That Oh Wow moment, and I say again Oh Wow.

Posted by: Mr Underhill on 22 December 2010

I'm starting to go through an update process on the AV side of things.

Purchase 1: Phillips 56pf 21:9 TV (Oh Wow 1)

For the main system. For me this is an ideal purchase, I don't watch TV but do watch lots of films; and the picture?

Moving from the 37" PWD panny the size of the screen just grabs you. Watching 'The Day After Tomorrow' the scale of the events reached out and held you, far more visceral than the panny.

So that's it then? Game set and match to the Phillips?

No.

The panny is far kinder to poorly mastered DVDs, of which I have lots. By preference I will use the panny for watching 4:3 and TV series. The panny is also FAR better off axis, as you would expect for a plasma vs an LCD.

The Phillips really needs good source material ....and currently I am feeding is with my Naim DVD5, via the DVI output. What about Blu-Ray? Well more after Purchase 2.


Purchase 2: Sony BDP-S370 (Streaming iPlayer, Oh Wow 2)

As part of the Phillips install I moved the panny into the play-room, thx for the help Mike. My wife has problems getting her laptop off the girls, watching iPlayer; I then read that the Sony can be a DLNA client and will play iPlayer.

Having built some shelves into an old fireplace, drilled holes through the side-walls, routed the speaker cables, fixed some speakers on the walls, fitted a patch cable from my switch (loft) to the play-room (ground floor) I was able to set up the player .......and?

Remember that the panny is SD. I decided to play an old Dr Who episode, and was really impressed. If I had just wondered in and been told it was a DVD I wouldn't have questioned it.

I then set up my LoveFilm account to interface with the Sony, and watch the start of The Mist, worked very well.


Next steps:

1. After my daughter has opened her Christmas pressy, grab her PC and turn that into a NAS;
2. Hire a few Blu-Ray discs from LoveFilm;
3. Play the 370 back through the Phillips.

DVD5 Comment:
The DVI output is really very good. As good as Blu-Ray? Course not, but the sound of the DVD5 is superlative, and I would suggest has yet to be bettered. If I do buy a Blu-Ray, now a probability, I will continue to use the DVD5.

..Off now to watch the Lord of the Rings films!


M