Best blu-ray player?

k.hunter30 · May 9, 2008

Okay, I don't know much about these at all, but DH wants to get one with some of the money from our stimulus check. Are there any good players that really stick out? What should I be looking for?

We have a Sony Bravia (I'm pretty sure it's this model) so I know we have the capability to watch things in a really high quality--higher than what we are watching now with satellite HD and our DVD.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Are there Web sites that have dependable reviews? How much should we expect to pay?

Any information or opinions are appreciated! :wave:

Master Yoda · May 9, 2008

Right now from what I have read and heard from a few friends the best Blu-Ray player is a Play Station 3. You can pick up a 40 gb PS3 from Newegg for $399. You will also want to pick up a remote control for it and and HDMI cable if your TV supports it. One note: Do not be suckered into one of those $60+ HDMI cables. At lengths of less than 6' the $100 ones at Best Buy are no better than the $7 ones you can get on-line.

PS3 40 GB
Remote control
HDMI cable

k.hunter30 · May 9, 2008

Play Station 3?! Really...?
If that's the best one out there I gues we can go with that... though I would worry about giving DH the opportunity to buy more video games! :lol:

Would it be better to wait it out for a while longer?

Flower'sChild · May 9, 2008

You know at the end of the year I might have enough Disney movie rewards points to use them for a free Blu-ray player :king: One reason why I have not got a new dvd player in my room is because my first Blu-ray would be my new dvd player :wave:

I do have a dvd player in the living room and that is where I watch most of my movies. I also have a dvd player on my computer. But the one in my room is getting old and I can't get it to play any dvds. It will play cds though. So instead of getting a standard dvd player in my room, I think I will hold off and wait until the end of the year and just get a player that plays dvds and blu-ray disc. With Sleeping Beauty coming out in October that would be the time to get a blu-ray player :sohappy:

TurboCaroline · May 9, 2008

k.hunter30 said:
Play Station 3?! Really...?
If that's the best one out there I gues we can go with that... though I would worry about giving DH the opportunity to buy more video games! :lol:

Would it be better to wait it out for a while longer?

Yep I have the PS3 and it is really nice. The only thing I don't like about it is the newer games that come out are $60.

But you get really great graphics. I bought Grand Theft Auto 4 for my husband and it is amazing the difference between and PS2 and PS3.

Master Yoda · May 9, 2008

k.hunter30 said:
Play Station 3?! Really...?
If that's the best one out there I gues we can go with that... though I would worry about giving DH the opportunity to buy more video games! :lol:

Would it be better to wait it out for a while longer?

Yes and no. Prices of stand alone blu-ray players is expected to drop around Christmas but there is no guarantee. Also if you or the hubby are considering getting a gaming system as well there is a really good chance that there will be an Xbox 360 with an integrated blu-ray player out by Christmas. link to rumor Microsoft is currently denying it but it seems more like they are trying not to shoot themselves in the foot by getting stuck with a bunch of existing inventory. article om MS's denial

One thing I have found out about electronics is that if you wait until the next best thing comes out you will never get anything because there is always something better on the horizon. If I was going to buy a blu-ray today I would get the PS3 but if I was going to buy one in 6 months I might buy a completely different system. One good thing about the PS3 is it thanks to on-line updates it is about as future proof as you can get.

k.hunter30 · May 9, 2008

Master Yoda said:
Yes and no. Prices of stand alone blu-ray players is expected to drop around Christmas but there is no guarantee. Also if you or the hubby are considering getting a gaming system as well there is a really good chance that there will be an Xbox 360 with an integrated blu-ray player out by Christmas. link to rumor Microsoft is currently denying it but it seems more like they are trying not to shoot themselves in the foot by getting stuck with a bunch of existing inventory. article om MS's denial

One thing I have found out about electronics is that if you wait until the next best thing comes out you will never get anything because there is always something better on the horizon. If I was going to buy a blu-ray today I would get the PS3 but if I was going to buy one in 6 months I might buy a completely different system. One good thing about the PS3 is it thanks to on-line updates it is about as future proof as you can get.

Hmm... thanks for that info. That's a good point.

Well, as I said, I was really hoping to not have to get a new gaming system (keeping up with the Wii is expensive enough for us), but if the best bluray is a Playstation 3, that's the route we may have to go.

Does anyone else have a blu-ray player? If not, why not? (Richard, you have a good point about the sometimes pointless-ness of waiting for the next better thing to come out; but if our only really good option is a PS3... I just don't know...)

ksccar, I know you mentioned you have the PS3. Taking away the game features, is it worth it just for viewing movies in high def?

Dukeblue1016 · May 9, 2008

k.hunter30 said:
Play Station 3?! Really...?
If that's the best one out there I gues we can go with that... though I would worry about giving DH the opportunity to buy more video games! :lol:

Would it be better to wait it out for a while longer?

Sadly Kat... (for your sake, not DH's)... it's the best choice... hands down...

Go with a PS3... My girlfriend can't stand that I play video games as much as I do... but I was able to convince her the PS3 was for Blu Ray purposes... which is 50/50 was... (if he's into Baseball tell him to get MLB '08 The Show... game is awesome!!!! :lookaroun)

Also, I believe it's Circuit City... they're giving you a free remote with the PS3 now... and definitely just buy a $5 HDMI online from like ebay as Master Yoda said...

Dukeblue1016 · May 9, 2008

k.hunter30 said:
ksccar, I know you mentioned you have the PS3. Taking away the game features, is it worth it just for viewing movies in high def?

DVD only... Yes Kat.

I only buy movies in Blu Ray (I also have the Xbox 360 HD DVD player...

) or in HD that are movies I want in HD... Troy, 300, The Harry Potters, The POTC (WHICH I KNOW YOU WANT TO SEE JOHNNY DEPP IN HD!!!)

Trust me... it's so worth it... I really think so... the picture quality is absolutely phenomenal...

I have 300 in HD (blu-ray is better than HD too if you have a 1080p tv and... 1080p vs 1080 is a whole other useless argument) and in standard definition... I watched it in both and the difference was just absurd...

EDIT: The point I was getting at was... for a movie like say... Dumb & Dumber, or just some slapstick comedy... FOR ME I don't think its as worth it... although the problem is now that so much is in HD... seeing things in non-HD is starting to get kind of... "blah" looking and ruining everything else...

but i only buy mostly action-packed, or... dark movies in Blu-Ray/HD... but it is truly worth it

Master Yoda · May 9, 2008

Oh an by the way you do not have to have the remote but it is considerably easier using it that the game controller to watch movies.

Just wait until you see games in 1080p resolution. The Wii is a very fun system but for hard core gaming nothing beats the PS3 or the Xbox 360.

k.hunter30 · May 9, 2008

Dukeblue1016 said:
Sadly Kat... (for your sake, not DH's)... it's the best choice... hands down...

Go with a PS3... My girlfriend can't stand that I play video games as much as I do... but I was able to convince her the PS3 was for Blu Ray purposes... which is 50/50 was... (if he's into Baseball tell him to get MLB '08 The Show... game is awesome!!!! :lookaroun)

Also, I believe it's Circuit City... they're giving you a free remote with the PS3 now... and definitely just buy a $5 HDMI online from like ebay as Master Yoda said...

I think we already have a HDMI cable. Would we need a special one for the PS3?

Dukeblue1016 said:
DVD only... Yes Kat.

I only buy movies in Blu Ray (I also have the Xbox 360 HD DVD player... ) or in HD that are movies I want in HD... Troy, 300, The Harry Potters, The POTC (WHICH I KNOW YOU WANT TO SEE JOHNNY DEPP IN HD!!!)

Trust me... it's so worth it... I really think so... the picture quality is absolutely phenomenal...

I have 300 in HD (blu-ray is better than HD too if you have a 1080p tv and... 1080p vs 1080 is a whole other useless argument) and in standard definition... I watched it in both and the difference was just absurd...

:lol: You know me so well!

We have 1080p and are currently using a DVD player with an "up-conversion" or something like that...:shrug:

How much are Blu Ray discs? Are they much more than regular DVDs?
We don't buy many movies, but we do use Netflix, which I'm pretty sure loans out Blu Ray. But for some "keepers" (i.e. disney movies, etc.) we may make a few purchases.

Dukeblue1016 · May 9, 2008

k.hunter30 said:
I think we already have a HDMI cable. Would we need a special one for the PS3?

:lol: You know me so well!

We have 1080p and are currently using a DVD player with an "up-conversion" or something like that...:shrug:

How much are Blu Ray discs? Are they much more than regular DVDs?
We don't buy many movies, but we do use Netflix, which I'm pretty sure loans out Blu Ray. But for some "keepers" (i.e. disney movies, etc.) we may make a few purchases.

and HDMI cable is an HDMI cable is an HDMI cable...

so yours will work fine...

and Netflix does have them and therefore... it's DEFINITELY worth it...

I do the same thing... I rent a lot of movies all the time in Blu Ray so I can enjoy them at the same cost as DVDs basically...

because the Discs are more expensive... you're probably talking on average $29.99-$34.99 for New Releases...

but with NetFlix it is DEFINITELY worth it

Flower'sChild · May 9, 2008

k.hunter30 said:
Does anyone else have a blu-ray player? If not, why not?

That reason why I don't have a blu-ray player right now is because I am waiting for the perfect time. I know that no matter how long you wait there will also be something better,but I am still waiting, because I am waiting for the perfect time you might say.

I don't usually like to purchased new stuff like this when it first comes out. Also with dvd players that are so much less in price and with dvds giving me lots of joy there was just not a need for me to jump to blu-ray player yet.

But since I might have enough movie reward points to use for a blu-ray player and since the prices of blu-ray players are getting lower and since Sleeping Beauty and other movies are coming out on blu-ray all of this is making the way for the perfect time for me to get my first blu-ray player which I believe will be around the end of the year.

So I am not waiting and waiting until the best thing comes so to speak, I am waiting for the perfect time for me :wave: So that is why I don't have a blu-ray player yet.

Master Yoda · May 9, 2008

k.hunter30 said:
I think we already have a HDMI cable. Would we need a special one for the PS3?

:lol: You know me so well!

We have 1080p and are currently using a DVD player with an "up-conversion" or something like that...:shrug:

How much are Blu Ray discs? Are they much more than regular DVDs?
We don't buy many movies, but we do use Netflix, which I'm pretty sure loans out Blu Ray. But for some "keepers" (i.e. disney movies, etc.) we may make a few purchases.

If you have an extra HDMI cable then you will be fine with it. Blu-ray disks are around $30. True blu-ray HD is better looking or more to the point more accurate than up-converting.

A real cut and dry of how up-converting works. For an HD signal there are roughly 9 times the number of pixels as a standard DVD. Up-converting will take that 1 pixel and estimates what the 8 other pixels should be and produced and HD signal. True HD already has all of the information for all 9 pixels so there is no estimation. Side by side you will see a slightly sharper image with true HD.

k.hunter30 · May 9, 2008

Yeah, $30 for one disc... we'll probably rent most of them then.

Master Yoda said:
If you have an extra HDMI cable then you will be fine with it. Blu-ray disks are around $30. True blu-ray HD is better looking or more to the point more accurate than up-converting.

A real cut and dry of how up-converting works. For an HD signal there are roughly 9 times the number of pixels as a standard DVD. Up-converting will take that 1 pixel and estimates what the 8 other pixels should be and produced and HD signal. True HD already has all of the information for all 9 pixels so there is no estimation. Side by side you will see a slightly sharper image with true HD.

Ah! Great explanation! Thank you!

Flower'sChild · May 9, 2008

I think I have seen used blu-ray disc around $20 or so. Since blu-ray disc have this extra coding or whatever it's called that protects against scratches I would think it would play perfect. I even have good luck when I buy used standard dvds.

Best blu-ray player?

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