Posted: 4/6/2009 5:41:59 PM EDT
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I am returning home this week after a year of being gone and I want to upgrade from a regular dvd player to a Blu Ray. I heard that not all Blu Ray players are created equal, so what do I need to look for? My limit is $200
p.s. I already bought "That Patriot" in Blu Ray 
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I bought a Sony BDP-S350 for about $220, I suggest that if you can get one. Otherwise look at Samsung or Panasonic. Don't buy an off brand
ETA: here's one http://www.crutchfield.com/p_305BD1500/Samsung-BD-P1500.html?tp=171 |
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I was hoping your budget was higher so I could recommend a PS3 as it's the best BluRay player on the market, hands down. Sony makes a stand-alone BR player in that price range last I checked that was pretty good. I agree, wish i had spend the extra 100 to get a playstation. P.S. I had already spend $3,600 on a new entertainment setup so what's another 100. |
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There are also different BD standards. I think they are on v.3 now. You can connect it to your home computer network and have online content that is relavent to your disc also available on the screen.
As for brands, any of the big names are good. Do you need one with internal surround sound decoding and analog outputs or will your home theater receiver decode the new high def audio formats? Some only work with the new Dolby Digital formats and leave out DTS-HD. Finally if you are going to buy an off-brand, do your research. I'm almost ready to buy a Memorex. It has analog outputs but it will also play content from USB storage. I can show pictures on a thumb drive. It will also play video from a USB hard drive. I am going to wait until Oppo releases their new player. Their upconverting DVD players get rave reviews and everyone in the home theater hobby is looking for this. Finally, there is a home theater section here that is decent. But Home Theater Forum and AVS Forums are both execellent places to get advice on equipment. -Robert |
Let me add another vote for saving up for a PS3. I got one and for the games (if you like those) and the ability to play a wide variety of media and going on the internet and the auto updates it really is pretty amazing. You can also rip all your DVDs on your computer and store the movies on your PS3 for instant access. It looks cool too. 
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If you guys have some nice setups, I would like to see them to get some ideas. I have an LG BlueRay with a set-up so that I can watch Netflix and Amazon movies on my TV but I'm above your price range. 5sub I bought the LG as well. The Netflix feature is only worth the extra $ if you have an internet connection near the player. It also streams Youtube which is pretty cool. Over the $200 though. |
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i would recommend NOT buying one period since discs of every kind are extremely outdated and will be obsolete before you will even know it. But it seems like your pretty set it on...just thought I'd throw it out there Not anytime soon. And since it plays both BluRay AND DVD discs, it's gonna prove to be a useful machine for quite some time. |
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I was hoping your budget was higher so I could recommend a PS3 as it's the best BluRay player on the market, hands down. Sony makes a stand-alone BR player in that price range last I checked that was pretty good. I agree, wish i had spend the extra 100 to get a playstation. P.S. I had already spend $3,600 on a new entertainment setup so what's another 100. Wait a little and save up the extra $100. |
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i would recommend NOT buying one period since discs of every kind are extremely outdated and will be obsolete before you will even know it. But it seems like your pretty set it on...just thought I'd throw it out there You'll be waiting a long time at that... True HD content (1080p) over the wire? Good luck with that. Another vote for PS3. The most versitile player, can play video/audio/pictures from the 'puter. |
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Quoted: Quoted: i would recommend NOT buying one period since discs of every kind are extremely outdated and will be obsolete before you will even know it. But it seems like your pretty set it on...just thought I'd throw it out there Not anytime soon. And since it plays both BluRay AND DVD discs, it's gonna prove to be a useful machine for quite some time. On demand is coming, and fast. You can get laptops with HDMI jacks and watch free TV episodes from every major broadcast and cable network over the internet. A dedicated Internet HD STB probably already exists, and if it doesn't it will soon. Blu-Ray is awesome, and the fact that BRD players act as upconverting DVD decks is a big plus. I don't much like the Samsung unit––the only one I have any experience with. I'd try Sony or Panasonic, if not the LG unit that is Internet ready. |
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What don't you like about the Samsung unit? We have one as a display and it runs 12 hours a day no prob. Great picture and pretty easy control systems....
I'm partial to the Sony units myself. I've got the BDP-S301 (I was an early adopter, but didn't want the BDP-S1) and it's awesome. It came out before the LAN jack was a standard, but that doesn't bother me one iota, as I never give two shits about the extra crap on the discs. |
tell me a current source that offers 1080p video along with 7.1 lossless audio. If streaming internet video can do that show me where to sign up . right now nothing matches blu ray's quality.
Blu ray's video bandwidth is roughly 30mbits/s, lossless audio is up to 25mbits/s , thats about 50megs. For those who want streaming media are out of their minds unless they can come up with a miracle way of compressing data if they want descent quality streams. its hard enough for a lan cable to run that fast, let alone finding an internet connection that would support it |