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    Originally posted by wakka View Post
    I'm probably too late, but although I haven't seen the other two on UHD, I'd definitely say Sicario. I've only had my 4K setup a couple of months, but I've watched a fair few discs now and it remains the standout from a technical perspective. Insanely sharp and great use of HDR.

    And watup my AmazonBasics HDMI cable brethren. Deffo the ones to go for, I got 3 for a tenner when I was doing my setup and they work great
    Well tonight’s the night, so your recommendation is just in time. Cheers dude.

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      [MENTION=3822]fuse[/MENTION] The CX, the new version is out now, so that’s now the top TV for gaming. The differences are pretty minor though so worth weighing up whether the extra cash is worth it to you.
      [MENTION=7193]Super Grover[/MENTION] Nice, enjoy. It’s a great disc to showcase your new gear

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        evenibg all, i need to pick the brains of you good folk. Ive been using the xbone as a bluray player and it would seem that it has started to die.
        I noticed a while ago that the some discs played with visual errors and break up. I put this down to the disc being an older disc and having been played quite a lot, even though it was mint condition wise. So i replaced the disc and all was good, now it has started to do it with new discs and disc i Know have only been played once. Thats why i think it is the machine that is at fault.

        I dont really want to be buying another xbox when there is new hardware around the corner and when it comes to games most of them are downloads (the ones that get played anyway).
        If i am to replace bluray function whats good out there at the moment, I dont have a 4k screen and i dont want 3d but great 1080p bluray image is a must and it has to have the ability to down mix sound to stereo with an analogue output.
        Any machines jump to mind?

        Comment


          Originally posted by concretesnail View Post
          evenibg all, i need to pick the brains of you good folk. Ive been using the xbone as a bluray player and it would seem that it has started to die.
          I noticed a while ago that the some discs played with visual errors and break up. I put this down to the disc being an older disc and having been played quite a lot, even though it was mint condition wise. So i replaced the disc and all was good, now it has started to do it with new discs and disc i Know have only been played once. Thats why i think it is the machine that is at fault.

          I dont really want to be buying another xbox when there is new hardware around the corner and when it comes to games most of them are downloads (the ones that get played anyway).
          If i am to replace bluray function whats good out there at the moment, I dont have a 4k screen and i dont want 3d but great 1080p bluray image is a must and it has to have the ability to down mix sound to stereo with an analogue output.
          Any machines jump to mind?
          What’s your budget, and are you looking for UHD playback or just regular BD and DVD?

          You can decent 1080p Panasonic for £80, or a decent UHD Panasonic or Sony for £180 to £200, but none of those will have analogue audio outputs - they tend to only be on higher end units. I take it you definitely need that?

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            The audio is the most important part for me, as I don't use an a.v. receiver. I used to use one but over the years as my stereo system grew I've found that unless it's on the same level as the 2 channel it's pointless.

            As I've been looking I've found, like you mention, that sound processing with an analogue out is restricted to higher end units and a fee years ago I look at the oppo players but didn't take the plunge, kind of wish I did Now as they seem to be getting more expensive now that they discontinued.

            As it happens i found the Panasonic ub820 for a good price and I have taken a punt on that. Not the dearest but seems like a good bet and has the ability to output analogue audio.

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              I have a UB820 it’s a great player, hope it works out for you.

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                Going to be running two setups soon, and have got a few ideas running through my head that I'd appreciate some thoughts on.


                Want to shift to a 4K/HDR projector on the main setup; I've already got a Denon AVRX-2200W which is about 5 years old, but which I don't think needs an upgrade to support this? It having 8 HDMI inputs is a huge plus, and a lot of more modern receivers I'm looking at max out at 6. Currently it's running a 5.1 speaker set (the bookshelves). They're a bit older, but still do a decent job, and was more wondering if there was a sensible upgrade approach that added to them instead of replacing wholesale? For instance: I know Atmos is now a thing, but I'm not sure if that is a popular standard for games (I will be gaming much more than I will be watching Blu Rays).


                Second setup is in a much smaller space, using a TV, OSSC, and likely a soundbar. I've got a v basic 720p set and an old soundbar for now; I was interested in one of these LG C9s though, but seems I've missed the boat on this front. Has anyone tried one of CX5s? Where's a good spot for sifting through other TV reviews that take things like lag into consideration?

                Comment


                  Originally posted by fuse View Post
                  Going to be running two setups soon, and have got a few ideas running through my head that I'd appreciate some thoughts on.


                  Want to shift to a 4K/HDR projector on the main setup; I've already got a Denon AVRX-2200W which is about 5 years old, but which I don't think needs an upgrade to support this? It having 8 HDMI inputs is a huge plus, and a lot of more modern receivers I'm looking at max out at 6. Currently it's running a 5.1 speaker set (the bookshelves). They're a bit older, but still do a decent job, and was more wondering if there was a sensible upgrade approach that added to them instead of replacing wholesale? For instance: I know Atmos is now a thing, but I'm not sure if that is a popular standard for games (I will be gaming much more than I will be watching Blu Rays).


                  Second setup is in a much smaller space, using a TV, OSSC, and likely a soundbar. I've got a v basic 720p set and an old soundbar for now; I was interested in one of these LG C9s though, but seems I've missed the boat on this front. Has anyone tried one of CX5s? Where's a good spot for sifting through other TV reviews that take things like lag into consideration?
                  https://www.rtings.com/ for reviews etc.

                  Comment


                    Thanks, that's a great help. Has put the Samsung Q80T on my radar as a cheaper alternative to the CX5, given I'm not planning to use it for PC!

                    Comment


                      Originally posted by fuse View Post
                      Going to be running two setups soon, and have got a few ideas running through my head that I'd appreciate some thoughts on.


                      Want to shift to a 4K/HDR projector on the main setup; I've already got a Denon AVRX-2200W which is about 5 years old, but which I don't think needs an upgrade to support this? It having 8 HDMI inputs is a huge plus, and a lot of more modern receivers I'm looking at max out at 6. Currently it's running a 5.1 speaker set (the bookshelves). They're a bit older, but still do a decent job, and was more wondering if there was a sensible upgrade approach that added to them instead of replacing wholesale? For instance: I know Atmos is now a thing, but I'm not sure if that is a popular standard for games (I will be gaming much more than I will be watching Blu Rays).


                      Second setup is in a much smaller space, using a TV, OSSC, and likely a soundbar. I've got a v basic 720p set and an old soundbar for now; I was interested in one of these LG C9s though, but seems I've missed the boat on this front. Has anyone tried one of CX5s? Where's a good spot for sifting through other TV reviews that take things like lag into consideration?
                      I'm not knowledgeable about projectors at all I'm afraid, but on the sound side of things, no, it looks like you won't need to do an amp upgrade. Your current one already supports 4K/HDR/HDCP 2.2 passthrough on all its inputs, which will be what you need.

                      Plus, it also supports Atmos and DTS:X, which continue to be the most up to date sound formats. Some games do support Atmos but they are pretty few and far between to be honest. It's mostly a few Microsoft first party titles from memory, like Gears 4 and 5. Honestly, if you aren't watching Blu-Rays, I probably wouldn't bother adding height channels to get the benefit.

                      You can get cheapo ones that fire sound upwards for ~£150 or so, which from what I've read don't do an amazing job, and to really get the most out of it you want to be installing speakers in your ceiling. Decent ones run ~£200 - £300 for a pair, and obviously there's the hassle of installation.

                      Up to you but it might be a lot of expenditure for a relatively small gain.

                      On the TV side of things, yeah, the C9 is gone, but the CX is basically the exact same thing, just this year's model. That line isn't going anywhere, so I wouldn't say you have missed the boat at all (just the cheap prices as the C9 was cleared out to make room for the CX - but if you really want those prices, you can just wait till early 2021 and the prices of the CX will drop in the same way. TV prices are very predictable and cyclical each year, they are currently peaking as all of the new models always drop spring/summer).

                      The absolute best place to find out information about TVs is Vincent Teoh's HDTVTest, now mostly a YouTube channel:



                      Super knowledgeable and will give you all the info you need. It's got a few links to this site too - the website formerly had most of its reviews done by @Lyris and @EvilBoris is now a contributor on the HDR side of things.
                      Last edited by wakka; 24-08-2020, 09:18.

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                        This is all really helpful. Thanks!

                        Think I'm going to pass on the Atmos side of things. In honesty, getting the 5.1 setup wired up is going to be enough of a pain as hiding cables is going to be a priority. I think I've got a suitable screen size in mind for the throw distance, so the next challenge is likely to see if we can get someone affordable in to fit everything, hide cables in the ceiling, and so on.

                        Will move an old TV over for now, as early 2021 really doesn't seem that far away if it's going to either save cash or present better options. If anything, the soundbar might take priority as there's also going to be a couple of computers in the room that'd benefit from having a better speaker option.

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                          @fuse

                          I'm no expert on soundbars, but the Q90R has a good rep. Includes two wireless rear satellites and a subwoofer. It's a grand though which may be a bit pricey depending on budget.

                          By early 2021 you will see the CX price fall significantly (for example, I got a Panasonic OLED that launched at £1800 in May 2019 for £950 May this year, just before it was discontinued), and the follow-up will be nearly here. So you can choose between latest and greatest or last year's. Although personally I always buy the year before's set, as the savings are just ginormous.

                          Good call on Atmos I reckon

                          Comment


                            Super knowledgeable and will give you all the info you need. It's got a few links to this site too - the website formerly had most of its reviews done by @Lyris and @EvilBoris is now a contributor on the HDR side of things.
                            I miss writing those reviews, although I don't think many people read the in-depth stuff, the average reader just wants to know what's the best for their money and skip to the conclusion (which is totally reasonable). Some of the biggest fans of those reviews were, I think, engineers at CE companies.

                            Comment


                              Originally posted by Lyris View Post
                              I miss writing those reviews, although I don't think many people read the in-depth stuff, the average reader just wants to know what's the best for their money and skip to the conclusion (which is totally reasonable). Some of the biggest fans of those reviews were, I think, engineers at CE companies.
                              That granular detail you’d go into was really valuable though, not least because it would really give a detailed background to the eventual conclusion. Even when I didn’t totally understand the graphs etc, I could have faith you guys knew what you were talking about!

                              Comment


                                [MENTION=3822]fuse[/MENTION].

                                The Sony ZF9 soundbar is bloody awesome. 3.1 Dolby Atmos and you can get wireless rear speakers to make it 5.1.

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