Pioneer introduces Elite BDP-05FD / BDP-51FD Blu-ray players
By Ben Drawbaugh 
posted May 7th 2008 9:00AM
posted May 7th 2008 9:00AM
PIONEER PREMIUM BONUSVIEW BLU-RAY DISC PLAYERS EMULATE TRUE THEATER EXPERIENCE
New Elite and Pioneer Players Deliver Reference Quality Playback with Enhanced Performance Features
NEW YORK – (May 7, 2008) – Elevating the high definition experience in home theaters, Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. today announces the Elite® BDP-05FD and Pioneer® BDP-51FD BonusView Blu-ray Disc® players that exceed the capabilities of current players in the market with support of next generation high resolution audio and video formats that fulfill the emotional experience of high end entertainment. Featuring picture-in-picture interactivity and a redesigned platform that significantly improves overall performance, the new players work in tandem with Pioneer's KURO displays and A/V receivers to provide film enthusiasts the most true-to-life reproduction of HD feature films.
"Our new Blu-ray Disc players continue to demonstrate Pioneer's unwavering commitment to delivering an immersive seeing and hearing experience for those who want the absolute best in form and function," said Chris Walker, senior manager of marketing and product planning for Blu-ray Disc at Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. "In offering a full line of players, we are solidifying Pioneer's reputation as a brand that is continually meeting the needs of consumers who are designing or upgrading their home theaters."
Cinematic Picture Quality
Taking advantage of HDMI® 1.3a technology, Pioneer brings film aficionados to the frontier of next generation entertainment with the most cutting edge video processing available. Both players support 12-bit video digital-to-analog converter (DAC) providing exceptional analog video performance. 12-Bit Deep Color is implemented on both models to deliver an unprecedented range of hues and shades resulting in pristine, realistic imagery that was not possible with previous generations. For early technology adopters, both players are a great investment that will continually meet the advancements of HD home entertainment technology.
With Pioneer's 1080p / True 24 frames per second (fps) video output, the two models offer smooth performance of film based Blu-ray Disc movies that greatly reduce image judder. By preserving the feature film scene cadence in which Blu-ray Disc titles are authored and feature films are captured, viewers gain a natural, high quality movie viewing experience just as they would in the theater.
Pioneer has continued to enhance high performance DVD playback in the new players with the inclusion of the proprietary and advanced PureCinema Deinterlacer, which essentially eliminates lines that can negatively affect the viewing experience. DVDs can be scaled to a 1080p resolution for improved picture quality and compatibility with HDTVs.
Dynamic Audio Enhances Emotional Experience
Pioneer recognizes the vital importance that sound plays in creating an emotional home entertainment experience and for film aficionados who want to gain the full impact of high resolution movie soundtracks.
The new players are two of the industry's first to support all advanced audio formats, with the ability to decode Dolby® TrueHD and Dolby Digital Plus, DTS® HD* and DTS HD Master* high resolution audio formats, which also enables advanced connectivity that makes compatibility a minimal concern. Consumers will hear the subtle nuances and deep bass in their favorite films to bring an unprecedented listening experience that transcends what was previously thought possible in home theater.
Typically utilized by high end audio manufacturers and professional audio equipment, Pioneer selected the professional quality Wolfson Digital Audio Converters (DACs) in the new players to ensure the highest level audio performance that sound engineers intended audiences to experience.
Robust Build Quality
Pioneer's two BonusView Blu-ray Disc players feature a supreme build construction and attention to detail to ensure unrivaled content performance. The BDP-05FD and BDP-51FD define premium performance with high quality parts, a center loading tray which helps reduce vibration as well as dedicated audio and video boards for smooth operation and uninterrupted playback of discs.
The Elite BDP-05FD features gold-plated connection ports, capacitance touch key buttons and an aluminum front panel that will have audiophiles and videophiles eager to use and display within their high end home theater décor.
Pioneer Home Theater Synergy
Performing in concert with KURO displays and the upcoming Elite A/V receivers (SC-05 or SC-07), the new Blu-ray Disc players complete the home entertainment experience, allowing consumers to immerse themselves in stunning HD content.
Pioneer engineers developed unique performance settings in both players to ensure subtle details, vivid colors and deep shadows are accurately reproduced when shown on KURO displays. When selecting the "Pioneer PDP" in the video adjust mode, the new players will output the appropriate signal to a connected KURO and deliver the best possible image possible for viewers.
In line with the premium movie experience its products provide, Pioneer sought to create jitter-free playback and dynamic sound quality for music CDs. When connected to a new Elite receiver (SC-05 or SC-07) via HDMI, the BDP-05FD enhances CD playback with the proprietary Precision Quartz Lock System (PQLS). This advanced feature synchronizes music data coming from the Blu-ray Disc player to the receiver giving music fanatics a revolutionary high resolution listening experience far exceeding traditional methods.
Consumer Convenience
Due to the exclusive chip set design and build quality Pioneer is now utilizing, significant strides in speed performance have been made with the new players to now rival the rapid playback rate consumers have come to experience when using their DVD players. This platform greatly improves disc load, power on, power off and disc eject times.
With a continued focus on unifying the appearance and enhancing the operation of its home theater products, Pioneer has integrated the same graphic user interface found on its KURO displays and new Elite receivers. Through the player, users can customize their viewing experience via the A/V Selection menu, which provides a series of image modifications (LCD, PDP, Pioneer PDP, projector and professional) to optimize the picture displayed on a connected HDTV. Pioneer takes image quality a step further with the exclusive Picture Control Suite, which is comprised of an additional 13 video adjustments that allow viewers to fine tune small picture details of a film and deliver an experience that best suits a user's viewing preferences.
The Pioneer Elite BDP-05FD and BDP-51FD BonusView Blu-ray Disc players will begin shipping this summer for suggested prices of $799 and $599, respectively.
Pioneer's Home Entertainment and Business Solutions Group develops high definition home theater equipment for discerning entertainment junkies. Its flat panel televisions, Blu-ray Disc players, A/V receivers and speakers bring a new level of emotion to the HD experience. The company brands include Pioneer and Elite®. When purchased from an authorized retailer, consumers receive a limited warranty for one year with Pioneer products and two years with Pioneer Elite products. More details can be located at www.pioneerelectronics.com.
I dragged by Pioneer DV 717 player out of the attic the other day and the thing is enormous. It cost me £550 when I bought it to play DVDs nearly 9 years ago. It shows their Blu Ray prices aren't really out of line with their DVD offerings back in the day.
Seems like great BD player!
I'm no hiding behind anything fool. Your crybaby tirades are a direct result of your precious format losing. This is quite clear from reviewing your posting history, assuming people didn't know already.
Wrong thread, please ignore
Jeez but this is quite simply hilarious.
With every outrageously priced new Blu-ray player the PS3/Blu-ray fanclub roll out to say what great value a $400, $500, $600 & $700 player is cos DVD way back in the day was as expensive or more expensive.
You guys obviously are doing your best to ignore this, but, things have moved on.
We now have a mass-market used to disc based movie players at less than $100.
......and no amount of pro-Blu-ray soft soaping the issue will make it go away.
Blu-ray is well & truly headed into 2 relatively tiny niche markets, the largest one based around the PS3 & the other around small volume sales of players like the Pioneers & Panasonic.
It remains utterly invisible to the mainstream mass-market and will continue to be so until they get a finished product out & down to the $150 - $100 level.
.....which you know as well as I is years off.
= way too little far too late.
Blu-ray, the other deaf high def format.
Way to kill any chance of HDMs becoming mainstream guys.
At least the HD DVD crew got to enjoy tiny prices. :P
Yawn. Hey, did you guys hear a troll ranting to himself under the bridge again? I wonder how long someone can live with nothing but negativity and bitterness.
Hang in there TT, and never let the death of your chosen format go. Keep fighting after the war's over, just like those WWII Japanese soldiers left abandoned on remote Pacific islands in the 1950s.
Yeah yeah yeah, of course.
It's just me "ranting".
Actually sorry to disappoint you so badly but I'm laughing about all of this.
It's just more proof that Blu-ray is going nowhere in the mass-market......and by the time they get around to $100 - $150 players with a decent settled spec it'll be far too late.
DVD stayed king of the hill & the f*ckwits who backed Blu-ray just made sure 'the industry' got it's high margin niche format and HDMs on disc went nowhere.
Tragically that is the sum truth of what is going on.
Fools.
Grow up Truth Teller. Your precious format lost. You're not fooling anyone with your immature tirades and specious arguments.
Still hiding behind HD DVD, DrXym?
LMAO
I'm no hiding behind anything fool. Your crybaby tirades are a direct result of your precious format losing. This is quite clear from reviewing your posting history, assuming people didn't know already.
One reason HD DVD is no longer around is it was costing them a fortune to heavily subsidize every player they sold. So HD DVD players may have been inexpensive but the price never actually reflected the true cost. Toshiba might of been able to hang in there a little longer if they weren't losing so darn much money on the hardware.
JeffN
I wouldn't be so sure Toshiba were making such big losses (not when they could afford to write all of their HD DVD costs as a 1-off payment of less than $500 million).
That btw is also a tiny sum compared to the several years of major losses Sony alone has posted in connection with Blu-ray and it's nothing like the level of loss they have been making on each PS3 they sell.
Add to the bleeding. $799 and $599. What a joke.
Although, I don't actually think that Pioneer would ever have a decently priced BR player so this is not surprising. Pioneer isn't for the mass market, aka the average consumer. This does nothing in helping the BR market but it does give high-end HD enthusiasts a nice player, not the latest version (BR-Live) but a nice player nonetheless.
Is it just me, or instead of seeing prices drop, we're seeing prices head the other way?
It's just you. You can't compare prices directly across manufacturers, and for each individual manufacturer, subsequent generation MSRPs have been lower than the previous ones. It just so happens that we've recently been seeing announcements of new higher-end equipment that has a commensurately higher relative price (yet again lower than the previous generation's introductory price). Prices may not be dropping as quickly as we we'd like, but they are dropping.
Prices aren't getting higher. Pioneer have never been cheap devices. My first DVD player was from Pioneer and it cost a hell of a lot more than their Blu Ray player does now.
Read the post, the price dropped 20% from last years model. $799 from $999
Are you joking? The $599 player has worse fit and finish and not as good a video decoder. And it's only $599? No thanks Pioneer.
Since I could care less about profile 2.0 features, I would avoid these players.
It's those that couldn't care less about interactive features would find it more attractive.
This is exactly what I am looking for. A player that focuses primarily on good video and audio. Pioneer is known for making quality products. I would expect their choice of Wolfson DACs will produce very good audio relative to other players out there and may be even better than the audio of many CD players (that is speculation at this point). Good video, audio, proper decoding of DTS HD so I don't risk damaging my speakers (love my speakers), plus an IR remote and should not have a noisy fan (last 2 are the sole reasons why I won't buy a PS3) is exactly what I am looking for. I have no interest in Profile 2 interactivity.
I'm not saying you should buy a PS3 (I don't have one either), but I will say that the PS3 is silent. And yes I'm very sensitive to ambient noise.
Is it just me or does DrXym need to take a class in English?
"Prices aren't getting higher. Pioneer have never been cheap devices."
The Elite 05FD is what I'm looking for and it looks awesome. I don't care about BDJ 2.0. I've always got the PS3 for 2.0 specific junk.