Sony BDP-S550 BD Player

I've owned the same player for more than five years and have had no trouble. NO DISK suggests a weak laser. It's also possible you're inserting the disks "crookedly" (though I doubt it). $110 is less than a repair, but I leave it to others to decide whether the odds are in your favor.

One of this player's strong points is that it outputs lossless Dolby True HD and DTS Master Audio as analog. It was one of the last players from any company to do this. Most later players depend on the system controller to handle these formats via HDMI, eliminating one or two expensive chips from the player. /This alone/ is justification for fixing it -- unless you're about to buy an OPPO.

By the way... Be sure the External Memory stick supplied with the player is installed. Some disks (such as "Starship Troopers" and "LotR:Fellowship") won't play without it. And if you have a 6- or 7-channel setup, and don't hear the two extra channels, look at p49. Change BD Audio Setting from Mix to Direct.

I was using it at my business (a screening room) and I would definitely pop for an Oppo for this important use but it's annoying that Oppo will not let one suppress on-screen nonsense. There's been much discussion among technicians and several of us have even contacted them about including this on a firmware update but they have told us all that they will not. I don't want to spend that much on something that gives an inferior presentation which it will if there is on-screen BS. They've lost a number of sales over this issue.

I haven't decided if I should get a better model player (stopping short of the Oppo as noted) for the business or just leave my other (lesser) Sony there (along with a super cheapo "Digix" as backup) and get a low end machine for home. I did in fact bring home the cheapest Sony from Sam's Club (1100 or something like that) the other day but returned it as the blacks were more milky gray.

If I do go the cheap home player route I will still want it to have an audio out of some sort, not just via HDMI as I still want to be able to use it at the bus>

"Cheap home player" and "analog audio output" (presumably of the lossless HD formats) are mutually exclusive. Getting the latter requires specialized chips, which you won't find in cheap players.

No, the minimal requirement would be a digital coax or optical connector not analog. Even the cheapie Sony I tried had a digital coax connector but that's the exception. Many have nothing on the back but the HDMI connector so I can't go quite that low if the player is to be useable in an emergency at my business. (At home that's fine as I don't do fancy sound at home -- just the tv sound.)

To the best of my knowledge, you can't get 5.1 or 7.1 HD audio through a coax or optical connector. My understanding is that that is what you wanted.

Sure you can. I get Dolby Digital etc for optical and coaxial digital outputs all the time at work.

(I work on surround receivers etc.)

Mark Z.

Note that I said (see above) HD Audio.

I checked this in my Sony user manual before posting, and I believe it's correct. (You'd never know from the manuals, as they tell you next to nothing.)

Følgende er skrevet af William Sommerwerck:

Isn't the correct answer "Yes you can, from some units, but not from the mentioned Sony player." ?

Leif

I'm not sure. My understanding is that HD Audio //is not// available from the coax or optical outputs of any player. HDMI is the only source.

I should have been more specific. On page 21, we read...

"If your AV amplifier (receiver) has a Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic, or DTS decoder and a digital input jack, you can enjoy Dolby Digital (5.1ch), Dolby Pro Logic (4.0ch) or DTS (5.1ch) surround effects."

Note that the HD formats -- Dolby True HD and DTS Master Audio -- are not mentioned.

Ignorant of "HD" audio apparently.

Apologies.

mz