Best Blu ray Player Sharp, Sony Samsung?

keicar · 01-06-2008, 00:28

Looking to buy a Blu Ray player - has to come from Currys (discount) They have the following models on offer all the same price....

Sony BDPS300B
Sharp BDHP20H
Samsung BDP1400

Is there anything to choose between these - what would be the best buy?

Thanks!

Jarrak · 01-06-2008, 00:43

Can the discount be put to a PS3?

keicar · 01-06-2008, 01:05

It can.......

agm2002 · 01-06-2008, 01:08

Then there's your answer lol. as far as I know the PS3 is still the best Bluray player for a reasonable price, plus its BD live ready which i'm not sure the others are.

keicar · 01-06-2008, 01:10

A bit green on this - BD live?

agm2002 · 01-06-2008, 01:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by keicar

A bit green on this - BD live?

BD live enabled Blurays will off more interactive content to the films such as games and movie trailer downloads and comment sections.

keicar · 01-06-2008, 01:22

Cheers for that - had not considered PS3 at all, have not passed the PS1 stage yet!

agm2002 · 01-06-2008, 01:24

It really is worth it even if you don't play games, its multimedia streaming and hardrive for music,photos and movies make it miles better than a standalone Bluray at the same price.

infiniteloop · 01-06-2008, 02:06

PS3 is a no-brainer. Amazing machine.

Jarrak · 01-06-2008, 11:37

I hate the look of the PS3 sitting in the AV Rack but there is no denying it's all round capabilities and superior BD options compared to the majority of UK standalones, the ability to stream content over the network is also a revelation.

The PS3 is also subsidised by SONY as they still sell it as a games machine so if you never buy a game then it's a lovely discount

JBlink · 01-06-2008, 22:09

I already have a PS3, but want a BD player for the main viewing room. Back to the OP........?

dennisspooner · 01-06-2008, 23:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by JBlink

I already have a PS3, but want a BD player for the main viewing room. Back to the OP........?

If you are used to the speed and agility of a PS3 I would not bother with a standalone.

Once you use one you'll kick yourself for buying it.

I tried the Sony 300 for a few days and ignoring the faulty dvd playback the machine was like going back to the dark ages.

From standby you press "open" and it will take about 1 minute for the machine to actually open the tray.

Similarly loading for playback and unloading are s-l-o-w.

If you buy one you WILL regret it unless you get one for an astonishingly good price.

IIRC the Samsung is available for £200.

At that price it might perhaps possibly maybe worth a look

paulr2006 · 02-06-2008, 10:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by dennisspooner

If you are used to the speed and agility of a PS3 I would not bother with a standalone.

Once you use one you'll kick yourself for buying it.

I tried the Sony 300 for a few days and ignoring the faulty dvd playback the machine was like going back to the dark ages.

From standby you press "open" and it will take about 1 minute for the machine to actually open the tray.

Similarly loading for playback and unloading are s-l-o-w.

If you buy one you WILL regret it unless you get one for an astonishingly good price.

IIRC the Samsung is available for £200.

At that price it might perhaps possibly maybe worth a look

I have a Samsung BD P1400 which I bought about 4 months ago initially as a "Stop Gap" measure until the profiles were sorted. All I can say now is I have no intention of swapping it! it performs without a hitch on every disc I have put through it, with great sound & picture quality.

To be honest there is a load of duff information in the various forums regarding profiles & speed etc. if like me you simply want to view a movie & would never consider PIP or Interactive then this machine is a good choice, especilly as it can now be had for £189. The speed thing in my opinion is not an issue; from turning on the drawer can be open in 15-16 seconds & many discs can be playing within another 30-40 seconds......not a real problem is it? the worst java heavy discs I have tried are all loaded within 1.5 -2.00 minutes from switching on. If that is an issue then sure pay the extra for a PS3, personaly I hate the look of them & have enough patience to wait for a very brief time prior to viewing a movie.

Quite honestly I'm lucky enough to be able to buy any BD player if I wanted to but I am so pleased with the Sammy I hope I have it for years.

bobcar · 02-06-2008, 11:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by dennisspooner

I tried the Sony 300 for a few days and ignoring the faulty dvd playback the machine was like going back to the dark ages.

From standby you press "open" and it will take about 1 minute for the machine to actually open the tray.

Similarly loading for playback and unloading are s-l-o-w.

And that is a problem because? I can't understand this at all, if you're that worried about a minute then press open and then get the disc. Actually if your time is that important then you shouldn't be wasting it watching a film.

We seem to be stuck in a want everything now culture - if only people could show some patience. Do you drink a lot of fizzy drinks?

grumsta · 02-06-2008, 14:15

>>PS3 is a no-brainer. Amazing machine. <<

Fully agree. Don't use mine for games, just for playing BRD and DVDs.

Only drawback is region coding on DVDs, but upscaling is so good it outweighs that one disadvantage

ntlhellworld · 02-06-2008, 14:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jarrak

The PS3 is also subsidised by SONY as they still sell it as a games machine so if you never buy a game then it's a lovely discount

Doubt it.

http://www.businessweek.com/globalbi...018_681920.htm

"Ezawa applauds Sony's efforts to shrink the PS3's chips and tweak its design. Already such changes have cut the cost per machine to around $400 now, from above $800 just before it went on sale in November, 2006, he says" (January 08).

-Chris

bazellis · 02-06-2008, 15:17

No-brainer - PS3!

Jarrak · 02-06-2008, 16:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by ntlhellworld

Doubt it.

http://www.businessweek.com/globalbi...018_681920.htm

"Ezawa applauds Sony's efforts to shrink the PS3's chips and tweak its design. Already such changes have cut the cost per machine to around $400 now, from above $800 just before it went on sale in November, 2006, he says" (January 08).

-Chris

You left out the $1.4 Billion loss from the article, the result of subsidising the machine.

SONY have always subsidised the PS3 upto $200 per unit from launch just as MS did with the 360 and Nintendo with the Wii and as most consoles have been in the past (360, Gamecube, PS1 etc etc) relying on gaming licenses to recoup the losses and turn a profit.

The new chipset of upcoming PS3's may indeed mean the console is sold at cost but that is a new situation and that situation is very common as design and manufacturing advances shrink the wholesale price of products.

The reduced production costs coupled with huge swell in numbers which hopefully for SONY translates to half a dozen game sales per PS3 will move the operation into the black as the article says by 2009.

JBlink · 02-06-2008, 18:04

It is interesting that now the format war is over there still appears to be a lack of options when it comes to players. I don't really see the point of buying another PS3 when I only want to watch films, but what the hell. Maybe I'll try the Samsung first

Oh and yes, waiting 1 minute for the tray to open would completely p*ss me off.

Jarrak · 02-06-2008, 20:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by JBlink

It is interesting that now the format war is over there still appears to be a lack of options when it comes to players. I don't really see the point of buying another PS3 when I only want to watch films, but what the hell. Maybe I'll try the Samsung first

Oh and yes, waiting 1 minute for the tray to open would completely p*ss me off.

Blu-ray was meant to be a premium high end product for a good number of years, no one was prepared for the format war which stalled take up and made it impractical for the manufacturing/sales cycle to match the huge marketing and sales of the PS3.

Yeah two PS3's may be a bit much but then again get the proper remote control and it's not that different from a standalone so then it's perhaps a price issue against a 1.0 or 1.1 standalone and yes the PS3 from standby to playing a movie leaves my HD DVD player in the dust and is on par with the DVD player.

LinkinFighter · 02-06-2008, 20:28

Ps3

dennisspooner · 02-06-2008, 21:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by paulr2006

I have a Samsung BD P1400 which I bought about 4 months ago initially as a "Stop Gap" measure until the profiles were sorted. All I can say now is I have no intention of swapping it! it performs without a hitch on every disc I have put through it, with great sound & picture quality.

To be honest there is a load of duff information in the various forums regarding profiles & speed etc. if like me you simply want to view a movie & would never consider PIP or Interactive then this machine is a good choice, especilly as it can now be had for £189. The speed thing in my opinion is not an issue; from turning on the drawer can be open in 15-16 seconds & many discs can be playing within another 30-40 seconds......not a real problem is it? the worst java heavy discs I have tried are all loaded within 1.5 -2.00 minutes from switching on. If that is an issue then sure pay the extra for a PS3, personaly I hate the look of them & have enough patience to wait for a very brief time prior to viewing a movie.

Quite honestly I'm lucky enough to be able to buy any BD player if I wanted to but I am so pleased with the Sammy I hope I have it for years.

I tried a Sony 300 for a few days and it was painful.
It was the cheapest player at the time 6 months ago.

When it had faulty dvd playback the next in the price scale was the PS3.

Having now used the PS3 for 6 months and never played a game I really do think that standalone buyers are severely shortchanged.

Apart from faultless BD playback there's the hard drive which has stored my entire cd collection on it aswell as the web browser that displays in exactly the same way as a PC but saves firing up the computer every so often.

Pricewise even now there's not many that come close to the PS3 and for what you get for your money standalone players are a joke compared to the PS3.

I do want a stand alone eventually and my outlook was that when I do it should be easy to sell my PS3.

I would say any standalone bought now or earlier will be worthless this time next year.

Of course the PS3 can be upgraded wirelessly too but I agree with you that features offered by the Profiles are not that important.

However I do find that accessing the menus while the film is still running is quite useful - I dont think your Samsung will even do that though

dennisspooner · 02-06-2008, 22:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobcar

And that is a problem because? I can't understand this at all, if you're that worried about a minute then press open and then get the disc. Actually if your time is that important then you shouldn't be wasting it watching a film.

We seem to be stuck in a want everything now culture - if only people could show some patience. Do you drink a lot of fizzy drinks?

If you are happy to sit there for 60 seconds waiting for a tray to open thats your lookout.

Personally I prefer to watch the movie than sit around waiting for the tray to open and then wait further time for the thing to even load up and play.

The PS3 is pretty instant when it comes to both.

If you are happy with your obsolete slow equipment then so be it

I wonder what the public would think if they had to wait 60 seconds for playback every time they loaded a cd?

dennisspooner · 02-06-2008, 22:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by JBlink

It is interesting that now the format war is over there still appears to be a lack of options when it comes to players. I don't really see the point of buying another PS3 when I only want to watch films, but what the hell. Maybe I'll try the Samsung first

Oh and yes, waiting 1 minute for the tray to open would completely p*ss me off.

I'm glad someone else is in the real world rather than Bobcar world

The minute waiting is admittedly not life threatening but the PS3 shows its unnecessary

02-06-2008, 23:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by dennisspooner

I wonder what the public would think if they had to wait 60 seconds for playback every time they loaded a cd?

Personally the loading time for the player, even though it's a PS3 is inconsequential, by the time I have fired up the PJ, switched on the amp, processor, seven active speakers and the sub, then let them all warm up the movies a classic.

60secs I wish........

Impatient buggers.

01-06-2008, 00:28	#1
keicar Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Somerset Posts: 1,739	Best Blu ray Player Sharp, Sony Samsung? Looking to buy a Blu Ray player - has to come from Currys (discount) They have the following models on offer all the same price.... Sony BDPS300B Sharp BDHP20H Samsung BDP1400 Is there anything to choose between these - what would be the best buy? Thanks!

01-06-2008, 00:43	#2
Jarrak Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Ilkeston Posts: 18,075	Can the discount be put to a PS3?

01-06-2008, 01:05	#3
keicar Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Somerset Posts: 1,739	It can.......

01-06-2008, 01:08	#4
agm2002 Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 512	Then there's your answer lol. as far as I know the PS3 is still the best Bluray player for a reasonable price, plus its BD live ready which i'm not sure the others are.

01-06-2008, 01:10	#5
keicar Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Somerset Posts: 1,739	A bit green on this - BD live?

01-06-2008, 01:13	#6
agm2002 Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 512	Quote: Originally Posted by keicar A bit green on this - BD live? BD live enabled Blurays will off more interactive content to the films such as games and movie trailer downloads and comment sections.

01-06-2008, 01:22	#7
keicar Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Somerset Posts: 1,739	Cheers for that - had not considered PS3 at all, have not passed the PS1 stage yet!

01-06-2008, 01:24	#8
agm2002 Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 512	It really is worth it even if you don't play games, its multimedia streaming and hardrive for music,photos and movies make it miles better than a standalone Bluray at the same price.

01-06-2008, 02:06	#9
infiniteloop Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: London Posts: 5,149	PS3 is a no-brainer. Amazing machine.

01-06-2008, 11:37	#10
Jarrak Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Ilkeston Posts: 18,075	I hate the look of the PS3 sitting in the AV Rack but there is no denying it's all round capabilities and superior BD options compared to the majority of UK standalones, the ability to stream content over the network is also a revelation. The PS3 is also subsidised by SONY as they still sell it as a games machine so if you never buy a game then it's a lovely discount

01-06-2008, 22:09	#11
JBlink Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Hampshire Posts: 2,926	I already have a PS3, but want a BD player for the main viewing room. Back to the OP........?

01-06-2008, 23:20	#12
dennisspooner Banned User Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 2,153	Quote: Originally Posted by JBlink I already have a PS3, but want a BD player for the main viewing room. Back to the OP........? If you are used to the speed and agility of a PS3 I would not bother with a standalone. Once you use one you'll kick yourself for buying it. I tried the Sony 300 for a few days and ignoring the faulty dvd playback the machine was like going back to the dark ages. From standby you press "open" and it will take about 1 minute for the machine to actually open the tray. Similarly loading for playback and unloading are s-l-o-w. If you buy one you WILL regret it unless you get one for an astonishingly good price. IIRC the Samsung is available for £200. At that price it might perhaps possibly maybe worth a look

02-06-2008, 10:10	#13
paulr2006 Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Nottinghamshire Posts: 1,098	Quote: Originally Posted by dennisspooner If you are used to the speed and agility of a PS3 I would not bother with a standalone. Once you use one you'll kick yourself for buying it. I tried the Sony 300 for a few days and ignoring the faulty dvd playback the machine was like going back to the dark ages. From standby you press "open" and it will take about 1 minute for the machine to actually open the tray. Similarly loading for playback and unloading are s-l-o-w. If you buy one you WILL regret it unless you get one for an astonishingly good price. IIRC the Samsung is available for £200. At that price it might perhaps possibly maybe worth a look I have a Samsung BD P1400 which I bought about 4 months ago initially as a "Stop Gap" measure until the profiles were sorted. All I can say now is I have no intention of swapping it! it performs without a hitch on every disc I have put through it, with great sound & picture quality. To be honest there is a load of duff information in the various forums regarding profiles & speed etc. if like me you simply want to view a movie & would never consider PIP or Interactive then this machine is a good choice, especilly as it can now be had for £189. The speed thing in my opinion is not an issue; from turning on the drawer can be open in 15-16 seconds & many discs can be playing within another 30-40 seconds......not a real problem is it? the worst java heavy discs I have tried are all loaded within 1.5 -2.00 minutes from switching on. If that is an issue then sure pay the extra for a PS3, personaly I hate the look of them & have enough patience to wait for a very brief time prior to viewing a movie. Quite honestly I'm lucky enough to be able to buy any BD player if I wanted to but I am so pleased with the Sammy I hope I have it for years.

02-06-2008, 11:24	#14
bobcar Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 14,718	Quote: Originally Posted by dennisspooner I tried the Sony 300 for a few days and ignoring the faulty dvd playback the machine was like going back to the dark ages. From standby you press "open" and it will take about 1 minute for the machine to actually open the tray. Similarly loading for playback and unloading are s-l-o-w. And that is a problem because? I can't understand this at all, if you're that worried about a minute then press open and then get the disc. Actually if your time is that important then you shouldn't be wasting it watching a film. We seem to be stuck in a want everything now culture - if only people could show some patience. Do you drink a lot of fizzy drinks?

02-06-2008, 14:15	#15
grumsta Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Hinckley, Leics, UK Posts: 252	>>PS3 is a no-brainer. Amazing machine. << Fully agree. Don't use mine for games, just for playing BRD and DVDs. Only drawback is region coding on DVDs, but upscaling is so good it outweighs that one disadvantage

02-06-2008, 14:40	#16
ntlhellworld Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 2,649	Quote: Originally Posted by Jarrak The PS3 is also subsidised by SONY as they still sell it as a games machine so if you never buy a game then it's a lovely discount Doubt it. http://www.businessweek.com/globalbi...018_681920.htm "Ezawa applauds Sony's efforts to shrink the PS3's chips and tweak its design. Already such changes have cut the cost per machine to around $400 now, from above $800 just before it went on sale in November, 2006, he says" (January 08). -Chris

02-06-2008, 15:17	#17
bazellis Inactive Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 5,263	No-brainer - PS3!

02-06-2008, 16:05	#18
Jarrak Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Ilkeston Posts: 18,075	Quote: Originally Posted by ntlhellworld Doubt it. http://www.businessweek.com/globalbi...018_681920.htm "Ezawa applauds Sony's efforts to shrink the PS3's chips and tweak its design. Already such changes have cut the cost per machine to around $400 now, from above $800 just before it went on sale in November, 2006, he says" (January 08). -Chris You left out the $1.4 Billion loss from the article, the result of subsidising the machine. SONY have always subsidised the PS3 upto $200 per unit from launch just as MS did with the 360 and Nintendo with the Wii and as most consoles have been in the past (360, Gamecube, PS1 etc etc) relying on gaming licenses to recoup the losses and turn a profit. The new chipset of upcoming PS3's may indeed mean the console is sold at cost but that is a new situation and that situation is very common as design and manufacturing advances shrink the wholesale price of products. The reduced production costs coupled with huge swell in numbers which hopefully for SONY translates to half a dozen game sales per PS3 will move the operation into the black as the article says by 2009.

02-06-2008, 18:04	#19
JBlink Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Hampshire Posts: 2,926	It is interesting that now the format war is over there still appears to be a lack of options when it comes to players. I don't really see the point of buying another PS3 when I only want to watch films, but what the hell. Maybe I'll try the Samsung first Oh and yes, waiting 1 minute for the tray to open would completely p*ss me off.

02-06-2008, 20:24	#20
Jarrak Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Ilkeston Posts: 18,075	Quote: Originally Posted by JBlink It is interesting that now the format war is over there still appears to be a lack of options when it comes to players. I don't really see the point of buying another PS3 when I only want to watch films, but what the hell. Maybe I'll try the Samsung first Oh and yes, waiting 1 minute for the tray to open would completely p*ss me off. Blu-ray was meant to be a premium high end product for a good number of years, no one was prepared for the format war which stalled take up and made it impractical for the manufacturing/sales cycle to match the huge marketing and sales of the PS3. Yeah two PS3's may be a bit much but then again get the proper remote control and it's not that different from a standalone so then it's perhaps a price issue against a 1.0 or 1.1 standalone and yes the PS3 from standby to playing a movie leaves my HD DVD player in the dust and is on par with the DVD player.

02-06-2008, 20:28	#21
LinkinFighter Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Scotland Posts: 2,093	Ps3

DS Forums

Best Blu ray Player Sharp, Sony Samsung?

02-06-2008, 21:59	#22
dennisspooner Banned User Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 2,153	Quote: Originally Posted by paulr2006 I have a Samsung BD P1400 which I bought about 4 months ago initially as a "Stop Gap" measure until the profiles were sorted. All I can say now is I have no intention of swapping it! it performs without a hitch on every disc I have put through it, with great sound & picture quality. To be honest there is a load of duff information in the various forums regarding profiles & speed etc. if like me you simply want to view a movie & would never consider PIP or Interactive then this machine is a good choice, especilly as it can now be had for £189. The speed thing in my opinion is not an issue; from turning on the drawer can be open in 15-16 seconds & many discs can be playing within another 30-40 seconds......not a real problem is it? the worst java heavy discs I have tried are all loaded within 1.5 -2.00 minutes from switching on. If that is an issue then sure pay the extra for a PS3, personaly I hate the look of them & have enough patience to wait for a very brief time prior to viewing a movie. Quite honestly I'm lucky enough to be able to buy any BD player if I wanted to but I am so pleased with the Sammy I hope I have it for years. I tried a Sony 300 for a few days and it was painful. It was the cheapest player at the time 6 months ago. When it had faulty dvd playback the next in the price scale was the PS3. Having now used the PS3 for 6 months and never played a game I really do think that standalone buyers are severely shortchanged. Apart from faultless BD playback there's the hard drive which has stored my entire cd collection on it aswell as the web browser that displays in exactly the same way as a PC but saves firing up the computer every so often. Pricewise even now there's not many that come close to the PS3 and for what you get for your money standalone players are a joke compared to the PS3. I do want a stand alone eventually and my outlook was that when I do it should be easy to sell my PS3. I would say any standalone bought now or earlier will be worthless this time next year. Of course the PS3 can be upgraded wirelessly too but I agree with you that features offered by the Profiles are not that important. However I do find that accessing the menus while the film is still running is quite useful - I dont think your Samsung will even do that though

02-06-2008, 22:02	#23
dennisspooner Banned User Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 2,153	Quote: Originally Posted by bobcar And that is a problem because? I can't understand this at all, if you're that worried about a minute then press open and then get the disc. Actually if your time is that important then you shouldn't be wasting it watching a film. We seem to be stuck in a want everything now culture - if only people could show some patience. Do you drink a lot of fizzy drinks? If you are happy to sit there for 60 seconds waiting for a tray to open thats your lookout. Personally I prefer to watch the movie than sit around waiting for the tray to open and then wait further time for the thing to even load up and play. The PS3 is pretty instant when it comes to both. If you are happy with your obsolete slow equipment then so be it I wonder what the public would think if they had to wait 60 seconds for playback every time they loaded a cd?

02-06-2008, 22:04	#24
dennisspooner Banned User Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 2,153	Quote: Originally Posted by JBlink It is interesting that now the format war is over there still appears to be a lack of options when it comes to players. I don't really see the point of buying another PS3 when I only want to watch films, but what the hell. Maybe I'll try the Samsung first Oh and yes, waiting 1 minute for the tray to open would completely p*ss me off. I'm glad someone else is in the real world rather than Bobcar world The minute waiting is admittedly not life threatening but the PS3 shows its unnecessary

02-06-2008, 23:24	#25
TommyW Posts: n/a	Quote: Originally Posted by dennisspooner I wonder what the public would think if they had to wait 60 seconds for playback every time they loaded a cd? Personally the loading time for the player, even though it's a PS3 is inconsequential, by the time I have fired up the PJ, switched on the amp, processor, seven active speakers and the sub, then let them all warm up the movies a classic. 60secs I wish........ Impatient buggers.