Blu-ray Players

CNET does a good job of staying on top of the latest Blu-ray players. The site reviews most new models as soon as they come to market and details its findings in reports that manage to inform but not… overwhelm. An editors' rating makes it easy to see where each Blu-ray player stands in relation to its competition. Among current models, the Sony PlayStation 3 has been knocked off of its perch as the best of the Blu-ray players, surpassed by the Oppo BDP-83 and the LG BD390. The Samsung BD-P3600 is nearly as strong of a performer.

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Home Theater magazine has reviewed a number of Blu-ray players in expertly done single-product reviews. An at-a-glance section at the top of each review provides high and low points, and ratings are given… for performance, value, features and ergonomics. Discussion is well detailed, but not so much so as to completely overwhelm nonvideophiles. Three current players earn a Top Pick designation. The Viera Cast feature in the Panasonic DMP-BD60K isn't a big plus, but the performance and other features are. The Samsung BD-P3600 offers good features and outstanding Blu-ray Disc playback, but it's pricey. The Oppo BDP-83 universal player is even more expensive, but it can play back any disc format in addition to Blu-ray and does so with terrific picture quality and great usability.

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PCMag.com's Blu-ray player reviews aren't the longest we've seen, but they still manage to pack in tons of technical details -- sometimes to a confusing degree. Testing is competently performed and… described, but we would have liked more discussion of how players perform in actual use. Ratings of each player can be used to compare relative performance. The best Blu-ray players are singled out for Editors' Choice recognition; the LG BD390 and Sony PlayStation 3 Slim make the cut, though the PS3's performance as a Blu-ray player is not extensively discussed. One negative is that it has been several months since PCMag.com last reviewed a Blu-ray Disc player.

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Though a shorter report sneaks in from time to time, most Blu-ray player reviews here are richly detailed. Players are not rated or ranked, but comparisons are sometimes made and opinions are offered.… Noteworthy is a long and detailed report that compares the Sony PlayStation 3 Slim to its predecessor, with an emphasis on how it performs as a home entertainment component rather than as a gaming machine.

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PCWorld's latest roundup is out of date, but a couple of more recent reports can be found here. Lab test results are provided but not well explained. Viewing tests, while not detailed, get the job done.… Ratings are provided, with enough variation to distinguish the winners from the also-rans. Among current Blu-ray Disc players, the Panasonic DMP-BD60K is worth its small premium over other top-tier players thanks to great image quality and design. The Sony PlayStation 3 Slim is rated even higher, but the brief review focuses only a little attention on performance as a Blu-ray player.

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Blu-ray reviews written by Robert Silva, home theater guide at About.com, are a bit of a mixed bag. The best reviews equal or better those found at other sites, with testing meticulously detailed and… explained. Discussion, while not extensive, covers the essentials and then some. Other reports, however, clearly are based on more-cursory examinations or perhaps just manufacturer data. Still, About.com is worth a visit to see if a Blu-ray player you are considering is covered in one of the better reviews here. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)

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AVGuide.com covers Blu-ray players in nicely done single-product reports and occasional multi-player roundups, most of which originally appeared in Playback magazine. Information is plentiful and well… explained. Ratings and a bottom-line assessment are provided. The best players are singled out with a Recommended designation. The site could be easier to use, however, and only one current Blu-ray player is featured -- the universal player Oppo BDP-83 -- but it draws raves from reviewer Chris Martens for its versatility and better picture quality "than anything I've seen or heard at, or even remotely close to, its price."

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Though there are some technical differences, and not all Blu-ray players covered are available in the U.S., but Britain's Home Cinema Choice magazine offers nicely detailed and helpful reviews. Testing is… conducted and results are reported. Ratings are provided. The best Blu-ray players earn Best Buy awards. The LG BD370 qualifies for its solid performance and features at a bargain price. The Sony PlayStation 3 Slim is called both better and worse than its predecessor, but it generally gets a thumbs-up.

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One advantage Amazon.com has over BestBuy.com is that reviews here tend to be somewhat more detailed; another is that the many players reviewed get far more feedback. The Panasonic DMP-BD60K is a standout,… with an overall rating of 4.5 out of five stars after more than 120 reviews, though a small handful complain about some freezing problems. The LG BD390 also does well, though its rating is a little less impressive. Most owners also love the Oppo BDP-83 -- all but a handful of the almost 100 reviews give it a perfect score. For Blu-ray buyers on a budget, the Sylvania NB530SLX pleases almost everyone who reports in.

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Blu-ray.com features comprehensive lists of new and upcoming Blu-ray players, as well as a comparison tool that enables site visitors to look at individual players on a nuts-and-bolts level. Many players… have fairly detailed user reviews and occasionally editor reviews. Additionally, most current and older players have their own dedicated review threads within the site's forum, some with thousands of posts. Reports can vary greatly in their level of detail, but links to professional reviews are often provided, and most users seem willing to help others with specific questions.

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