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Memorex MVBD2510 Blu-ray Player<\/strong><\/p>\n Memorex MVBD2510 Blu-ray Player<\/strong><\/p>\n MSRP $269 , Street Price $169.99 from Target<\/a> Pros:<\/strong><\/p>\n Cons:<\/strong><\/p>\n Review update posted 7\/30\/09: Memorex has posted a firmware update that fixes compatability issues with certain discs.\u00a0 Installing it should be considered a most!\u00a0 You can download it along with installation instructions on Memorex’s site.<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Memorex firmware update 7\/30\/09 <\/a><\/p>\n The Memorex MVBD2510 Blu-ray player made headlines recently when woot.com offered it for under $150 delivered during on a one-day-only sale.\u00a0 Buy.com quickly followed suit and the player has been available from Target for $169.99<\/a> Player Capabilities The MVBD2510 is a Profile 1.1 Bonus View Blu-ray player.\u00a0 It can:<\/p>\n The MVBD2510 cannot:<\/p>\n As you can see, the MVBD2510 does not ask you to give up very much given its price, and its capabilities are unmatched at anywhere near its price point.\u00a0 Most users will not be interested in connecting their players to the Internet anyway and DTS-HD High Resolution is found on every disc with DTS-HD Master Audio, so you will get fantastic sound quality with every disc you put in the player, Master Audio decoding or not.<\/p>\n Unpacking the Unit<\/strong><\/p>\n Memorex has provided a first-class experience here from the moment you open the box.\u00a0 Surprising how a budget brand can do this, when bigger, better known manufacturers chintz out.\u00a0 Like Avis, I guess Memorex just has to try harder!\u00a0 If you are giving this as a gift, it is sure to make a very good impression on the recipient.\u00a0 Lots of style points here.<\/p>\n Opening the box continues the good impression.\u00a0 Documents are in a folding cardboard pouch, seen in the center here. <\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0Player out of the box, with documents, remote and cables.\u00a0 No HDMI cable is supplied, so get one for under $5.00 from monoprice.com<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0Owner’s manual and other supplied documents.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0This 3-step setup guide was well illustrated and easy to understand, making it clearly the best of the included documents. <\/strong><\/p>\n Player and remote.\u00a0 There’s a brushed gunmetal blue metal trim piece across the front, a nice touch. <\/strong><\/p>\n Remote control.\u00a0 Commonly used playback buttons are placed a little differently than other players I have seen. <\/strong><\/p>\n A USB port is hidden under a cover on the right side of the player.\u00a0 It is used for playback of videos, music and digital photographs contained on a USB drive. <\/strong><\/p>\n HDMI and component video outputs, digital audio outputs and stereo analog audio outputs. <\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0Startup screen.<\/strong><\/p>\n Multichannel Analog Outputs and Blu-ray’s High Definition Audio Formats <\/strong><\/p>\n Blu-ray offers high definition sound quality that can match the studio’s original master tapes, but it is not as simple as just plugging your player into your old receiver with a coaxial or optical digital connection.\u00a0 Most consumers do not yet have an HDMI receiver with high-def audio decoding, and many of these people with older, but functional receivers do not have any interest in replacing them before their time.\u00a0 If your surround sound receiver has multichannel analog inputs (most do) then you can get a player that decodes the high-def audio internally and sends the signal from analog outputs- just like the Memorex.<\/p>\n \u00a0The multichannel analog outputs are what set this player apart from any others selling for close to the price. <\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0 Use ordinary RCA cables to connect the multichannel outputs to your receiver’s multichannel analog inputs (shown above.)\u00a0 Get high-definition sound from Blu-ray without buying a new HDMI receiver!<\/strong><\/p>\n Speaker setup menu <\/strong><\/p>\n When you use the multichannel analog outputs you must go into the audio setup menu to configure your speakers.\u00a0 The Memorex has a more basic setup screen than most other surround sound devices and is easy to work with.<\/p>\n The two most prominent players on the market that decode audio internally and transmit it through multichannel analog outputs are the Panasonic DMP-BD55K<\/a> \u00a0HDMI audio setup menu <\/strong><\/p>\n HDMI audio settings are made under the Digital Output section of the audio setup menu.\u00a0 If you are using the internal decoders, set it to PCM.\u00a0 If you are transmitting the audio to a receiver for decoding, select Bitstream.<\/p>\n Loading times and BD-Java<\/strong><\/p>\n “BD-J” shows on the display when a disc with BD-Java is loading.<\/strong><\/p>\n Many Blu-ray discs incorporate BD-Java, also known as BD-J.\u00a0 BD-J allows content creators to create advanced interactive menus as well as games and many other multimedia, interactive features.\u00a0 Discs with heavy BD-J code can take a long time to load, not load at all or even crash the player, requiring a reboot.\u00a0 When disc playback problems occur a firmware update, issued by the player manufacturer,\u00a0 is needed to correct the problem.\u00a0 More on this below.<\/p>\n I was excited to see this screen come up (a successful load) when I tried to play Dr. No<\/em> from Fox\/MGM.\u00a0 I had trouble with F<\/em><\/strong>or Your Eyes Only<\/em>, another known problem title that has choked many other players.<\/strong><\/p>\n Most discs loaded in 60-90 seconds.\u00a0 The longest loading time I experienced was with Dr. No<\/a> I encountered two Blu-ray Disc loading errors that did not repeat themselves.\u00a0 The first time I tried to play Band of Brothers<\/a> If a disc does not load, unplug the player, plug it back in and turn it on while holding the eject button.\u00a0 Hold it down until the disc ejects. It may take a minute or two but it is the only way to get a disc out if it will not load.<\/p>\n Firmware updates and manufacturer support- what do they mean to you?<\/strong><\/p>\n Setup menu with firmware update, a good sign for future player support. <\/strong><\/p>\n This brings us to the subject of firmware updates.\u00a0 High definition disc players are in essence very high-powered computers and as such many of them need updated from time to time. For example, when the James Bond Blu-rays came out a lot of players could not load them and manufacturers rushed to issue updates.\u00a0 Once the updates were installed the movies played fine.\u00a0 It is likely that over time the need for updates will fall away as hardware manufacturers and movie studios settle in with the format, but for now you should expect to do an update once in a while.\u00a0 It’s an easy process.<\/p>\n To update firmware, the user usually goes to the manufacturer’s website, downloads a file, burns it on a CD, and places the disc in the player.\u00a0 “Update Firmware” is chosen in the setup menu and the player does the rest.\u00a0 Some manufacturers will mail you a disc free of charge if you register the player on their website.<\/p>\n Sony’s PlayStation 3 downloads firmware updates wirelessly and automatically, one reason it is considered the best Blu-ray player out there.\u00a0 Players with Ethernet connections can update via the web as well.\u00a0 Some players, such as the Funai-manufactured Insignia NS-BRDVD, Magnavox, and Sylvania players, have managed to get along without any firmware updates at all so one has not been issued yet.<\/p>\n Memorex uses a CD system for firmware updates, and an update that fixes the problem with For Your Eyes Only<\/em> has been promised.\u00a0 I’ll be sure to post news of it once it has been released.<\/p>\n Blu-ray playback<\/strong><\/p>\n So once a disc is loaded and the movie is playing, how does the Memorex MVBD2510 perform?\u00a0 It performs like… a good Blu-ray player.\u00a0 Picture and sound quality are stunning, Bonus View PiP functions worked properly, no drama. The remote control was a little awkward until I got used to the button placement.\u00a0 When I hit the “skip” or “pause” commands there was a bit of lag (again, typical for many players) but navigation of the pop-up meus was swift and sure.\u00a0 In short, this player does exactly what it is supposed to do and does it well.<\/p>\n DVD playback<\/strong><\/p>\n The satisfying DVD upscaling performance was a pleasant surprise.\u00a0 Most Blu-ray players, even some of the more expensive models, are, frankly, horrible performers with DVDs.\u00a0 Sometimes I wonder if this is by design since the manufacturers in the Blu-ray Disc Association would prefer you buy Blu-ray Discs instead of DVDs.\u00a0 The Memorex put up a nice image with natural colors and contrast, looking just a bit soft compared to the best upscalers.\u00a0 It does well enough with DVDs that you won’t be aching for a second player to make your DVDs look better.<\/p>\n A single glitch was encountered playing DVDs.\u00a0 When I played Demolition Man<\/em> (an older title from Warner Bros) when the movie started the subtitles were on and the director’s commentary audio track was selected. \u00a0 Two clicks on the remote removed the subtitles and changed it to the main soundtrack.<\/p>\n USB playback <\/strong><\/p>\n USB flash drive inserted into player for photo playback. <\/strong><\/p>\n I experimented briefly with the USB function, but only with photographs.\u00a0 I will try music and movies in the future and report on my findings.<\/p>\n Menu screen for USB drive.\u00a0 Nicely done! <\/strong><\/p>\n Photo submenu. <\/strong><\/p>\n Image displayed from USB through the MVBD2510.\u00a0 Note jagged line artifacts along the top of the player in this crop.<\/strong><\/p>\n For a test image I dragged a high resolution stock image of the MVBD2510 onto a flash drive. \u00a0 There were jagged line artifacts evident, perhaps because I did not resize the images.\u00a0 I should note here that I have taken 14.6 megapixel images with my Pentax K20D digital SLR and placed the memory card in the Insignia player and it has always played back perfectly, so it appears to outperform the Memorex in this regard. With some experimentation and resizing you should be able to get perfect pictures on your screen, but it won’t work right off the memory card.<\/p>\n Conclusion and recommendation<\/strong><\/p>\n Though it is not perfect, the Memorex MVNBD2510 is a well-made product that does what is it supposed to do… provide an inexpensive way to experience high-def picture and sound from Blu-ray Discs.\u00a0 The multichannel analog outputs make it a compelling choice for anyone with a modest surround sound system since they will provide support for all of the lossless sound formats save DTS-HD Master Audio.<\/p>\n I do think a Panasonic DMP-BD55K<\/a> Where does that put the Memorex MVBD2510?\u00a0 It’s pretty much in a class of its own, providing an extremely affordable way for anyone to try Blu-ray, especially those who want to experience high definition sound without replacing their receiver.\u00a0 If you have an older receiver and want to get into Blu-ray inexpensively, your player is here… go get one!\u00a0 For now this product definitely earns my recommendation, which will become even more enthusiastic once Memorex establishes a track record for firmware updates and support.<\/p>\n UPDATE: Memorex has issued its first firmware update.\u00a0 Download the firmware and manual below.<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.memorex.com\/support\/support_download.php?SECTION=SOFTWARE<\/a><\/p>\n PDF Manual- Updating the Firmware of your Memorex MVBD2510 Blu-ray Player<\/a><\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.assoc-amazon.com\/e\/ir?t=donlinssouadv-20&l=ur2&o=1\")
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