Sub-$300 Blu-ray Player Battle

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The desire for sub-$300 blu-ray players has continued to increase given the popularity of the Playstation3 for just over that amount, and that lets you play games. Lucky for consumers, these prices have not only gone down but features have gone up as the manufacturers continue to embed more and more features (such as Netflix) into their boxes.

Sound and Vision Mag

Panasonic’s DMP-BD60 offers great picture quality, plenty of desirable A/V features, and solid, reliable performance. If I were shopping for a Blu-ray player, it would be at the top of my list. Still, its content-streaming options pale in comparison with the Samsung and LG models — a situation that will change if Panasonic’s promised Amazon Video on Demand update comes through. Since I’m a regular user of both Netflix and Pandora, the Samsung BD-P1600’s feature set was right up my alley. And I also appreciated that player’s quick, responsive handling and very good overall video performance. Next up is LG’s BD370. This player was the best looking of the bunch, and it has a great range of streaming options, including Netflix and CinemaNow. But video performance lagged somewhat behind the other two players, and its front-panel-only USB port configuration has definitely gotta go.

 


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