Sell A2, BDP1500 and get Samsung BDUP5000?

[punisher]

I have the 5000 player..no problems other than no fw updates for awhile..but that is the norm for samsung...no issues playing any disc i put in it...I am selling it for $500 with 32 titles and a new hdmi cable.box manuals, remote, etc...shipping included..see my listing in the gear for sale here...with 2 pioneer 51 players and a panny 10a..I need to move some stuff

[Sandwormed]

I believe more research is in line for me. The BH200 sounds tempting, but the lack of updates scares me. Who knows what they will throw on future BLU's that will send the combo players in a tail spin.

I am liking the A30, it is actually a cheaper option, but i am stuck with 2 players still, but if that is the way it has to be for reliability, then maybe I should take that route.

Perhaps I can keep my A2, sell the 1500 and then grab a combo player? Ah decisions!

[HD Goofnut]

Originally Posted by Sandwormed

I believe more research is in line for me. The BH200 sounds tempting, but the lack of updates scares me. Who knows what they will throw on future BLU's that will send the combo players in a tail spin.

I am liking the A30, it is actually a cheaper option, but i am stuck with 2 players still, but if that is the way it has to be for reliability, then maybe I should take that route.

Perhaps I can keep my A2, sell the 1500 and then grab a combo player? Ah decisions!

You do realize the A2 and A20 and a better DVD upconversion chip in them versus the A3 and A30 right? I would get an A20 if you want a 1080p HD DVD player and they can be had on eBay for around $50 or so.

[chris gerhard]

Originally Posted by HD Goofnut

You do realize the A2 and A20 and a better DVD upconversion chip in them versus the A3 and A30 right? I would get an A20 if you want a 1080p HD DVD player and they can be had on eBay for around $50 or so.

What chip is different between the HD-A20 and HD-A30? I own both players and I believe both use Anchor Bay Technologies ABT1018 for DVD upscaling and both use an NEC SoC for video decoding and HD DVD. I don't know if the NEC chip is the same.

Chris

[HD Goofnut]

Originally Posted by chris gerhard

What chip is different between the HD-A20 and HD-A30? I own both players and I believe both use Anchor Bay Technologies ABT1018 for DVD upscaling and both use an NEC SoC for video decoding and HD DVD. I don't know if the NEC chip is the same.

Chris

I'm not sure I just remember that they are indeed different. I think Lee has the difference in specs if you want to ask him.

[Rich86]

Originally Posted by Sandwormed

I believe more research is in line for me. The BH200 sounds tempting, but the lack of updates scares me. Who knows what they will throw on future BLU's that will send the combo players in a tail spin.

I am liking the A30, it is actually a cheaper option, but i am stuck with 2 players still, but if that is the way it has to be for reliability, then maybe I should take that route.

Perhaps I can keep my A2, sell the 1500 and then grab a combo player? Ah decisions!

Having gone through this decision process a while ago myself . . . I decided to skip the combo player idea, as they still have issues and matters will not get any better. My A30 is my primary player at this point and performs perfectly - and sits along with my BD player quite happily. They really do not take up much space, as these newer components are not as tall as old devices were. The A3x players are also excellent upconvertors and equal to or better than the A2x series, from everything I have seen and read - with the exception of the HD-XA2 which is probably the best upconvertor of any of the HD-DVD models. So having adequate AV connections is probably your key issue.
If you are looking for a player - I'd recommend trying for an A35 in order to have full lossless codec bitstreaming capabilites for the future. But the A30 is usually available for less money - and mine has been excellent.

[Actionable Mango]

Originally Posted by Sandwormed

I believe more research is in line for me. The BH200 sounds tempting, but the lack of updates scares me.

There are some reasons not to get the BH200, especially if you have a Pioneer receiver, but lack of updates is not one of them. LG has consistently added features and fixes once or twice a year, with the most recent just a few months ago. They come so often I even skip them sometimes, assuming I don't have any problem titles. (Why fix what ain't broke?)

[vinnie97]

Yea but it's been 3-4 months since Disney playback troubles arrived without a fix. Playing musical firmwares isn't everybody's game.

[HD 335]

Having an HD DVD player standalone is the fool proof way to play all HD DVDs. Although I did own the Samsung 5K and still have the BH200, I kept my XA-2 just in case. If you really want a combo player, I suggest the BH200 over the 5K. Each has their own issues, but the BH200 is now BD-Live capable if that's important to you and I have a bit more confidence in its durability over the Samsung. Plus, the BH200 has a remote hack that allows different region playback.

[Sandwormed]

Hmm now I am thinking I should just upgrade my standalone? Is the A20 better than the A30 at just up converting? I would like to make the best decision possible, and not just on personal preference.

[HD Goofnut]

Originally Posted by Sandwormed

Hmm now I am thinking I should just upgrade my standalone? Is the A20 better than the A30 at just up converting? I would like to make the best decision possible, and not just on personal preference.

The second generation players (XA2, A20, and A2) were built mainly of metal, while the third generation players (A35, A30, and A3) were built mainly of plastic. The XA2 is easily the best HD DVD player with the A35 and A20 right behind.

[chris gerhard]

Originally Posted by Sandwormed

Hmm now I am thinking I should just upgrade my standalone? Is the A20 better than the A30 at just up converting? I would like to make the best decision possible, and not just on personal preference.

I have both the HD-A20 and HD-A30 and I can't tell any difference between the two for either HD DVD or DVD. The HD-A20 is heavier and appears to be better built but neither has given me any problems. I do recall there is a minor difference in features, maybe the A20 has an option to re-encode Dolby Digital Plus to DTS or maybe it was something else but whatever it is, I don't use it. The HD-A30 loads a little faster if I recall correctly, but both are slow in comparison to recent Blu-ray players.

Chris

[Sandwormed]

Thanks guys for all the information. It really has be very helpful. I have my eye on an A30 right now, but I also have found a BH200. Looks like the price difference is at least 120 bucks. I dont think, with the info I have received, The dual format players warrants that much more $ (because of my 1500). Does anyone anticipate the dual format players to increase in value at all?

[Rich86]

Originally Posted by chris gerhard

I have both the HD-A20 and HD-A30 and I can't tell any difference between the two for either HD DVD or DVD. The HD-A20 is heavier and appears to be better built but neither has given me any problems. I do recall there is a minor difference in features, maybe the A20 has an option to re-encode Dolby Digital Plus to DTS or maybe it was something else but whatever it is, I don't use it. The HD-A30 loads a little faster if I recall correctly, but both are slow in comparison to recent Blu-ray players.

Chris

I believe you will find the A20 reencodes Dolby Digital+ & True-HD to a DTS digital output signal without any option to change that, while the A30 will output a digital signal of the same type as the source (DTS stays DTS, Dolby Digital stays Dolby Digital). This is an issue for A20 users when trying to use a receiver that cannot decode DTS.

[vinnie97]

Originally Posted by Sandwormed

Does anyone anticipate the dual format players to increase in value at all?

If they would, it already happened. The BH200 has a slightly better value proposition since they upgraded its feature set long after death.