John P. Falcone,
Senior Editor
April 1, 2009
Murphy's Law seemed to be the theme for Blu-ray in 2006. In addition to firmware foul-ups and component shortages, a lackluster slate of early Blu-ray movies let underdog HD-DVD steal the show. But a new year means new opportunity: the number of available Blu-ray titles is soon expected to surpass that of HD-DVD, and there are actually some players you can buy. So far, the PlayStation 3 is the runaway winner, offering excellent Blu-ray playback in addition to its HD gaming and multimedia capabilities--all for hundreds less than the price of competing players. Moreover, the PS3 is the only player that boasts bleeding-edge HDMI 1.3 compatibility, and it's going to remain in the line-up for years to come. Meanwhile, the other first-generation players shown here will be soon overshadowed by their inevitable successors, certain to be on display at the 2007 Consumer Electronics Show. In other words: Blu-ray fans who can't get their hands on a PS3 should wait to see what the second-generation players will offer later in 2007 before taking the plunge.
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| Price | Check Prices | Check Prices | Check Prices | Check Prices | $449.95 | $349.99 |
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| Review date | May 04, 2007 | December 14, 2006 | March 28, 2007 | February 23, 2007 | November 13, 2006 | December 18, 2006 |
| The Bottom Line | With excellent image quality, slick design and an attractive feature set the Samsung BD-P1200 is the best dedicated Blu-ray player yet, but its high price will scare away most buyers. | The Panasonic DMP-BD10 is a very competent first-generation Blu-ray player, but its high price and the comparably affordable PlayStation 3 make it hard to recommend. | The LG BH100 can play back both HD DVD and Blu-ray discs with excellent image quality, but a variety of quirks and missing features limits its appeal. | The high-priced Pioneer BDP-HD1 offers top-notch Blu-ray image quality and some nice home networking features, but inferior DVD upconversion and no CD playback curbed our enthusiasm. | The high-end Sony PlayStation 3's larger hard drive and ability to play PS2 games makes it a worthwhile alternative to the cheaper model--so long as you're willing to wait several months for the more promising exclusive titles to hit store shelves. If backward compatibility is your top priority, this hard-to-find model may be worth the search. | The Philips BDP9000 has some great design touches and excellent Blu-ray image quality, but its high price, less-comprehensive audio capabilities and the comparative affordability of the PlayStation 3 suggest that you should probably hold off. |
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| Features | ||||||
| Product Type | Blu-Ray disc player | Blu-Ray disc player | Blu-Ray disc and HD DVD player | Blu-Ray disc player | Info unavailable | Blu-Ray disc player |
| Product Description | Samsung BD-P1200 - Blu-Ray disc player | Panasonic DMP-BD10 - Blu-Ray disc player | LG BH100 - Blu-Ray disc and HD DVD player | Pioneer Elite BDP-HD1 - Blu-Ray disc player | Info unavailable | Philips BDP9000 - Blu-Ray disc player |
| Weight | 9.3 lbs | 10.4 lbs | 9 lbs | 13.9 lbs | Info unavailable | 9.3 lbs |
| Dimensions (WxDxH) | 16.9 in x 12.8 in x 3.1 in | 16.9 in x 13.1 in x 3.3 in | 16.9 in x 9.9 in x 3 in | 16.5 in x 14.1 in x 3.7 in | Info unavailable | 16.9 in x 12.6 in x 3.1 in |
| Remote Control | Universal remote control - Infrared | Universal remote control - Infrared | Universal remote control - Infrared | Remote control - Infrared | Info unavailable | Universal remote control - Infrared |
| Media Type | CD DVD BD-R CD-R BD-RE CD-RW DVD+R DVD-R BD-ROM DVD+RW DVD-RW DVD-RAM DVD-ROM | CD DVD BD-R CD-R BD-RE CD-RW DVD+R DVD-R BD-ROM DVD+RW DVD-RW DVD-RAM DVD+R DL DVD-R DL | DVD DVD+R DVD-R BD-ROM DVD+RW DVD-RW HD DVD | DVD BD-R BD-RE DVD+R DVD-R BD-ROM DVD+RW DVD-RW | Info unavailable | CD DVD BD-R CD-R BD-RE CD-RW DVD+R DVD-R BD-ROM DVD+RW DVD-RW |
| Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications |
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