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Sony UBP-X800

My bad, thanks Jeff.

As far as streaming with Netflix, Amazon, and you tube go I'm very happy. It's fast and smooth. I don't miss my Ruko at all.
 
Something very obvious that I'd missed up until now: the Sony UBP-X800 has Bluetooth capability.

I've decided that I will be ordering one later today when Breast Buy Canada's online Boxing Day sale starts. It will be installed in my family room HT. The three incremental features that have driven this decision to buy are
- DVD-Audio support: my family room HT currently does not have this capability and I have added a number of DVD-A titles to my collection of late
- The ability to play and stream DSD files: I'm going to start looking into increasing my multichannel music collection using that format
- Bluetooth: Gen listens to a lot of stuff on her iPhone and tablet in the family room; this will allow her to play it through the system. (Correction: see a few posts down.)

Anything else that I later discover in terms of features beyond my current Sony BD player will be considered a bonus.

I've decided to not get a second unit for the main HT, since the only added feature would be DSD capability over what's already in that room. (I never need to use Bluetooth there; and I have an older Oppo that handles DVD-A.) If ever I really really wanted to listen to a DSD file down there, it would be a 30 second job to move the player from the family room HT to the main HT.)

By the by, I spent some time looking at other possible players, and nothing that I found comes even close to the Sony in terms of feature set (of features that I want). Since it's only being used as a transport / streaming device I had no need for it to have an internal DAC / RCA outputs - for example. With HDMI, and the external DAC (connected to the COAX digital output) that I posted about in another thread that's used to feed the other zones, I should be all set.

Throw in the $200 price and the decision is made.

Jeff
 
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If they'd add a couple analog and digital inputs this player could be 90% of the source capabilities any HT would need, assuming all signals go through the TV.
 
I'm also hoping that it is more stable while streaming hard-to-stream video, and while playing video from a USB stick (used for that hard-to-stream stuff.) Right now my current Sony BD player freezes / locks up on a lot of DTS MA encoded material. Bonus if the X800 works better.
 
I've had my eye on this unit, even though for now I just need standard Blu-Ray playback. It seems like it's better built than a lot of other budget-friendly Blu-Ray players. Most review sites speak favorably of the X800, though the reviews on Amazon are ok rather than great. For those who own it, how is the reliability/noise/operation?

Also, is it worth worrying that this doesn't support Dolby Vision (in terms of future proofing)?

Also it looks like all the major retailers in the US have bumped this back up to $199 :/ Hopefully it'll go on sale again soon.
 
Correction: I misread this unit's Bluetooth capabilities. For reasons known only to Sony, while you can stream audio wirelessly TO the player (say from a home server) you can only pass audio via Bluetooth FROM the Sony to Bluetooth-enabled devices. So if you want to play though a set of headphones or Bluetooth speaker (neither of which I want to do) then you are ok. Otherwise, SOL. Dang.
 
So while I was waiting for Breast Buy Canada's sale to start online (and reading all of the warnings they posted about waiting in queues, and traffic, and possible shipping delays, and...) I jumped over to Amazon.ca who just dropped their own price to $198C, and placed the order in about 10 seconds flat. $2 savings and the unit should arrive the day after Boxing Day.
 
JeffMackwood said:
Correction: I misread this unit's Bluetooth capabilities. For reasons known only to Sony, while you can stream audio wirelessly TO the player (say from a home server) you can only pass audio via Bluetooth FROM the Sony to Bluetooth-enabled devices. So if you want to play though a set of headphones or Bluetooth speaker (neither of which I want to do) then you are ok. Otherwise, SOL. Dang.
Click to expand...

I’m not sure I’m following. You want to connect a BT source to the player?
Why?
 
Towen7 said:
I’m not sure I’m following. You want to connect a BT source to the player?
Why?
Click to expand...
In the family room, Gen can pair her iTablet and iPhone to our Tivoli Model One via Bluetooth and play music, podcasts, etc. from those devices through the Tivoli. It would be nice if she had the option to play them through the room's HT as well. Since the BD player is already being used to stream stuff wirelessly from the home server, adding the ability to stream from her iDevices via Bluetooth would have been a great feature.

The BD player is already both a source (discs) and a receiver (of signals from a wireless source / internet), why can't it be both via Bluetooth? Why limit it to source duty only when it comes to Bluetooth?

Jeff

ps. to other X800 owners / users: my older Sony BD player also had a rather crude browser that I could use to display internet pages. I'm having trouble finding any mention of that capability with the X800. Does it have browser capability?
 
Another read through the owner's manual and I came across something that I ignored initially: SongPal.

Apparently this is a Sony app that will allow a mobile device (smartphone or tablet) to communicate via in-house wireless with the X800 and allow music to be played from the device through the X800.

Additionally there is something called Miracast that will also allow the device's screen image to be displayed on a TV. However the manual's not too clear about whether this means through the X800, or whether they're just saying that some device / TV combos will allow this.

Anyone try this with their X800? With Apple devices?

Jeff
 
Miscast was the original device to screen casting standard and is included in Windows and Mac OS. It is commonly used in conference rooms to cast presentations from laptops to the permanently installed projector. I dont know if iOS or Android support it.
 
Correction, Miracast wasn't THE first, but it was the first widely adopted standard.
 
@JeffMackwood, I played with it a bit just now. I could use Sony Music Center on my (android) phone to control the UBP, e.g. play a CD, change tracks, etc. From what I understand, this goes through the wi-fi.

But I couldn't get it to bluetooth pair in either direction - to play music from my phone on the UBP, or get audio from the UBP onto my phone. I briefly tried my daughter's ipad as well, same lack of success getting it to pair. I wonder if the UBP and the mobile devices are both expecting to be the source/master - that is to send audio only, not receive? Sorry, my experience with bluetooth stuff is limited, but my phone does pair with my car's audio system just fine.
 
Ok now this is interesting: controlling the UBP via my phone, I could connect to my MediaMonkey music library on my computer (what I use for all my CD rips and maintaining my library), and have it send the music through the UBP. Even shows the artwork on the phone's screen (but not the UBP's). That's pretty cool. Of course, it'd be a lot cooler if I didn't already have the squeezebox set up to do exactly that, but hey it would be a free alternative.
 
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Thank you very much for the info / input.

Keep it coming - I'd prefer to not have to bumble my way through it when the unit finally arrives! :)

Jeff
 
JeffMackwood said:
The BD player is already both a source (discs) and a receiver (of signals from a wireless source / internet), why can't it be both via Bluetooth? Why limit it to source duty only when it comes to Bluetooth?
Click to expand...

Because then you could theoretically connect the Sony’s BT input to the Sony’s BT output causing a weird rift in the space-time continuum.

On second thought ... maybe that’s how the aliens got here.
 
Another reason why I like shopping at Amazon.ca: when I placed my order I went with free shipping knowing that the posted delivery date would be January 2nd. But as almost always happens they shipped early and it will arrive on December 28 instead.
 
The Aliens would be smart
Towen7 said:
Because then you could theoretically connect the Sony’s BT input to the Sony’s BT output causing a weird rift in the space-time continuum.

On second thought ... maybe that’s how the aliens got here.
Click to expand...


The aliens would be smart enough to look at a home theater system and not say, "Hey what's this blue cable do and where does it connect to". Just saying. :)
 
I have my X-800 going HDMI directly to the TV. From the TV I'm runing an optical out to my outdated Pre/Pro. I also have a coax (Dig) out runing from the X-800 directly to the Pre/Pro. I'm only runing a 2.1 system.
Why is it that I'm getting much much better sound when I switch my Pre/Pro to the direct coax signal? It's a night and day difference.
 
I should note that I'm talking about a movie via net flix at this point. Not sure about CD playback.
 
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