Blu-ray.com Exclusive: Blu-ray Player Benchmarks

With the rapidly increasing numbers of Blu-ray players hitting the market, it is becoming more and more difficult to determine which players are worth your hard earned cash. In an effort to help our readers and Blu-ray consumers in general, Blu-ray.com has created a special Blu-ray player benchmark test. We've tested the most popular players on the market today using custom Java tools, the Caffeinemark benchmark for Java performance on embedded platforms as well as player load-time speed testing tools. Our hope is that these numbers will prove to be valuable for those seeking the fastest and best-performing Blu-ray players currently on the market. The following players have been tested using the Blu-ray.com Performance Benchmark (please note that all testing has been done with the respective player's latest firmware updates): Sony PS3 (40GB) Sony PS3 (80GB) Insignia NS-2BRDVD LG BD300 Olevia BD100 Panasonic BD35 Panasonic BD55 Pioneer BDP-51FD Pioneer Elite BDP05FD Samsung 2550 Sharp HP21U Sony 350 Sony 550 Complete spreadsheet From the Player page, click on specifications and scroll about halfway down the page to the “Performance” area. Contained within this section are the specific benchmark numbers. Now that you've found them, what do they mean? Power on time: Measures the time the player takes, in seconds, to power on from the remote control and to convey that it is ready to work via the HDTV display. The lower the number the better. Disc Eject Time : This test measures the amount of time it takes, in seconds, for a player to fully eject the disc tray while playing a Blu-ray movie. The lower the number the better. Since disc eject times vary from film to film, it is the relative performance measurement between players that should be considered. Movie Load Time – Basic: Measures the amount of time, in seconds, that a player takes to load a film, encoded without Java or BD+, from the time the disc tray starts closing to the time that content appears on the screen. BD drive speed can impact this number. The lower the number the better. Since load times vary from film to film, and also the order they are played, it is the relative performance measurement between players that should be considered. Movie Load Time - BD-J: Measures the amount of time a player takes, in seconds, to load a film, encoded with BD-Java, from the time the disc tray starts closing to the time that content appears on the screen. BD drive speed can impact this number. The lower the number the better. Since load times vary from film to film, and also the order they are played, it is the relative performance measurement between players that should be considered. Movie Load Time – BD+: Measures the amount of time a player takes, in seconds, to load a film, encoded with BD+ copy protection, from the time the disc tray starts closing to the time that content appears on the screen. BD drive speed can impact this number. The lower the number the better. Since load times vary from film to film, and also the order they are played, it is the relative performance measurement between players that should be considered. BD-J Overall Performance: This measurement measures the number of Java instructions executed per second, reflecting the player's overall ability to efficiently execute BD-Java content. This will affect the player's smoothness of menus, games, and other features using BD-J. Some players will not execute this benchmark and are marked with a red “NO” in the performance section. A "NO" rating does not indicate poor performance, but simply that the player in question does not support the form of media that the test disc is recorded on. The higher the number the better. The following tests measure player's BD-Java graphics abilities. These numbers show how efficient the player will be at loading and navigating menus as well as Java based games. BD-J Small Object Performance: Measures smoothness and speed of small Java graphic objects – the higher the number the better. BD-J Large Object Performance: Measures smoothness and speed of larger Java graphic objects - the higher the number the better. BD-J Scaling Performance This test measures the player's ability to scale Java graphics for BD menus and games. The higher the number the better. BD-J Opacity Performance This measurement calculates the player's ability to render graphics that are opaque. The higher the number the better. While none of these numbers indicate how a player will perform from a picture quality or audio quality standpoint, they do indicate the players that have the ability to handle complex Blu-ray content in the most efficient and seamless manner. Numbers also tend to improve as firmware updates are rolled out for each player. So, don't be too disappointed if your favorite player doesn't score very well. Our hope is that these numbers help to answer several of the many difficult questions asked while in the decision-making process for finding the right Blu-ray player for each reader's own personal needs. As more Blu-ray players are made available to us and new firmware is released, we will continually update the players section with the most up-to-date performance data.
Source: Blu-ray.com | Permalink	Relevant for:

HighlightShow  » Dec 04, 2008
This is useful.

Sonny  » Dec 04, 2008
I need to get a pioneer BD player...

Alan Gordon  » Dec 04, 2008
Why does the S550 get a NO on "BD-J overall performance"? How about a list of the best scoring players in each test?

Tee  » Dec 04, 2008
This a very good news!

Ben  » Dec 04, 2008
ALAN: As the article states "BD-J Overall Performance: This measurement calculates the player's overall ability to efficiently execute BD-Java content. This will affect the player's smoothness of menus, games, and other features using BD-J. Some players will not execute this benchmark and are marked with a red “NO” in the performance section. The higher the number the better."

Y3k Bug  » Dec 04, 2008
This site rocks! Now I'll know when a stand alone player performs well enough to warrant me retiring my PS3 to "just games". I love my PS3, but I look forward to the day it's soundly beaten for blu-ray playing too.

owa  » Dec 04, 2008
Excellent and thanks!

GabrielB  » Dec 04, 2008
Would be great if we could also compare the results by selecting all or some models. We would have everything on one single page.

Alan Gordon  » Dec 04, 2008
Thanks Ben! I'm disappointed by the score as I really wanted a S550 with my new Sony HDTV... not to mention I just got the S350 I ordered for a Christmas gift an hour or two ago...

jdobiash  » Dec 04, 2008
Nice! Any chance you could make a page which lists all of those players and their results in a spreadsheet type layout so it would be easier to compare?

Ben  » Dec 04, 2008
ALAN: I'm sure it performs well and you can use the other Java performance numbers to conclude that it is a solid Java performer. It should, essentially, perform the same as the 350,s o if you are happy with it, then buy away! Keep in mind, that a "No" doesn't mean that the player performed badly, it just wouldn't run the type of media that the test disc is on.

Alan Gordon  » Dec 04, 2008
Thanks for the clarification Ben! I'll still hold onto my PS3 for Blu-ray viewing until after the New Year, but will have to take a HARDER look at the Panasonic BD55 now...

Sonny  » Dec 04, 2008
The PS3 is so damn fast. I love it. I like seeing the speeds of the players. I like how the SA players are getting faster too. Every new Generation is faster than the last ( of course ).

dobyblue  » Dec 04, 2008
Wow, I can't believe how well the LG-BD300 holds up. I just put all the data in a spreadsheet and it's the #2 behind the PS3 in just about every category...and it says it loads a basic Blu-ray Disc quicker than the PS3. Kudos to LG.

jdobiash  » Dec 04, 2008
I noticed that too Sonny, the PS3 still appears to blow the rest of them out of the water at least in terms of raw BD-J performance.

joelslaw  » Dec 04, 2008
This is pretty interesting. These are honestly things I never thought about before buying my BD player (PS3). I think this will be really helpful to a lot of people.

bhampton  » Dec 04, 2008
Seems like a lot of work.... Wouldn't just saying PS3 Rulez All Yo have been easier?

Y3k Bug  » Dec 04, 2008
For those (like me) who want to see a side by side, I just did a quick spreadsheet - http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=piYqxCKNZlI2LlUR4Ik6hDg

owa  » Dec 04, 2008
dobyblue, you should post your spreadsheet in the forum. I was going to enter the numbers in a spreadsheet as well so that would save me/others the time. Anyway, yeah, surprising to see how well the LG performs since I hadn't really heard much about it. Edit: Thanks Y3k Bug.

ground chuck  » Dec 04, 2008
where's the Original 60gb????

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