Blu-ray player recommendations for theatre use

I would. We NEVER play video from players because they cannot be cued to instant start. A media server is the preferred option, and although we had a Pioneer 6000 as backup we hated it because the remote was essential as although you can skip tracks, it just doesn't have a BIG play button.

We use projection in our shows a great deal now, and when a proper media server isn't required, then Q-lab, with the video license is the best. 88 shows, not one single misfire, and it plays when you hit the key - DVD players don't - there is always a delay, and worse still, it never seems the same every time! Don't do it!

Thanks Paul, I'll look at all that at another point, but I've been running shows off DVD players for about 12 years now (from whenever the Pioneer 104 recorder came down to £400!) and had no complaints from directors or LX operators. I've got a good method that goes cue to pause state to cue and all the operator has to do is press the play button. Easy. Works for me. I'm sticking with it for the moment, just doing the same thing with Blu-ray. For the moment.

Don't you find that sometimes, the DVD has spun down, and pressing play has to re-spin and sync before the play button does it's job - and usually by the the op has panicked and pressed it again, thinking they mis-hit it, and then of course it goes back into pause.

Media server in 3D (hence two monitors) and cue list on left screen, with op simply prodding the spacebar to start the playback.

No.

Well, that's good - I'd just buy another of the machines you found didn't do it. The Pioneer was pretty good, but just not good enough for me to risk. We ran the mirror on the wall from it for a couple of seasons, but it just wasn't quick enough to play in the words on cue, without a lag - and having this unpredictability bade the actors who had to interact with it very wary.

Paul, just revisiting this, and wanted to say thanks for the Q-lab suggestion which I've been investigating.
I have never had to sync words from a projector or monitor with words from an actor, and I can see how that absolutely requires spot-on instant cueing of the sort you can only get with an instant-on device like a computer or media streamer. My work, rather, tends to be projection as part of set, or in interaction with the projection where the projection cues the actor, rather than the other way 'round.

Paul, I am seriously looking at the BDP-V6000. Aside from the lack of a BIG play button, any other killer criticisms?

(The Denon equivalent doesn't let you turn off the OSD, can you believe!).

Cheers

Mark

To be honest - it's a pretty solid machine, and pretty reliable too - and over the years, I've had good luck with Pioneer. The only problem is simply the rather random start, but if that doesn't matter for your use, I can't see a major problem. The 3D sequences we use come from Amazing interactives amazing-int.com and don't actually exist as a playback file, but the two 3D streams are created on the fly. We do use a dump to DVD for rehearsals, but the lag ussually means we grab the file and play it from windows media player - just simpler.

When we do Snow White, with the mirror - we've now moved to Q-lab for reliability. The Pioneer never didn't play just was a bit heart in mouth sometimes.

I didn't know the Denon had that annoying un-feature - thanks for that info.

When I spoke to Denon UK to ask about OSD they knew it couldn't be turned off, and admitted - without me asking - that it was wrong in a pro product, and have in fact just discontinued the product. No replacement yet, though.

On another note, I need to get another DVD player where I can switch off the OSD.
Of my choice products the Denon DN-V210 is out of stock everywhere at the moment, and HHB UDP-89 discontinued and sold out. Do you know of any others? Even domestic ones would do for this purpose.

Thanks

Mark

Could you do without Blu-ray then? If so, although I haven't used one - I have heard decent comments about the TASCAM - DV-D01U, and for real bargain basement the CPC Pulse rack mount might be worth a punt

http://cpc.farnell.com/pulse/dvd50/dvd-player-rackmount-dj-dvd-cd/dp/DP30707

I think I have one somewhere - either here or in a venue in a rack. If it's here, I'll plug it in and give it a try and see how it responds - they're meant for DJs.
EDIT
It is here. It has composite, y/c and component outputs - doesn't do Bluray

I'm going to upload a video clip of it working. you MUST keep the remote though - I cannot find mine so cannot turn off the multi camera on the dvd I used - there is an on screen play/ pause that hangs about for a second or two. I cannot remember if this is switchoff-able, as I can't find the remote to check.

http://vimeo.com/31450509

One thing to note is that it's fractionally too big for 1U, so it didn't fit in a 1U gap, so it had to be given a bit of space, which is a pain.

It might well be fine for your application - for the money, it's hard to beat!

The video is a bit random - but you can see the counter change when buttons are prodded. Annoyingly, pressing pause, then advancing a track makes it goes straight into play - i.e. it doesn't stay in pause.

Thanks so much for all your input and help, Paul.

I've solved the problem for £60 with a Panasonic DMP-BD75 Blu-ray player which allows you to turn off the OSD. In fact I've bought two for running the show I'm currently working on. One to replace my laptop and run BD-REs to a HD Projector via HDMI, the other to run DVDs to a WXGA projector showing Pal 4:3.

They're domestic machines, not going to last the rigours of a tour unless taken good care of, but then again, they're cheap. And they only have three buttons on the front: Play, Stop and Open/Close, which is all I need.

Cheers

Mark