$300 - $500 DVD Players

The Bottom Line: The Oppo BDP-83 is an outstanding universal disc player with excellent performance on Blu-rays and DVDs and lightning-fast operational speed, but most home theater fans will balk at the high price.

Specs: Blu-Ray disc player, Tabletop, Remote control, DTS decoder, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS-HD Master Audio, DTS-HD High Resolution, Surround Sound, 11.2 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: With its extensive digital media features, a superior online service, and an excellent game library, the Xbox 360 remains the game console to beat.

Specs: Xbox 360 Halo 3 Special Edition - Game console, DVD-ROM, 1 x IBM PowerPC 3 cores 3.2 GHz, 512 MB ( 512 MB ) GDDR3 SDRAM - Integrated, 1920 x 1080

The Bottom Line: CNET has not reviewed the Toshiba HD-A3, but we have reviewed the similar step-up model, the Toshiba HD-A30.

Specs: HD DVD player, Tabletop, Remote control, DTS decoder, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital, DTS-HD decoder, Dolby Digital Plus, Stereo, 7.3 lbs

The Bottom Line: The Toshiba HD-A30 is a solid third-generation HD DVD player, but for most people it's not worth the extra dough.

Specs: HD DVD player, Tabletop, Universal remote control, DTS decoder, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD decoder, Dolby Digital Plus, Surround Sound, Black, 7.3 lbs

The Bottom Line: The Toshiba HD-A20 is a perfectly competent HD DVD player, but it's not worth the extra money when compared to the budget Toshiba HD-A2.

Specs: HD DVD player, Tabletop, Universal remote control, DTS decoder, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital, DTS-HD decoder, Dolby Digital Plus, Stereo, 8.8 lbs

The Bottom Line: Offering most of the performance of more expensive players, the HD-A2 is an excellent value for budget-minded buyers looking to jump into HD DVD.

Specs: HD DVD player, Tabletop, Universal remote control, DTS decoder, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital, DTS-HD decoder, Dolby Digital Plus, Stereo

The Bottom Line: While it's neither a must-have upgrade for existing 360 owners nor as feature-packed as the PS3, the Xbox 360 Elite's combination of top-notch gaming and digital media features make it the current game console of choice.

Specs: Xbox 360 Elite - Game console, DVD-ROM, 1 x IBM PowerPC 3 cores 3.2 GHz, 512 MB ( 512 MB ) GDDR3 SDRAM - Integrated, 1920 x 1080

The Bottom Line: 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.

Specs: Blu-Ray disc player, Tabletop, Universal remote control, DTS decoder, Dolby Digital, Stereo, 9.3 lbs

The Bottom Line: The RCA HDV5000 is nearly a clone of Toshiba's entry-level HD-DVD player, the HD-A1.

Specs: HD DVD player, Tabletop, Dolby Digital, Surround Sound