Best Blu-ray players and upscalers

Posted by T3 Online on Mon 30 Mar 2009

1. Sony PS3
PERFORMANCE A giant in the gaming world, but with has an extra trick up its sleeve for a bargain basement price
LOVE Still the best value Blu-Ray player around
HATE Still lacking analogue surround sound
MORE Specs | Review

2. Denon DVD-2500BT
PERFORMANCE The slimmest and fastest Blu-ray player in the world.
LOVE Superb playback for both HD and SD disks
HATE Profile v1.1 only
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3. Cambridge Audio DV99
PERFORMANCE The 1080p visuals are a marked upgrade on any standard -def disc, while colours, texture, stability and clarity are all excellent and black levels outstanding.
LOVE Incredibly good 1080p upscaling for peanuts
HATE Dull appearance
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4. Panasonic DMP-BD55
PERFORMANCE A-grade image-processing, an SD card slot and low, 20 watt power consumption all come together in perfect harmony, within this near faultless player
LOVE Excellent audio decoding. Bold colours. Nicely ergonomic remote
HATE Otherwise lame design
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5. Pioneer BDP-LX71
PERFORMANCE With outputs for both bitstream and lossless formats via HDMI and some of the finest audio we’ve tested, this is a good choice if money’s no object
LOVE Accurate picture and sound quality, with 7.1 audio outputs
HATE No ethernet means no BD Live
MORE Specs | Review

6. Marantz DV6001
PERFORMANCE Full 1080p upscaling handled by Faroudja DCDi makes this snazzy little Marantz a DVD player worthy of its lofty price tag. Excellent audio and visuals across the board.
LOVE Excellent visuals
HATE Cheap remote
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7. LG BH100 HD Combi player
PERFORMANCE Dual compatibility for HD-DVD and Blu-ray, although we already know who won the war. Still, useful for those who backed the wrong horse and are lumbered with obsolete discs.
LOVE Dual format
HATE Looks like a Volvo, no HD DVD extras
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8. Sharp BD-HP20H
PERFORMANCE Although this baby handles its black levels well, you'll find better upscaling elsewhere. It also lacks Profile 1.1 and has no DTS HD support – but you can’t argue with the price.
LOVE Shiny facade and colour changing rings
HATE Noisy upscaling
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9. Sony BDP-S300
PERFORMANCE A player that performs well across the board, for the price of, well, a PS3 with the same features. Budget version has dropped DolbyTrue HD but can play audio CDs, and has picture quality on par with the pricier S1E.
LOVE One for the Xbox fanboys
HATE It's pointless! Buy a PS3.
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10. Samsung DVD-HD945
PERFORMANCE First rate picture quality and strong, natural colours. Loads of other connections in addition to HDMI in case you fancy a trip down memory lane.
LOVE Easy to use, bargain price
HATE Doesn't treat sound with the same respect as visuals
MORE Specs | Review