Fabulous Forum Friends,

my youngest has moved out starting to make his own mark on the world - a very positive thing.

Unfortunately he chose to his PS3 with him, so I now have nothing to play the Blu-Ray Discs he gave me as presents.

Of course he thinks I should buy a replacement PS3, and there is a certain logic in that, but I don't play computer games.

I have been looking at the Sony BDP S760 or the Panasonic DMP BD80 as a replacement.

My plan is to use the chosen Blu-Ray device to deliver surround sound to my BV8-32 (for which Blu-Ray video is an overkill) using the 5.1/7.1 line out capabilities of the Sony or Panasonic to directly wire 4xBeoLab 4s (as well as the BV8-32's centre speaker), something I can not do with a PS3.  

Another positive is that I believe both are directly controllable via the BV8-32 IR blaster rather than needing the addition of a PS3 dongle.

Both have received positive comments from fellow Beoworlders and on other AV/Hi-Fi sites I would appreciate any "last minute" advice as I some times get confused by the alphabet soups of video formats and audio encoding schemes.

The "facts" as I see them are:

1. the Panasonic unit appears to be about 10~15% cheaper than the Sony
2. the Panasonic has an SD card slot, but I believe the slot is needed to provide memory for some advanced functions and is not just an alternative media source, however the Sony provides a USB port for the capability of additional media input
3. the Panasonic achieves 7.1 surround sound by a circuit that unifies the composite audio ports with the 5.1 output ports, whereas the Sony has a discrete set of 7.1/5.1 ports
4. the Panasonic does not have S-Video output but the Sony does (but then the BV8-32 has no S-Video input !)

So I would appreciate your feedback on:

• my line-out idea is crazy and won't work (I will need to control volume via the chosen unit's remote and/or our Beo4/BV8 IR interface)
• practical limitations in controls via the Beo4/BV8 and the chosen unit
• pragmatic limitations in audio encoding support by either unit
• pragmatic limitations in video encoding support by either unit
• any other points positive or negative, including the general idea including recommendations to back up my son's view of the PS3 (but purely aas an AV device )

Many thanks in advance: Ed~2

update (and gentle nudge now that Wednesday night has passed)

• both units have a USB input slot
• both units appear to support the same range of audio 
• basically the Sony is AUD600 and the Panasonic AUD500

but price is not the criterion, it is whether one is the better integration with B&O and/or the better performer

Thanks Ed~2

*bump*

any comments ?

I prefer Panasonic one: cheaper, faster and more versatile

It has a full Beo4/5 integration

Thank you for that piece of good news :)

Tell me, did you attach Beolabs to the audio outputs if the Panasonic ?

i.e. were you able to use line-out signal levels ...

elephant:

i.e. were you able to use line-out signal levels ...

No, the Panasonic BD Player hasn't control on its sound outputs  You have to attach the labs to the BV. You will have no Surround sound, but 3.1.

For surround sound you need a sound processor with control on sound outputs...