Pioneer BDP-95FD Elite Blu-ray player unboxed
By Ben Drawbaugh 
posted Feb 28th 2008 9:45PM
posted Feb 28th 2008 9:45PM
posted Feb 28th 2008 9:45PM
The number of televisions estimated that sit unused in closets.
The EPA estimates that nearly 100 million unused televisions are currently taking up precious, beautiful space. (source: EPA, July 2008)
Now that we've thrown 'em off the trail, use the form below to get in touch with the people at Engadget. Please fill in all of the required fields because they're required.
Is it profile 2.0? Does it play HD DVDs too?
no, its profile 1.0.
and it will not play HD-DVD's. if it did it'd be called a combo player.
and even so.....HD-DVD is dead, remember
Why the hell would anyone buy a profile 1.0 player!
@Jon
Wow, way to take something really serious. I do believe Peter was joking. Since this player seems to have all the other bells and whistles. So he was hoping it was 2.0 profile and threw in HD DVD playback as a joke. I do believe we all know HD DVD is dead. It's not like Engadget has been slow at getting that out. So thanks for the reminder (agian). The only people that really need being reminded are Truth Teller and Nfinity. They'll be here in a sec (or should be), so you can explain that to them when they arrive.
You might as well have asked "Does it play Doom?"
Peter,
Because they don't care about PIP or Internet enabled interactive features.
Some just want to watch the movies in the best PQ and AQ.
@Ben
Hogwash. It is because they are lazy. To release a crippled player today that is not profile 2.0, is just stupid and there is just no excuse. Even if you won't use the features, and I won't either, you should be releasing a player that is up to date. Especially since the BDA got their act together and finished the spec to finally get it to where HD-DVD was from day one. Besides, why even bother updating the spec if all that matters is watching the movie. Someoc the additions in lured in profile 2.0 are really a must in today world of media, like Ethernet for firmware and updates alone and the larger amount of ram and pfesistant memory for smooth playback and somewhere to put the updates. The others are just gravy that some will use.
I would love to get a high end BD player from Pioneer, loved my Pioneer Elite DVD player, but anything but a profile 2.0 player is unacceptable. I will wait a little longer for my high end BDA player and just stick with the non-crippled Panasonic DPM-BD50.
Zargon,
There is no profile 2.0 player, not even the PS3 has been upgraded to 2.0.
As for being profile 1.1, it only enables PIP. I can see why some would choose to buy now, rather than wait for that single feature.
Overall I agree, I'd wait 'til a 2.0 player is released later this year before paying this kind of money for a Blu-ray player.
No it won't play HD-DVDs, but too it won't play LaserDisc either. Come on, Pioneer, a proper Elite player should at least include LD playback, shouldn't it? LD, even with its slack limited support, did last two decades before being replaced by DVD, unlike HD-DVD which lasted only two years.
Pioneer Elite LD/CD/DVD/BD player - what a one-grand dream!
Not true, the player he cited is 2.0 but it is a european edition.
man...made in japan...thats the good stuff.....i want it so bad...
Man that beast is a monster
No, it's not a monster. Not until the day it adds vintage LaserDisc support. Only then would it truly become a real Pioneer Elite.
I sell these and I do smile every time I see those two together. Very nice pair.
We have those two along with the 60" Elite working together. Choice ;)
Wow, I definitely need both of these to match up to my 60" Elite as well...
Ken which best buy you work at?
There are days when we cant believe you get paid for working here either!!
I wonder if anyone at Pioneer feels ashamed about the fact that their $1000 Blu-Ray Elite series player comes with only a set of RCA standard Video/Stereo audio cables. I mean come on, no one buying Pioneer Elite would ever hook this up with that cable. Either put an HDMI and/or Component cable in the box or don't put anything. When will they learn how ridiculous this looks.
I agree 100%, the only silly thing is that the Blu-ray player comes with a separate bulky power cable, but the AVR has the typical attached thin variety.
I was just going to post the same comment. It is shameful.
ive seen this player in person at a home theater storw in Simsbury Connecticut it is deffinitly the cadilaac of brds
WOW, only Profile 1.1? What a POS! LMAO! At least 1.1 geez
OOps, meant "only profile 1.0"
Wow, a bit late are we? Iv'e had this stuff in my show room for a bit now and in fact they are soon to undergo a model transition in the not to distant future. If you want a real Blu-Ray player the Denon 2500BTCI is nicer for the same price (Unless your using 6 or 8 channel analog). Granted Denon is only 1.1 its still ahead of Pioneer, but simply because it was released months later when 1.1 was available.
I have the Pioneer Elite 74 receiver -- and while I really liked it, I decided to switch to the Denon 3808ci because the local Pioneer service center sucks -- they wouldn't do the firmware upgrade for free for me, even though Pioneer sent a memo saying it was supposed to be free. Only after writing a letter to Pioneer did they say they'd upgrade it for me; no thanks.
AlexAV in the Twin Cities - AVOID THEM!
too bad that receiver doesn't have any inputs.
Too bad this B-R unit is already discontinued. Why would Engadget receive a review piece AFTER its out-of-stock date? I work at a Magnolia HT and our systems have 95s all discontinued and nothing left to sell out of the warehouses. I assume Pioneer finally got the message about 2.0 spec.
I have this very set up along with a Pioneer Elite 150 tv and could not be happier. As for profile 2.0, who cares? My only interests are the best possible video and audio. You can take all of the other bs and well, just take it.
why would anyone take the time to review anything less than profile 2.0 at this point?
Why would anyone take the time to write a comment about a player that won't be out for 3 to 6 months.
We want to review every player and when the 2.0 players come out, we'll review them too.
Isn't this player like 5 months old? And you just got one to play win?
Wow everyone is just a bunch of haters. I think the Editors know when the products are coming out, and if they are of any use to even review. Yeah Epic Fail.
Not sure what the problem is. This is the current Pioneer Blu-ray player and a new one isn't due until at least q3 '08. We could just sit around and do nothing for six months while we wait for 2.0, or we could do reviews of all the current models while we wait.
I hope the new one supports LaserDisc playback. Come on, this is a Pioneer Elite deck, show some respect to those analog videophiles just like you did years ago with your DVD/LD Elite player!
You guys need to push Denon to send you one of their 2500's and a 3800. Those will make you pee a little. In most cases, 2 drops. BUT in some rare cases up to 4 drops will seep.
hey leroy vargas could you post again about you wanting the laser disc, geez get a life i think 1 post is enough, and who the hell cares about laserdisc maybe they should also put in an eight track player and a phonograph.