New Blu-ray player Ratings: Lower prices, more features

LG BD390 Blu-ray player. (Click to enlarge.)
[PHOTO: Consumer Reports]

In our largest test of Blu-ray players so far, we found that satisfying picture quality has become almost a given, while features and price vary considerably. You can pay as little as $160 for a recommended model or as much as $500, depending on the capabilities, bells and whistles you’re willing to pay for. Portability commands top dollar. The first portable Blu-ray player we’ve tested, the Panasonic DMP-B15, is priced at $700.

Our latest Blu-ray player Ratings (available to subscribers) include 27 models that have a few features in common. All have BonusView, a picture-in-picture feature that lets you view additional content in a smaller window while a movie is playing, and all can upconvert standard DVDs to quasi-HD resolutions.

Only a handful of the players, mostly priced at $300 and up, have BD-Live, a feature that allows the player to access directors’ commentaries, deleted scenes, games, and more from the movie studio’s servers. Other models are BD-Live-ready. These players, all priced at $200 and up, have the required Ethernet connection, but need additional memory (typically a 1GB USB flash drive, which costs $10 to $15) for the BD-Live feature to work.

Another feature showing up on some of the higher-priced models is the ability to stream movies from online services such as Netflix and Amazon Video On Demand, or receive music streams from Internet radio stations such as Pandora. And more players now have USB ports or SD card slots, so you can play digital photos, music and even videos on your TV. One model, a Panasonic, has a built-in VHS player, a space-saving option for those who still watch tapes. Again, you’re not likely to find these features on the lowest-priced players.

We expect prices to drop over the next several months, especially during November’s Black Friday shopping period. Rumors suggest we’ll see the first $100 model. So keep checking back here for updates. —James K. Willcox

Comments

[Blu-Ray Reviews]

Thanks for the Post!
This was my first purchase into the bluray world - and it didn't disappoint but in a totally surprising way.It has all the features and ports you'd expect from a unit like this.These Blu-ray disc player reviews are equally beneficial to the novice and the regular buyers because they offer vital info about regular existing models as well as latest models.

[Tim G]

Please review the PS3 as a blu-ray player. Not only does it have BD-Live, it has recently added the ability to stream Netflix movies. This is one of the most amazing things about the PS3, Sony keeps it cutting edge by always downloading additional abilities and enhancements to it. And be fair in your comparison; yes it cost an additional $25 for a dedicated remote it you don't like using the Dualshock game controller, but the PS3 comes with a built in 120GB hard drive so no need to buy a seperate flash drive; and it also a pretty amazing game machine. For $299, this should be your most recommended player

[Evan]

Are there Blu-Ray players with built in hard drives to record content from television?

[G Carper]

Interesting that one of the most useful Blueray players was never reviewed...the Playstation3... our house has 3 of them. Blueray, Playstation Network Movies in HD and games (downloadable off the internet, and wireless internet access.... for $299....) We have a bluetooth keyboard and mouse that allows us to check email, browse the web and see it all from the couch on our 46" HDTV...

[Eric]

When is someone going to make a 5-disc blu-ray changer, and why is that taking so long?

[Michael C]

You guys need to re-run your checks on the LG-BD390. I and multiple other people online have found problems with:
-DVD compatibility. It just rejects certain DVD's with an error
-analog audio. It can't decode the digital audio fast enough into analog, so audio/video sync gets messed up.

I have a DVD (not blu-ray) of Apollo 13 that cannot be played by my player -- even after updating to the latest firmware.