Pioneer BDP-HD1 Blu-ray player reviewed
By Richard Lawler 
posted Dec 11th 2006 1:20PM
posted Dec 11th 2006 1:20PM
The Pioneer Elite BDP-HD1 Blu-ray player isn't on store shelves yet but it's already notable for having something no other Blu-ray player has. What that thing isn't, is a low price, out of the box support for advanced audio codecs or quick load times. HDGuru took a look at the player and found it to be similar enough to Sony's BDP-S1 that they suspect both are in fact being manufactured by Pioneer, with the only differences being the BDP-HD1's Ethernet port and piano black exterior. While it's not clear if BD Live interactivity will ever be supported, users can download the inevitable firmware updates and also utilize Pioneer's new Home Media Gallery feature to stream video, pictures or music from a PC. Despite the $1500 pricetag ($500 more than the BDP-S1 and $1000 more than the PlayStation 3) the reviewer was impressed enough by the picture quality, home media capabilities and extended warranty to recommend purchasing one when they become available by year end.
i will continue to say, that this is a pretty good deal considering that the dv79, and the dv59 from the year prior were pulling a $1000 price tag, and only played regular dvds, and lacked the networking DNLA feature. only bummer w/ the new elite is it does'nt play CDs