BluRay players?

There might be better places to ask this, and I know I'm way late to the party, but  I've kind of been thinking of getting into it, lately.  I was just wondering, do they make any good cheapish BD players yet, or is PS3 still the way to go?

Every time I find one for less than $100, I check the reviews on Amazon and they all say "I bought this at WalMart and had to take it back because it stopped working."

Not sure what features I'd be after or anything like that, I'm so behind the times @_@ I just kind of feel like if I got a PS3, I'd be wasting it's potential because I doubt I'd play very many, if any, games on it.

You need to take most reviews with a grain of salt.  People are very quick to complain but slow to praise.  Also, you don't know how technically adept some people are and how they treat electronics.  It could have broken because of their own incompetence, some abuse they heaved on it or some other kind of damage they caused but don't want to admit because then they wouldn't be able to get their refund.

That aside, there are basic models of the better brands coming down in price more and more and I'm sure you'll find some deals here and there over the next few holiday shopping weeks.

If you're a Costco member, they usually have brand name models at under $100 this time of year.

I've seen a Sony model at my local Walgreens of all places.

I think even 3D players are getting cheaper now.

I've never trusted slot loaders for some reason. Something to do with car cd players. ;)

Ziz said:

You need to take most reviews with a grain of salt.

I don't know. If the reviews weren't so vastly widespread, and were written in all caps with horrible grammar and spelling, maybe I'd trust them less, but as it is, I have doubts that it's simply due to human error.

SilverWook said:

If you're a Costco member, they usually have brand name models at under $100 this time of year.

I've seen a Sony model at my local Walgreens of all places.

Yeah, I've seen lots of brand names advertised at other retailers for under $100, these are the "really bad reviews" models I spoke of.

Heck, I checked Toshiba's website, and their highest ranked model only had 2.5 out of 5 stars (not that I trust Toshiba much, with the experience I've had).

I know I should probably think more highly of Sony for having come up with the BD format in the first place, but I've seen enough of their CD players and Playstations fall apart...

Now that I think about it, would there even be any benefit to getting a dedicated BD player over a PS3? PS3 has free Internet and has Netflix and YouTube etc. right? And we don't have (or want) a 3D TV.

Bingowings said:

SilverWook said:

I've never trusted slot loaders for some reason. Something to do with car cd players. ;)

You do realise this will be quoted out of context when you are taken for a show trial to the planet of the Slot Loaders.

"I've never trusted slot loaders, and I never will.  I've never been able to forgive them for the death of my discs." 

Asaki said:

Ziz said:

You need to take most reviews with a grain of salt.

I don't know. If the reviews weren't so vastly widespread, and were written in all caps with horrible grammar and spelling, maybe I'd trust them less, but as it is, I have doubts that it's simply due to human error.

 

SilverWook said:

If you're a Costco member, they usually have brand name models at under $100 this time of year.

I've seen a Sony model at my local Walgreens of all places.

Yeah, I've seen lots of brand names advertised at other retailers for under $100, these are the "really bad reviews" models I spoke of.

Heck, I checked Toshiba's website, and their highest ranked model only had 2.5 out of 5 stars (not that I trust Toshiba much, with the experience I've had).

 

I know I should probably think more highly of Sony for having come up with the BD format in the first place, but I've seen enough of their CD players and Playstations fall apart...

Now that I think about it, would there even be any benefit to getting a dedicated BD player over a PS3? PS3 has free Internet and has Netflix and YouTube etc. right? And we don't have (or want) a 3D TV.

IIRC, Toshiba outsourced to get in the Blu Ray game quickly, after their own HD DVD format didn't set the world on fire.

Does the PS3 have a cooling fan? Early Blu Ray players did, and the fan noise drove me nuts. Current Panasonic players offer a host of online services, don't know about Sony or the other brands.

Bingowings said:

SilverWook said:

I've never trusted slot loaders for some reason. Something to do with car cd players. ;)

You do realise this will be quoted out of context when you are taken for a show trial to the planet of the Slot Loaders.

They have to catch me first. ;)

Well, I ended up going with this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00752R4PK/

I don't usually do the whole "warranty" thing, but I figured this is probably one time I should. Looks like BD players are either less than $100, or more than $500, and not really much inbetween...at least on Amazon with "four stars or higher" selected. Hopefully I don't end up getting what I paid for =|

Asaki said:

 

Well, I ended up going with this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00752R4PK/

 

I don't usually do the whole "warranty" thing, but I figured this is probably one time I should. Looks like BD players are either less than $100, or more than $500, and not really much inbetween...at least on Amazon with "four stars or higher" selected. Hopefully I don't end up getting what I paid for =|

Yay, Panasonic!

Interestingly, all of my gear is made by Panasonic:

LD: Panasonic LX-900U

VHS: Panasonic AG-1980P

DVD: Panasonic DMR-ES10

Weird. o.O