Email
For an explanation of how we rank reviews, see our ratings criteria page.
by Matthew Moskovciak
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, LG's BD390 stand-alone player has knocked the Sony PlayStation 3 off of its perch as the best of the Blu-ray players. The Samsung BD-P3600 is nearly as strong a performer.
by Editors of PCMag.com
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 to see 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 makes the cut. The Sony PlayStation 3 also receives an Editors' Choice award, though as much for its strengths as a gaming system as for its excellence as a Blu-ray Disc player.
by Al Griffin
Sound & Vision lines up three reasonably inexpensive Blu-ray players -- the Panasonic DMP-BD60K, Samsung BD-P1600 and LG BD370 -- and puts them through their paces. Testing is thorough and results are… described, though perhaps not in as much detail as in some other reviews. The Panasonic DMP-BD60K offers the best image quality overall. Al Griffin is disappointed with the player's media streaming abilities, but adds that it will be the player to beat once Amazon on Demand compatibility is added -- which happened in late June. The Samsung BD-P1600 scores just as well when playing back Blu-ray Discs, but suffers some small bobbles when dealing with standard-definition DVDs.
by Kris Deering
Home Theater 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 Top Pick recognition. The Viera Cast feature in the Panasonic DMP-BD60K isn't a big plus, but the performance and the rest of the feature set are. The Samsung BD-P3600 offers good features and outstanding Blu-ray Disc playback, but is pricey. The Oppo BDP-83 universal player is even more expensive, but can play back any disc format in addition to Blu-ray and does so with terrific picture quality and great usability.
by Editors of ConsumerReports.org
by Editors of BigPictureBigSound.com
There are only a handful of reviews here for current Blu-ray Disc players, but all are thorough and informative without being overly technical. The Samsung BD-P1600 is relatively inexpensive, yet blessed… with a rich feature lineup and good performance. The Panasonic DMP-BD80 is costlier, but also has terrific performance and some valuable extras such as 7.1-channel analog audio outputs. In an older report, reviewer Chris Boylan writes that the Sony PlayStation 3 is a "no brainer" if you are interested in some of its other abilities, such as gaming, networking and Internet connectivity.
by Editors of UltimateAVmag.com
UltimateAVmag.com provides authoritative, comprehensive and highly detailed reviews. Discussion can get a little technical, but conclusions are clear and concise. The magazine does not rate or rank Blu-ray… players, but comparisons between models are often made. While lots of older Blu-ray players remain listed, the magazine has reviewed the Oppo BDP-83 in recent months. David Vaughn calls it "the complete package," raving about its speed, wide disc compatibility range and flawless playback quality. Despite its relatively high price, he calls it an "incredible value."
by Lincoln Spector
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.
by Editors of Audioholics.com
Audioholics.com doesn't test a lot of Blu-ray Disc players, and that's unfortunate because its Pro Review reports are exceedingly thorough yet still accessible for the non-videophile. The Oppo BDP-83 is a… "well-rounded player" that excels when playing back Blu-ray HD discs, standard-definition DVDs and audio discs. The LG BD390 lacks some of these disc compatibilities but delivers HD image quality that's just as good, costs less and adds important extras such as the ability to wirelessly stream content from the Internet.
by Robert Silva
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.)
by Editors of Audio Video Revolution
by Editors of Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity
The reviews here are highly detailed and sophisticated, delivering all the technical information that videophiles want and need. However, some of what's here may leave more casual shoppers scratching their… heads at times. The most recent review is of the Oppo BDP-83, which is "highly recommended." An older but still relevant benchmark test of the Sony PlayStation 3 as a Blu-ray and DVD player is also very valuable.
by Chris Martens
Playback magazine covers Blu-ray players in nicely done single-product reports and occasional multi-player roundups. Information is plentiful and well explained. Ratings and a bottom-line assessment are… provided. The best players are singled out with a Recommended designation. We'd like this site a lot more, however, if it paid more attention to usability and less to sizzle. A listing of reviews is alphabetical by manufacturer and not up to date, forcing visitors to scroll through issue-by-issue to find reviews of interest. 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."
by Contributors to BestBuy.com
The Best Buy website is another good place to read user reviews. Navigation is easy, and some Blu-ray players get lots of feedback. A nice touch is that posters are asked if they would recommend a specific… player to a friend, and those results are presented at the top of the customer review page for each product. The Panasonic DMP-BD60K scores particularly well, with around 97 percent of the more than 30 users who've reviewed it saying that they would recommend the player.
by Contributors to Amazon.com
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-BD60Kis a standout,… with an overall rating of 4.5 out of five stars after more than 65 reviews, though a small handful complain about some freezing problems. The LG BD390 also does well, though its rating is a little less impressive. To date, most users love the Oppo BDP-83 -- all but a couple of the 27 reviews give it a perfect score.
by Editors of E-Gear.com
E-gear.com hosts a small handful of Blu-ray player reviews, though finding them can be a chore since all reviews are lumped together in one listing. The reviews themselves are of decent quality and clearly… based on hands-on testing, though not as rigorous as many others. Comparisons are made on occasion and opinions are offered, but Blu-ray Disc players are not rated or ranked. That said, the LG BD390 is a step up from the LG BD370 and Samsung BD-3600, though the reviewer is not sure the improvement is worth the price premium. However, he has no such qualms about the Oppo BDP-83, which he says is worth the investment.
by Editors of and Contributors to Blu-ray.com
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 editors' 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.
by Contributors to HighDefDigest.com
by Contributors to AVSForum.com
by Editors of Home Entertainment
by Editors of Bluray-Players.net
by Editors of HomeTheaterReview.com
by Contributors to Epinions.com
|
This is our assessment of the review’s relevance, clarity of testing and thoroughness.
Read more about our Ratings Criteria by clicking the link at the top of the page.
|
||
OPPO BDP-83 Blu-ray Disc Player with SACD & DVD-Audio
 from Amazon.com New: $499.99 In Stock.
Average Customer Review:  |
||
|
|
LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player
from Amazon.com New: Too low to display In Stock.
Average Customer Review:  |
||
|
|
Panasonic DMP-BD60 Blu-ray Disc Player, Black
from Amazon.com New: Too low to display In Stock.
Average Customer Review: |
||
|
|
 |
||
|
|
