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Thread: Region Free Blu Ray Player Advice

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    Region Free Blu Ray Player Advice

    I am in the market for a Region Free Blu Ray DVD Player. Could anyone give advice about a good one online and the best place to buy it? Thanks in advance.


    Library Jon

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    Don't know how much you're looking to spend, but it's really too bad Oppo went belly up. I still have my BPD-95 and I love it. I had to have it modded to make it region free for blu ray. I think it cost me about $1200 at the time, but I can't remember. I can tell you that I bought it from Bombay Electronics and I had a good experience with them. Here's a link in case you want to browse. I believe they are located in Chicago.

    https://www.bombayelectronics.com/co...blu-ray-player

  3. #3
    http://www.220-electronics.com/sony-...vd-player.html

    This one is about $250 and I believe the cheapest you can get to output SACD via HDMI....if you don't need that, then just browse their site for $100 or less models. If you want all the whiz-bang stuff, then check their price on Oppo's.

    Peter

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    I was hoping to find one for around 100 dollars. Amazon is selling an LG player for $99 & a Sony player for $149. I am really hoping to buy one that plays everything imaginable on DVD, Blu Ray, and CD.



    Library Jon

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Library Jon View Post
    I was hoping to find one for around 100 dollars. Amazon is selling an LG player for $99 & a Sony player for $149. I am really hoping to buy one that plays everything imaginable on DVD, Blu Ray, and CD.

    Library Jon
    SACD is proprietary to Sony, or two a high-end machine that licenses from Sony (and not all Sony's will output SACD via HDMI). So, if you can sacrifice that, there are plenty of options out there, and you may as well go with the cheapest you can find (I've seen some for as low as $50). --Peter

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    Man of repute progmatist's Avatar
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    ^^ But you don't want to go super-cheap though. The lowest end Sony BD player will down-sample audio to 48KHz, rather than doing straight pass-through like the next model up. BTW: the Blu-Ray standard is also a Sony technology.
    "Well my son, life is like a beanstalk, isn't it?"--Dalai Lama

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    I really don't know a lot about this technology. Could someone please explain what "SACD via HDMI" generally means and why it is important?


    Library Jon

  8. #8
    SACD = super audio CD - essentially surround sound or uncompressed audio before DVD-Audio and blu-ray audio came out. If you're not big on that format or surround sound in general, then any cheap player should work fine for you. I highlight the SACD capability simply because it is tough to find in the sub-$500 range, and I'm not aware of any cheap knock-off players that offer it.

    Aside from SACD, do you need web-browsing capability? Wi-fi connection (for updates)?

    Here's a cheap one on Amazon in VG condition sold by 220-Electronics for $100 with shipping - sounds like this might be what you're looking for:
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-list...&condition=all

    Peter

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    Man of repute progmatist's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Library Jon View Post
    I really don't know a lot about this technology. Could someone please explain what "SACD via HDMI" generally means and why it is important?


    Library Jon
    To get the best sound quality, either SACD or BD, you'll need to connect the player to an HDMI capable receiver via HDMI. Just about every BD player is also equipped with a coaxial SPDIF output, but that output is down-sampled to 48KHz. That's only for BD discs...no SACD capable player is going to output SACD audio through the coaxial out. It would revert to the hybrid audio CD layer of an SACD, if it's a hybrid disc. Even if a BD player is equipped with analog audio outs, it would have to be a high end player to be equipped with the DAC necessary for decent sound quality.
    "Well my son, life is like a beanstalk, isn't it?"--Dalai Lama

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    Quote Originally Posted by progmatist View Post
    To get the best sound quality, either SACD or BD, you'll need to connect the player to an HDMI capable receiver via HDMI. Just about every BD player is also equipped with a coaxial SPDIF output, but that output is down-sampled to 48KHz. That's only for BD discs...no SACD capable player is going to output SACD audio through the coaxial out. It would revert to the hybrid audio CD layer of an SACD, if it's a hybrid disc. Even if a BD player is equipped with analog audio outs, it would have to be a high end player to be equipped with the DAC necessary for decent sound quality.
    Partially correct.

    There are units which output the DSD layer of an SACD via the SPDIF output. I have one.

  11. #11
    Man of repute progmatist's Avatar
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    ^^ I find that quite surprising. The SPDIF output can't be encrypted like the HDMI out can be and is. Permitting DSD playback via SPDIF would enable direct digital copying, which is frowned upon. Sony and the RIAA disallow playback of an SACD via SPDIF.
    "Well my son, life is like a beanstalk, isn't it?"--Dalai Lama

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    Quote Originally Posted by progmatist View Post
    ^^ I find that quite surprising. The SPDIF output can't be encrypted like the HDMI out can be and is. Permitting DSD playback via SPDIF would enable direct digital copying, which is frowned upon. Sony and the RIAA disallow playback of an SACD via SPDIF.
    I'm using an MSB Technologies UMT transport. It began life as an Oppo blu-ray player but MSB Technologies customized the hardware and software. It outputs DSD over SPIDF.

    Further - if you have the right vintage firmware in your Playstation you can rip DSD files from your SACD. Its a convoluted process but it works.

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    Could someone please explain what "Oppo" means? I really don't a lot about this stuff.

    Library Jon

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    Quote Originally Posted by Library Jon View Post
    I was hoping to find one for around 100 dollars. Amazon is selling an LG player for $99 & a Sony player for $149. I am really hoping to buy one that plays everything imaginable on DVD, Blu Ray, and CD.



    Library Jon
    You know the old saying, you get what you pay for...I would think something $150 and up might get you a better blu ray all regions then $100.
    OPPO is a brand name.
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    ALL ACCESS Gruno's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Library Jon View Post
    Could someone please explain what "Oppo" means? I really don't a lot about this stuff.
    https://www.oppodigital.com/

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oppo

  16. #16
    I'm a huge OPPO advocate. I started with the BDP-105 and upgraded to the UDP-205 last year. Other than losing HDCD capability (dammit, since all the Dead stuff is HDCD), it's been flat-out reliable, is wonderful as both a video player and, with its great DACs, an audio source. In fact, I run all audio from all devices - TV, Fibe TV, Apple TV - through it to take advantage of its kick-ass DAC(s). Add to that my Leema Tucana II amp and Tetra 333s, and I couldn't be happier, this late in life, with finally having a system that really speaks the truth...no false colouring, it puts out exactly what it's given, with absolute clarity, detail, soundstage.....ok, I just plain LOVE the rig.

    And the OPPO is an important part of the package. If you don't need (already have) great DACs, then you can opt for the UDP-203, which is about half the price but, according to a buddy on the list, has been very good to him.
    John Kelman
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    NEARfest Officer Emeritus Nearfest2's Avatar
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    The Oppo players are excellent. However, they have recently announced that they are not making any more electronics.
    Chad

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    Quote Originally Posted by LASERCD View Post
    I'm using an MSB Technologies UMT transport. It began life as an Oppo blu-ray player but MSB Technologies customized the hardware and software. It outputs DSD over SPIDF.

    Further - if you have the right vintage firmware in your Playstation you can rip DSD files from your SACD. Its a convoluted process but it works.
    Yes, and it's also possible to log into a MediaTek MT8580 or MT8560 based player via Telnet and rip an SACD that way. But these are all workarounds not sanctioned by the industry. Should the Feds grow a wild hair up their tush and decide to come after you, they could prosecute you for violating the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

    No player is going to do this out of the box...one must have the hacking skills to get around the restrictions.
    Last edited by progmatist; 09-27-2018 at 03:27 PM.
    "Well my son, life is like a beanstalk, isn't it?"--Dalai Lama

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    Quote Originally Posted by progmatist View Post
    Yes, and it's also possible to log into a MediaTek MT8580 or MT8560 based player via Telnet and rip an SACD that way. But these are all workarounds not sanctioned by the industry. Should the Feds grow a wild hair up their tush and decide to come after you, they could prosecute you for violating the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

    No player is going to do this out of the box...one must have the hacking skills to get around the restrictions.
    Do you genuinely think that any manufacturer in the audio industry cares about SACD enough that they would have the RIAA come after anyone? At this point Sony barely supports it. I'm surprised they haven't removed copy protection by now. Its a wonderful format that failed miserably due to Sony shooting themselves in the foot.

  20. #20
    Man of repute progmatist's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by LASERCD View Post
    Do you genuinely think that any manufacturer in the audio industry cares about SACD enough that they would have the RIAA come after anyone?
    That's why I qualify it with growing a wild hair up their tush.
    "Well my son, life is like a beanstalk, isn't it?"--Dalai Lama

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    Mission accomplished! I bought my new Region Free Blu Ray player. I wound up going with a Sony machine. It came in the mail, last week, and I have tested it and it works perfectly. In addition to discs for every region, it also plays CDs, DVDs, Blu Rays, SACDs, and PlayStation 3 video games. I am really happy with it, so far.

    Here are the details:

    https://www.amazon.com/S1700-System-...=ALEWIQ2F9CQDR

    Questions are welcome about this device.

    Library Jon

  22. #22
    Man of repute progmatist's Avatar
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    ^^ And if you plug a thumb and/or external hard drive into the USB port, you can play your FLAC, WAV, AIFF, ALAC, and/or DSF (DSD) files at full resolution.
    "Well my son, life is like a beanstalk, isn't it?"--Dalai Lama

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