Panasonic Bd-30 or Ps3

[Wormicide]

Hey whats up.I've been to this site for months and finally registered. I currently have a Onkyo 705 w the firmware update, and a ps3 for blu-ray playback. My question is would i be better off keeping the ps3 or going w the bd30? I've been reading the dolbytruhd dropout issue is taken care of w 2.2 update. I dont use the ps3 for games so using a 135watts for a movie is kinda pricey when bd30 is 25watts. I've also read there might be a small difference in picture quality w the bd30 and also the ability to bitstream to the onyko705 sounds better to some.I'm not treying to start a flame war between the players i just want some honest opinions to get the best blu-ray experience. Thanks

[jporter]

I love my BD30, but I can't compare directly to the PS3 since I've never had one. That Onkyo matches up well with the BD30, from what I've heard. If I were in your situation, I would have trouble justifying the expense of switching... sure, the BD30 uses less power, but I don't run it THAT much. Just my two cents... both units are great BD players.

[thebatman355]

I own both players, the panasonic 30 and the ps3. I also own the onkyo 605. both players are fine. they do thier job.
the only thing that the panasonic 30 is missing is the BDlive for internet connection.. but there is not much stuff ready for it.. but later in the future they might have stuff.
panasonic 30 only has one minor problem is that.. a drop skipping during star wars episode 4.. the special edition version of it. its a very mild skipping problem. I believe that it will be fixed soon. the panasonic 30 does a great job with the bitstreaming.
Jacob

[Mean Gene]

the panasonic is on sale at circuit city right now for $399.99.

[ack_bak]

Originally Posted by Wormicide

Hey whats up.I've been to this site for months and finally registered. I currently have a Onkyo 705 w the firmware update, and a ps3 for blu-ray playback. My question is would i be better off keeping the ps3 or going w the bd30? I've been reading the dolbytruhd dropout issue is taken care of w 2.2 update. I dont use the ps3 for games so using a 135watts for a movie is kinda pricey when bd30 is 25watts. I've also read there might be a small difference in picture quality w the bd30 and also the ability to bitstream to the onyko705 sounds better to some.I'm not treying to start a flame war between the players i just want some honest opinions to get the best blu-ray experience. Thanks

The BD30 will load and play movies slower than the PS3. So if you are an impatient person, this may bother you some. The BD30 does not support BD Live. Which may not seem like a big deal to you now, but if really interesting BD Live content comes out (who knows if this will happen) you may regret not having a BD 2.0 player later. Not sure if you still watch a lot of DVD's upscaled, but the PS3 has a better upscaler than the BD30 as well.

The BD30 does have an IR remote and the ability to bitstream the lossless codecs so it does have some advantages (aside from using less power).

Personally, I would wait. You may also want to consider the Sony S350 which is the same price, loads movies a little quicker, and is promised to offer 2.0 capabilities in the future via a firmware update. If you do decide to sell your PS3 you may want to wait until Q3/Q4 as I suspect BD player prices will drop or you will see some great sales.

[chris gerhard]

I would recommend keeping the PS3, overall it is a better player and does more. Both are very good however.

Chris

[mluntz]

Never had a PS3, so can't compare directly. Love my BD30 so far, not one issue.

My opinion, for appearance purposes, the BD30 looks better in my rack.

BD-Live is a non issue to me, so no big deal there.

[thebatman355]

I have done a compare of the upconversion with ps3 and panasonic 30.. they are about the same or so. it looks good. I know that alot of people crap over the upconversion on the panasonic 30.. its fine. the 2.2 update for the 30 the most recent one.. actually did speed up the load time for the panasonic 30.

panasonic is always making some improvements on the 30.

Jacob

[HD 335]

Are you really concerned about 25 watts to 135 watts? How much are you paying for your electrical kWh rate? And I'm sure you aren't watching a movie 24 hours a day, 7 days week. The overall difference on your monthly bill between using the two should be minimal so this shouldn't be a concern. My opinion is if you have the money to afford a PS3, a receiver and a HD TV, I highly doubt that wattage difference will be a factor.

Other than power difference, as others have mentioned the load times will be slower with the BD-30 than a PS3. Depending on your video equipment, you may see a slight improvement in picture quality but nothing to rush out and spend $400 on. I personally prefer having my receiver decode the HD codec but again, depending on your setup, the difference may not be worth spending the extra $400. Prices for standalones will eventually drop along with faster load times and have updated profiles.

[Wormicide]

Thanks everyone for their two cents. I think i'll hold off a little bit and keep the ps3 till the holidays.

[Aurora]

Originally Posted by HD 335

Are you really concerned about 25 watts to 135 watts? How much are you paying for your electrical kWh rate? And I'm sure you aren't watching a movie 24 hours a day, 7 days week. The overall difference on your monthly bill between using the two should be minimal so this shouldn't be a concern. My opinion is if you have the money to afford a PS3, a receiver and a HD TV, I highly doubt that wattage difference will be a factor.

If you figure it at $0.10/kWh, then it costs you $0.022 more per movie to run it on the PS3 (figuring 2 hours per movie). In other words, you're looking at less than $0.50 for an entire month of movies, if you watch heavily (22 movies).

The 100W difference sounds like a lot, but in reality, it's like nothing. Base your decision on something else.

[ack_bak]

Originally Posted by Wormicide

Thanks everyone for their two cents. I think i'll hold off a little bit and keep the ps3 till the holidays.

I think that is a smart decision.

[MikeS54]

I would recommend the bd-30. had it awhile now and it is awesome.

[supra2jzgte]

Having issues right now playing Speed and The Day After Tomorrow on my PS3. I am highly considering using the BD-30 because of the bitstreaming and this current issue.

[JAWoOKIE]

I am getting rid of my PS3 to get a BD30 or BD50. I have had enough!!!