Introduction

Blu-ray players have become the ultimate solution for movie lovers seeking for high definition, real-time theater experience at home. With your HD TV and a surround-sound system, blu-ray player's 1080 pixel-resolution capacity gives a great and breath-taking cinema experience and awes the eyes with millions of color and the smallest details.

 

Important Features

One of the basic characteristics of a blu-ray player is its capacity to play all other kinds of discs, aside from those labeled as 'blu-ray'. Buying one does not mean that you need to discard your DVD collection. In fact, blu-ray players can even enhance your DVD-watching experience by upscaling the video's resolution to 1080p. If you have or plan on getting a 3D TV, geting a 3D blu-ray player is a must.

 

All blu-ray players also have a High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) connection or port which allows you to stream both audio and video through a cable. In addition, blu-ray players support all audio formats so lossless audio would not be a problem. An Ethernet port is also standard among blu-ray players so online media streaming is possible. Some players even save the effort of connecting a cable since they are Wi-Fi- (Wireless Fidelity) capable.

 

Cinema-like experience aside, blu-ray players also standout because of their web features. Common streaming sites like YouTube, as well as photo hosting sites such as Picasa, can be accessed via blu-ray players. Although uncommon, some players even have access on social networking sites and are widget-capable.

 

Price Range

 

Most blu-ray players' prices range from $120 to $300, depending, of course, on its features and specifications. Prices have dropped considerably in the last few months, making them much more affordable. 1080p upconversion and HDMI are already a standard to blu-ray players regardless of the brand. What exactly attract consumers nowadays, especially the 'techie' ones are the add-ons of the blu-ray players - be it an exciting web feature for news, Internet radio or social networking access, or a fascinating and useful widget particularly RSS feeds and the like.

 

Usually priced at around $200, a blu-ray player with integrated Wi-Fi provides complete web-based entertainment just in case you run out of HD movies to watch or just got bored of watching them. On one hand, Sony PlayStation 3 is made more affordable at $300 (compared with its 2006 price release of $600) complete with fast-disc loading, gaming and web browsing. Not to mention that it's slim and only weighs 6.7 pounds.

 

If you are in need of or looking for a blu-ray player that's within your budget without compromising the basic features, you can buy a blu-ray player priced at around $120-160, complete with an Ethernet port for online audio and video streaming, a surround-sound experience, and various format support providing you with optimal versatility.

 

See our list of top Blu-ray Players for specific recommendations.