If you're looking at BluRay, the way to go is the PS3, even if, like me, you have no interest in games. The brain of the PS3 is much more powerful than any standalone machine, be it HD DVD or Blu Ray, and the architecture permits Sony to upgrade the machine's features, which Sony does on its website about once a month or so. The PS3 also plays CDs and SACDs. In a recent upgrade, it permits double and quadruple oversampling of CD playback. It will soon be upgraded, I've read, to internally decode the lossless Dolby and STS soundtracks found on many Blu Ray discs. In my 18-month ownership, I've watched dozens of Blu Ray movies rented from NetFlix and have encountered not a single freeze-up, which I attribute to the extremely fast cell processor. The picture quality, as you might imagine, is superb. If you're not a gamer, you can buy the 40GB version, since you don't really need the extra capacity found in the units with 60 or 80 GB hard drives. Frankly, I can't imagine why someone interested in HD disc playback would be looking at anything else. It is by far the most bang for the buck of any CE product I've ever purchased, and I don't even use it for its main function.
Holy Moly Blu-Ray Disc Players below $300
I was in a major electronics chain store last weekend and they had the entry-level Samsung player at about $300. But what really got my attention is that the membership warehouse stores have the Sony 301 (that's a 300 plus HDMI cable included) for under $280.
Makes me wonder if I should have just sprung for that Oppo DV-980H. I *did* get it partly for its SACD/DVD-A capabilities, though.
Makes me wonder if I should have just sprung for that Oppo DV-980H. I *did* get it partly for its SACD/DVD-A capabilities, though.
- ...
- 44 posts total
- 44 posts total