HD player or Blu-Ray - which is better.
Definitely an HD player! It also has advantages over a computer when viewing media files.
What is an HD media player.
HD stands for High Definition, which means "high resolution". High Definition resolution is considered to be a resolution in the 1920x1080 (1080p) standard, which is designated on TVs as Full-HD, as well as a resolution in the 1280x720 (720p) standard, which is designated on TVs as HD Ready.
HD media player is a universal player that can play movies from a hard drive (HDD) recorded in the 1920x1080 standard (1080p, Full-HD), in the 1280x720 standard (720p, HD Ready), as well as in the DVD 720x480 standard, and all other low resolutions .
In addition, in addition to movies, the HD media player allows you to listen to music in all existing standards, both in stereo and in 5.1 mode. And the HD media player can display photos of all sizes, all popular formats.
In addition, most HD media players have network capabilities: WEB browser, Torrent, FTP communication, UPnP, Samba, NFS.
Thus, in most cases, an HD media player can easily replace Personal Computer to view all media data: video, music, photos. At the same time, the HD media player provides best quality video and sound, better convenience and for less money than a modern fancy PC costs.
Which is better - HD player or Blu-Ray?
HD player is a universal player for multimedia files of any type and format, of any quality, including Blu-Ray movies in Full-HD 1080p quality. Blu-Ray player can only play movies from original Blu-Ray and DVD discs, and cannot play individual media files such as photos and audio files;
An HD player can store movies on HDD (internal or external) or on network storage, this is much more convenient than storing many Blu-Ray discs, and movies on hard drives you can delete and write new ones. The Blu-Ray player does not have the ability to play movies from the HDD;
The cost of one movie on HDD for an HD player in Blu-Ray quality is approximately 190 rubles (occupies 20 Gb on the hard drive). For a Blu-Ray player, the price of one Blu-Ray movie on a branded Blu-Ray disc is more than 1000 rubles.
Why is it better to watch High Definition videos on an HD player than on a PC?
Compared to watching on a computer, watching movies on a TV from an HD player has the following advantages:
HD player provides more high quality image and the sound on the TV screen and in the speakers than when watching on a PC, which is especially important when watching HD movies on Full-HD 1080p;
The HD player has a digital audio output (in addition to analog), unlike a PC, which is important when connecting the HD player to a multi-channel audio receiver;
The HD player has a remote control with which you can rewind the movie, speed up, pause, switch audio tracks, change video modes, adjust the picture, program and perform many other actions without leaving the couch, setting up the remote control is not required, but for a PC it requires a lot of effort, to set up operation with the remote control;
An HD player frees up the computer for use by other family members for other tasks (for example, while you are watching your favorite movie from the player - your daughter is playing Sims, or while you are working on the computer - your wife and mother-in-law are watching the new Tim Burton film from the HD player, etc. similar);
Unlike a PC, an HD player does not require installing codecs and other programs to view videos, and you do not need to worry whether its configuration and resources are enough to play HDTV movies - the HD player is specially made for watching high-definition HDTV movies, including 1080p, and it plays them back in maximum quality, without any brakes or distortion; in any case, you can’t do anything with the player if your favorite movie slows down;
when using an HD player, you do not need to lay video and audio cables from the computer to the display (plasma or LCD panel), and the player is located on a shelf under the display, and is a component and integral part of your latest generation home theater, supporting HDTV quality;
When watching an HD movie from an HD player on a plasma or LCD TV panel, you can sit comfortably and relax enjoying life on a soft chair or sofa, surrounded by your beloved wife or devoted friends, in contrast to the option of watching an HDTV movie from a PC on a computer monitor screen , which is much smaller than the panel size;
An HD player consumes much less electricity than a computer, so you can save on your monthly electricity bill;
The HD player makes virtually no noise, except that you can hear the creaking of the internal hard drive, this distinguishes it from noisy powerful PCs, which is especially noticeable in the quiet evening and at night;
HD players do not contain viruses, freezing of the operating system, or corruption of information on the hard drive, which often troubles us with PCs (over time, at the end of their service life, of course they will).
HD player or Blu-Ray - which is better. HD player!
Rostislav Kuzmin
Hello, I'm with you again! I . So, when I was collecting material, I inspired the people around me so much that several friends decided to buy such a player for themselves.
Naturally, questions and clarifications began: “which one to choose,” “help me decide,” “I would like something inexpensive,” etc. Anticipating a barrage of additional questions, I created a rating of Blu-ray players from different companies and price categories. After studying it, you can choose what you like best.
Monsters of the digital industry
Contrary to tradition, I will start my review with the most expensive models. Firstly, this way you can fully appreciate the proper quality of the format; secondly, you will gradually get used to the idea that such a technique is worth it.
Of course, not every company produces such expensive players. Many manufacturers are focused on the average buyer, so they make their equipment more accessible.
Optimal price-quality ratio
Basically, buyers come to me who are looking for decent quality at an affordable price. There is nothing surprising in this; no one wants to overpay for functions they don’t need.
Especially for my regular customers and readers, I created the TOP average blue ray players in the price category.
Usually I try to satisfy the needs of all categories of customers. Even if the client wants the cheapest device, I may be against it for quality reasons, but I will definitely provide the information. It is also important for me to find the most functional models so that the purchase is a joy. I advise my regular clients not to lower the bar below average, but sometimes a person just wants to try something new, then an inexpensive player is quite suitable as a test sample.
Budget models
When I ask myself what brand of players can be the most affordable, surprisingly, I come across models from well-known companies: Samsung, Sony, etc.
The evolution of the optical disk has gone through many stages over the past quarter century. IN this moment its pinnacle is the Blu-ray disc. The choice of players in this format is quite wide, including the possibility of making mistakes. How to prevent this and find a decent BD player among the variety? As always, we will have to delve into the essence of the issue and understand what exactly manufacturers are offering us today.
The best Blu-Ray players: selection tips, models, prices
No matter how hard the creators of the Blu-ray format tried to protect their creation from possible copying and distribution via the Internet, file hosting services around the world are full of compressed and uncompressed copies of high-definition discs. But no matter how much PC and media player users predict the imminent oblivion of BD players as a class of equipment, the demand for them is only growing. What's the secret?
First of all, it's just more usual way watching movies. Everyone used DVD players and DVD discs. Everyone knows perfectly well how to play a purchased disc on a player. Secondly, not everyone is comfortable downloading a movie in HD for several hours, or even several days, but it is not at all burdensome to buy a BD disc. Thirdly, the video quality and menu support that can be obtained on a BD player is only achievable on very good, expensive media players and PCs. Well, fourthly, no digital file has such a collectible value as a medium in a beautifully designed package.
The Blu-ray format itself gives us the opportunity to watch high-definition video with a resolution of 1920x1080 and a frame rate similar to 24p film, listen to eight-channel Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD sound studio quality, as well as download subtitles, audio tracks and bonus content from the Internet using the BD Live function.
Blu-ray and everything, everything, everything
In addition to playing Blu-ray discs, BD players are capable of reading DVD discs by converting the output signal resolution to 1080p. In addition, almost from the first generations, manufacturers added the ability to work with video of the AVC-HD standard, used in household video cameras. But owners of even more ancient VCDs and SVCDs (if there are any among our readers) will have to put their collection aside, since discs of this type will not be played.
Blu-Ray players: the best new products
| Model | Price, rub | Formats | Interfaces | Dimensions, mm | Weight, kg |
| 5500 | HDMI 1.3, USB, 7.1 audio output | 430x55x260 | 2,9 | ||
| 6300 | BD, DVD, CD, AVC-HD, DivX-HD | HDMI 1.3, SD | 435x56x218 | 2,3 | |
| 7000 | BD, DVD, CD, AVC-HD | HDMI 1.3, USB (BD Live only) | 430x56x207 | 2,1 | |
| 10000 | BD, DVD, CD, AVC-HD, DivX-HD | HDMI 1.3, 2x USB, SD, 7.1 audio output | 430x49x249 | 2,6 | |
| 12000 | BD, DVD, CD, AVC-HD MPEG4-HD, WMV-HD, H.264, MKV | HDMI 1.4, USB, DLNA | no data | no data | |
| 12000 | BD, DVD, CD, AVC-HD MPEG4-HD, WMV-HD, H.264, MKV | HDMI 1.4, USB, DLNA | 430x43x205 | 1,8 | |
| 15000 | BD, DVD, CD, AVC-HD MPEG4-HD, WMV-HD, H.264, MKV | HDMI 1.3, USB, 7.1 audio output | 437x91x268 | 4,2 | |
| 20500 | BD, DVD, CD, AVC-HD | HDMI 1.3, USB (BD Live only), 7.1 audio output | 435x95x317 | 4,6
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The first generations of BD players also had problems with audio; at best, only CD-DA was read, and any other audio, even MP3, was very often ignored. Today, these two formats are the standard set, and in addition, WMA, Ogg and even WAV files can be supported.
Some developers have gone so far with the expansion of multi-format that they are already trying to compete with media player manufacturers by adding to their devices the ability to read DivX, MPEG4, H264/MKV, WMV9, VC1 video files, including in HD resolution. Unfortunately, this is often accompanied by incomplete compatibility between codecs and containers, and almost always lack of support for suitable media.
Available and inexpensive DVD discs simply do not have enough capacity to record HD content. External drives connected via USB are most often supported only in the FAT32 format, which limits the file size to four gigabytes, which is again completely insufficient for recording long-term Full HD videos. This does not allow multi-format to be fully realized, although on such players you can successfully watch small HD video files, for example, trailers for new films and BD rips in 720p resolution. In a word, a Blu-ray player does not replace a media player, and vice versa.
BD player LG BD370
Multi-format Blu-ray players are made by many manufacturers, such as LG, BBK, Samsung, Philips, JVC and even Panasonic, which adds DivX-HD support to all its new models. Sony traditionally refrains from excessive democratization of its devices; Pioneer BD players have support for MPEG4, but just like Panasonic, everyone’s favorite codecs H246 and VC1 in the MKV container are not supported. Of the entire list, only LG has support for NTFS format media, which sets it apart from its competitors. BBK and Samsung have also mentioned the possibility of supporting large files in the future, but have not yet implemented this feature.
Network affairs
The presence of a LAN port haunts some manufacturers. Some use it to develop media player functions. For example, a player with DLNA support has the ability to read multimedia files from a home network, PC or NAS. DLNA technology can be supported by players that are completely different in price and functionality. For multi-format models, this provides an excellent opportunity to bypass the problem of incompatibility with NTFS (as is done by Samsung), and in Sony players, this function allows you to access only network photo archives, completely ignoring other multimedia content.
Another direction in the development of network capabilities is support for various types of Internet services. Today, using a BD player, you can watch YouTube video, photos from Picasa and Flickr. Special software solutions, widgets, display weather forecasts, news, stock reports, etc. on the screen. Players from the same JVC, LG and Samsung are ready to pamper you with this, as well as such masters as Panasonic and Philips. It is quite possible that Sony and BBK will have similar opportunities in the near future.
In addition, some developers are trying to diversify the player’s hardware. The main trend is BD player equipment wireless communication. Some manufacturers make it possible to work with Wi-Fi using a plug-in external USB adapter, while others make Wi-Fi built into the player.
Blu-ray - it sounds!
First of all, BD players are devices for video playback, so for a long time developers paid little attention to the analog audio part. It is understood that the sound is captured digitally via HDMI, and the potential will be determined by the capabilities of the receiver. About a year ago, when Hi-Fi equipment manufacturers began to actively get involved in the production of Blu-ray players, devices with audio preparation, like serious CD players, appeared on the market. So those who want to use the BD player as Hi-Fi component may turn their attention to the brands Yamaha, Aleks, Onkyo and, oddly enough, some Philips models.
Pioneer and Panasonic BD players have a completely different solution. These companies have created protocols that minimize the jitter that occurs when digital data is transferred from the player to the receiver via an HDMI cable.
As a result, in a rather modest, from a financial point of view, combination of a Pioneer BDP-320 BD player and a Pioneer VSX-919AH receiver with a total cost of about 30,000 rubles, you can get exceptional high-quality Hi-Fi sound comparable to a CD set + amplifier of at least the same cost . Such synchronous digital connection systems are usually used in studio equipment and in ultra-expensive Hi-End audio systems, which fully explains such an outstanding result.
Don't slow down!
The first generations of Blu-ray players had one characteristic: loading times were between one and two minutes, which was considered completely normal. Users got tired of this state of affairs very quickly, so pretty soon the developers reduced this time to 30 seconds. Not so long ago, even more nimble models began to appear, capable of getting out of standby in 5-10, and some even in half a second. There is a catch in such efficiency.
A player located in a really deep standby, which ensures minimal energy consumption, can come out of it in the same half a minute, no less. All super-fast startups are based on the fact that the player does not actually turn off and in standby mode consumes almost the same amount of energy as when turned on. Knowing this, some player manufacturers give you the opportunity to choose between a real and economical standby mode and the ability to quickly turn on.
Ahead of the rest of the planet
3D technology, as the main trend in AV technology, identified in 2010, of course, did not bypass the BD player. Moreover, with the advent of three-dimensionality, all BD players were divided into two types: 2D and 3D. The difference between new and old Blu-ray players is quite simple and obvious - the ability to work in 3D mode.
From a technical point of view, the problem is that a special video processor is required to process a 3D image, and to transfer 3D video to a renderer that supports this format, HDMI v.1.4 interface is required. It is clear that there is no talk of using all players released before the advent of 3D. At the same time, 3D players are backwards compatible and cope well with regular 2D content.
The first 3D Blu-rays have just begun to hit the market and a clear picture has not yet emerged. So far, models from Samsung, Panasonic and LG are presented. The first-born from Sony is on the way, a 3D model from Pioneer is expected in the fall, and other brands that have not yet had time to join the new trend will definitely offer something. Compared to conventional models, 3D Blu-ray players with similar functionality cost 30-50% more.
To each his own
The distribution of all of the above properties in the variety of players on the market is not clearly linked to class and cost. There are some trends, but there are so many exceptions that it is difficult to formulate any clear rule. For example, players in the budget and mid-price categories usually have multi-format capabilities, but the top-end solution from Philips, for example, demonstrates exactly the same omnivorousness. The situation is similar with Internet functions. Mostly expensive players lack them, but there are also some budget models that do not have access to the global network, for example, VVK BD3000, Toshiba BDX2000, Panasonic DMP-BD45EE, Sony BDP-S360 players.
In principle, a rather unambiguous trend can be called a more modest set or even a complete absence additional functions in expensive players. If we are talking about a device with a price tag of 20 thousand rubles and above, then you don’t even have to think about multimedia and Internet services - everything will be focused only on high-quality work with basic formats and media.
The issue of picture quality is quite clearly tied to cost. Let's not hide it - a BD player costing up to 8-9 thousand rubles is inferior in terms of picture quality to expensive models. But whether this difference will be proportional to the price is up to the buyer to decide, since not everyone is ready to double the cost of a player for the sake of a slight increase in picture clarity. But there are exceptions to this issue. Panasonic BD players, based on the proprietary UniPhier processor, easily compete in terms of Blu-ray display quality with models that are one and a half to two times more expensive. The situation is similar with Pioneer; even the far from new budget model BDP-120 provides an excellent picture.
As for the ability of a BD player to replace a DVD player, the situation is completely different. There are many budget models, such as the Toshiba BDX2000 and BBK BD3000 players, which perfectly scale DVDs, significantly increasing detail and overall image quality. Expensive models display equally excellent DVDs, for example, Yamaha BD-S1900, Philips BDP9500, Denon DVD-1800BT players, and any Pioneer players do an excellent job of playing standard definition.
Choice
If you can easily select a functional set by visiting the official websites of manufacturers and using our catalog of equipment, you can only evaluate the image quality visually. Best option- direct comparison of several players on the same content.
This is not so difficult to implement; just find a store or salon that sells the models you are interested in. The main differences in image quality are the clarity and clarity of the picture. To do this, ask your sales consultants to turn off the image enhancement systems on the TV so that they do not mask possible problems compared players. When viewing, pay attention to the clarity of the image and the legibility of small details. A low level of digital noise, unnoticeable from a viewing distance, can be considered acceptable. The main selection criterion is the overall viewing experience; you should definitely choose the player whose picture is most comfortable for you.
In recent years, Blu-ray players have gained great popularity as new technology” to watch movies at home in high quality and clear pictures, as well as with excellent sound effects.
If it so happens that you bought a TV with HD, then a Blu-ray player will be the best addition for it. This TV has high definition and you can get the full experience of watching movies. Unfortunately, old DVD players cannot play Blu-ray discs, and the DVD format does not produce such picture quality.
It should be noted that currently the Blu-ray disc format is the only one that supports high definition video. The first Blu-ray player was released back in 2006 and now there is no shortage of Blu-ray players to choose from on the market. And to help you decide which player to choose, below is a list of what you should know and make your choice.
For example, a video review of one of the players
Disc formats
As a rule, all Blu-ray players can play any commercial Blu-ray discs and DVD standards. In addition, they can play purchased and recorded audio CDs and MP3s. Also, current models support JPEG, WMA, video CD, DVD-/+/R/RW or DVD-RAM discs that were burned independently. Some universal models can play SACD discs with high resolution and DVD audio discs.
DVD on screen with HD
All Blu-ray players are DVD compatible, meaning you can still watch your old movies through your new Blu-ray player. They can convert standard definition (480i) DVD format to high definition (1080p). Of course, the converted video is not as high quality as high definition, because the player actually enlarges the image, smoothing it using special formulas. Some players do this more effectively, some worse.
Multi-channel analog audio output
Compared to DVD, Blu-ray provides more than just video High Quality, but also sound with even better sound effects. In addition to the main Dolby Digital and DTS formats supported in DVDs and satellite and cable TV broadcasts, Blu-ray discs also support Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio formats, which allow you to listen to 8-channel uncompressed audio. Some Blu-ray players can decode both of these formats, or send them digitally to an external A/V receiver for decoding.
3D capabilities
3D films are becoming increasingly popular, and with Blu-ray it has become possible to watch them at home. To watch the hottest new releases in 3D on your HDTV, you'll need a 3D-capable Blu-ray player. Thanks to this, you can watch your favorite films at home with your family. However, there may be additional costs, since the TV must also have 3D support and you will also need 3D glasses.
Adjustable picture
There are several ways in which Blu-ray players can adapt the video image. Almost all players allow you to switch the aspect ratio from 4:3 to 16:9 depending on the content you are viewing. A great feature for playing DVDs that were not recorded in widescreen format. Also, Blu-ray players can have a zoom function (that is, enlarging the image), viewing from different angles, if the video on the disc allows it. Brightness and clarity are also available, but I think it's better to adjust them through the TV.
Playback in 4K clarity
With the development of home theaters for watching movies at home, ultra-HD screens began to appear, showing pictures with 4K resolution. However, such screens are still quite expensive. For lovers home viewing it will surely bring amazing sensations of mind-blowing effects in excellent quality.
BD-Live
Blu-ray players are no longer so simple, they have become smarter and have Smart-TV capabilities, which is a computer system with applications and the ability to connect to the Internet. Photos, games, trailers, online films you can watch through such a player. Some discs may have a menu with links to watch bonus videos online. In some cases, additional memory may be needed using a USB disk or memory card.
HDMI
With the advent of 720P/1080i HD resolution, connecting via analog components has become impossible. Only HDMI can transmit digital signal high definition and high quality sound to your HDTV or home theater system. When you buy a Blu-ray player, a cable is usually included.
USB
USB ports can serve several purposes: installing new firmware, using them as an external drive and for Smart software functions (some players already have built-in memory), reading from USB and playing movie files, music and photos. Work like network adapter WiFi c using USB Wi-Fi.
WiFi
Players that support the Internet can connect to your router via cable or Wi-FI. Such models are all necessarily equipped with a standard network input, and some Wi-Fi adapter. Of course, the Wi-FI function increases the price of the device.
Online streaming or video streaming
This service is not yet so popular here, but people abroad like to watch various TV shows, performances, and live sports. For example, such a service is provided by YouTube and many other media giants, and the Blu-ray player must have an application that supports the desired service.
DLNA
The DLNA standard was created to create home network for transmission, storage and real-time viewing of media content (music, video, photos, etc.) within this network on various devices that support this technology. If your player is equipped with such technology, you can watch movies in real time over the network from another device without downloading files.
Price
No matter what model you want to purchase, cost is key. Now on the market there are models for any budget from 5000 rubles. up to 70,000 rubles, and sometimes more. The price, of course, depends on the brand, functions, software and opportunities.
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I bought myself Blu-ray player r in Yulmarthose tut, so I recommend you do the same.
Moreover, as a reader of my blog, I give you a discount up to 15% on any goods, and you will be able to buy at the second price column immediately if you register with my discount promo code 2117699
. I must say that the second price column can only be obtained by purchasing from 50,000 rubles. But I knocked out a promotional code for my readers. So take advantage!
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network media player with Blu-ray drive
In an article published six months ago by the website “Dune HD Smart Media Player Family”, they talked about the features of the modular construction of the required player configuration based on the line with the self-explanatory name Smart. Today we will look at one of these ready-made solutions, we will study this player as a final device that does not require dissection and replacement of one block with another. As they say, we write what we have. Another reason for returning to the Smart line was the recent release of release firmware, on which today clearly more than half of the capabilities of any such device depend.
Completeness, design
And we have the following: the player itself, a power adapter with cables, a remote control with batteries, a composite audio/video cable, a 180-centimeter HDMI cable, a brief multilingual instruction manual - this is the complete set of this player model.
The heavy body (the weight of the device exceeds one and a half kilograms) rests on typically “High End” legs, which have a metal edging and a rubber “foundation”. No vibration is scary.
The sides of the player body are tightly closed, there are no ventilation slots. But on the cover of the device, closer to the end, there are some, and for good reason - we will see this later.
The front panel of the player is half occupied by the Blu-ray drive tray. Below there is a button to turn the device on/off, a red LED that works when the device is in standby mode (turned off), an IR sensor that picks up commands from the remote control, a slot for an SD memory card (it is not completely “swallowed” here, a five-millimeter tail remains outside ), USB 2.0 port for connection external USB drives and an optical disc eject button.
The operation of the Blu-ray drive is almost inaudible: as the manufacturer claims, this drive is built on the basis of Sony mechanics and optics; The components used here are specifically designed for integration into quiet home media devices. The format of this drive is non-standard, not “computer”, and it cannot be replaced with any SATA drive.
The back panel of the player is traditionally dedicated to connectors. The following interfaces are located here:
- LAN port;
- two USB port 2.0 (host);
- composite and component audio/video outputs;
- HDMI 1.3;
- eSATA port for connecting external hard drive with the appropriate interface;
- optical digital audio output;
- I2C dedicated bus connector;
- switch and power adapter connector.
It’s a pity, but the optical drive is not visible when connected to a network player if it contains a Blu-ray disc or DVD video (licensing restrictions); Only flash drives plugged into the player are accessible over the network, and even then only if they are not initialized by the player as a system drive (more on this below). If the optical disk placed in the drive contains ordinary data, then this disk becomes accessible when connected to a network.
The bottom of the player contains ventilation slots, just like the top of the case. Thus, cool air taken from below rises and, cooling electronic stuffing, comes out through the grate in the lid of the device.
As already mentioned, there is no forced ventilation here - natural air convection was quite sufficient to cool the chip and the rest of the electronics. The basis of the player is the powerful Sigma Designs SMP8642 media processor (not visible in the photo, but we were afraid to go even deeper when removing the BD drive).
Logic dictates that since the processor is powerful, it therefore generates a lot of heat. Yes it's true. During operation, the player's body heats up noticeably, but, fortunately, not to critical values. So, when the player is idle (turned on, idling), the temperature of the cover reaches 37 °C, and after half an hour of playing a Blu-ray disc, the upper part of the case heats up to 42.5 °C. Not bad results for a device that does not have forced cooling (measurements were carried out in a ventilated room with a temperature of 26 °C). By the way, the bottom of the player heats up no less during operation, since it serves as a kind of radiator: cooling is installed on it central processor via thermal interface.
The plastic from which the remote control housing is made feels like very hard matte rubber. At the top of it there is a dim red LED that winks when pressed. This remote control would be good for everyone if the developer changed the position of the keys responsible for playback. Their current location cannot be called convenient and logical. However, getting used to this arrangement is not particularly difficult.
Detailed specifications players are shown at.
Settings
This is an incredibly lucky coincidence: literally on the day I started working on this review, the author received a letter from the Dune press service informing about the release of a new stable firmware version for Dune HD media players. (Hmm... Dune may have Not stable firmware? It’s hard to believe, although anything can happen). Frankly, this came at a very opportune time, since the “hardware” component of this player, in fact, has already been described in articles by Kirill Kochetkov and. The “default” firmware on which the mentioned players were described was nothing special; it even lacked many popular applications. And therefore this review We will build on the study of new features provided to the user by the player developer along with the release of the July firmware.
The operating system boots within 30-35 seconds, which is quite a long time. But this problem can be easily solved by enabling the sleep mode function, which works similar to the sleep mode in a PC. If this function is activated, the player will be ready for use within one or two seconds after pressing the red button on the remote control.
Unfortunately, when connected for the first time, the device cannot automatically set the required resolution and video output mode, based on the characteristics of the connected receiving device. Therefore, if after turning on the player nothing is displayed on the TV screen or panel, you should use a forced quick change of video mode. To do this, press the MODE button on the remote control followed by one of the numbers, from 1 to 5. Each number corresponds to a specific video mode, and one of them will probably work (the video modes assigned to the mentioned buttons are listed in the manual supplied with the player) .
When you first turned on the player, a message appeared on the screen indicating the availability of a new firmware version (by default, version 100828_0034 was installed in the player). But just connecting to the Internet is not enough to update - the player needs to copy the downloaded file somewhere and only then proceed with the actual installation. Again we are faced with the problem of the lack of at least the minimum required memory built into the player (however, starting with this firmware, the player will no longer need a storage device for updating). And also with the need to occupy one of the player’s ports for installing a flash drive or memory card as a storage device, which is often required by the player to perform certain tasks (such as working with BDLive! and others).
After the firmware is downloaded, the update process will begin, which takes 2-3 minutes. Unfortunately, we repeat, our player does not have a built-in hard drive, so some functions will not work (the device honestly warns about this). We will find out later what these “some functions” are.
After flashing and restarting the system, the interface is simply unrecognizable!
Here, as we see, main browser is divided into several windows, in two of them you can select media and content, the third displays the current time and weather, and the fourth information window contains information about the selected element. At the bottom of the screen you can see a hint with two points. It says that this version of the firmware uses the colored buttons available on the IR remote control, designated by the Latin letters A, B, C and D. With these buttons, the user can on the fly change the way the contents of the file browser window are displayed (icons, list), and also change the color theme to any of the eight available. No reboot is required after this, all changes occur in a matter of seconds.
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But let’s turn first to the settings, because it’s best to start getting acquainted with any technique by studying them. This menu consists of 10 items, each of them contains several sub-items with parameters whose settings can be changed:
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Interface language, screen saver, reset settings | Setting the date, time, as well as automatic synchronization with time servers (you are allowed to enter your own server) |
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Video output, video modes, aspect, HDMI color depth, decoder and output color spaces | Audio output mode (decoding, direct), decoding modes, other settings |
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Wired and wireless network settings, PPPoE, DHCP settings (auto, manual) | Application settings (interface, functions) |
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Detailed theme settings | Media playback options: default language, subtitle display, other settings |
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The behavior of the remote control buttons, the encodings used, autostart of the optical drive, turning on the standby mode, updating the firmware, installing the system drive, setting up saving screenshots | Displaying information about the player status |
What should you pay special attention to here? What functions can be called unique, rarely found in players from other manufacturers? Perhaps the greatest interest is the ability to automatically synchronize date and time with manual input from any server; detailed tuning of built-in applications and functions; ability to create screenshots of the screen in a folder screenshots on the storage device connected to the player. In addition, the interface itself leaves a pleasant impression: the menu works quickly, without the slightest delay or sticking, which indicates respectful, careful work on program code firmware.
Separately, it should be noted the presence of several popular “computer” screen resolutions in video settings, as well as the choice of audio decoding modes (stereo, 5.1, 7.1) and maximum frequency on S/PDIF (48, 96, 192 kHz).
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Video settings will undoubtedly allow you to use the player with any display device. As for the sound settings, it would be nice to “attach” such audio capabilities to the player at least simple screen, to be able to navigate through your music collections without necessarily turning on the TV.
After this acquaintance with the setting points, we will move on to viewing the material we have, and at the same time studying new firmware capabilities, if any.
Exploitation
Network speed
First, let's check the speed network connection, and we’ll do it twice: by copying files and by playing multi-bitrate video from network storage.
Now, if only the player had HDD...But he's not there. However, in our case, the lack of a built-in HDD can be successfully replaced external drive, connected either via eSATA or USB 2.0. So, let’s use the file browser built into the device and copy several files from the network storage to an external 320 GB USB hard drive connected to the player. The command with which this can be done is called from the pop-up menu (in general, this pop-up menu is worth a closer look - there are a lot of useful things here).
As a result, the file copying speed averaged 6 MB/sec (4 minutes 10 sec, 1.4 GB file), which cannot be called a high result.
However, it’s not for nothing that in the player settings there is an item “ Fast access via SMB"? Let's try to activate it (by default this option is disabled), and copy the same file again.
A completely different calico! Now the speed fully corresponds to the capabilities of a 100-megabit network and especially to the SAMBA server through which the copying is carried out.
Unfortunately, it was not possible to check the operation of the wireless network. The player categorically refused to recognize the USB Wi-Fi adapter at our disposal, built on the Realtek RTL8188SU chipset. Most inexpensive players from other manufacturers that have universal firmware get along well with this “whistle”. Apparently, that's why they get along because their firmware is universal, they actually copy each other with minor differences, often of a cosmetic nature. In the device under review, the firmware was developed from scratch, and it is intended only and only for Dune players.
Finally, we'll run our standard network playback test of video files encoded at different bitrates. Let's start "driving" the player, perhaps, starting with a file whose bitrate is 30 Mbit/sec - checking files with lower bitrates is pointless; everyone understands that such a stream is quite achievable for any network player with a wired connection.
Amazing result! Only when playing a file with the thickest bitrate of 70 Mbit/sec did the sound stop playing and the picture began to slow down slightly. We can conclude that such a speed is quite enough to view over the network absolutely any standard bitrates existing today (and not only “today” - a reserve for several years in the future is guaranteed, especially since encoding technologies tend to reduce bitrates, but not to increase them).
Playing files
Reproducing the “hodgepodge” at our disposal from files shot with various video and photo cameras revealed almost no problems. The only drawback: there is no sound when playing some video files with PCM audio tracks in a MOV container ( similar sound is usually recorded by cameras, and the file characteristics are as follows: PCM stereo, frequency 48 kHz, constant bitrate 1536 (1411.2) Kbps). What’s typical is that the same PCM sound in the form of a separate audio file is played quite correctly by the player, but when combined with video it’s not perfect!
According to information from the developer, work is already underway to solve this problem. In the meantime, you can watch such a video with sound by repacking it from the MOV container into MKV.
As for other video formats, almost everything is smooth here too. Playback of all major video formats is supported. But, alas, there are still some exceptions. These non-playable formats are quite common and well-known: FLV, which can be found on some video services, RM (Real Media, a half-dead format that is still found here and there) and 3GP, in which most cell phones record video. When you try to play these files, the player displays a message about the impossibility of playing (the developer reports that support for the FLV format will soon be introduced). Perhaps we missed some other formats, but I think it’s physically impossible to check literally everything that exists.
Pressing the Setup button on the remote control while a video file is playing causes a pop-up window to appear where the user can adjust the brightness, contrast, saturation and hue of the video. Button Info displays detailed information about the file being played, however, there is no description of the audio stream here. It should be noted that the bitrate values begin to be displayed only 10 seconds after the start of playback, before which the word is present instead of the values unknown.
Fast forwarding is available in both directions up to 32x, and slow motion down to 1/32x is also possible. Selecting subtitles and their settings, as well as selecting an audio track, is done by pressing the corresponding keys on the remote control and then selecting the desired item from the pop-up menus.
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If you press the POPUP MENU button on the remote control while playing a video file, a list of files in the current folder will appear on the screen. Here you can quickly go to the required file or configure the repeat playback order using the buttons indicated in the tooltip.
During playback, it is also possible to navigate through the video file with manually entering the desired position, as well as fast forwarding by pressing the left/right arrow buttons (jump by 10 seconds) and up/down (jump by 1 minute).
The scaling option may seem the most useful - it is executed simply perfectly in this firmware. In addition to the “standard” enlargement or reduction of the image and changing the aspect ratio, the user has the opportunity to independently, with an accuracy of a percentage, change the size and aspect of the frame.
This is why I would like to once again praise the firmware developers - for the fact that during any more or less serious operation there is always a needed by the user clue.
Unfortunately, the player does not have such a familiar option as Bookmark. Perhaps this is due to the lack of a built-in hard drive, or the developer simply does not consider the ability to create bookmarks an important enough feature to build into the firmware. However, this can be circumvented: the player remembers the exit position from viewing, and when you start the file again, viewing will be possible from the same place where it was interrupted.
Playback of music files is accompanied by... Yes, not accompanied by anything. Just playing.
This firmware version supports CUE metadata when playing Monkey's Audio (*.APE) and Free Lossless Audio Codec (*.FLAC). Information is displayed as a list of tracks by pressing the POPUP MENU button on the remote control.
Viewing photos can be accompanied by music. If you place music files in a folder with photos, the player will helpfully offer one of the following options:
During a slide show of photos, the user will be able to control the music (hints, as always, are present). Photos change through unobtrusive transitions.
The user can arrange all of the listed media materials into playlists - their creation is possible by selecting the appropriate command from the POPUP MENU. Well, it’s convenient to place the playlist in Favorites, thereby eliminating the problem of finding your favorite materials.
Playing discs
Why did we put disc playback in a separate chapter? This is because when playing back the structure of Blu-ray discs, this player uses different methods of navigation and display of the video signal than when playing regular media files. This alternative player is provided by the developer of the processor used in our device. As a result, most of the operations associated with disc playback differ from those available with regular “file” playback (this only applies to Blu-ray, since DVD video is processed by the “default” player). By the way, playing ISO images of Blu-ray discs also works using this alternative player. And, of course, with all the ensuing consequences: a rather long loading time, the presence of unwindable commercials and all sorts of warnings about the importance of complying with the law, and other disc beauties.
But first of all, I would like to know why the DVD engine appeared in the new player firmware Type 2?
This engine has been long awaited by fans. The essence of the changes introduced by this engine is as follows: now, when working with DVDs that have a complex structure (interactive, with built-in games), the cursor buttons on the remote control take on control functions rather than navigation. Simply put, the player now “understands” that the user has started not watching the next chapter of the disc, but a game. Accordingly, the control buttons continue to work in menu mode, and not in viewing mode.
But let's return to the differences in the player when playing Blu-ray discs and their images: the difference is striking, firstly, by the lack of the ability to fast forward. Press or don't press the arrow buttons on the remote control - nothing happens. Only the option, usually called GoTo, works (in our player it is called Time search, where you need to manually enter right time). Accelerated playback in both directions is limited to 16x, slow playback is possible only at 1/2x speed. Video information displayed on the screen when you click the Info button also takes on a slightly different appearance:
The POPUP MENU button when playing discs calls up a pop-up menu built into the BD structure when it is authored. The behavior of menu items, and even the film itself, may vary from disc to disc - it entirely depends on the imagination of its creators (as an example -).
Pressing the Setup button on the remote also displays contrast, brightness, saturation and hue settings. But these points are in English, which once again proves the use of another, alternative player, which automatically turns on when you start the disk or its image.
Now about the sad thing: the video scaling function does not work when playing Blu-ray discs, that is, it does not work at all. The player does not respond in any way to pressing the corresponding button on the remote control.
In conclusion, let's look at one interesting technology found in Blu-ray discs. Not in all, of course, but only in some. It's not hard to guess who made these discs. This technology is called BD-Live(Blu-ray Disc - Live), it is developed and patented by Sony Corporation. Its purpose is to provide access to interactive entertainment: Internet games, competitions and other web services. Also, with its help, the user can obtain additional materials about the film that are not on the disk he has. Fortunately, we found one such Blu-ray disc (admittedly, it is also the only “real” BD) - a cartoon about meatballs in Blu-ray 3D format. These 3D functions do not work in our player, of course; Fortunately, this disc can also be watched in regular 2D format.
When trying to launch BD-Live from the POP-UP menu while playing a Blu-ray disc, the player displayed the following message:
Yeah, so here they are, the limitations that threatened the player due to the lack of a system drive! Well, let's try to equip the player with the necessary hardware. To do this, a 16 GB memory card was inserted into the appropriate slot, and in the player settings we defined it as a system drive.
And - it worked! Loading the BD-Live service lasts about two minutes, after which the user finds himself in a kind of animated browser with icons of Blu-ray discs with films and cartoons. Here you can watch movie trailers, but you won’t be able to go deeper into studying the service - the corporation that owns the service traditionally asks you to register the disc and enter a certain username and password.
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To be honest, I didn’t really want to bother with this. Thanks to BD-Live for existing, and we wish it further development. Like all other Internet services, which will be discussed in the next chapter.
Internet services
All these services are collected in two sections of the main menu: TV And Applications. Let's start with the first one. There are two services to choose from - Picture.TV And IPTV. We figured out the first service almost instantly, receiving a shock in the form of a request to enter a login/password pair. You can purchase a subscription on the service website http://kartina.tv; 120 channels are available here, as well as a wide selection of archived recordings. The subscription costs about 15 euros for one month.
Fortunately, the service provides . True, with some restrictions, but still...
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The selection of content is made from the categories available here, buffering before viewing takes a matter of seconds.
With the second service, IPTV, it turned out to be even simpler: it is completely empty. You can only " Create a folder" Yes " Set up sorting" Why sort here if instead of a list of channels there is an empty window? In fact, this folder should display IPTV channels provided by the user's provider. And then only if he (the provider) broadcasts these channels. Of course, to set it up correctly, you will have to dig deep into the documentation for the player and, probably, ask for advice on the forum.
Chapter Applications- this is where you should look.
The web browser takes quite a long time to launch, about a minute. It starts from the dune-hd.com page, registered as the home page. Navigation here is not entirely convenient; after all, it’s not a PC, but a player. However, with the help of a connected mouse and keyboard - quite nothing.
The Internet radio item turned out to be as empty as the previous IPTV. But ivi.ru, Russia's first free video service with licensed full-length content boasts several items: Movie, Series, TV show, Animation And Search. Each of the listed items is divided into numerous sub-items, among which you can get lost: sorting by languages, genres and, finally, by titles of “works”.
Before starting to play the program, see a short advertisement - everything is correct, the resource needs something to live on. During channel playback, no functions are available to the user, except for calling up information on the screen and stopping playback (in other words, only two buttons work: Info And Stop). Rewinding, pausing, changing the sound level or zooming the picture while viewing these materials is not possible. Recording this stream is also not feasible.
The next service - RadioTime - is an online library of music channels, divided into categories and stations. Before playing a selected station, the user can check its current availability by pressing Reading check in the information window.
While listening to a radio station, a recording of the stream becomes available; it is started by pressing the corresponding button on the remote control. The recording is made in MP3 format with the same bitrate as the station broadcasts; recorded files are located in the folder Radio_recordings on the storage device connected to the player (not the system one!).
Another radio service too famous to be presented separately: SHOUTcast. This huge library, which contains a great variety of online radio channels, is also divided into categories by language, country and genre.
The penultimate point in Applications - russia.ru. This resource does not require recommendations at all: it contains TV shows, news, thematic videos - everything that a soul desires to keep abreast of what is happening.
When playing a video stream from of this service the user has access to functions such as pause, frame zoom, rewind and navigation through the broadcast video file (if it is already loaded into the cache). Stream recording is not available.
And finally, torrents. This icon exists here in order to control the download process launched earlier (to add a torrent, you need to launch the corresponding *.torrent file by selecting it in the file browser). The launched download is displayed in this table, and the user can see information such as upload and download speeds, as well as the time in hours:minutes remaining until the download is completed.
The downloaded file is located in the Torrents folder on the connected drive. The player's processor power is quite enough to download a torrent while simultaneously playing a Blu-ray disc. But here, most likely, the matter is not so much in the processor, but in a well-distributed load. And the firmware, written according to all the rules, is entirely responsible for this.
The listed web services, such as Internet radio or TV, can be supplemented with your own playlists. True, the player is not able to run playlists in the *.xpsf format, but the more familiar *.M3U ones work quite well! The author even managed to rip off a certain playlist from the website of a local provider with a list of several TV channels broadcast by the provider as test ones. And - lo and behold - this playlist worked!
Even more pleasant was the fact that these broadcasts can be recorded; the resulting video files are located in the folder MTS_recordings, located on the same drive connected to the player.
conclusions
One of the device's shortcomings is the lack of indicators indicating the current state of the player. The red LED on the front panel only works when the player is in standby mode or turned off, but power is supplied. It also seems inconvenient to have a drive initialized as a system partition (a 2 GB flash drive is sufficient). Without a system drive, some functions of the device will not work (for example, Internet radio, BD-Live!, built-in torrent client). It seems that the manufacturer could well have equipped the player with several gigabytes of built-in memory - it is now “a ruble per bundle” (however, according to the developer, this can significantly reduce the reliability of the player, because flash memory has a limit on the number of write cycles, and therefore is much simpler - and cheaper! - just change the flash drive). The lack of the Bookmark function can also be attributed, albeit to a minor defect, which, fortunately, is promised to be corrected soon.
All other characteristics that are considered positive owe their origin to only one factor. Firmware, high quality, deeply thought out and thoroughly tested (it would be more correct - polished). Freezing, overheating, false positives, SAMBA server crashes or loss of network connection and other malfunctions, which, no secret, are often encountered in the operation of players from less expensive manufacturers, are almost eliminated here: the average price (number of offers) of Dune HD Smart B1 is N /D(0).