Computers & Electronics

Blu ray players

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  • Mar 6th, 2015 11:28 am
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Member
Jan 16, 2008
334 posts
75 upvotes
Calgary

Blu ray players

So I don't have a blu ray player yet and was wondering whether there is any point in buying a more expensive one or if the quality should pretty much be the same on all of them. I will likely use it exclusively to play blu rays so Wi-Fi and smart options seem pointless.
5 replies
Sr. Member
Apr 4, 2012
627 posts
314 upvotes
Toronto
I owned just one, the ps3 and it was one of the best but cheapest options at the time, if all you need is the BD playback, then get a cheaper one, you won't notice a difference in pq, it has more to do with the display. Although uhd tvs are getting popular and you will likely see some expensive 4k blu-ray players later this year.
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Mar 20, 2009
8862 posts
2693 upvotes
Vancouver
Falcon-x wrote: So I don't have a blu ray player yet and was wondering whether there is any point in buying a more expensive one or if the quality should pretty much be the same on all of them. I will likely use it exclusively to play blu rays so Wi-Fi and smart options seem pointless.
I assume you're contacting us from 2008, when people played physical discs instead of streaming video. :)

More seriously, you probably won't notice any difference if you buy a cheaper model. The more expensive ones used to be significantly faster at loading and navigating menus, but speeds have improved even with the cheaper models now. They all meet the Blu-Ray Profile 2.0 spec. They all have the same digital output quality. The more expensive ones used to have extra connectors, but the Blu-Ray consortium has pretty much forced all manufacturers to drop the analog outputs and put everything over HDMI. You're not interested in the Smart features or WiFi. There isn't much else to consider. If you have a separate AV receiver, and you're not going to put the HDMI through it, you might want to look for a separate digital audio output on the Blu-Ray player - they don't all have one.
Member
Jan 16, 2008
334 posts
75 upvotes
Calgary
JamesA1 wrote: I assume you're contacting us from 2008, when people played physical discs instead of streaming video. :)
Thanks for your detailed reply. Actually I stream almost everything which is why I don't have a blu ray player yet but I have some Disney and other kid movies on blu ray and a few other ones. Also I'm assuming quality is still usually better on blu ray than streaming.

I was actually hoping getting a wii u would solve this issue but it seems they didn't want to pay the royalties to allow blu ray playback
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Aug 3, 2006
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Falcon-x wrote: I was actually hoping getting a wii u would solve this issue but it seems they didn't want to pay the royalties to allow blu ray playback
The Wii U uses a proprietary high-density optical disc that holds the same amount as a single-layer Blu-Ray disc. Nintendo has used proprietary formats for years as a way to combat piracy. Blu-Ray players have a $7-9 royalty paid to the Blu-ray Disc Association and also $2 royalty for playback software.

I've seen Blu-Ray players for $100 at Wal-Mart, so similar stores should have them just as cheap in Montreal.
Deal Fanatic
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Mar 20, 2009
8862 posts
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Vancouver
You can certainly find cheap Blu-Ray players for under $60, especially if you look for outdated models. I have two, a Samsung I bought new for $65, and a Toshiba I bought for $15 because it was a demo and didn't have a remote. Maybe try the Target 30% off sale?

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