Samsung BD-P1500

While the Samsung BD-P1500 didn't debut to glowing accolades, firmware upgrades and price decreases have transformed it into one of the better Blu-ray player bargains available. Like most players in its price class, it is only Bonus View-compliant as shipped, but it can be upgraded to BD Live status by downloading a firmware upgrade and plugging in a USB flash drive; BD Live lets you access Internet content and bonus disc features. While it struggles in some formal bench tests, video quality when watching Blu-ray Discs is excellent. DVD video quality is a step behind, however.

Disc-compatibility issues -- a major problem when this player first debuted -- have lessened, but reports say occasional firmware upgrades to deal with that are still required. There's onboard audio decoding for Dolby TrueHD but not DTS-HD MA, but both HD audio formats can be bitstreamed to a home theater receiver that has its own decoders. If you are on a tighter budget, the Insignia NS-BRDVD (*Est. $170) and the essentially identical Sylvania NB500SL9 (*Est. $185) and Magnavox NB500MG9 (*Est. $200) might be worth considering. These players can't be upgraded to BD Live, lack any onboard HD audio decoding and don't do the best job with standard DVDs, but Blu-ray picture quality is very good. If you have more to spend, the step-up Samsung BD-P2500 (*Est. $310) offers superior image quality with both Blu-ray and DVD, and adds an interesting extra -- the ability to stream Netflix content direct to your TV.

While the Samsung BD-P1500 has been extensively reviewed, CNET stands out as the best source for guidance, as the site has updated its coverage to include recent improvements and price drops. Those interested in even more technical details will find the review at Audio Video Revolution worthwhile. Reports at PCMag.com, UltimateAVmag.com and About.com are older (predating upgrades that made the player BD Live-ready), but still provide useful insights. Amazon.com has hundreds of user-written reviews.