Consumer Reports tests Blu-ray players
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Consumer Reports tests Blu-ray players
Updated on: 2011-01-14 11:33:00
The January tradition of returning those Christmas gifts you don't want for the things you wish you did is in full swing. If your wish list still includes a Blu-ray player, here are a few tips to help you separate the good from the bad.
When watching a movie on an HDTV - a Blu-ray player delivers an incredible viewing experience. Consumer Reports tested more than 40 Blu-ray players, costing as little as $80 all the way up to $650. The most important test was assessing picture quality. The good news was that every Blu-ray player rated excellent for high-definition picture quality; from an Oppo which sells for $500 to a Samsung which costs $140. And lower-priced players can still pack in plenty of features, like a USB port, so you can watch home videos on your TV and Internet capability, which allows you to access movies online if you pay for a service such as Netflix.
"Some of the Blu-ray players are Wi-Fi capable, which means you can connect to your home network wirelessly," said Thomas Maung of Consumer Reports.
Another consideration - how long it takes the player to load a movie. Consumer Reports times how many seconds it takes until the first screen appears.
If a 3D TV is in your future, Consumer Reports recommends the $200 Sony BDP-S570 Blu-ray player, with built-in Wi-Fi.
"Right now there's not a lot of 3D content, but all these machines will play Blu-ray discs and regular DVDs. And you'll be set to go should you decide you want to buy a 3D TV," said Jim Willcox of Consumer Reports.
Not likely to go 3D any time soon? Then a Samsung BD-C5500 is a good choice. And it's a Consumer Reports Best Buy at $140.
If streaming movies from the Internet is important to you, be aware that Blu-ray manufacturers have agreements with certain service providers. The two recommended Blu-ray players in this report stream movies from Netflix. Consumer Reports says that if you're interested in one service in particular, make sure the player you get offers it.
Consumer Reports is published by Consumers Union. Both Consumer Reports and Consumers Union are not-for-profit organizations that accept no advertising. Neither has any commercial relationship with any advertiser or sponsor on this site.
(All Consumer Reports Material Copyright 2010. Consumers Union of U.S. Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)
Story posted 2011.01.14 at 08:32 AM PST
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Víctor Lei
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