Sony Video Players and Recorders

The Bottom Line: With a smaller design, more energy-efficient operation, lower price tag, and built-in Blu-ray and multimedia capabilities, the PS3 Slim delivers a compelling package for an affordable price.

Specs: Sony PlayStation 3 - Game console, BD-ROM, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, Cell Broadband Engine, 256 MB - Integrated, 1920 x 1080

The Bottom Line: The Sony Bravia Internet Video Link (DMX-NV1) will stream Web video and Amazon Video On Demand to your Bravia HDTV, but its slow interface and limited content options will have you looking at alternatives.

Specs: Digital multimedia receiver

The Bottom Line: The Sony BDP-S360 handles all the Blu-ray basics with ease, but it lacks the streaming Internet content found on competing models.

Specs: Blu-Ray disc player, Tabletop, Remote control, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, Stereo, 4.6 lbs

The Bottom Line: Even though PS2 backward compatibility has been dropped from this version, the 80GB PS3 is still a superb Blu-ray player and high-definition game console.

Specs: Sony PlayStation 3 Uncharted: Drake's Fortune Limited Edition Bundle - Game console, BD-ROM, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, Cell Broadband Engine, 256 MB - Integrated, 1920 x 1080

The Bottom Line: The Sony BDP-S550 offers excellent image quality and a solid feature set, but only consider it if you need the multichannel analog outputs.

Specs: Blu-Ray disc player, Tabletop, Remote control, DTS decoder, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital, DTS-HD decoder, Dolby Digital Plus, Surround Sound, 7.3 lbs

The Bottom Line: Even though PS2 backward compatibility has been dropped from this version, the 80GB PS3 is still a superb Blu-ray player and high-definition game console.

Specs: Sony PlayStation 3 - Game console, BD-ROM, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, Cell Broadband Engine, 256 MB - Integrated, 1920 x 1080

Specs: Sony PlayStation 3 - Game console, BD-ROM, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, IBM Cell Broadband Engine 3.2 GHz, 256 MB - Integrated, 1920 x 1080

The Bottom Line: The combination of its small design, solid feature set, and excellent image quality make the Sony BDP-S350 a worthwhile standalone Blu-ray player--especially if you can find it for less than $300.

Specs: Blu-Ray disc player, Tabletop, Remote control, DTS decoder, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital, DTS-HD decoder, Dolby Digital Plus, Stereo

The Bottom Line: A handful of notable upgrades from the entry-level model, the 80GB PS3 is superb Blu-ray player and high-definition game console.

Specs: Sony PlayStation 3 - Game console, BD-ROM, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, Cell Broadband Engine, 256 MB - Integrated, 1920 x 1080

The Bottom Line: While Sony has cut a few corners to get its entry-level PlayStation 3 below $400, it's still a great game console and Blu-ray player for the money--so long as you can live without backward compatibility for PS2 games.

Specs: Sony PlayStation 3 - Game console, BD-ROM, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, Cell Broadband Engine, 256 MB - Integrated, 1920 x 1080