What processor?

Kal is correct - theoretically the decoding should be identical wherever it takes place.

BUT - and this was huge for me - by decoding at the pre/pro you only need one (1) HDMI cable from the BD to the pre. And that cable carries both 7.1 audio and 1080p video

If you decode 7.1 at the BD you then need 10 cables, three component video and 7 audio. Now you are stuck with all the traditional painful choices about how good those cables have to be to preserve that pristine sound you just decoded...

A lot of people could easily spend more on the ten cables then the pre/pro. To say nothing of the mess if you have more then one multichannel source.

To me the elegance of HDMI cabling is a big part of the equation...

Sorry, Ckorody, what you are saying is not entirely true. If you decode from TrueHD/dtsMA to PCM, it does not matter where you do it. Either way, only one HDMI cable is needed since the data is still digital.

If we were speaking of doing the D/A conversion in the player, you would be correct in saying that multiple analog audio cables would be needed.

Kal

Kal - agreed - however Audioblazers questioned was do I decode in my BD player or do I replace my pre/pro so I can use it for decoding.

Given the decision he is trying to make and the fact that one can decode at either end (ie neither solution is "better"), I think that the cabling implications of this decision are important to consider.

Hi Kal and Ckorody thanks for your feedback. What is your opinion of using a processor like halcro ssp 220 who does not decode latest codec but combine it with bluray which decode the latest codec and output via PCM. Anybody has tried Marantz 8003? How do you like it?

I am sure that the Halcro will work fine.

Suggest you look at the Panasonic 30,35,50 and 55 or the Sony S550 for bang for the buck.

Haven't heard the Marantz but they have had an excellent rep for a long time. Looking at the spec sheet the main difference seems to be that the Marantz has an Anchor Bay video processor which is newer then the Reon in the Integra.

FWIW Oppo's highly acclaimed 583 also uses Anchor Bay technology. However as I have discussed elsewhere, unless you have legacy sources like a nonupsampling DVD, a VHS deck or a Laser Disc player you will probably never use the technology.

Other then that, I suspect that the Integra and the Marantz are probably close enough in performance and features that price is a reasonable deciding factor. Put another way its not at all clear to me what makes it worth twice as much as a 9.8

IMHO you would be better served to invest the difference in HDMI sources.