Pioneer Elite BDP-05FD Blu-ray Player Reviewed

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Performance
4 Stars
Value
4.5 Stars
Overall
4.5 Stars

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pioneer-Elite-BDP-05FD.gifIn mid-2008, Pioneer released two new Blu-ray models, the Elite BDP-05FD and the standard Pioneer-branded BDP-51FD. The two models share many of the same features, with the $799 Elite model adding a few high-end touches to distinguish it from the $599 Pioneer model. Both players are Profile 1.1/BonusView, which means they contains the necessary audio and video decoders to play picture-in-picture content; however, they lack BD-Live support to play Web content, which comes with the Profile 2.0 spec. The BDP-05FD supports Blu-ray, DVD, CD audio, MP3, WMA, and AVCHD playback. Unlike last year's Elite BDP-95FD, this player does not have an Ethernet port for firmware updates and support of the Home Media Gallery function, which allows you to stream digital media from a PC or DLNA-compliant server.

Additional Resources
• Read more Blu-ray player reviews from the staff at HomeTheaterReview.com.
• Explore plasma HDTV and LED HDTV options to pair with the BDP-05FD.

The Elite BDP-05FD's back panel features HDMI 1.3a, component video, S-video, and composite video outputs. Output-resolution options for HDMI are Auto, 480i, 480p, 1080i, 1080p/60, and Source Direct, which outputs each disc at its native resolution - including 1080p/24 for most Blu-ray movies. Options for component video are 480i, 480p, 1080i, and Source Direct (although 1080p discs are output at 1080i). Note that 720p is no longer offered as a dedicated output resolution. The BDP-05FD includes a Video Adjust menu that includes a number of advanced picture adjustments: Pure Cinema settings, numerous noise-reduction options, gamma correction, white/black level, detail, hue, and chroma, as well as a setting that optimizes the player's output based on the type of display connected to it.

Audio outputs include HDMI, optical and coaxial digital audio, and 2- and 7.1-channel analog audio outputs. The player features internal Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoders and will also pass these formats in their native bitstream form over HDMI, to be decoded by a receiver that contains the necessary decoders. Both the HDMI and analog audio outputs support the passage of 7.1-channel PCM audio. The player uses Wolfson Audio digital-to-analog converters, and it employs a special Pioneer jitter-reduction circuit and a feature called PQLS to eliminate jitter with CD audio when you mate the player with certain Pioneer Elite receivers.

The back panel lacks an RS-232 port, but it does have a control input for use with a Pioneer receiver that has a SR control output. Some of the step-up features that distinguish the BDP-05FD from the BDP-51FD are the use of gold-plated connection ports and a 12-bit/297-MHz/ video DAC, as opposed to a 12-bit/148.5-MHz video DAC. Also, the higher-end model sports an aluminum front panel, with capacitance touch buttons.

Read about the high points and low points of the BDP-05FD on Page 2.

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  • Comment on this article

  • By greg

The Pioneer Elite series of components, have always provided excellent quality and performance. This player seems to be no different. though there are other players, for less money, some features will be probably omitted. Like internal decoding of the codecs, which the pioneer does have.

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