Advice on a budget Blu-ray player?

[PrincessMama605]

My dvd player is about to die-it is very slow and making some strange noises!

Since I refuse to pay for cable this will be a catastrophe for dd. Instead of just getting a new dvd player I figure it might make more sense to upgrade to a Blu-ray instead. I know next to nothing about them though. Can anyone out there recommend a good, inexpensive one?

 

[southbarringtonjen]

We bought a PS3. I know what you are thinking, I want to watch movies not play games. I am not interested in Mrs. Pac-man. But my husband showed me the price of other blu-ray players and the PS3 is the same cost. It can do so much more too because it connects to the internet. I listen to my music from my computer in the office through the PS3 in the living room. I didn't even do anything, it just showed up on its own. We also show our home videos this way too, which is great because our TV is mounted to the wall and we couldn't hook up the camcorder to the TV.

 

[TifffanyD]

There is a refurbished bluray for $50 posted on slickdeals, if you hurry. It's sold through kmart.

 

[tzolkin]

We got a Blu-Ray with Netflix that came as a package with our TV. For us the extra cost for the Netflix/internet capability is worth it. We got rid of our satellite service last summer and mostly watch movies and older TV seasons through Netflix.

We bought a PS3. I know what you are thinking, I want to watch movies not play games. I am not interested in Mrs. Pac-man. But my husband showed me the price of other blu-ray players and the PS3 is the same cost. It can do so much more too because it connects to the internet. I listen to my music from my computer in the office through the PS3 in the living room. I didn't even do anything, it just showed up on its own. We also show our home videos this way too, which is great because our TV is mounted to the wall and we couldn't hook up the camcorder to the TV.

My parents bought a PS3 too. They weren't planning to play any games with it, but it was the same price as the Blu-ray with Netflix so they bought it. They wound up buying one or two games for the grandkids to play when they visit.

 

[bumbershoot]

We just got a Vizio brand blu ray player at Costco for about 109.99. So far we have really liked it! We're slowly watching all our movies again (which is good free entertainment, since we used our "family fun" money to buy it!) and it's like we've never seen the movies before...I'm just talking about our DVDs here! The clarity is incredible.

I think it had a list price of 129.99, and actually if I recall correctly Costco was having a deal on them at we paid 99.99.

We have a Vizio TV that we really liked, but we hadn't been aware that they had a bluray player until we saw it. Glad we got it!

 

[JB2K]

My dvd player is about to die-it is very slow and making some strange noises!

Since I refuse to pay for cable this will be a catastrophe for dd. Instead of just getting a new dvd player I figure it might make more sense to upgrade to a Blu-ray instead. I know next to nothing about them though. Can anyone out there recommend a good, inexpensive one?

Blu-ray players are getting less expensive, every day!

A full-featured Sony model (BDP-S360) is currently running about $139-149 at most mass merchandisers and prices are expected to drop on the 2009 models when the 2010's roll-out, next month -- watch the clearances at Target, as they tend to make stocking the 2010 models a priority and they will sell those '09 models at unheard-of prices.

As for "budget" brands, you may want to be cautious -- in the past, many Blu-ray players have required "firmware upgrades" (this isn't such a common occurance, anymore), and the lesser-known brands (as well as the $75 Magnavoxes sold at Walmart) tend not to be "upgrade-friendly" models.

More on Blu-ray at the Blu-ray website

 

[PinkRhombus]

We're Sony people so we do plan on getting one of their players sometime, but we're okay with what we have. It is very convenient to have one remote work every component...you have a harder time doing that if you mix brands.

But OH BOY I know what you're talking about on the clarity. Sam's had a tv set up with the Up dvd playing on a Blu-ray...it was freakishly clear and crisp. Brighter. So colorful.

 

[TifffanyD]

But OH BOY I know what you're talking about on the clarity. Sam's had a tv set up with the Up dvd playing on a Blu-ray...it was freakishly clear and crisp. Brighter. So colorful.

When we watched UP on blueray I couldn't stop staring at all the balloons - AMAZING! I think they hypnotized me

 

[MickeyDisneyFan]

I would also say PS3 it also does Netflix streaming and is future proof. If you connect it to the internet you can always download new updates for it.

Rumor has it that it will be one of the only 3d capable bluray players if thats important to you.

 

[Golf4food]

Don't get bare bones, don't get off brand. You can get a very good player with internet, Netflix, etc. for under $150 easily, often closer to the $100 price point.

LG, Sony, Panasonic, etc - stick with the major playesr for now.

And definitely hang out at the www.blu-ray.com website and forums - all sorts of deals you can find, especially on movies.

 

[BellePrincessBelle]

I'm very happy with my $99 Insignia that streams netflix.

 

[deerhart]

(as well as the $75 Magnavoxes sold at Walmart) tend not to be "upgrade-friendly" models.

More on Blu-ray at the Blu-ray website

We have that Magnovex (though we bought ours 2 years ago when it first went to $100) and we have had no upgrade issues at all. Now it does not have internet etc so a lot of the new features (that require internet) don't work.

 

[JB2K]

And definitely hang out at the www.blu-ray.com website and forums - all sorts of deals you can find, especially on movies.

And, as you said on a different thread, most of the Disney BR coupon deals are leaked there, first.