Blu-ray Players Reviews

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Blu-ray Players Reviews Reviewed
Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Blu-ray Players Ratings Comments on Reviews
1. CNet.com	Top Blu-ray players Matthew Moskovciak, Jeff Bakalar Updated Feb. 21, 2007		CNet.com does a good job staying on top of the latest high-definition Blu-ray players. The site reviews most new models as soon as they come to market and reports its findings in well-done reports that manage to inform but not overwhelm. A numerical rating makes it easy to see where a high-definition DVD player stands in relation to its competition. Among current models, the Sony PlayStation 3 (40 GB) is a clear favorite, though much of the review focuses on its capabilities as a game console. Among standalone Blu-ray players, CNet.com gives a slight edge to the Panasonic DMP-BD30. The Samsung BD-P1400 also scores well, but its rating has been recently lowered in response to user-reported disc compatibility issues.

Blu-ray Players Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Blu-ray Players Ratings Comments on Reviews

2. Ultimate AV Magazine	HD Disc Players/Recorders Editors of UltimateAVmag.com As of Mar. 2008		The reviews at Ultimate AV are authoritative and comprehensive with lots of technical details. While occasionally comparisons are made within the articles, the editors don't try to rank high-definition DVD players, and a disc player buyer's guide is now badly out of date. Thomas J. Norton says the Panasonic DMP-BD30 is the fastest standalone Blu-ray player to date, and that it seems immune to the glitches and freezes that plagued previous standalone Blu-ray players he's tested. Video quality is "second to none." Norton isn't as kind to the LG Super Blu BH200, which plays both HD DVD and Blu-ray discs. He says that while the draw of a dual-format player is "potent," you can get more capable separate players for each format for less money.
3. Sound & Vision Magazine >> Details/Subscribe	HD DVD & Blu-ray Archives Editors of Sound & Vision Magazine As of Mar. 2008		The high-definition DVD player reviews at Sound & Vision Magazine are pages long and full of technical and practical details. Objective ratings are not provided, but players are sometimes compared to other options. A list of top equipment choices is currently out of date. Among current HD disc players, Al Griffin says that the LG BH200 is far superior to its predecessor, though some shortcomings are noted. The Sony BDP-S300 is described as a good budget standalone Blu-ray player.
4. Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity	Reviews Kris Deering As of Mar. 2008		The reviews here are highly detailed and sophisticated, delivering all the technical information that audiophiles want and need in a way that won't leave less advanced users scratching their heads. Kris Deering has looked at three Blu-ray players in recent reviews. The Panasonic DMP-BD30 offers "state of the art playback performance from Blu-ray software" along with Profile 1.1 support. But its lack of built-in decoders for the advanced lossless audio formats means it "isn't for everyone." Though Deering found a lot to like with the Samsung BD-P1400, other aspects clearly left him disappointed. One notable sore spot is that standard-definition performance is a step back over the model's predecessor, the BD-P1200. The Pioneer Elite BDP-95FD is an "impeccable" performer when it comes to Blu-ray playback, but is only average when it comes to standard DVDs. The BD-P1400 and BDP-95FD are criticized for sluggish load times and general usability issues.

Blu-ray Players Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Blu-ray Players Ratings Comments on Reviews

5. Big Picture Big Sound.com	Playing for Keeps Chris Boylan and Editors of Big Picture Big Sound Updated Oct. 2007		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. However, Boylan says standalone Blu-ray players such as the Sony BDP-S300 might be a better choice if you are not. In an October update, the site adds that with some of the recent firmware updates, "the PS3 has become an even more impressive piece of hardware."
6. Big Picture Big Sound.com	Blu Light Special Chris Boylan Feb. 2008		Chris Boylan updates an earlier report on the Panasonic DMP-BD30 Blu-ray player and says he remains impressed with what he sees. Video performance with HD discs is first rate -- a "bit better" in fact than on the PS3 -- but SD performance is only good. Usability is greatly improved over other standalones, with boot-up times reduced to around 26 seconds with a Blu-ray disc. He compares the DMP-BD30 with the Toshiba HD-A35 and says the Panasonic player "is more responsive, more user-friendly and better at upconverting standard definition DVDs to high definition resolutions". The lack of network capability is disappointing, but not a "show-stopper" for Bolan.
7. Blu-ray.com Forums	Blu-ray Players and Recorders Contributors to Blu-ray.com As of Mar. 2008		The Blu-ray Players and Recorders sub-forum on this Blu-ray only site is a great place to get user feedback on specific Blu-ray players. Most current and older players have their own dedicated review threads. Some reports are superficial, others go into great detail. Links to professional reviews are often provided. Most users seem willing to help others with specific questions.
8. The New York Times >> Details/Subscribe	In This War, How to Ally With Both David Pogue Jan. 31, 2008		This review by The New York Times' David Pogue directly compares the LG Super Blu BH200 and the Samsung BD-UP5000 combo Blu-ray/HD DVD players. No formal bench testing is done, but both players are examined from a sophisticated user's point of view. Pogue notes that the Samsung player has better audio connectivity than the LG, but he does not address the issue of support for lossless audio playback mentioned by other reviewers. He also says that the BD-UP5000 has better support for 24 fps playback. For those reasons, and because "it feels slightly more refined than the LG," he gives the overall edge to the Samsung player. He adds that while you save money by buying separate HD DVD and Blu-ray players, "that approach is a royal pain."
9. High-Def Digest	Hardware Review: Panasonic DMP-BD30 Joshua Zyber Nov. 26, 2007		Although High-Def Digest is better known as a source for HD DVD and Blu-ray software reviews, this review of the Panasonic DMP-BD30 is very well done. Unlike some, this review does not bury readers in technical details, instead discussing the player's operations in a straightforward and easy-to-follow way. Reviewer Joshua Zyber laments that the Panasonic player does not include on-board decoding for advanced audio formats, though its predecessor did, speculating that the change was made to meet a lower price point. He is also disappointed in the DMP-BD30's performance with HD and SD interlaced material. Despite those shortcomings, price and strong performance in "core areas" lead him to say that the DMP-BD30 "rates a worthy recommendation."
10. Home Theater Magazine >> Details/Subscribe	Disc Players Editors of Home Theater Magazine As of Mar. 2008		While much of Home Theater Magazine's coverage is a duplicate of what's available at its sister publication, UltimateAV, Thomas J. Norton offers an in-depth and not too complimentary assessment of the Samsung BD-UP5000 combo player. He finds numerous issues with audio playback, including the fact that it can't play back multichannel Dolby TrueHD from any output in any form, and notes that while dual channel TrueHD is available, that's useless for movie tracks. It also requires the latest firmware upgrade to play back some HD DVD and Blu-ray discs, and still can't properly display Blu-ray Bonus View content, though the player is Bonus View compliant.
11. E-gear.com	Product Reviews Editors of E-Gear.com As of Mar. 2008		E-Gear occasionally reviews high-definition disc players. The reviews aren't terribly long, but do a decent job covering the essentials. Players aren't rated, though some of the single-product reports attempt to compare players to other options. Most recently, Greg Robinson reports on the Sharp BD-HP20U Blu-ray disc player. He says that it is the fastest standalone player he's seen to date, though the Sony PS3 is still faster. He also appreciates the inclusion of 5.1 channel analog audio outputs.
12. PC Magazine >> Details/Subscribe	LG BH200 Super Blu Player Robert Heron Jan. 30, 2008		Robert Heron says that a combo player takes the guesswork out of figuring out which HDM format will survive. However, he found numerous issues when testing the LG BH200 Super Blu player -- including many of the same audio and disc navigation problems noted by other reviewers. In addition, he saw a green line artifact when upscaling standard-definition DVDs, and adds that firmware upgrades are a nuisance; despite the presence of an Ethernet port, firmware upgrades must still be downloaded to a PC and burned on a recordable CD first.

Blu-ray Players Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Blu-ray Players Ratings Comments on Reviews

13. PC World >> Details/Subscribe	LG BH200 Blu-ray / HD-DVD Player Melissa J. Perenson Jan. 28, 2008		This review of the LG BH200 covers some important ground, but is less useful than it could be since formal image testing is yet to be done. Melissa J. Perenson calls the player "pokey," with lags at startup and when changing chapters or navigating disc menus. Problems are noted in BD-Java-heavy Blu-ray discs and most HD DVD discs. Finally, she feels that the price is too high.
14. About.com	Top Blu-ray Disc and HD-DVD Players Robert Silva As of Mar. 2008		Robert Silva's reviews at About.com are a bit of a mixed bag. A few reviews are lengthy, well detailed and do a great job of looking at things from a sophisticated owner's point of view. Others are just a paragraph of descriptive text. All seem to be drawn mainly from manufacturer information with a little opinion thrown in. Also, a few too many discontinued models remain listed.
15. High-Def Digest	High-Def Digest Forums Contributors to High-Def Digest As of Mar. 2008		In addition to the review above, High-Def Digest hosts a discussion forum that's both informative and entertaining. There's lot's of good information and user-to-user help on sub-forums dedicated to the two HD disc formats, including reviews. Smackdown forums let proponents battle it out over which format is better; those don't shed much light but can be entertaining to read as long as you don't take things too seriously.
16. AVSForum.com	Blu-ray & HD DVD Areas Contributors to AVSForum.com As of Mar. 2008		You'll find lots of far ranging -- and sometimes heated -- discussions about everything and anything Blu-ray and HD DVD on this popular site. Hints, tips, problems, solutions and tons of user reviews are just some of what's available. Be prepared to spend some time reading, however, as some of the threads can go on for hundreds and even thousands of posts.
17. CircuitCity.com	HD DVD & Blu-ray Disc Players Contributors to CircuitCity.com As of Mar. 2008		Circuit City lets owners tell others of their experiences with their high-definition DVD players. Like all user review sites, the quality and usefulness of the postings vary greatly, but this site gets lots of traffic, and many HD DVD and Blu-ray players get lots of feedback. You will need to navigate over to the games and toys category to get impressions of the Sony PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Xbox 360 HD DVD drive.
18. Amazon.com	Blu-ray Disc Players Contributors to Amazon.com As of Mar. 2008		Online retailer Amazon.com also gives users the opportunity to write about their experiences with Blu-ray and HD DVD players. One advantage Amazon.com has over Circuit City is that the reviews here tend to be a little more detailed. Another is that the number of reviews is now being posted on the main navigation page.

Blu-ray Players Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Blu-ray Players Ratings Comments on Reviews

19. Consumer Guide.com	DVD Players Reviews and Prices Editors of ConsumerGuide.com As of Mar. 2008		Keeping up with the fast paced HD disc player scene is clearly proving to be a challenge for Consumer Guide. Its coverage is intermingled with reports on standard-definition DVD players, and only one current HD model -- the Sony BDP-S300 -- is discussed as of our last visit. That review is briefer than we think is called for given the many points that should be covered, but we give the anonymous reviewer points for accurately identifying some of the key considerations surrounding this player and assessing its place in the market accurately.
20. Consumer Reports >> Details/Subscribe	DVD Player Reviews Editors of Consumer Reports Not Dated		Consumer Reports has not updated its high-definition disc coverage of late, and as a result has fallen far behind the current market. Nine players overall are evaluated in the most recent report, but none are current. The buying advice given is also of little value at present as it predates some recent -- and not so recent -- developments.
21. Epinions	Blu-ray Players Contributors to Epinions As of Mar. 2008		Epinions.com is an independent site where contributors can review products they own. While the reviews are frequently far more detailed than user-written reports at other sites, there are far fewer of them. In addition, visitors need to search to find feedback on the Sony PlayStation 3.