Best Blu-ray Player Under $300

[MOONPHASE]

Originally Posted by supersix4

Is it bad that were collecting blu-ray players like we did with dvd players lol... We already have an BDP-S1 and a S350 that are sitting back in their boxes in the basement

Think of it this way if anything happens to the Blu-ray player(or players) you are using now you will always have a spare

[MOONPHASE]

Originally Posted by Sith

PS3, no brainer..

Agreed

[supersix4]

Originally Posted by MOONPHASE

Think of it this way if anything happens to the Blu-ray player(or players) you are using now you will always have a spare

lol we can't give the butt load of dvd players we have away, I've given 6 out at college to other people, a couple to extended family and we still have 5 or 6 left.

[MOONPHASE]

Originally Posted by supersix4

lol we can't give the butt load of dvd players we have away, I've given 6 out at college to other people, a couple to extended family and we still have 5 or 6 left.

In my house you can't even enter a room without a tv and a dvd player being in there also

[Arcam_or_bust]

i recommend Samsung 3600


here are a huge list of budget players

http://www.amazon.com/s?url=search-a...bluray+players

[s72450]

I have been considering getting a PS3, but heard it wasn't good to use it as a BR player, something about it messing up.

[MOONPHASE]

Originally Posted by s72450

I have been considering getting a PS3, but heard it wasn't good to use it as a BR player, something about it messing up.

The only thing about PS3 is that it overheats and you can hear the fan really kicking in but PS3 Slim is a lot more quiet. And both my 60GB and my Slim PS3 have worked with no problems playing Blu-rays. But other than that there really is no problem with having a PS3. It will probably get the YLOD(Yellow Light of Death or sometimes called Doom) but that's a hardware failure that could happen with overheating but if you take good care of it and keep it in a nice open area you should be just fine. Besides, like I said PS3 Slim doesn't overheat as easily as the bigger ones.

[kefrank]

Originally Posted by MOONPHASE

The only thing about PS3 is that it overheats and you can hear the fan really kicking in but PS3 Slim is a lot more quiet. And both my 60GB and my Slim PS3 have worked with no problems playing Blu-rays. But other than that there really is no problem with having a PS3. It will probably get the YLOD(Yellow Light of Death or sometimes called Doom) but that's a hardware failure that could happen with overheating but if you take good care of it and keep it in a nice open area you should be just fine. Besides, like I said PS3 Slim doesn't overheat as easily as the bigger ones.

For what it's worth, the fan on my 40GB PS3 has never kicked up when watching a Blu-ray and the new PS3 slim is even more power efficient (and thus, produces less heat). In fact, the only time the fan has ever kicked up on my PS3 was in one long session of Team Fortress 2 when the room got up to about 84 degrees because of an A/C issue.

As far as I can tell, the PS3 is still the most reliable all-around Blu-ray player and I'm strongly contemplating picking up another one.

[Blove23]

Originally Posted by Jeff10ct

Ok, so I am no techno-power player here. I have a 32" Sharp Aquos LCD that I bought 4 years ago, and I just purchased a Samsung PN50B650 plasma tv about 3 weeks ago (still breaking it in - yeah, I know - a conversation for another thread). SO, I figure now is the time to get a basic blue ray player. All I currently have is standard def DVDs, and I have a computer so I don't need to go on-line with my TV/BD. With that being said, I am looking for a good BD player under $300 (just bought a house) that works for playing standard def discs. Most of the recent problems I've seen with BD players is that they either don't play standard discs very well, or they end up freezing. SO, anyone have a BD player under $300 that they feel is the best one at that price point???

BASICALLY - I'm looking for a BD player to function like a DVD player and that's it - not a computer, not to download internet or movies - just play DVDs and BDs....

I love the people on this site, but they live and die with the PS3! The PS3 is a great system for all around use meaning multimedia, but it still isn't the best blu-ray player. You can either look at a Panasonic BD60 or a Sony entry level player. People feel to tell you that the PS3 doesn't have near the PQ or AQ of the Panasonic or Sony stand alones.

I have a PS3 and I never use it for Blu-rays, but I use it for gaming Plus, if you can save $150 bucks then you can use that extra money for some blu-ray movies.

[ak_ka]

I have a Sony BDP-N460. I got it off Best buy for $245 odd. Its really good. Very fast load times, and awesome picture and sound quality. Only a couple of things to consider : doesn't have Wi-Fi, and you need to plug in a USB stick to access BD-Live.
Other than that, it beats all players in that price range.
I'm returning it tomorrow though, only coz I got a deal on a PS3 slim for the same price. But if I hadn't, I was extremely happy with the player.

Hope this helps.

[MOONPHASE]

Originally Posted by kefrank

For what it's worth, the fan on my 40GB PS3 has never kicked up when watching a Blu-ray and the new PS3 slim is even more power efficient (and thus, produces less heat). In fact, the only time the fan has ever kicked up on my PS3 was in one long session of Team Fortress 2 when the room got up to about 84 degrees because of an A/C issue.

As far as I can tell, the PS3 is still the most reliable all-around Blu-ray player and I'm strongly contemplating picking up another one.

Well it's the 60GB models that have the fan kick in and maybe the original 80's and the 20 but I think once Sony made the 40's it wasn't so bad.

[joker552]

If ALL you CARE about is Blu-ray playback, go with the Sony BDP-N460, a great choice as SONY has proven themselves dependable, unlike SAMSUNG & LG players. The PS3 is simply a lot of machine for something under $300, which is why I recommend it.

[will0775]

Originally Posted by ak_ka

I have a Sony BDP-N460. I got it off Best buy for $245 odd. Its really good. Very fast load times, and awesome picture and sound quality. Only a couple of things to consider : doesn't have Wi-Fi, and you need to plug in a USB stick to access BD-Live.
Other than that, it beats all players in that price range.
I'm returning it tomorrow though, only coz I got a deal on a PS3 slim for the same price. But if I hadn't, I was extremely happy with the player.

Hope this helps.

Costco has the same player with a free hdmi cable for $229.99 also they got the panny BD 605 for $159.99 also with the hdmi included. just my 2 cents.

[brps3]

I saw a Magnavox BRP for like $150. If name brand is no big deal. I doubt you will notice a picture difference between it or a Sony.

[Kryptonic]

Originally Posted by brps3

I saw a Magnavox BRP for like $150. If name brand is no big deal. I doubt you will notice a picture difference between it or a Sony.

But Sony and Panasonic players are in the same price range. I own and love my Magnavox and it's been a flawless player since June, but for that price, the Sony or Panasonic players are a no-brainer. For $98 though, the Mag is a great player.

[Entertainment72]

PS3 Slim.. not even close.

[Jeff10ct]

WOW, that was a lot of information quick!! Thanks for the replies guys.

Ok, as requested here is more info. I am looking for a stand-alone player that will be hooked up to my Samsung PN50B650 plasma. I will be hooking up a Polk Audio SurroundBar SDA soon but have yet to order it, so for the time being I will be hooking up the BD/DVD player directly to my TV. I will most likely NOT be using it to download movies because I already have the Blockbuster mail program.

I say "BD/DVD" above because as I keep reading, I see a lot of people who say they have problems with their BD players playing regular DVDs. I'm a pretty big movie buff, but my girlfriend (who I live with), is NOT - so we don't watch a ton of movies. So now I'm on the fence as to whether or not I should just get a good DVD player that upconverts. I've read a lot about the Oppo DV-980H, Pioneer Elite DV-49AV and Denon DVD-2930Ci.

As for the PS3 slim, I read that it does NOT play PS2 games? I have several games that I really like for the PS2 so I'm a little iffy on getting the PS3 slim.


So, as you can tell, I'm confused as he!! and don't know what to do. Thanks for the help everyone!!!!

[BigMots]

Originally Posted by will0775

Costco has the same player with a free hdmi cable for $229.99 also they got the panny BD 605 for $159.99 also with the hdmi included. just my 2 cents.

+1 there, and the Sony N460 says it can stream Netflix, youTube etc as well, no can beat that for the money. not to mention costco's 2 yr warranty.

BigMots

[sloistspi]

sure if you're looking for a Blu-ray drive for your computer, or a standalone Blu-ray player.

[Jeff10ct]

OK, so for those Sony lovers out there - which is the better machine: N460 or S360???

PS: For those who haven't seen it yet, the Sony S360 is going on sale at Walmart this Saturday morning (11/7) at 8:00am for a whopping $149!!!