Holy Moly Blu-Ray Disc Players below $300

12-20-07: Jmcgrogan2
I'd rather they improve the quality than lower the price, but that's just me I guess. ...

I think Blu-Ray is overrated. Sure the picture looks nice....when it feels like working. ...

That's why I wanted HD DVD to win the format wars. Blu-ray is trying to do too much too soon.

By comparison HD DVD is easier to produce; it's more robust in the playing, and a higher percentage of HD DVD releases have delivered from the beginning, with great digital transfers, downloadable ROM upgrades, internet interactive features, implementation of Dolby Digital Plus and TrueHD soundtracks, etc.

Wait! Wait!! Don't buy yet!!!

I agree with those that say HD players are clunky. However, the image quality is anything but clunky. On a full 1080p resolution screen it is stunning.

"Planet Earth" is absolutely stunning - incredible - amazing - you are there! The WOW factor exists in High Def 1080P but you need the entire kit and caboodle....a Blu-ray connected to a screen with LESS than the requisite 1920 by 1080 pixels is NOT high def and will lessen the WOW between regular DVD and the new format! (This is not hyperbole, as I agree fully with those that say that the Wow factor is totally absent for SACD or DVD-A versus CD)

If you're looking at BluRay, the way to go is the PS3, even if, like me, you have no interest in games. The brain of the PS3 is much more powerful than any standalone machine, be it HD DVD or Blu Ray, and the architecture permits Sony to upgrade the machine's features, which Sony does on its website about once a month or so. The PS3 also plays CDs and SACDs. In a recent upgrade, it permits double and quadruple oversampling of CD playback. It will soon be upgraded, I've read, to internally decode the lossless Dolby and STS soundtracks found on many Blu Ray discs. In my 18-month ownership, I've watched dozens of Blu Ray movies rented from NetFlix and have encountered not a single freeze-up, which I attribute to the extremely fast cell processor. The picture quality, as you might imagine, is superb. If you're not a gamer, you can buy the 40GB version, since you don't really need the extra capacity found in the units with 60 or 80 GB hard drives. Frankly, I can't imagine why someone interested in HD disc playback would be looking at anything else. It is by far the most bang for the buck of any CE product I've ever purchased, and I don't even use it for its main function.

Interesting point there Pzuckerman..........is the PS3 also an upsampling player with respect to std DVD? If this is the case then this may be the route that I look at for my new DVD player just in that it is sort of inexpensive and potentially one of the best low cost options to get you some really high def video while the other players evolve to where they should be. It is also interesting to me that since this is in fact more of a computer that it is so easily reprogrammed/upgraded.

ej