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Player With A Killer Blu Ray Picture

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Do you have to spend more than $500 for a killer Blu Ray picture? Most blu ray players are of the universal player type. All I want is a blu ray player that has a stunning onscreen image.

I have no interest in all the other stuff the player has to offer, the image is the thing for me. I'm not interested in a do-it-all player, I already have a pre-pro, and I don't want or need cd or sacd. I'd like to have your recommendations for a player with a killer 1080p image priced up to $2,000. If I can have that killer image for $500 bucks, that cool too.
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128x128mitch4t
12 responses Add your response
brauser
525 posts
 
The Denon Ultra Reference DVD-A1UDCI may be the best Blu Ray player ever made (if you can believe the reviews). I have one matched up with the other two Denon Ultra Reference componets and it is without question an epic piece of equipment.
mt10425
1,138 posts
 
And when you get it, spend $10 more and get the Monoprice Slim HDMI cables with RedMere technology. That's right, I said Ten Dollars!
akg_ca's avatar
akg_ca
2,239 posts
 
ARCAM BDP's .... BDP100 up to and including or current model BDP300

I had the CAMBRIDGE AZUR which is still very fine kit by any standards. The CAMBRIDGE is a "pick 'em" against the OPPO because both the CAMBRIDGE and OPPO share the same boards from the same manufacturer.

I moved up to the ARCAM BDP which bested the CAMBRIDGE on all counts. I use it strictly for HT for which it was designed for. The video image (as well as audio)is top shelf.

ARCAM also has a 5 year warranty compared to one to two year for the rest .
mitch4t's avatar
mitch4t OP
1,610 posts
 
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On most of the review sites that I've checked out, it seems that at the $350-$500 point, you are pretty much going to get the best blu ray image available without finding any other machine that is head and shoulders above the others when it comes to image quality. Beyond $300, all the talk is about extra features like streaming ability, 2-channel prowess, SACD and the ability to act as a stand-alone dac. It seems that an excellent picture is a standard feature nowadays.
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austinbob
235 posts
 
The Oppo 103D Darbee Edition is $600.
plasmatech
77 posts
 
I used the Plasmatron from VH Audio with a DVD player and the visual improvement is significant. The bigger the screen, the bigger the improvement. Better color saturation, deeper blacks and better red saturation, and more of a 3 sense of space. Add to that the audio is superb, a great, if expensive addition. But why do I have sticker shock, people pay this much for a power cord, and no AC cord looks this cool....and yes, I bought one.
don_c55
1,025 posts
 
I like the cheapest Sony Blu-ray ($120) and see no difference with more expensive ones.
theduke
372 posts
 
Sony S790 now out of production has picture quality equal to the current Oppo models so said Sound and Vision magazine. You should be able to find one. Also does sacd. List price $250. I have one and think it's swell.
theduke
372 posts
 
Well, there is a difference between the Sony S790 and its cheaper models and that is the S790 has two HDMI outputs, does 4K upconversion and has a pair of rca audio outs! Whether this is important to you is a question only you can answer. For me, it's important.
mitch4t's avatar
mitch4t OP
1,610 posts
 
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The only thing I'm interested in here is Blu Ray image quality.
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runnin
397 posts
 
The viewing device is going to have more to say on how good the image quality is. The small differences between one good blu ray player and another won't really matter in comparison.
manoterror
216 posts
 
I second the Sony BDP-S790. I have it, and there is a reason WhatHiFi awarded it
BlueRay of the Year multiple years in a row. It has a brilliant picture! Since it is
out of production, you could buy it's replacement model, the BDP-S7200.

Having said that...the Marantz UD7007 was awarded the Best BluRay above 300
pounds. It's $1,200 here, but can be found for $875 through a google search.
Also, Music Direct has a demo model, with full warranty, for $899. Hope this
helps.

Mot
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