JVC Blue-ray Player

JVC Blue-ray Player



XV-BP11

Blu-ray Disc Player with USB Host, featuring HD Audio Bit-Stream Output, HDMI 1080/24p Playback, and x.v.Color(TM)/Deep Color
BD Profile 1.1
Playable Media: BD-ROM, BD-R/RE, DVD-Video, DVD-R/RW, +R/+RW, CD, CD-R/RW, USB
1080/24p Playback
HDMI with x.v.Color(TM)/Deep Color
Dolby Digital+/Dolby TrueHD/DTS-HD Decoding

Mentioned: JVC has an enduring name in the Home Theater market. They've been around forever and have great brand recognition. While hardcore enthusiasts only really look at their vintage gear, casual consumers surely see the name and associate it with quality. JVC has decided to expand their Blu-ray line to include a $199 Profile 1.1 player. The XV-BP11 has just about all the bells and whistles you'd expect from a current generation Blu-ray player except for BD-Live.

The XV-BP11 has a limited compliment of outputs most notably omitting Component Video. For video outputs you have the choice of HDMI or Composite (talk about a world of difference in video quality. For audio, you again have HDMI or Coaxial Digital or stereo audio RCA. The Ethernet port you'd need for BD-Live connectivity is missing (as you'd expect) but there is a USB port. JVC claims that the USB port will be compatiable with most USB flash memory devices, HDD, multimedia card readers, digital cameras, etc. though they aren't promising universal connectivity. We also assume that firmware updates will be available via the USB port.

While we like the fact that you can stream media off a USB hard drive (they promise AVCHD, MP3, WMA, and JPEG playback support), what is nice is that all decoding can be done internally. In addition, the JVC XV-BP11 can bitstream HD audio formats (Dobly TrueHD and DTS HD) over HDMI. While you can't expect a player at this price point to support SACD or DVD-A, you can bet that it will play just about everything else. JVC lists BD-ROM, BD-R/RE, DVD-Video, DVD-R/RW, +R/+RW, CD, and CD-R/RW though they specify that Dual Discs may not work and suggest they may actually damage the player ("Please note that the user takes full responsibility for the use of DualDisc, and JVC is not liable for any resulting damage.").

What is interesting is that JVC has another player, the XV-BP1, that is BD-Live ready (usually means that you need to add memory via USB flash key) and is only $30 more. But for the general consumer, BD-Live very well may not be that big of a deal. Getting an Ethernet run into a living room is just not standard practice for builders yet so the $30 savings may be money they didn't want to spend on a feature they aren't going to use.

XV-BP1

BD-Live Ready Blu-ray Disc Player featuring HD Audio Bit-Stream Output, HDMI 1080/24p Playback, and x.v.Color(TM)/Deep Color
Blu-ray 1080/24p Playback
Playable Media: BD-R/RE, DVD-Video/-R/-RW, R/ RW, CD, USB
AVCHD/MP3/WMA/JPEG Playback
BD Profile 2.0
HDMI with x.v.Color(TM)/Deep Color