Two years after the high-def home video format war ended, Blu-ray is finally starting to trickle into the mainstream. This has a lot to do with consumer awareness, as well as price drops. OK -- it has a lot to do with price drops. A $1200 standalone high definition disc player is interesting to early adopters. A $200 (or less) Blu-ray player that can stream content from the internet is interesting to quite a few more.
Before you start bargain shopping for the least expensive Blu-ray player you can find, know that you will need a few other things to get high-def goodness and there are certain features available only on step-up models that might be useful to you. First, you'll need an HDTV. For the best result, we recommend a 1080p TV so you can see the full detail that Blu-ray and high def streaming providers can deliver. You'll also need HDMI cable to connect the two devices. And if internet-based features like BD-Live and movie-streaming are important to you, then you'll need a home network with access to the internet. Most players require a hard-wired network connection (or an optional wireless bridge), though there are a few players available with built-in WiFi support.
Next, think about Blu-ray movies. You don't need to run out and upgrade every DVD you've ever owned. Chances are you can't anyway. Not every movie title is available on Blu-ray -- at least not yet. Just know that your old copy of The Matrix on DVD isn't magically going to turn into high definition quality when you play it on a Blu-ray polayer; even a new copy of Zombieland needs to be a Blu-ray to make high-def magic. However, those standard-def discs don't just make great coasters; they still play in your Blu-ray player. Even better, Blu-ray players "upconvert" that SD content to high definition resolutions, making the image appear even better than it did on your old DVD player.
Blu-ray isn't just about the video, but also offers a boost on the audio side. Because Blu-ray offers more storage space, the disc can dedicate more room to audio than a DVD ever could. Combine this with the latest compression technologies from Dolby and DTS and you'll get audio that can really give your home theater system a workout. Some of these new formats (Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio and multi-channel uncompressed PCM), can actually reproduce the original studio master tapes with no loss of detail or resolution. You'll want a player that supports these new formats in order to take full advantage of Blu-ray's audio capabilities.
Also, if you're still rocking with an older A/V receiver with no HDMI ports, then look for a player with multi-channel analog outputs (5.1/7.1). These will allow you to reap the full audio quality of Blu-ray even from an older receiver (as long as your receiver has multi-channel inputs).
Beyond the DVD
Audio and video aside, Blu-ray also has a few goodies for geeks that want more from their favorite movies. New players boast interactive and online features, also known as Bonus View (BD-Rom Profile 1.1) and BD-Live (BD-ROM Profile 2.0). BonusView allows you to watch video commentary from a director, cast or crew in a PiP Window while the movie is playing. And BD-Live allows you to connect to the web, though an Ethernet or wireless connection, depending on your player. From there, you can view special content or interact with other movie fans. Not every player is compatible right out of the box, though. Internal storage of at least 1 GB (Gigabyte) is needed; otherwise, you'll need to plug in a USB drive or SD card (depending on the player) with a minimum of 1GB of storage available.
Speaking of goodies, many new players are adding media streaming capabilities, such as Netflix, VUDU, Amazon Video-on-Demand, CinemaNow and Pandora streaming. Some players, such as those from LG and Samsung, can also access media files from your home network via DLNA-compatibility. If you like to get your music, movies and photos from more than just shiny silver discs, then you might consider one of these players. Selection of Internet-based content varies from brand to brand, so make sure the player you buy has all the content features you want.
If you're a gaming geek and can pry your face away from Call of Duty for five minutes, you'd know that Sony's PlayStation 3 also doubles as a Blu-ray player. However, there are plenty of other players on the market. Here are some of the ones to look out for in 2010.
Note that, unless otherwise noted, all models below include support for BD-Live and Bonus View as well as on-board decoding of DTS-HD and Dolby TrueHD to PCM output over HDMI as well as bitstream output of these audio formats.
In April, Denon announced two 3D-ready Blu-ray players, which will each sport HDMI 1.4a outputs. Denon plans to release the 3D firmware upgrade this fall. In the meantime, you can use the DBP-2011UDCI and DBP-1611UD to play Blu-rays, DVD-Audio and SACDs.
Both units have streaming Netflix and YouTube features, as well as a 1GB of on-board memory for BD-Live playback. If you want to up that option, add an external memory device to either player via the USB jack. Other features include Kodak Picture CD compatibility, as well as DivX HD+, MP3 and WMA playback.
Also noteworthy, the DBP-2011UDCI features the very latest Anchor Bay Technologies decoding Engine and Scalar, as well as all-new Burr-Brown 32-Bit, 192-kHz Audio DACs on all channels.
Earlier this year, Denon announced the S-5BD BD/Receiver. It's exactly what it sounds like, packing a 5.1-channel surround sound receiver and Profile 2.0 Blu-ray player into one component.
The S-5BD features HDMI 1.4 with support of Audio Return Channel, SD card inputs, iPod connectivity, and multi-channel analog outputs (5.1/7.1). Priced at $1799, the S-5BD should be available in March.
Until then, the company is still selling several models introduced in 2009, including DBP-4010UDCI, which is well worth a look. After all, the 4010UDCI could be considered the perfect all-in-one solution for the audiophile, offering playback of DVD-Audio and SACD titles as well. The 4010UDI and the DBP-2010CI have 7.1 ouputs. The entry-level DBP-1610 does not, but offers BD-Live as well as internal decoding of DTS-HD and Dolby TrueHD.
Insignia
JVC
LG
Marantz
The UD9004, as well as the UD7004 and UD8004, all feature 7.1-channel inputs. The UD5004 does not, but has a front panel slot for SD/SDHC memory cards and support for DivX and AVCHD files.
NAD
The M56 and 2009's T 577 both feature 7.1-channel audio inputs. Another 2009 model, the T 557, does not. However, it does have onboard decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS Master Audio 7.1 formats.
Onkyo
OPPO
The BDP-80's video processing is not as advanced as the BDP-83, but it offers a "Source Direct" output mode, which outputs video in the native source resolution. This makes the player perfect for use with external video processors, A/V receivers with built-in video processing, and high-end display devices with built-in video processing. The BDP-83SE (Special Edition), is a souped up version of the BDP-83, offering the highest audio and video performance in the line.
All of the current OPPO players feature multi-channel analog outputs (up to 7.1 channels) with the ability to boost the subwoofer output (a rare feature indeed). This makes them excellent choices for compatibility with older non-HDMI home theater audio systems. As of the publication of this article, OPPO has no IPTV or content streaming features, though it can play audio, photo and video files from devices attached to its USB port.
Panasonic
The BD65 supports wireless internet access, but you'll need to buy the DY-WL10 USB/WiFi adapter separately. The BD85 throws in the WiFi adapter, as well as something called "Digital Tube" sound effects, which makes your audio sound like it's coming from a tube amplifier (how deliciously retro!) and digital anti-jitter circuitry to improve the sound over HDMI or analog outputs. The BD85 also offers multi-channel analog outputs (5.1/7.1) for compatibility with older gear. The BD85 also gets more advanced video processing circuitry (not available in the BD45 and BD64) which improves video performance on both DVDs and Blu-ray Discs, particularly in chroma (color) performance.
The DMP-BDT350 was the first 3D model that Panasonic announced (expected availability is Spring, 2010). It's basically equivalent to the DMP-BD85, but with the addition of Blu-ray 3D support plus DLNA networking and an even more advanced video processor which Panasonic calls "Super Resolution" processing. In early March, Panasonic unveiled the DMP-BDT300, another Blu-ray 3D player which is almost identical to the top of the line BDT350, except it has no DLNA networking and is $50 cheaper. It's available now only in Best Buy locations which include a Magnolia store within a store.
Pioneer
Samsung
All of the players feature Samsung's improved Internet@TV service, which provides access to Netflix, Picasa, Pandora, The AP, VUDU, and many other content providers. Samsung's not quite done yet, though; additional player models will be rolling out later this year.
Sharp
Sony
Toshiba
VIZIO
This year, the company launched three new players, the VBR210, VBR220 and VBR231. All three feature the VIA service, as well as built-in Wi-Fi. The 210 and 220 each have single-band 2.4GHz 802.11n support, while the 231 uses both the 2.4 and 5GHz bands.
Yamaha
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