Product of the Day, Day 14: Pioneer BDP-120 Blu-ray Disc Player
Pioneer BDP-120 Blu-ray Disc Player
The Pioneer BDP-120 Blu-ray disc player is a logical followup to yesterday’s product of the day, the Pioneer VSX-819A home theater receiver. The BDP-120 is due to be released on May 18, less than a week from now. Lots of folks like their components to visually match, making the BDP-120 a logical match to the VSX-819A or even the VSX-1019AH. (See my page about the best buys in HDMI receivers.)
Is the BDP-120 the player to get if you have a Pioneer receiver? Maybe, maybe not. Read on to find out why!
The Pioneer BDP-120 has a suggested retail price of $299 and seems to have all anyone could ask for. It features internal high-def decoding for use with any HDMI receiver that processes multichannel PCM or bitstreamed audio. The BDP-120 supports Blu-ray Profile 2.0 (BD-Live) for full Blu-ray functionality. Though it has yet to be reviewed, the unit is said to be very fast loading and Pioneer disc players have always been known to have exceptional image quality, be it their Laserdisc, DVD or Blu-ray players. The BDP-120 is certainly attractive with its piano black glossy finish, and would look great sitting alongside a Pioneer home theater receiver. What’s not to like?
BDP-120 remote control
Competition is the reason the BDP-120 isn’t a complete shoo-in for Pioneer receiver owners. Though the BDP-120 can do all that is specified in the Blu-ray 2.0 profile, other comparably-priced players can do all that and more.
For example, the LG BD370 is a proven performer that is regularly available for under $250. The BD370 offers the internal high-def audio decoding and BD-Live functionality of the BDP-120, then ups the ante with available streaming from Netflix, Cinemanow, and YouTube. The BD370 and its big brother the BD390 are currently the fastest players on the market, and have proven to be well supported by the manufacturer. They are both excellent players and safe bets.
Another compelling alternative is the Panasonic DMP-BD60. The DMP-BD60 features DVD playback capabilities near the top of the class, internal audio decoding, BD-Live functionality, an SD card slot for playing of videos and pictures from memory cards, and VIERA CAST for streaming web content. Panasonic’s product support is second to none and by buying a Panasonic you know you will have utter reliability.
You notice I mentioned product support twice. This is because up until now, Pioneer’s product support and reliability has lagged behind the other manufacturers. I am pretty confident that the BDP-120 will prove to be a reliable player as the Blu-ray format has matured greatly since Pioneer’s last players were introduced, and the built-in Ethernet ports will make firmware updates a simple, automatic affair. I can’t give the BDP-120 an absolute stamp of approval like some the LG and Panasonic models, at least not until I have had some experience with one and have seen some reliability reports from users online. I hope I am able to do so soon.
Is the BDP-120 the player for you? If the streaming features of the LG and Panasonic don’t mean anything to you and you want your player to match your excellent Pioneer receiver, you won’t get any argument from me if you order one!
Save money and support this site by ordering the BDP-120 from Amazon.com:
Pioneer BDP-120 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player at Amazon.com
Check back tomorrow for the Product of the Day!
