Q: I disconnected my cable and I'm going to rely on Netflix, Hulu and my Blu-ray collection since I have no time for TV. I use my laptop to view Blu-rays but I'd like to buy a separate Blu-ray player. I'd like to know what Blu-ray players are good in the market today, with features like being able to access a Netflix account and maybe wireless (or wired depending on the pros and cons)?
With the rise of streaming solutions, physical media seems to be on its way out. But there are a great many of us, who may or may not be cinefiles, who still holds a massive collection of Blu-ray or even DVDs. And Blu-ray still holds the crown for the best picture and sound quality available to consumers. If you haven't peruse the Blu-ray player section at you local electronic store lately, you may be surprised to find more than a few that will play your collection as well as connect different video streaming sources, such as Netflix and Amazon. You will find a good mix of all these features in our suggestions, and all models are Wifi compatible.
Our favorite Blu-ray player: Sony PlayStation 3. This also happens to be our favorite gaming rig. The PS3 from Sony won't only play your Blu-ray discs and stream videos from a variety of sources such as Netflix, and Hulu Plus, it also has the added benefit of playing video games! If you're not a gamer, no worries, you stand to benefit from the large user base, which means continually supported operating system with consistent updates. You can also purchase or rent video from the built-in Playstation store. 120GB of onboard storage also means that you'll be able to store your music as well as those digital copies of videos right on the PS3. However, if you use Amazon's Instant Video service, you won't be able to stream videos with the PS3. In our opinion, this is definitely the best value for your money if you want to play games.
If you don't need the gaming function a good alternative is Sony's BDP-S580. We like the most variety of streaming available on this device, which not only includes the standard Netlflix and Hulu but also Crackle and YouTube. It is also compatible with a number of music streaming services such as Pandora and even NPR. If performance is your main concern, we also like the Panasonic DMP-BDT210 for its fast disc load time. Although it does lack in the selection of streaming sources when compared to the Sony model.
(Images: pitzyper licensed for use under Creative Commons)
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I second the PS3! It's great. I'm not a gamer (my husband is), but I probably use it more than him for netflix & hulu. LOVE IT
Third the PS3, I am not a huge gamer, but button mashing games like Fat Princess are super fun. Netflix gets the most use though :)
PS3. It's awesome! When I bought it, it was the best BluRay player on the market--and CHEAPER than others as well.
I stream Netflix with it as well. Love it!
PS3 hands-down, gamer or not. We've had one for our main TV for years, and gone through 3 Blu-Ray players for our bedroom TV. PS3 is still faster and better and easier to use and update than any of the stand-alone players we have bought. Netflix streaming is just an added bonus.
I know this is not on topic, but the post says "I disconnected my cable and I'm going to rely on Netflix, Hulu and my Blu-ray collection since I have no time for TV." I understand wanting to get rid of cable (if it weren't for sports I would have gotten rid of it a long time ago), but you obviously do have time for TV. Watching television programing on a different electronic device is still "watching TV." That said, I agree with the post and would go with a PS3, if you're a gamer.
cough*samsung*cough
I'll agree that the PS3 is the best overall. But it's not the best bang for the buck. And the Sony S580 certainly isn't.
Hint: Samsung D5700 is the best bang for the buck.
(I've only been in the Home Theater sales game since '05, so this is just my opinion.)
if your want the best quality player for the money, then get the OPPO BDP-93
http://www.oppodigital.com/blu-ray-bdp-93/
PS3, hands down.
PS3 is the perfect blueray device. It does everything from movies and games, to web access. It even works with blueray peripherals such as the apple wireless keyboard.
We've gotten good use out of our PS3. I think it's a pretty reasonable choice.
Another vote for the PS3 and if you add the wonderful PS3 Media Server software (http://code.google.com/p/ps3mediaserver/) to your computer you can stream almost anything on your computer to your TV.
Thanks for the recommendation everyone! Thanks for the article, Unpluggd! I'll look for a PS3 Slim over the weekend and figure things out.
@ try2cope - I signed up for cable only to view F1 Racing a few years ago. I don't use my cable subscription for television programming like sports, reality tv or soaps. I'm a big movie/ anime buff, which translated to my extensive Blu Ray collection and a Netflix account for some old movie viewing. I'll live with watching the F1 race online : p
I just got a refurbished Insignia for $50! Great so far.
Quick update - I picked up a 160 GB PS3 Slim and the load times for Blu Rays are fantastic! Thanks so much for the reccos everyone!