# Bluray player question



## eurovw89 (Feb 25, 2010)

Bluray question...and please be honest. I need a new bluray...I bought the Panasonic DMP-BDT330 player a few months ago and not real happy with..my PS3 seemed like it had a much better picture, and looking to upgrade. Its between the Sony S7200 and the Oppo 103D. I know that more then half, if not all, will say Oppo. I have read a lot of hype about "Darbee", but is "Darbee" really worth the extra $300....is the picture difference that much more noticeable? I don't stream movies or use apps....I just want a reliable player with a great picture.

I use the player just to watch movies...dont listen to SACD, etc... I just want the best bluray player to give me the best video/picture.

And possibly the Samsung 7500

Thanks,
Jeff

My equipment
Panasonic 65gt50
Denon x4000


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Thats very odd, are you sure that the Panasonic is set up correctly? I have the model down from it and the picture is as good as it gets. 
Bluray disc playback should not change between players as the information is simply sent directly to the display. Upconversion of DVDs will differ as then the player, TV or receiver will be doing the work.


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## Todd Anderson (Jul 24, 2009)

I've owned an Oppo for years...great BD player. Excellent support. Feature rich.

The addition of Darbee makes the 103 very tempting. 

I'd say, if you have the extra wiggle room in your budget, go with Oppo.


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## koyaan (Mar 2, 2010)

I bought a Sony 7200 a few months ago mostly because my Oppo BDP83SE won't play 3D disks. I've been very satisfied with the Sony and now use it for most of my movie viewing.I choose the Sony because it will also handle SACDs, the OPPO does a great job with that, but it never hurt to have a backup. 
I have the Sony hooked up to my Marantz AV7701 via HDMI and use the Oppo with HDMI for video and 7.1 analog for audio. I don't see much difference between the Sony and the Oppo for video performance. The Sony makes a very acceptible transport for all media and gives a vlddude:ery fine 3D performance.
Unless you plan to use the analog output, or have a lot of DVD-As, I don't see where the Oppo will offer a big advantage.


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## nova (Apr 30, 2006)

I'm a bit surprised as well. I could not tell any difference in picture quality between my Sony or my Panasonic players. Both Panasonic players I had lasted just past warranty ( one year) then promptly died. The Sony is still going strong. 
I think the OPPO would be nice to have and may well be worth the price but I have no experience with them.


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## eXPLaT (Jan 6, 2015)

A long time Oppo user myself and its a good deal, yes for both SQ and PQ. I've even used it as a dedicated CDP on occasion.

However, if you have the time for it then go with a HTPC. Nothing comes close to it for PQ, but you'll need a highly tweaked one with a powerful GPU to run madVR. Its the best and endlessly upgradable.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

eXPLaT said:


> However, if you have the time for it then go with a HTPC. Nothing comes close to it for PQ


:scratch: sorry, come again? A stand alone player will have just as good playback as any HTPC for Bluray. Something is wrong with your setup if there is a difference.


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## Todd Anderson (Jul 24, 2009)

I'm not going to claim to be an expert on Blu-ray players... checkout this Sound and Vision Q and A...with a link to bench tests:

http://www.soundandvision.com/content/do-all-blu-ray-players-perform-same


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## eXPLaT (Jan 6, 2015)

tonyvdb said:


> :scratch: sorry, come again? A stand alone player will have just as good playback as any HTPC for Bluray. Something is wrong with your setup if there is a difference.


Not really. madVR does not just level the playing field, it takes things to an entirely new level. Of course, it necessitates the need for a high end GPU (as it will bring any CPU to its knees), but the upscaling algos with madVR are the best. Even playing 1080p content on 1080p TV will still benefit from the Chroma upscaling and if its 720p or even DVDs the difference is huge. For set and go JRiver is the best, but if you are the tweaking kind then nothing like MPC HC or PotPlayer.

Ordinary/budget BDPs are no match. I've seen even AVRs fail so much so that I do all upscaling and processing on the HTPC and not the AVR. That said some of the latest TVs will hold their own, I've seen 1080p content look even better on 4K display only upscaling by the TV.

PS - If you like HFR (most don't) then SVP is another magical tool... and you will really need top of the line specs if you want to use SVP + madVR together in a HTPC.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

This is what I have been saying all the time.
"_We routinely run tests for video clipping (loss of information at the extreme high and low ends of the brightness range), luma resolution (black-and-white detail), and chroma resolution (color detail). Most players that have been reviewed recently sailed through those tests without a hitch. Where a few have tripped up, however, is on tests that evaluate a player’s ability to deinterlace 480i video on DVD where you start to see a difference_"

I think thats where the biggest difference is between players. Upconversion is still a challenge for many players. The OPPO shines in this regard plus it plays everything you can throw at it if you get their top models. For those of us with limited budgets a $100 player such as a Panasonic will get the job done for Bluray playback.


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## eXPLaT (Jan 6, 2015)

In that case I'm in agreement with the OP. The PS3 is by far a better Blu-ray player... especially when you don't need upscaling. I've used a PS3 myself for a long time.


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