# Blue ray player and 720p



## jazzscreamer (Apr 2, 2009)

I have a 50" Samsung Plasma that gets 720p resolution. Is it worth getting a Blu-ray player for picture quality purposes or should I stick to using my Xbox360 as a DVD player.


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## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

Hello,
Blu Ray at 720p still represents a massive upgrade over DVD which has a native 480 lines of resolution. That is the same as SDTV as DVD predates HDTV.
It really is not much different than the question of is HDTV's superiority over SDTV. While you will not benefit from Blu Ray's native 1080p resolution, 720P is still a major upgrade.

While many DVD Players offer upsamplling, it is still a 480 source regardless of what rate the DVD Player is being output (1080i, 720p, 1080p)

That being said, if truly in doubt, pick up a Blu Ray Player from Best Buy or Costco locally and hook it up.
With their generous return policies, there will be zero hassles should you not find the juice worth the squeeze. I honestly think you will be impressed.
Cheers,
JJ


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## recruit (May 9, 2009)

completely agree with JJ, it is worth the change as 720p or either 1080i will offer superior PQ over standard definition DVD even being up scaled as the detail was never there in the first place...


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## lcaillo (May 2, 2006)

Ditto that.


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## Jon Liu (May 21, 2007)

I agree with everyone else's assessment. the 1920x1080p resolution on Blu-ray discs downconverted to 1280x720p will still yield a better picture than any upconverted DVD can ever provide. Like John stated, upconverting information that wasn't there in the first place will not replace the fine details that will be provided even in a downconverted 1080p signal to your 720p television.


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## CasePro (Dec 23, 2009)

Agreed. I run a blu-ray on an old 720p plasma in my living room (not the HT room). While the same blu-ray player looks much better on a monitor capable of showing 1080p it is still a great upgrade over standard DVD. With the costs being so low these days, go for the blu-ray!


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

I also agree, One thing that you should play with is the output settings of the BluRay player. I have a 720p projector and a 720p 32" LCD display and both looked better sending 1080i from the Bluray player than having the player send 720p. 
It seems the displays seemed to like downconverting 1080i to 720p rather than just sending it directly 720p.


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## ironglen (Mar 4, 2009)

Figured I'd reuse this thread as I have the same tv. I'm wondering if I'd benefit in either picture or audio from an inexpensive blu-ray (samsung bdp-1590, if it has component video output) rather than a more expensive player with 7.1 audio line level out, as my preamp would be using component video along with optical audio. Do I have to get a blu-ray player with 7.1 audio line level outs, or perhaps I should ask whether I'll benefit from it vs. using a less expensive player. Movies on dvd are already unbelievably dynamic with my 5.1 system, especially with my Mal-X. Thanks in advance.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Most entry level BluRay players will output BluRay the same. if your receiver does not decode the uncompressed audio formats and it has multi channel analog inputs then a player that has the outputs is a good idea otherwise it is not necessary. depending on your budget the Panasonic BD60 is a fantastic player and can be had for around $160, its bluRay output and upconversion of DVDs is as good or better than the PS3.


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## ironglen (Mar 4, 2009)

Hey Tony, the wife wants netflix stream capability:rant: I -might- look at getting a separate roku box along with a blu-ray.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Understood, the Panasonic does not do Netflix


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## ironglen (Mar 4, 2009)

You guys know these players inside and out, so just to be sure, by using a blu-ray player with component out and optical out to my 720p tv, I'll really only be missing out on the increased dynamic range of the newer audio formats (such as dts), correct? What audio format will I get through my receiver on newer(dts) disks? Or will the player simply not play the audio?


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Using component out will also not allow upconversion of most standard DVDs But you are correct that you will still get DTS and Dolby digital.


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## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

Hello,
Using Component Video for the time being will be fine, however after December 31, 2010, new Blu Ray Players will no longer be able to output over 480 lines of resolution.

What is worse is that even with BDP manufactured before the cutoff can be forced to output 480 lines of resolution. This will be on a disc to disc basis and not all BDP's will be crippled like that, but some will.

By 2014, BDP's will no longer have any analog video outputs at all. They will still have multichannel analog outputs however. This is all part of the HDMI Final Adopter Agreement also known as the Analog Sunset.

If at all possible, I would use DVI or HDMI for video that is equipped with HDCP. 99.9999% of gear is HDCP compliant. Multichannel analog will not be affected by these draconian changes,
Cheers,
JJ


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## recruit (May 9, 2009)

JJ, it all seems rather drastic indeed with a get on board or be left behind attitude :sad:


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## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

Hello,
It really is going to be interesting to see how this all goes down. I know several CI's (Custom Installers) who are beyond angry as many high end home installations used Components instead of HDMI primarily due to HDMI handshake issues and issues with long distances and HDMI.

This is going to require major rewiring to HDMI 1.4 as it seems to address long distance issues and they will go with the most current spec.

This says nothing of people with pre HDMI HDTV's and AVR's. There are going to be many unhappy people. What is shocking is how little press this is getting.
Cheers,
JJ


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## recruit (May 9, 2009)

Jungle Jack said:


> Hello,
> It really is going to be interesting to see how this all goes down. I know several CI's (Custom Installers) who are beyond angry as many high end home installations used Components instead of HDMI primarily due to HDMI handshake issues and issues with long distances and HDMI.
> 
> This is going to require major rewiring to HDMI 1.4 as it seems to address long distance issues and they will go with the most current spec.
> ...



I can imagine CI feeling that way as most will need Active HDMI cables with repeaters to combat the long runs, anything over 15 meters is always going to be a problem unless used.

It will be as if one day someone flips the switch and many non HDTV/HDMI owners will be wondering what has happened :rolleyesno:


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## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

Hello,
The number of trouble calls CI's go through due to HDMI is an unbelievable. There is not an installer I know who does not hate HDMI. Ironic considering it was supposed to make things easier.

However, this was always a Trojan Horse for stronger content protection. I still like HDMI, but I don't have 50 meter runs.
Cheers,
JJ


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## lsiberian (Mar 24, 2009)

ironglen said:


> You guys know these players inside and out, so just to be sure, by using a blu-ray player with component out and optical out to my 720p tv, I'll really only be missing out on the increased dynamic range of the newer audio formats (such as dts), correct? What audio format will I get through my receiver on newer(dts) disks? Or will the player simply not play the audio?


I think you will be fine for now, but I'd look to get an HDMI receiver if I were you. 

The Marantz SR4002 is only 300 bucks. Very reliable.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

The Marantz SR4002 is a good receiver but does not suport HDMI1.3 repeating and does not decode the latest TruHD or DTS Master audio formats meaning that your BluRay player must have multi channel analog outputs.


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## ironglen (Mar 4, 2009)

tonyvdb said:


> Using component out will also not allow upconversion of most standard DVDs But you are correct that you will still get DTS and Dolby digital.


I thought I read that electronics were redundant in that most dvd and blu-ray players, receivers, and tvs all have upconverters, therefore, if using component connection from a dvd/blu-ray player using regular dvds, the tv would simply handle the 'unconversion' or simply play regular 480 content anyways, as upconverting 480 wouldn't improve the picture anyway, no?

Also, the problem with hdmi, is you must have a receiver to split the audio, otherwise if using hdmi directly to the tv, the picture and audio signals would go to the tv, while the optical/coax digital audio would not work to pass the audio to the receiver, no? 

But using component, you can send 720p video to the tv, while optical/coax digital audio would go successfully to the receiver, no?


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

ironglen said:


> I thought I read that electronics were redundant in that most dvd and blu-ray players, receivers, and tvs all have upconverters, therefore, if using component connection from a dvd/blu-ray player using regular dvds, the tv would simply handle the 'unconversion' or simply play regular 480 content anyways, as upconverting 480 wouldn't improve the picture anyway, no?


This is somewhat true but depending on the video chip in the DVD Player/Display one will do a better job and lately it seems that the over $150 BluRay players coming out do a very good job.



> Also, the problem with hdmi, is you must have a receiver to split the audio, otherwise if using hdmi directly to the tv, the picture and audio signals would go to the tv, while the optical/coax digital audio would not work to pass the audio to the receiver, no?


No, You can simultaneously use HDMI and optical however its best to run HDMI to the receiver so you get the uncompressed audio formats and run component and optical to the display directly if you want the display on without the receiver. Just remember that component is limited to 1080i



> But using component, you can send 720p video to the tv, while optical/coax digital audio would go successfully to the receiver, no?


 yes this is an option if you want.


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## ironglen (Mar 4, 2009)

Thank you Tony for clarifying these points for me.


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## jazzscreamer (Apr 2, 2009)

So I'm getting ready to purchase a Blu-Ray player after reading my thread. I want Netflix stream to be an option. I do not have an HDMI Receiver (Pioneer VSX-815), but have component connection available. Any suggestions on a budget player.


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## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

Hello,
Bob, what is your budget? Also, after December 31st of this year, Blu Ray Players built after this day will no longer offer HD resolution through Component Cables. Even worse, on a disc to disc basis, some Blu Ray Discs will restrict earlier BDP's from outputting higher than 480 lines of resolution via Component.

I will say that the PS3 Slim is an excellent choice and gives you guaranteed playback of all Blu Ray Discs, Netflix Streaming, and constant firmware updates. And a great gaming rig to boot. In truth, I mostly use mine as a giant iPod.
Cheers,
JJ


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Hi Bob, Another great option is to get the Panasonic DMP BD60. Its video and audio quality has been compared to being on par or better than the PS3 and is much cheaper (can be found for under $150) I have one and its a rock solid player. The only drawback is that it does not support netflix but does stream uTube videos off the internet and VieraCast that gives you access to Picasa.

I have a review of it here.


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## ironglen (Mar 4, 2009)

I would save for the ps3 slim as suggested, but otherwise, you could try the samsung bdp 1590; I picked one up at walmart for cheap. I've only played a few discs, some older, some newer, but all played fine. I've streamed three shows, the first two looked pretty back-I didn't watch them. Netflix sent me an email regarding the quality and I slashed it (worst rating). This weekend we tried another show, actually three 1.5 hr episodes, and it looked comparable to dvd quality, so we were pleased (reflected that to another Netflix email). I will say that reviews of samsungs have been iffy, so I purchased the 1yr warranty for $10 offered by walmart.


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