having the Pioneer blu-ray made sense for me.

 

[f1only]

It's supposed to improve the upscaling quality of standard dvd's too.

The only way to find out of course is to have 2 copies of the same film on 2 identicle tv's set up the same & then playing through the 2 different players. If there is one thing can count on, this will be subjective & open to discussion.

At the end of the day if you play dvd's, Blu-Ray & want the advantage of SACD playback with twin HDMI out, then the LX55 is the better option IMO assuming finances allow.

 

[ellisdj]

Not sure i agree with your assesment of Qdeo

"With Qdeo your video—from QVGA to 4K×2K—will be rendered clearer and more natural, without the typical noise and artifacts."

Maybe i'm wrong ?.

Thats seems to make more sense - i.e. it having worth for 2D blu ray picture as well.

Why are there no reviews about on them - makes no sense to me?

 

[v1c]

Not sure i agree with your assesment of Qdeo

"With Qdeo your video—from QVGA to 4K×2K—will be rendered clearer and more natural, without the typical noise and artifacts."

Maybe i'm wrong ?.

Thats seems to make more sense - i.e. it having worth for 2D blu ray picture as well.

Why are there no reviews about on them - makes no sense to me?

I think it's because it's not just about what the Video processing chip is capable of (Qdeo or otherwise) but also how the chip is intergrated by the manufacturer which ultimately would be covered by the actual product review.

 

[ellisdj]

Not sure i agree with your assesment of Qdeo

"With Qdeo your video—from QVGA to 4K×2K—will be rendered clearer and more natural, without the typical noise and artifacts."

Maybe i'm wrong ?.

Thats seems to make more sense - i.e. it having worth for 2D blu ray picture as well.

Why are there no reviews about on them - makes no sense to me?

I think it's because it's not just about what the Video processing chip is capable of (Qdeo or otherwise) but also how the chip is intergrated by the manufacturer which ultimately would be covered by the actual product review.

What do you think of our player on your Kuro?

What have you owned previous and how does it compare?

 

[v1c]

Hi Ellisdj.

I have owned Pioneer players for the last 16 years from laser disc through DVD to Blu ray. This is my sixth Pioneer. I'd been wanting to ugrade the 51FD for a while now and would have liked the LX91 but was never going to pay over 1k for a BDP player so for the first time i was looking at other makes.It took a long while to decide as i was never fully convinced that i needed the upgrade as the 51FD was really good. Over this period of time went from Arcam BDP100 (to many issues at launch) , Oppo 95 (wouldn't be using analog so no point) , Oppo 93 was just about to get one literally when news filtered out about the launch of the Pioneer LX55 so i held of the Oppo to see what the lx55 had to offer. From my perspective the LX55 looked equivalent to the Oppo 93 minus analog which as i only use HDMI made the Pioneer the choice to go for. So i stayed loyal to Pioneer.... have to be honest not a great first impression over the 51fd (which had two years worth of updates) at first..... didn't notice much difference to the 51 , didn't play 2 discs in my collection (never happend before,reported should get fix in update), couldn't figure out if the sound was better or worse...... so was feeling a bit miffed and whishing i had bought the Oppo. Well that was a few weeks ago now and am happy to say with a bit of perseverance it's delivering what i was expecting.... an improvement over the 51fd in both PQ and SQ , i am very impressed with SACD play back it's awesome. It's a little bit more tempermental than previous Pioneers i've had but nothing that makes me want to break it. I'm happy with it now and am no longer thinking should have got an Oppo which is a good sign for me. Pictures on the Kuro are superb.

 

[ellisdj]

V1c - your thoughts are interesting

I went from the lX71 similar to the 51FD to the LX54 when I got it free with my LX83

At first I wasnt sure if it was better, I had loads of issues with it, but I eventually decided to keep the LX54 as I felt it was better than the LX71 in most areas.

You get used to the look of picture of the Lx71 - its a great machine, but I think the newer LX54 despite it being a so called sharp rebadge has better picture.

I also think the sound was better / is better with pqls turned on - whether it can be technically or not I dont care.

Despite the latest firmware introducing a a few new bugs the LX54 has been pretty good since a few firmware updates ago.

Thanks for your input - your experience seems similer to mine, I wonder if the 55 is much better than the 54

 

[Anonymous]

Hey fellas,

could anybody advise me on how to get to DVD-only multiregion capability for BDP-440/LX-55?

I have the BDP-440, unfortunately I´ve been trying to get this upgrade ever since for my reg 1 DVD collection playback with no luck...

I had the BDP-320/430 before, both were made DVD MR by a firmware file put on USB...

I just can´t get hold of something similar for the new one...

I´ve seen a lot of stores on web and US eBay offering it, they all sell it as BD+DVD MR altogether, with a hardware mod. needed (for BDs)

I just need a DVD-only MR...

any help is highly appreciated

also, what is the best video setting?

full RGB, YCbCr, 422...

 

[v1c]

Hi Jleholeho

The info for MR dvd capability for these models is not readily avaliable at present maybe in the future.... not sure why you didn't just buy it MR dvd capable i did.... didn't cost any extra.

Video settings , i asked Pioneer support this very question using my set up

The answer was it's subjective however they would use

PDP

YCbCr422 (this is because it's native)

Video adjust Pure Cinema ON

What i found was that using native YCbCr422 you lose the use of 36 bit deep colour which i thought a bit odd but then found out Blu Ray discs do not support 36 bit deep colour and are actually encoded with 8 bit colour which means 36 bit is atificial enhancement. If you want to use 36 bit then you will need to choose one of the other 3 options.

 

[v1c]

V1c - your thoughts are interesting

I went from the lX71 similar to the 51FD to the LX54 when I got it free with my LX83

At first I wasnt sure if it was better, I had loads of issues with it, but I eventually decided to keep the LX54 as I felt it was better than the LX71 in most areas.

You get used to the look of picture of the Lx71 - its a great machine, but I think the newer LX54 despite it being a so called sharp rebadge has better picture.

I also think the sound was better / is better with pqls turned on - whether it can be technically or not I dont care.

Despite the latest firmware introducing a a few new bugs the LX54 has been pretty good since a few firmware updates ago.

Thanks for your input - your experience seems similer to mine, I wonder if the 55 is much better than the 54

Yes looks like very similar experience.

Sorry can't really say if the 55 is better than the 54.... not seen the 54 in action. i don't think it would be much better but i'd be suprised if it wasn't better. The Different DAC and Qdeo would be the difference. Just as an observation you didn't actually pay anything for your 54 did you >)

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks a lot man,

that`s the tricky one as I bought it off an Austrian store in Vienna back in October (they were probably the first in EU selling it) and they didn`t provide me with such upgrade, like Sevenoaks in UK do, for example...(my previous BDP-430 was from Sevenoaks Chelsea and they provided me with the DVD MR file for free a month after the purchase as they didn`t have it in a store at the time)

Where did you buy it, though? I can contact them myself but I highly doubt they`ll be any responsive to a non-customer...

May I kindly ask you to give them a call maybe and ask them what`s the procedure if you need another device to be DVD MR..?

 

[johnjay]

the bdp lx55 makes enormous sense to me as i was using the ps3 for 3d,but with the optical out going to my vsx lx70,until the bd/dvd drive just gave in.Either way i like the idea of not splashing out on a new avr yet,as it has the extra HDMI sub out for bitstreamed HD audio.& also the 3d pic direct to my tv.Anyone else in a similar situation? thoughts?...

 

[v1c]

Thanks a lot man,

that`s the tricky one as I bought it off an Austrian store in Vienna back in October (they were probably the first in EU selling it) and they didn`t provide me with such upgrade, like Sevenoaks in UK do, for example...(my previous BDP-430 was from Sevenoaks Chelsea and they provided me with the DVD MR file for free a month after the purchase as they didn`t have it in a store at the time)

Where did you buy it, though? I can contact them myself but I highly doubt they`ll be any responsive to a non-customer...

May I kindly ask you to give them a call maybe and ask them what`s the procedure if you need another device to be DVD MR..?

I've sent an email to them and asked the question.... i'll let you know when i get a reply.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks a lot man,

that`s the tricky one as I bought it off an Austrian store in Vienna back in October (they were probably the first in EU selling it) and they didn`t provide me with such upgrade, like Sevenoaks in UK do, for example...(my previous BDP-430 was from Sevenoaks Chelsea and they provided me with the DVD MR file for free a month after the purchase as they didn`t have it in a store at the time)

Where did you buy it, though? I can contact them myself but I highly doubt they`ll be any responsive to a non-customer...

May I kindly ask you to give them a call maybe and ask them what`s the procedure if you need another device to be DVD MR..?

I've sent an email to them and asked the question.... i'll let you know when i get a reply.

Alright, many thanks...it´d be pretty cool if you got hold of something...

You´ll have a pint or two on me when you visit Bratislava

 

[Anonymous]

Hi there,

any news on this?

THX

 

[v1c]

Not had a reply yet...... i'm taking this as a hint that i won't get an answer but if i do i will pass it onto you but don't hold your breath.

 

[Anonymous]

Alright, thanks a lot...

looks like they are reluctant as if it was some super-precious thing...don`t know why, though

 

[ellisdj]

V1c - your thoughts are interesting

I went from the lX71 similar to the 51FD to the LX54 when I got it free with my LX83

At first I wasnt sure if it was better, I had loads of issues with it, but I eventually decided to keep the LX54 as I felt it was better than the LX71 in most areas.

You get used to the look of picture of the Lx71 - its a great machine, but I think the newer LX54 despite it being a so called sharp rebadge has better picture.

I also think the sound was better / is better with pqls turned on - whether it can be technically or not I dont care.

Despite the latest firmware introducing a a few new bugs the LX54 has been pretty good since a few firmware updates ago.

Thanks for your input - your experience seems similer to mine, I wonder if the 55 is much better than the 54

Yes looks like very similar experience.

Sorry can't really say if the 55 is better than the 54.... not seen the 54 in action. i don't think it would be much better but i'd be suprised if it wasn't better. The Different DAC and Qdeo would be the difference. Just as an observation you didn't actually pay anything for your 54 did you >)

I didnt pay fot it no, but thats by the by it replaced a much loved LX71 as to me it was much better, depsite a few hiccups that I knew would eventually get fixed with firmware updates. The picture and sound have improved a fair bit as well sicne new.

The DAC in the LX55 is irrelevant as the amp decodes

The QDEO will be interesting to see - In the PC world Marvel chips generally get slated

Its also tech from 2008 - found a brochure from 2009 they are stating its in all the top end blu ray players / av models at that time including a Merdian system

http://www.sidchapters.org/ba/Archives/2009/Qdeo%20for%20BA%20SID%20Mar09.pdf

What it says it does makes a lot of sense as to why the picture will be better -

Maybe its cheap enough to put in a lesser model now

 

[ellisdj]

Right

I have just today got the LX55 and am very impressed with it thus far.

This is my 4th BDP now and easily best to date - will review in a min

I have gone from a Panasonoic BD80 to Pioneer LX71 to LX54 to LX55

Its amazing in terms of where Pioneer have gone with this player - its very similar to the LX71 in build, size etc - but you can see its been scaled down in terms of wasted cost the buttons, the remote, the smoothness of drive motors etc but its no way scaled down in performance. Its £400 cheaper than the lX71 on release so I would rather they save the money in non important areas.

I felt the LX54 was a better player for PQ and Sound than my LX71 - its movement was better (could see more of whats going on in films, less blurry bits with fast movement, the picture was sharper and the sound better for having PQLS - however I have semi regularly seen the LX08 going and I still really liked the image quality of that range from Pioneer.

I also feel the latest firmware has worsened the pic of the 2 previous to it.

Well with this new player it seems to combine the best of both. A lot of the old LX71 options are back + there is a few more as well. Its got the lush look of the 71 but the movement crispness and sharpness of the 54 and of course with bitstream pqls that maybe its just me sounds a bit better as well. More lively and full on like the old 71 used to sound but its early days.

The first issue I have seen is some lip sync - its not deadful but its there - all Pioneer players I have owned have got better and better sorting out issues they have all had once newer firmwares get released - so looking forward to that.

The LX55 is not night and day different to the LX54 but to me it is night and day better - its the cleanest image I have seen and even not so good picture blu rays (twilight eclispse) look ok.

I had read up on QDEO before buying and can see what it does - happy days

 

[keiser1]

I hired Contagion to watch on saturday night and ended up watching it through my PS3 as the lip sync on my LX-55 was very noticeable. Also hired Justice, played that through the LX-55 and it was hardly there, I've noticed a few issues with lip sync on some blu-rays but none as bad as Contagion.

Hopefully there will be an update from Pioneer soon.