Pioneer Elite BDP-95FD Blu-ray Disc Player - Product Review and Rating

The Pioneer Elite BDP-95FD plays Blu-ray Discs at full 1080p resolution, and can provide bitstream output for both Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD via its HDMI 1.3a output. The BDP-95FD is also fully playback compatible with standard DVDs and most recordable DVD formats, as well as being able to playback standard music CDs and CD-Rs/RWs. Another bonus is that standard DVDs are upscaled via the HDMI output. The 95FD adheres to Profile 1.0 specifications, but does feature direct firmware update capability and home network connectivity via Ethernet. After reading this review, also check out my Pioneer BDP-95FD Photo Profile.

The features of the Pioneer Elite BDP-95FD Blu-ray Disc player include:

1. Profile 1.0 Blu-ray Disc Player with 1080p/60 and 1080p/24 Resolution output capability via HDMI 1.3a audio/video output.

2. Multi-Format Playback capabilities for: BD-ROM, BD-R/RE, DVD-Video, DVD-R/RW, CD, MP3, WMA, and JPEG photo.

3. Sigma Designs SMP8634 Secure Media Processor for video decoding, deinterlacing, and upscaling functions.

4. Internal decoding of Dolby Digital Plus, Bitstream output (via HDMI) for Dolby Digital TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio.

5. High definition video outputs: HDMI, DVI-HDCP video output compatibility with adapter. Note: High Definition Blu-ray content can also be output via Component Video (Red, Green, Blue) outputs, at the discretion of the movie studio for a specific disc release.

6. Standard Definition video outputs: Component Video (progressive or interlaced), S-Video, and composite video.

7. Audio outputs: 5.1 channel analog, two channel analog, digital optical, digital coaxial and HDMI outputs.

8. Ethernet Port for online firmware update access and Home Media Gallery functions.

9. Wireless Infrared Remote Control and Onscreen GUI (Graphical User Interface).

10. Suggested Retail Price - $999

For an additional closer look at the connections and features of the BDP-95FD, also check out my Photo Profile.

Hardware Used

Home Theater Receivers: Onkyo RX-SR705 (7.1 Channels) , Yamaha HTR-5490 (6.1 Channels) , and an Onkyo TX-SR304 (5.1 Channels).

Blu-ray Disc Players: Sony BDP-S1, Samsung BD-P1000 Blu-ray Player.

DVD Players used for standard DVD upscaling comparison: OPPO Digital DV-983H and Samsung DVD-HD931.

DVD-Rs/DVD+RWs used were made using: Sony RDR-HX900.

CD-Only Players (for CD playback comparison): Denon DCM-370 and Technics SL-PD888 5-Disc Changers.

Loudspeaker - System #1: 2 Klipsch F-2's, 2 Klipsch B-3s, Klipsch C-2 Center , 2 Polk R300s.

Loudspeaker - System #2: Klipsch Quintet III 5-channel speaker system.

Loudspeaker - System #3: 2 JBL Balboa 30's, JBL Balboa Center Channel, 2 JBL Venue Series 5-inch Monitor speakers.

Powered Subwoofers used: Klipsch Synergy Sub10 - used with System 1, Polk Audio PSW10 - used with System 2, and Yamaha YST-SW205 - used with System 3.

TV/Monitor: A Westinghouse Digital LVM-37w3 1080p LCD Monitor.

Monitor calibrated using SpyderTV Software.

Audio/Video connections were made with Accell, Cobalt, and AR Interconnect cables.

16 Gauge Speaker Wire was used in all setups.

Level checks for speaker setups were done using a Radio Shack Sound Level Meter

Software Used

Blu-ray Discs used included scenes from the following: Alien vs Predator, Across The Universe, Blade Runner, Crank, The Descent, Enchanted, Hairspray, I Am Legend, I Robot, Meet The Robinsons, Ratatouille, and Shakira - Oral Fixation Tour. Also included was Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds - Live At Radio City Music Hall which was supplied by Pioneer inside the BDP-95FD box.

In addition, both the DVD and Blu-ray versions of the Italian Job were used.

Standard DVDs used included scenes from the following: House of the Flying Daggers, The Cave, Kill Bill - Vol 1/2, V For Vendetta, U571, Lord of Rings Trilogy, and Master and Commander

For audio only, various CDs included: HEART - Dreamboat Annie, Nora Jones - Come Away With Me, Lisa Loeb - Firecracker, The Beatles - LOVE, Blue Man Group - The Complex, Eric Kunzel - 1812 Overture, Joshua Bell - Bernstein - West Side Story Suite.

Content on CD-R/RWs was also used.

Video Performance

In terms of Blu-ray Disc playback, I found the video performance of the BDP-95FD to be top notch. Using the HDMI output and the 1080p setting, I found that the images were razor sharp on the Westinghouse LVW-37w3 1080p LCD monitor used. Examples of excellent color rendition: the Central Park dance scene from Enchanted, and the Carnival scene from Across the Universe. Examples of good shadow and black levels included the dark, moody, atmosphere of Blade Runner and the claustrophobic darkness of The Descent.

One thing I must point out with regards to the Blu-ray playback testing of this unit is that, although the 95FD is capable of 1080p/24 output, I was not able to check this feature, as my monitor cannot accept or display a 1080p/24 signal. All viewing was done with 1080p/60 output signals from the 95FD.

With regards to standard DVD playback (using the 1080p upscaling function), the 95FD came up a little short on some aspects. For the most part, upscaled DVD playback was acceptable. However, when put to a comparison test with OPPO Digital DV-983H Upscaling DVD player using the Silicon Optics HQV Test Disc, the 95FD did not reach all the standard DVD upscaling performance standards of the DV-983H. The BDP-95FD and the OPPO DV-983H were both set for 1080p output.

The areas were the 95FD matched, or was close to, the performance of the OPPO: Noise Reduction, Mosquito Noise Reduction, Motion Adaptive Noise Reduction, Video Titles over film, and the Flag Waving test.

Where the 95FD did not do as well as the 983H, was on Jaggie elimination, Moire pattern elimination, and Frame Cadence detection (including 3:2 pulldown).

One thing to point out is that even though the 95FD did not do as well as the OPPO comparison player, it was on par with the standard DVD upscaling capabilities of the other Blu-ray Disc players used for comparison in this review.

For more details, check out some of the deinterlacing and scaling test results of the BDP-95FD as measured by the Silicon Optix HQV Benchmark DVD Test Disc.

Proceed to Page 2: Audio Evaluation and Final Take