![]() ![]() When we reviewed the BDP-LX88, we were puzzled by the omission of BBC iPlayer and Netflix apps, and even at half the price we feel shortchanged by their absence.īut with many home cinema products (especially tellies) cramming in smart software, there are plenty of other ways to get them. ![]() Last but not least, a LAN socket (you need a separate dongle for wi-fi connectivity) gives you access to its built-in smart apps, YouTube and Picasa. Two HDMI outputs are also sufficient, as are two USB slots (one at the front). A coaxial and pair of RCA outputs should be satisfactory for most, though. You might expect a drop in connectivity from the well-equipped BDP-LX88, but it remains largely the same – save for the absence of balanced analogue outputs. Featuresĭespite being under half the price of its bigger sibling, the BDP-LX58 can still boast the majority of its better features: Ultra HD 4K upscaler (not a given at this price), 3D playback and high-res support for DSD 2.8MHz and PCM files (inc FLAC and WAV) up to 24-bit/192kHz via USB or streamed via DLNA. The delivery isn’t quite as smooth as the Pana’s, but we prefer its sense of drive and better grasp of low-level dynamics. You don’t get the same refinement, organisation or musical nuance you would from the best dedicated £600 CD players, but load up Alicia Keys’ If I Ain’t Got You and piano sequences are full of life and body. ![]() ![]() The music format compatibility is unusually vast (it can play high-res files, SACD and DVD-Audio), which is good news. Gunfire is backed by decent solidity, as is the shattering of windows as the kidnapping proceeds.įurther cross-comparison with the Panasonic reveals the Pioneer’s richer dialogue and clearer, more dynamic delivery of the film’s string-led score.įor a Blu-ray player of this price, the Pioneer’s music replay is certainly up to scratch. Sound quality doesn’t let it down either, the soundfield nicely focused and balanced as we replay Fargo. This is the first player to apply it to multichannel PCM as well as stereo, but it only works with a compatible Pioneer receiver.Elsewhere, picture noise is low, and the image remains blur-free as cartoons whizz across the screen. Yes you can play DivX, MP3, WMA, JPEG and AVCHD but only from CDs or DVDs and not USB – the port on the back is used only for adding extra memory if you need it.Įlsewhere on the feature list you’ll find a wealth of detailed picture adjustments and presets for different types of display, plus Pioneer’s Precision Quartz Lock System (PQLS), which eliminates jitter when playing audio through the HDMI output. Still, if you can conceal the cable then there’s fun to be had downloading bonus content from the web.Īlso disappointing is the uncharacteristically awkward media support. The Ethernet port provides wired hook-up to the web but we can’t help lamenting the lack of Wi-Fi on a premium player like this, especially as rivals like Sony and LG are about to unleash wireless-capable players. It means you’ll need an HDMI-equipped amp to savour the delights of Dolby True HD or DTS HD Master Audio, although it doesn’t necessarily need to decode these formats - the deck will convert them to LPCM for you. The back panel covers the essential connections but the lack of multichannel analogue outputs is surprising, given that they’ve featured on every Pioneer Blu-ray deck to date. ![]()
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