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What's the Best Affordable Blu-ray Player With Streaming Video?
Dearest Reader: If you ask us, Blu-ray technology is in a transition period, so bear with our rant while we try to answer your timely and excellent question.
The Blu-ray situation is a little confounding for us at the moment. Lest we be wrongly accused by videophiles in the comments section, we love movies on Blu-ray and freely agree that its audio and video quality are unparalleled. The problem we have is with the current crop of Blu-ray players. Unbelievably, the market is still plagued by an abundance of unstandardized spec lists (e.g., lack of HDMI 1.3 or BD-Live support), widespread tech foibles (e.g., unreliable networking, system freezes, audio sync), and relatively high prices to boot. Unlike a bare-bones $75 upscaling DVD player that just works, Blu-ray players often just don't (based on the thousands of anecdotal customer reviews from dozens of online sites we've perused).
This is all just to say: we think you should either spend a little bit of money on a low-end and low-risk machine for now, or pony up for a Sony PlayStation 3. The basic Blu-rays we've seen that hover around the $150 mark are almost all under-featured. However, the one exception (and we can't believe we're saying this) is Best Buy's $150 house brand Insignia NS-BRDVD3. It's ugly, doesn't play all the advanced audio formats beyond TrueHD, and doesn't have built-in Wi-Fi. (Although, the next model up, which we'd also recommend, does offer it for $30 more.) That said, it's speedy, does a nice job of up-converting old DVDs for better picture quality, has built-in Netflix streaming, supports BD-Live, and is a reliable player overall. Lastly, in stark contrast to many other brands, Insignia offers a one-year warranty (unlike, say, Samsung's 90 days) should the unit crap out.
When you start getting into the $250 range, you'll generally get better picture quality, loads more audio options and inputs, and Wi-Fi (which beats stringing Ethernet cable around your house). But then you're within range of the PS3's price, and the PS3 is the fastest, most reliable, and best-performing Blu-ray player at its price point. (And it obviously lets you play PS3 games, if that's your dad's kind of thing.) We're prepared to say that if you're going to spend $250 or so, you may as well go for the $300 PS3, and know that you're getting a solid machine with an option to play games. Our one caveat, though, is that the PS3 currently requires the use of a specialized DVD (which Netflix will send you for free) whenever you use Netflix streaming; that will be resolved with a firmware update in the new year, however, so it isn't really a deal-breaker for us.
One final option we'll mention in passing is the fantastic Roku HD, a $99 box that basically acts like an intermediary between the Internet and your A/V system, letting you stream HD and SD movies and music from all of the largest online media sources (except iTunes). It's simple to use, easy to set up, and just works, as the kids say. Sure, it can't play Blu-ray, but -- in all honesty -- we suspect we'll have forgotten about that whole thing in a few years, anyway.
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Comments
25
Subscribe to commentsJimMar 23rd 2010 8:33PM
I had been saving for years to replace my ancient Televisions; and, bought not only one, but two large screen HDTV's. They are both incredible, even with standard HD indoor antennas. I also bought a Samsung Blue Ray, and Sony Play Station3 primarily for Blue ray movies. Both Blue Ray players experience occassional problems with freezing...and recently, requiring UPDATES to firm ware. Firm ware seems to be impossible to download without problems using my modem and regular phone line. I'm thrifty; and, saved money over a long period of time so I could have these quality items. Now, they are gradually turning into next to useless when using Blue Rays. I have absolutely no intention of using anything but my indoor HD antenna with "free reception"...which is one of the reasons how the government, HD converter box manufacturers, (remember the government coupons to buy those?) television manufacturers, Blue Ray / HD DVD manufacturers, and all the broadcasters were pushing HD signals down the American public's throat. (Are you aware that non-cable/non-satellite network broadcasters are trying to get a law passed for people to pay for their reception?) The key word to me is FREE! Now everyone including the government, is forcing high speed network connections, which I also refuse to buy. My 56K modem is fine for the Internet at home. Why should I keep paying additional re-occuring bills everytime someone wants to be stylish? Attempts to download are impossible. If company's want people like me to buy Blu Ray DVD's, either the company selling the Blue Ray DVD needs to proivide updates with their DVD's; or, the DVD manufacturers need to send automatic updates in the mail, if requested by the owner of the player. Times are economically tough, and many of us do not know if we will have a job from one day to the next. The only thing I have to look forward to for recreation is the latest DVD movie coming out. If I have to keep paying in other ways to keep upgrading my player to watch Blue Ray DVD's, I can forgo that option, and continue to buy standard DVD's instead. The upconvert works great even on old DVDs. In other words, if any seller of Blue Ray DVD' or machines wants the working masses to buy their products they better get their act together.; because, what's going on now, just isn't working!
dawolfeMar 23rd 2010 9:19PM
I have had a PS3 for about 3 years now and have not had a single issue with it. If it needs to download an update (one of the problems with no consistent blue ray format right now) it does it and plays. I have friends that have tried to go the cheap rout and get BR players that are not internet capable and they can't play half the movies out because they are not able to download firmware updates. There are other machines that work a little better but cost three times more. For the money you can't go wrong with the PS3.
LTMar 24th 2010 1:50AM
Sticking with standard DVDs is a whole lot cheaper, and you can get a great upconverting DVD player for not much over $100 which plays it in 1080 HD. I'm not about to begin my huge movie collection all over again from the beginning, I'll stick with standard, and play them in an upconverting player.
eastadamMar 24th 2010 2:04AM
As long as people like my self want to actually own a physical version of a movie (or music album) Discs will never die. Call them CD's, DVD's or Blue-rays (which is just a dvd that uses a blue laser & has even tighter packed groove tracks to store more info), I will always prefer them over MP3 music or downloading or streaming movies.
Pyython1Mar 24th 2010 6:57PM
My 1 comment is turning into quints & beyond. As long as you kow-tow to 'em, they're gonna beat you lower & lower. TAKE A STAND. STOP BUYING THEM! Nothing will kill a product like a DEAD market will. Don't buy their junk. It may hurt in the Short Run but in the Long Run, ECON 101 will kill Blu-Ray if we REFUSE to BUY 'EM! I hate Blu-Ray & simply REFUSE to buy them. I can't AFFORD to buy them. That's the simple Truth.