Pioneer BDP-320 Blu-ray Disc Player - Product Review

The BDP-320 provided excellent detail, color, contrast, and black levels with Blu-ray Disc playback. Some notable examples: Transporter 3 (facial detail), The Dark Knight (contrast and black levels), A Bug's Life (color). The BDP-320 was also able to correctly convert 1080i video-based source material to 1080p, which is an area some Blu-ray Disc players do not do well (see photo).

With regards to standard DVD performance, the BDP-320 passed most of the tests on the Silicon Optix HQV Benchmark DVD.

The tests revealed very good progressive scan (3:2 pulldown), jaggie elimination (both rotating line and flag waving tests), detail, motion adaptive processing, and moire pattern detection and elimination. On the other hand, the BDP-320 did not do as well suppressing video noise and could not lock onto several video/film field/frame cadences, that are used in some video production and animation applications, such as, 2:3:3:2, 3:2:3:2:2, 5:5, 6:4, and 8:7 (refer to the Scoring Document for futher explanation). For full test result details, check out my Video Peformance Tests

Also, the BDP-320 did not have a problem converting HDMI to DVI. Using a DVI input on a Westinghouse LVM-37w3 HD monitor, which required the HDMI output of the BDP-320 to be converted to DVI to make the connection, there was no problem with recognition, nor was there any detectable video quality difference when using HDMI-only or HDMI-to-DVI.

Audio Performance

On the audio side, the BDP-320 offers both complete onboard audio decoding and undecoded bitstream output for compatible home theater receivers.

The BDP-320 also comes equipped with both HDMI and 5.1 channel analog audio outputs. This allows the BDP-320 to supply Dolby TrueHD/DTS-HD Master Audio access to both HDMI and non-HDMI equipped receivers.

The BDP-320 delivered excellent audio performance on both Blu-ray and DVD soundtracks When playing standard DVDS and CDs. I noticed no audio artifacts that could be attributed to the BDP-320.

Surround imagery and vocal presence in movie soundtracks, such as Iron Man, The Dark Knight, and Nigh at the Museum (Blu-ray), and Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Moulin Rouge, and U571 (DVD) was very consistent.

In terms of standard 2-channel CD playback, Heart's Magic Man, with its distinctive bass slide to the extreme low end of the audio range, was spot on, Joshua Bell's recording of West Side Story Suite had a very good "live" quality, and the "breathiness" of Norah Jones' vocal on Don't Know Why was spot on.

The only audio feature that I tested but could not detect a performance difference was the PQLS anti-audio jitter function for CD playback using the HDMI connection. CDs sound equally good whether the PQLS was on or off.

The BDP-320 demonstrated very good audio versatility as a Blu-ray Disc, DVD, and CD player.

What I Liked

1. Excellent Blu-ray Disc Playback. I found that the BDP-320 looked great with a variety of Blu-ray source material.

2. Good DVD Upscaling. The BDP-320 passed most DVD performance tests and DVD movie playback, though not quite as good as the comparison players, was certainly more than acceptable.

3. Excellent Audio Performance. Using two different home theater receivers (one a Pioneer and the other an Onkyo), as well as a variety of speaker systems, the BDP-320 delivered great audio results. The BDP-320 does well with both Blu-ray and DVD soundtracks, as well as standard 2-channel CD playback.

4. Flexible Audio connectivity. The BDP-320 provides HDMI, Digital Optical, and 5.1/7.1 channel analog output options. The only audio connection not provided is a Digital Coaxial audio connection.

5. 1GB internal memory for BD-Live access. This is something that should now be standard on all Blu-ray Disc players. There are still some Blu-ray disc players that require the insertion of a flash drive to access BD-Live content. The approach provided on the BDP-320 already includes the necessary 1GB of memory, but you can add extra memory if you wish.

What I Didn't Like

1. No audio/video streaming functions. The BDP-320 does a lot well, but it lags behind in some new features being offered on some new Blu-ray Disc players, such the ability to stream audio and video content from the internet from sources such as Netflix, YouTube, and other services.

2. USB port not compatible with audio/video file playback. Many Blu-ray Disc players are including the ability to access content stored on flash drives. It is odd that the BDP-320 has a USB port, but does not include this access.

3. Slow disc load times. The BDP-320 loaded Blu-ray Discs, DVDs, and CDs slower than the comparison players.

4. Remote control not backlit. Having a backlit remote would make it much easier to use in a darkened room.

5. No built-in Wi-Fi. This is not a deal-breaker as Blu-ray Disc players with WiFi are only just now reaching the market, but is something to watch for as it makes connecting a Blu-ray Disc player much easier to connect to the internet and home network where connecting an Ethernet cable is inconvenient.

Final Take

I found that the BDP-320 delivered great overall performance, combined with practical features. The BDP-320 provided a well-balanced image with excellent detail, color, contrast, and black levels for Blu-ray and good results for DVD playback.

In terms of audio performance, the BDP-320 delivered excellent audio performance on both Blu-ray and DVD soundtracks and when playing audio CDs. I noticed no detrimental audio artifacts that could be attributed to the BDP-320.

On the other hand, some features, such as internet streaming and access to flash drive-stored content, available on a growing number of Blu-ray Disc players are lacking on the BDP-320.

If you are looking for a Blu-ray Disc player that really delivers where it counts, which is good quality Blu-ray, DVD, and CD playback, but are not concerned with a lot of "extras", then the Pioneer BDP-320 is definitely worth consideration.

For an additional look at, and perspective on, the Pioneer BDP-320, be sure to check out my Short Review, Photo Profile and Video Performance Tests.

Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.