Although DVD, as we know it, will be around for some time to come, the advent of high definition playback for consumers is now available in the U.S., with recording capability possibly becoming available at a later date. Check out the current Blu-ray Disc Player offerings.
NOTE: HD-DVD is now discontinued, so no new units are being manufactured, but as new Blu-ray Disc Players (or recorders) enter the market, they will be considered for addition to this list.
In addition, if you looking for PC Blu-ray Disc drives, check out some suggestions from Mark Kyrnin, About.com Guide for Computers.
1. OPPO Digital BDP-83 Blu-ray Disc Player with SACD/DVD-Audio Playback
Photo (c) Robert Silva - Licensed to About.com
The OPPO BDP-83 is a feature-packed Blu-ray Disc Player that is also an excellent performer. Besides Blu-ray disc playback, the BDP-83 also provides excellent 1080p upscaling of standard DVDs using Anchor Bay VRS technology. Also, other features, such as SACD and DVD-Audio playback, front and rear mounted USB ports for importing images, video, and music from flash drives, add great audio and video flexibility. Although having a somewhat higher price tag than many players, the OPPO BDP-83 takes Blu-ray Disc Player performance and flexibility to the highest level. To find out if the OPPO BDP-83 is right for you, check out my Short and Full Reviews, as well as a supplementary Photo Profile and Video Performance Tests.
2. Sony Playstation 3 - Blu-ray/DVD Player and Game Console Combination
The Sony Playstion 3 is not only a hot video game console, but it is a great Blu-ray Disc player. For about $399, you not only get a game console that can be connected to your home theater and home network, but also provides 1080p upscaled DVD and Blu-ray Disc playback via HDMI outputs. Unlike most Blu-ray Disc players, the PS3 is upgradable to Profile 2.0. The Playstation 3 will give you your money's worth, even if you never play a video game. If you are a movie fan that has been put off buying a Blu-ray Disc player due to cost or fear of obsolescence, check out the Playstation 3 option. For a complete rundown on the PS3's total functionality, check out the report from Roger Altizer, About.com Guide For Playstation Games.
3. Samsung BD-P1600 Blu-ray Disc Player
The Samsung BD-P1600 in more than a Blu-ray Disc player. First off, it does play Blu-ray Discs at full 1080p/60 or 1080p/24 resolution, provides bitstream output for both Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD via its HDMI 1.3a output, and is fully playback compatible with standard DVDs, most recordable DVD formats, standard music CDs, and CD-Rs/RWs. Another bonus is that standard DVDs are upscaled up to 1080p via the HDMI output. The BD-P1600 also adheres to Profile 2.0(BD-Live) specifications. However, the big bonus is that the BD-P1600 also provides internet music and movie streaming from Netflix and Pandora. The BD-P1600 is an excellent successor to Samsung's popular BD-P1500. Check out one review of the BD-P1600 from PC World.4. LG Electronics BD370 Network Blu-ray Disc Player
Photo (c) Robert Silva, Licensed to About.com
LG was the first to introduce a Blu-ray Disc player, the BD300, with Netflix streaming capability. LG builds on that success with its new BD370. The BD370 not only has the ability play Blu-ray discs and stream movies from the Netflix film library (You need to be a Netflix subscriber), but also includes access to You Tube and Pandora content without the need for a PC. Some of the other highlights include: Profile 2.0 (BD-Live) Blu-ray Disc playback with 1080p upscaling for standard DVDs and USB host functions for flash drives and digital audio/video devices. However, two disappointments are that the user must insert a 1GB flash memory drive into the USB host port for BD-Live access and the upscaling for standard DVDs needs improvement.
5. Panasonic DMP-BD80K Blu-ray Disc Player
Blu-ray Disc players are getting more versatile and less expensive. The DMP-BD80K offers top-notch Blu-ray playback and Panasonic continues to improve standard DVD upscaling performance over its previous models. This player not only features built-in Profile 2.0 interactive capabilities, which can access additional internet content related to some Blu-ray Disc releases, but also includes the ability to download content from YouTube and Picassa. Two other conveniences include the inclusion of 7.1 channel analog outputs for use with older non-hdmi-equipped receivers, and a has very slim design. If you haven't experienced Blu-ray, consider taking the plunge with the Panasonic DMP-BD80K6. Panasonic DMP-BD60K Blu-ray Disc Player
Photo (c) Robert Silva - Licensed to About.com
The DMP-BD60K plays Blu-ray discs at full 720p, 1080i, or 1080p resolution via its HDMI output. This player is compatible with standard DVDs and most recordable DVD formats, as well as standard music CDs and CD-Rs/RWs. Standard DVDs are upscaled up to 1080p via the HDMI output. This player also provides both onboard decoding or undecodeed bitstream output of Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD via HDMI. The DMP-BD60 aheres to Blu-ray Profile 2.0 specifications, which provides access to improved interactive features available on many newer Blu-ray Disc releases. This player is a great value for $299.
7. Sony BDP-S350 Blu-ray Disc Player
Photo (c) Robert Silva - Licensed to About.com
The BDP-S350 is a 3rd generation Blu-ray Disc player from Sony. This unit plays Blu-ray discs at 720p, 1080i, or 1080p resolution via its HDMI output, and is also compatible with standard DVDs, most recordable DVD formats, and audio CDs. In addition, standard DVDs are upscaled to 720p, 1080i, and 1080p via the HDMI output. The BDP-S350 incorporates Profile 1.1 (Bonus View), which allows for access to on-disc bonus content, such as visual commentaries and PIP functions. In addition, the 350 is also upgradable to Profile 2.0 (BD-Live) functionality via firmware upgrade and additional memory via USB port. The BDP-S350 also has a an easy-to-use onscreen menu. For more details, check out my Product Profile and Photo Gallery.
8. Sherwood BDP-5003 Blu-ray Disc Player
Photo (c) Robert Silva - Licensed to About.com
The BDP-5003 is Sherwood's first Blu-ray Disc player. Features of the BDP-5003 include playback of Blu-ray Discs at full 1080p/60 or 1080p/24 resolution and Standard DVD upscaling to 1080p via the HDMI output. The BDP-5003 does not have built-in audio decoders, but does provide Bitstream output for all formats including both Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD via its HDMI 1.3a output. The BDP-5003 adheres to Profile 1.1 (Bonus View) specifications, but with no Ethernet port or memory expansion slot, is not upgradable to Profile 2.0 (BD-Live). On the other hand, both video and audio quality are very good. For more details, check out both my Short and Full Reviews, as well as a Photo Profile and Video Performance Test Results.
9. Insignia NS-2BRDVD Blu-ray Disc Player
Photo (c) Robert Silva - Licensed to About.com
The Insignia NS-2BRDVD is a second generation player that is available only through Best Buy Stores. The NS-2BRDVD plays Blu-ray Discs at full 1080p/60 or 1080p/24 resolution, provides bitstream output for both Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD via its HDMI 1.3a output, and is fully playback compatible with standard DVDs, most recordable DVD formats, standard music CDs, and CD-Rs/RWs. Another bonus is that standard DVDs are upscaled up to 1080p via the HDMI output. The NS-2BRDVD adheres to Profile 1.1 (Bonus View) specifications. To find out if this player is right for you, check out my Short and Full Reviews, as well as a Photo Profile and Video Performance Test Results.
10. Yamaha BD-S2900 Blu-ray Disc Player
Photo (c) Robert Silva - Licensed to About.com
The BD-S2900 is Yamaha's first Blu-ray Disc player. This player features 1080p/60 or 1080p/24 resolution playback for Blu-ray Discs, provides bitstream output for both Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD via its HDMI 1.3a output, and is playback compatible with standard DVDs, most recordable DVD formats, standard music CDs, and CD-Rs/RWs. The BD-S2900 upscales standard DVDs up to 1080p via the HDMI output. The BD-S2900 adheres to Profile 1.1 (Bonus View) specifications, and is not upgradable to Profile 2.0 (BD Live) specifications. In addition, the BD-S2900 does have a high suggested price of $1,199. To find out if this Blu-ray Disc player is right for you, check out both my Short and Full Reviews, as well as my Photo Profile.
