Wanted - cheap EP35 or better

jwlawler

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A quick background story. Last year, we got a Samsung LE46M86BD. Initially we had no HD source but even so I was impressed by how good SD DVDs could look. Some were better than others but many were good.

Next my son bought an XBOX 360 Elite. Just before Christmas, we succumbed to the HD add-on. We were aware that HD DVD could lose but reasoned that £100 for the player with 5 free discs was not bad anyway. If it did lose, we assumed that disc prices would crash and we would pick up some bargains. Well now we are picking up those bargains, we just did not expect to do so quite so soon.

Now, I have a nice collection of HD DVDs but a couple of problems. If in a couple of years time, the XBOX or the add-on dies, then my collection would be unplayable. My son is now 16 so in a few years may leave home and take his XBOX with him. Also, annoyingly, the add-on does not support TrueHD or 7.1 so I may not be getting the best out of it. (It is connected to an Onkyo 605 with 7.1 speakers).

The add-ons are now dirt cheap so I could buy one as a backup but this would not protect against failure or loss of the XBOX itself and not help with the sound. Well, I guess I could use the add-on by itself with a PC but I would rather not have that hassle.

The Toshiba EP30 is cheap. It would protect against an XBOX or add-in failure but it seems to be no better than the add-on, it does not even seem to be quieter. A friend has the EP30 and the add-on and says that the EP30 is almost as noisy. Also, the EP30 does not seem to have any better sound support.

So, I am looking at the EP35 or better but, annoyingly, the prices of these do not seem to be crashing. It seems pointless to pay as much as, or even more than, a PS3. If I get to that price level then I will get the PS3 and gradually build a BluRay collection.

If the wanted bargain does not materialise then I will buy a cheap add-on as insurance and hope that I do not need to use it.

Does anyone know a bargain source of a suitable player?

TueHD, 7.1 and quieter essential.

Ability to hack to play R1 SDs would be nice but not essential.
 
Does anyone know a bargain source of a suitable player?

TueHD, 7.1 and quieter essential.

Ability to hack to play R1 SDs would be nice but not essential.

Hi jwlawler. :)
Would have to be the EP35 then :) i would try and find the extra and go for the XE1,though. :cool:
Or settle for 5.1,internal decoding for HD audio and get the E1. :smashin: (can be made region free)
All the best.
 
Also, the EP30 does not seem to have any better sound support.
The EP30 does Dolby TrueHD the 360 add-on does not, I have read that the reason for the 360 add-on not doing Dolby TrueHD is because of the 1.2 HDMI port thats on it (EP30 is 1.3).

I have both the EP30 and the add-on and they both sound great to me but I would have the EP30 over the add-on any day because my EP30 is a lot quieter, mabey thats because my EP30 is in a cabinet and the 360 is on the floor.
 
My Ep30 isn't in a closed cabinet. and its as quiet as a mouse.
 

Mainly because my amp (Onkyo 605) can though I admit that I have just one disc with a 7.1 sound track (Pan's Labyrinth). I have several discs, including some classical ones, with a TrueHD sound track. They sound good already but I want to hear them at their best.

Actually, most of the time the system is only 5.1. To do 7.1, I have to wait for the wife to go out, pull the sofa forwards, and borrow an extra pair of speakers from another room. I have the cables set up ready so it is not quite as bad as it sounds and the son usually helps.

So far, I have only done this with 5.1 discs, I have not played Pan's Labyrinth yet, but even with matrixed extra channels it can sound good.. I am trying to resist PL hoping that I can get a suitable player first.
 
My Ep30 isn't in a closed cabinet. and its as quiet as a mouse.

Since this posting, I found a thread about EP30 v EP35. It is long and I have not read it all yet. In the early posts at least, there is some doubt about whether the EP30 can do what I want. There are mixed reports on the noise. Some find it quiet (as you do) and others find it noisy (as my friend does).
 
so a decision on your final player is based on one 7.1 disc you haven't player yet!!? :wow: You must like the sound of 7.1!! Great film by the way. 7.1 is largely an irrelvance for HD DVD and this severely limits your choice.
 
so a decision on your final player is based on one 7.1 disc you haven't player yet!!? :wow: You must like the sound of 7.1!! Great film by the way. 7.1 is largely an irrelvance for HD DVD and this severely limits your choice.

Well, the main point is a backup to the XBOX add-on so even the cheap EP30 would do the job. TueHD support would be good and I have several discs, that I have played, with TrueHD sound tracks. 7.1 would mainly be a bit of fun worth a few quid, but not a lot, extra.

The main thing I have against the EP30 is the noise. Reports are mixed by the only owner I know finds it as noisy as his XBOX add-on.

I have no need to rush since I can play my HDDVD discs but I am hoping that I can find a back up player better than, not just as good as, my XBOX add-on.
 
The XBox is noisey. Most of the more basic HD DVD players like E1 and 30 I have heard have been pretty quite. The more power hungry ones like the XE1 are very slightly noiser on the whole but is still low in the grand scheme of things and WAAAAY behind the 360. Try it for yourself first. the internet is unreliable ere. My XE1 just purrs quietly and would bother no one and will be noisier than a 30 due to extra hot chips.
 
The main thing I have against the EP30 is the noise. Reports are mixed by the only owner I know finds it as noisy as his XBOX add-on.

.

Hi jwlawler. :)
Most posts i've read on the EP30 regard it as a quiet player :smashin: if one is as loud as the XBOX :eek: then it's clearly faulty. :(
All the best.
 
Hi jwlawler. :)
Most posts i've read on the EP30 regard it as a quiet player :smashin: if one is as loud as the XBOX :eek: then it's clearly faulty. :(
All the best.

Thanks. I am gradually working my way through the huge EP30 v EP35 thread. Most owners seem to find the EP30 quiet. It is just that the only owner I know finds it as noisy as his XBOX add-on and less reliable. I have lent him discs which work fine in my XBOX add-on but freeze in his EP30. Sounds like his has a dodgy one.
 
Yeah,it does. :(
Honestly :) noise should be a non-issue with the EP30 :smashin: my son now has my one,and it's very quiet.
Cheers.

Thanks. I will wait a bit longer for an EP35 bargain but, if it does not come along, I will go for a cheap EP30.

I just noticed some dodgy typing in my last post, should have been: "Sounds like he has a dodgy one".
 
Thanks. I will wait a bit longer for an EP35 bargain but, if it does not come along, I will go for a cheap EP30.

I.

Hi jwlawler. :)
There is also the E1 and the EP10 to consider :smashin: both can be made region free. :cool:
Cheers.
 
Hi jwlawler. :)
There is also the E1 and the EP10 to consider :smashin: both can be made region free. :cool:
Cheers.

Thanks again. More models to consider.

I have finally gone through the huge EP30 v Ep35 thread but most of it seemed to have been written before the players were available. I was hoping for some good hard info when I got to the newest posts but it petered out a bit disappointingly.

Let's amend my wish list a bit since, with one disc that I have not yet played, the 7.1 requirement is frivolous.

TueHD, quieter essential.

7.1 would be a bit of fun and worth paying a few, but not a lot of, pounds extra.

Ability to hack to play R1 SDs would be nice but not essential.

So, it seems that the EP30 may qualify. Now, I need to research those other models you mention.
 
Thanks again. More models to consider.

I have finally gone through the huge EP30 v Ep35 thread but most of it seemed to have been written before the players were available. I was hoping for some good hard info when I got to the newest posts but it petered out a bit disappointingly.

Let's amend my wish list a bit since, with one disc that I have not yet played, the 7.1 requirement is frivolous.

TueHD, quieter essential.

7.1 would be a bit of fun and worth paying a few, but not a lot of, pounds extra.

Ability to hack to play R1 SDs would be nice but not essential.

So, it seems that the EP30 may qualify. Now, I need to research those other models you mention.

Hi jwlawler. :)
The extra's the EP35 has over the EP30 :) bitstream all HD audio soundtracks and the analogue outs. :smashin:
EP30 decodes HD audio internally,DTS-MA you get the core track. (both not rgeion free)
E1,1080i only and the EP10,same player but up to 1080p. :cool:
Both are more stable than the 30/35 and both can be easily made region free.
HD decode for both.
All the best.
 
Hi jwlawler. :)
The extra's the EP35 has over the EP30 :) bitstream all HD audio soundtracks and the analogue outs. :smashin:
EP30 decodes HD audio internally,DTS-MA you get the core track. (both not rgeion free)
E1,1080i only and the EP10,same player but up to 1080p. :cool:
Both are more stable than the 30/35 and both can be easily made region free.
HD decode for both.
All the best.

Thanks. Although it would be nice to have the player bitstream the sound tracks and have my Onkyo 605 do the decoding, I got the impression that I could get TrueHD out of the EP30 if I let it do the decoding.
 
Thanks. Although it would be nice to have the player bitstream the sound tracks and have my Onkyo 605 do the decoding, I got the impression that I could get TrueHD out of the EP30 if I let it do the decoding.

Hi mate. :)
Yep :D TrueHD via HDMI from the EP30,will show as MULTI-CH on the amp :) same sound,but without the lights. ;)
All the best.
 
Thanks. Although it would be nice to have the player bitstream the sound tracks and have my Onkyo 605 do the decoding, I got the impression that I could get TrueHD out of the EP30 if I let it do the decoding.

Received my EP35 last week from Avides-Germany. I to have a 605 with most of my collection outputting True sound + a dozen DTS HD inc Band Of Brothers & T2 German 7.1. think you'll be well impressed if you go for the EP35, as im sure you'll get a Blu player in time you will find that there is more & more titles comming thru with 7.1. Thats why i decided to upgrade my E1, (also needed a backup machine) which my E1 is now, with over 100 titles on HD have just started to buy Blu titles, Close Encounters being my first.

7.1 sound amazing, buy that EP35 before they all disappear!!!!!
 
Received my EP35 last week from Avides-Germany. I to have a 605 with most of my collection outputting True sound + a dozen DTS HD inc Band Of Brothers & T2 German 7.1. think you'll be well impressed if you go for the EP35, as im sure you'll get a Blu player in time you will find that there is more & more titles comming thru with 7.1. Thats why i decided to upgrade my E1, (also needed a backup machine) which my E1 is now, with over 100 titles on HD have just started to buy Blu titles, Close Encounters being my first.

7.1 sound amazing, buy that EP35 before they all disappear!!!!!

Thanks for that. Gosh, it is a tough choice: cheap and fairly easy to find EP30 or dearer and harder to find EP35. You are making me want the EP35, I want to hear my 7.1 system doing its job fully.
 

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