Which are the really good Blu-ray disc players to make your movie-watching a wonderful experience?

Blu-ray technology is definitely winning the battle over HD DVDs - every week more and more Blu-Ray movies (new release and back catalogue) are in the stores and online to buy. So don’t miss out on watching your blockbusters (and old favourites) with the best of all possible movie technology. Here’s our pick of the best 5 Blu-ray Disc players around.

1. Panasonic BDT-100 ($249 RRP) Excellent picture quality, full HD 3D Blu-ray Disc playback, enhanced DLNA that allows you to watch content from your PC/laptop, and built-in Wi-Fi for greater access to online content, you can connect to VIErA Cast with Skype so that you don’t miss calls, innovative design with iPhone remote control app that lets you operate everything via your iPhone or iPod touch.

2. Sony BDP-S580 ($279 RRP) Simple interface and sharp, noise-free picture quality. Enjoy full HD 3D Blu-ray Disc movies, plus connect to the internet via built-in Wi-Fi. You can download the free `media remote’ app and turn your iPhone, iPad or compatible Android phone into a remote control.

3. LG BD570 ($269 RRP)  2-D HD 1080p video performance, it has Wi-Fi access and NetCast service which provides you with BigPond Movies, YouTube, Picasa photos, Accuweather access and Gracenote music information online services.

4.  BD-D6900A ($399 RRP) Has a built-in 3D converter so you can watch any of your 2D Blu-ray discs in 3D! This Series 6 Blu-ray also includes Samsung’s HyperReal Engine so you’ll always enjoy the highest image quality currently available. Also, with SmartHub feature, you can access a whole new world of TV apps right from your couch and media-stream movies online easily.

5. Sony BDP-S480 ($229 RRP) Modestly-priced for what you get. Full HD 3D Blu-ray Disc movies, plus Wi-Fi ready to connect to the internet. You can download the free `media remote’ app and turn your iPhone, iPad or compatible Android phone into a remote control.

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Blu-ray has had its struggles since it started. Would it win the war over HD-DVDs, would it manage to come down in price to be affordable enough, would the technology get its act together?

A few years on, and if you’re a movie lover who needs the best viewing from your home theatre experience, then it looks like Blu-ray disc technology is now the preferred way to go. Many more new movies are now put out on Blu-ray than ever before - HD DVD has really conceded defeat to the new technology. (And if you’ve always wondered why it’s called Blu-ray, it’s because of the blue laser that reads the disc, rather than the red laser that reads HD DVDs!)

Samsung HT-C9950W has recently been released by Samsung to be paired with their high-end Series9 HDTVs, however this sleek home cinema system can be used with any HDTV. It’s Samsung’s newest and top offering in home theatre systems, complete with 7.1 channel Dolby Pro Logic IIz - which means you get a true surround sound experience like in the cinema, plus distortion is eliminated as well as it can be.

This home theatre system comes with a Blu-ray player and access to Samsung’s Internet@TV platform for streaming web content and Samsung apps. Through Internet@TV, you can get live sports, news, shopping, weather etc. The Samsung AllShare feature lets you use your home theatre system for network streaming, view photos and your own home movies on the big screen with friends and family through wireless integration of cameras, phones and other AllShare devices. RRP$2399.00.

Find home theatre systems on Lasoo.

For just $399, the Panasonic DMP-BDT300 represents great value for money as a 3D Blu-ray player.

Of course, you’ll need a 3D TV to take advantage of the full 3D functionality. However even if you don’t, the BDT300 still offers enough features to keep you happy, including BD-Live support, USB and SD card playback, 7.1 analog output and DTS-HD and Dolby TrueHD decoding. Panasonic has also equipped the player with its own proprietary features, including Viera Cast, which offers access to the likes of YouTube, Picasa and Bloomberg.

Performance is exceptional for a Blu-ray player in this price range. The BDT300 handles most content with a minimum of noise and distortion. Colours and blacks are both rendered well.

Another strong feature is the sound quality, which is not only good news for watching movies, but also if you want to use it to play music (including CDs).

Buy a cheap Blu-ray player on sale in Australia

By Caroline Warnes

The new LG HR599D media player may be something of a Swiss Army knife, but at $1379, it doesn’t come cheap.

If that price wasn’t enough to make you look away, then you’ll be happy to know that the LG HR599D does offer reasonable bang for your buck: it’s a Blu-ray player, DLNA media player and dual-tuner PVR with 500GB hard drive, all rolled into one neat package.

If you want to break that down, that means that as well as playing your Blu-ray discs and DVDs, the HR599D can also play back content in a wide range of formats (MPEG2, MPEG4 AVC (H.264), SMPTE VC-1, DivX, DivX HD, MKV and AVCHD). That content can be delived in two ways, either via USB or from your home network (whether it’s Ethernet or wireless). Then, of course, there is the dual-tuner PVR functionality, which allows you to record, pause and rewind live TV. To top it off, LG has thrown in YouTube compatibility, so you can playback online content.

The good news is that the HR599D’s price tag is entirely justified. It’s easy to set up and use and handles most media very well. Blu-ray playback isn’t quite on a par with that of some high-end standalone players, but it’s still very good.

Buy a cheap Blu-ray player on sale in Australia

By Caroline Warnes

If you’ve ever thought about purchasing a Blu-ray player to get that full high-definition experience at home, but were put off by the price - here’s some good news. Blu-ray players are getting more and more affordable and are performing better, too.

Why go Blu-ray?

The advantages to upgrading your old DVD player to a Blu-ray player are fairly straightforward - improved image and video quality plus more special features. Blu-ray players are capable of “Full HD” (1080p) output, plus the discs offer features such as picture-in-picture commentary and the ability to access the players menu while the disc is still playing.

Another bonus is that your old DVD collection doesn’t become obsolete. Blu-ray players will still play DVDs. Although you should be warned that while many manufacturers claim that their players will “upscale” DVD content to HD, the resulting output won’t be as good as playing a Blu-ray disc.

As prices come down (thanks largely to Blu-ray’s seeming triumph over its rival format HD DVD) and features are improved, the current crop of Blu-ray players is worth consideration by anyone who is looking to upgrade their home theatre set-up.

What equipment do I need to go Blu-ray?

Unfortunately, it’s not just a case of hooking your Blu-ray player up to your old CRT television and magically seeing HD content on the screen (you could do that, but the content would only be displayed in standard definition so you might as well buy a DVD player).

To get the most from your Blu-ray player you will need a Full HD TV screen (1080p) to maximise the high-definition video output and an AV receiver plus surround sound speakers to maximise the high-definition audio output. You’ll also need HDMI cables to hook the system up. Yes, normal cables aren’t capable of carrying HD video and audio so without the HDMI cables, the whole exercise is pointless.

Blu-ray profiles and sound formats

Once you’ve decided to bite the bullet and go Blu-ray, there are several things you need to know about the players themselves. And here is where it can get slightly confusing.

Firstly, you have something called Blu-ray profiles, of which there are three - Profile 1.0, Profile 1.1 and Profile 2.0. Basically, the first two (and earliest) profiles don’t support the full functionality that Blu-ray is capable of, although technically there should be no difference in the way they handle the content itself. Profile 1.0 has no advanced features, while 1.1 has picture-in-picture (BonusView). Meanwhile, the latest and greatest Profile 2.0 supports BD-Live, or content that can be downloaded from the Internet straight to the player such as deleted scenes, commentaries and so on.

On the plus side, 1.0 and 1.1 players tend to be cheaper so if you don’t really care about bonus features, that’s the direction to steer in.

And then there is the matter of Blu-ray sound formats. With DVD, the two main formats are called Dolby Digital and DTS. The manufacturers of these formats took advantage of the extra storage provided by Blu-ray discs to create new and improved sound formats - Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD High Resolution and DTS-HD Master Audio (Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio being the preferred formats because they use lossless compression and therefore provide audio that is more faithful to the original).

Each of these formats needs to be decoded to something called linear PCM format before it can be read by the AV receiver connected to your Blu-ray player. If a Blu-ray player is listed as having on-board decoding in its specs, that will happen within the player. If it doesn’t, then the AV receiver will need to have on-board decoding for the two pieces of equipment to “talk”.

Best Blu-ray players

Panasonic Blu-ray players are amongst the best available. Sony Blu-ray players are also worth looking at, plus Sony also has the PS3, which is a gaming console/Blu-ray player/media centre, if you’re keen to get the most bang for your buck.

Buy a cheap Blu-ray player on sale

By Caroline Warnes

The new Toshiba BDX2000KY is a decent and affordable entry-level high-definition Blu-ray player.

Perhaps most notably, the BDX2000KY is Toshiba’s first Blu-ray player, signalling that Blu-ray has indeed won the high-definition format war. Previously, Toshiba only produced HD-DVD players, holding out against the likes of Sony and Panasonic. With HD DVD’s major supporter now switching to Blu-ray, it seems unlikely that the format will reign supreme in the long run.

Priced at just $329, the Toshiba BDX2000KY offers basic Blu-ray player functionality. It provides Full HD output (1080p) when coupled with a Full HD display as well as standard definition upscaling to 1080p. Connectivity options include an HDMI output, a LAN Ethernet port for use with BD-Live, composite and component outputs, plus optical digital and coaxial audio outputs. Toshiba has also packaged the BDX2000KY with a fairly standard remote control.

While the feature set may be very basic, performance is more than acceptable, especially with this price tag. Sound and images are handled well and start up and play times are both reasonable. Some Blu-ray players - even high-end ones - suffer from delay issues, not so the Toshiba BDX2000KY.

The Toshiba BDX2000KY is available in Australia now and sells for $329.

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By Caroline Warnes

The Pioneer BDP-120 is the manufacturer’s new budget Blu-ray player and for an entry-level model it offers decent features and performance.

Carrying an Australian recommended retail price of $599 - which is relatively inexpensive for a Blu-ray player - the Pioneer BDP-120 is a slimline, glossy black player that will look good sitting in most home theatre setups.

Unlike some other models on the market, it starts up and loads discs quickly and when it gets going, performance is pretty good. The BDP-120 is capable of 1080/24p (24 frames per second) playback and offers 36-bit Deep Colour support - though be warned that you’ll need a fairly new HD display to experience the full benefits of this. It also features 1080p DVD upscaling. Pioneer has also equipped the BDP-120 with a USB port.

Plus, if you purchase the BDP-120 with the Pioneer VSX-919AH AV receiver you receive an 8GB Apple iPod Nano - something to sweeten the deal if you’re looking to significantly upgrade your lounge room setup.

Buy a cheap Blu-ray player on sale

By Caroline Warnes

The Panasonic DMP-B15 is the first portable Blu-ray player to hit the Australian market, allowing you to watch your high-definition discs anywhere at any time.

Being the first to market with a product such as this always has one problem - the cost. And the Panasonic DMP-B15 is no exception, setting you back $1319.

The good news that comes with this price tag is that the DMP-B15 can also act as a standalone player in your lounge room, thanks to the inclusion of an HDMI port and composite AV output for older TVs, allowing you to plug it into your existing home theatre setup.

Panasonic has equipped its portable Blu-ray player with a range of car accessories, including an adaptor for the cigarette lighter and headrest mount, so you can take your Blu-ray movies on the road with you - perfect for long family trips.

At the heart of the Panasonic DMP-B15 is the 8.9-inch screen - so yes, despite the term “portable”, this isn’t a small device. One can only assume that as subsequent portable Blu-ray players hit the market, the standard design will become smaller and less bulky. It features a native resolution of 1024×600p, which falls short of the standard Blu-ray resolution of 1080p, however this is still a massive improvement over any portable DVD player on the market.

Panasonic has also equipped the player with access to its proprietary VieraCast portal, giving you access to YouTube and Picasa; plus a credit-card sized remote that you can use to control the DMP-B15 when it isn’t convenient to use the controls on the unit itself.

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By Caroline Warnes

The LG BD370 Blu-ray player is a budget model that performs much better than its price would suggest.

Despite coming in at well under the $500 mark, the LD BD370 doesn’t have the feature list of a budget Blu-ray player: in fact, it’s rather comprehensive. The shining star of the BD370’s feature set is YouTube functionality, allowing you to playback YouTube videos directly on your TV when the player is connected to the Internet. Obviously, the image quality won’t be stellar HD, but it should be an improvement over what you’d see on your PC screen, thanks to upscaling.

Aside from the standard Blu-ray and DVD discs, the LG BD370 offers support for a range of formats, including the most common you see on the Internet (MPEG2 and 4, DivX and so on). It can also decode DTS_HD and Dolby True HD. Outputs include HDMI, component, composite, an optical and coaxial digital and stereo out.

Performance is exceptional for a player in this price range - image quality is much better than what you’d expect. The LG BD370 is also lightning-fast for a Blu-ray player, particularly when compared to the earliest models that were available on the market.

Buy the LG BD370 Blu-ray player from shops in Australia

By Caroline Warnes

As Blu-ray and HD-DVD players are relatively new technology, it’s not surprising that most models still tend to be very expensive.

However the Sharp BDHP20X Blu-ray player is one of the exceptions to that rule, carrying a reasonable RRP of $749. Of course, there’s a catch: it does lack some features and functions that you’ll always find on higher-end models.

For starters, the BDHP20X isn’t compatible with Blu-ray Profile 1.1 specification (this basically allows picture-in-picture and other similar functions). It also lacks support for a number of common formats, including MP3, JPEG, DivX and even WMA.

However in terms of performance the BDHP20X does excel, outperforming its $749 RRP. The picture is generally sharp and detailed. The features that are included tend to work well, including 1080p HD upscaling and the Quick Start button.

Click here to find offers on Sharp Blu-ray players from retailers near you.

By Caroline Warnes