Blu-Ray Player Review

Whether in a movie rental store or your local electronics store, we’ve all seen and, we’ll admit it, drooled over the huge TVs showing the latest Blu-ray disc releases. The crisp picture with amazing color and depth has made us envious beyond imagining. Thanks to some in-depth research, we can now kick that green-eyed monster to the curb and rejoice in the fact that we can have Blu-ray technology in our home without breaking the bank. You can, and we’ll show you how. We’ve corralled the top 10 Blu-ray players available on the market and compared them in a side-by-side matrix with accompanying Blu-ray player reviews. Prices have changed drastically in the last few years, and you can now purchase a Blu-ray player for approximately the same cost as a DVD player. Also, with all of the technical jargon associated with electronics, it’s easy to feel out-of-the-loop. That’s why we’ve written additional articles on Blu-ray players, including a glossary of technical Blu-ray terms in the Learning Center. At TopTenREVIEWS We Do the Research So You Don’t Have To.™

Blu-ray Player: What to Look For

While technology is the same in most of the Blu-ray disc players we reviewed, the differences lie in features and functionality. These criteria will help you directly compare the best Blu-ray disc players.

Video Technology
Every Blu-ray disc player we reviewed had the latest video technology, and they almost didn't differ at all in this category. All were equipped with 24p True Cinema, Deep Color, DVD upscaling and Full HD 1080p resolution. The only differing feature was picture adjustment, and if your TV automatically adjusts the picture for maximum viewing, it really isn’t necessary.

Audio Technology
You no longer have to go to a movie theater to experience intense surround sound. Features like Dolby True HD, dts HD and LPCM can now fluidly flow down your HDMI cord and through your 7.1 channel surround sound speakers. However, many of the Blu-ray players only are capable of 2 channel audio output, which mean they are limited to two speakers. If you want surround sound, we suggest looking for a Blu-ray DVD player with 7.1 channel audio out.

Features
The best part of Blu-ray technology is the additional storage capability of Blu-ray discs. The extra space allows for BD-Live content which you can access once the player is hooked up to the internet. With BD-Live you can download ringtones and wallpapers, watch additional footage or chat with your friends while watching a movie. You can even implement BonusView, a picture-in-picture option, which allows you to watch two things at once. You’ll also want to look for a Blu-ray disc player that is DLNA certified and can stream internet video. A child lock is another feature to look for, or pick a player like the Samsung BD-C6500 that has a sleek looking shield to protect the buttons.

Functionality
Functionality was the one area where major differences between players came to light and hidden costs were revealed. Every Blu-ray player will boast being Wi-Fi ready, but that doesn’t mean that out of the box the player will connect to the internet. Many of the Blu-ray disc players require an additional USB Wi-Fi adapter that must be purchased separately. Before you leave the store, or put one in an online shopping cart, read the fine print.

The push to be “green” has made the Blu-ray DVD player market scramble to make their players more energy efficient. The top players in our lineup are Energy Star certified, which means they use less than 1 watt of energy in standby mode, after 25 minutes on inactivity will automatically shut off or, like the Panasonic DMP-BD85K, may have a screen saver. Another functionality issue you need to keep an eye on is digital storage options. You can choose between built-in storage, USB ports and SD card slots to handle storage needs. Make sure that if you choose a player with SD card capabilities, you find out what kind of SD card fits in the player or if you need to purchase an adapter. Again, read the fine print to make sure you’re really getting what you want.

Don’t feel pressured to purchase an expensive Blu-ray player; there are so many affordable players on the market today. Our top-ranked Blu-ray disc player, the Sony BDP-S370 is significantly cheaper than any of its competitors, yet still has all of the same features. We’ve done the research and believe that our side-by-side matrix seen above is the key to purchasing the perfect Blu-ray player.