Looking for a blu-ray player with the following features


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I'm looking for a blu-ray player to give as a gift. I would like it to have some features in case I want to use it some time too

:p

- Low priced

- Plays Blu-ray (duh), DVD and CD disks

- Great upscale from DVD (or lower resolution content) to 1080

- Support USB playback with as much as possible formats

- Support multiple file formats and codecs (including H.264 in MKV)

- Network support with WiFi (With this, DNLA support is implied)

- If it uses "open source" with a community behind it, even better as this means I can easily update its firmware with for example a new Blu-ray profile and/or get new features as the age of the player progresses.

I think basically everything is covered there from most (top) to least (bottom) important. No internal HDD based as it basically shoots the price up: They will just have to buy a external HDD, plug it via USB and that's it.

Thank you

:)

I can't recommend you much, but I heard that the upscaling is usually handled better by the TV set if I remember correctly.

Glassed Silver:mac

I perfer that the player does it as my TV for some reason does it "weird"......

LG's BD660 and 670 are good options.

660 is about ?100 only lacks WiFI, but has ethernet and all the other features you want.

670 adds WiFi and some "smart" features priced at about ?130

Hey

Sounds like a PS3 for you... And you get a game console built in ...

Not exactly a low price thought...

Might be subject to OP's definition of "low" than again... :)

Usually I'd say it's about the best Blu-Ray player you can get.

Gets updated to the latest and greatest standards, too. :)

Glassed Silver:mac

Hey

Sounds like a PS3 for you... And you get a game console built in ...

Normally I'd agree with this, I use my PS3 to stream netflix, and it has the best disc playback of any of the BD players i've used...but ever since sony introduced that Cinavia garbage, I havent used it to play my media (backed up 720p/1080p mkv movies)..

Normally I'd agree with this, I use my PS3 to stream netflix, and it has the best disc playback of any of the BD players i've used...but ever since sony introduced that Cinavia garbage, I havent used it to play my media (backed up 720p/1080p mkv movies)..

What's that? :)

I'm hearing about this for the first time.

Glassed Silver:mac

Really impressed with the LG BD670 as it even has Wi-Fi Direct as many devices do not support this.

One review says that DVD upscaling is not the best but it looks like a pretty good player....

Another option would be the Panasonic DMP-BDT110 or DMP-BDT210 again has everything you need, I have an older Panasonic and it's upscaling is very good...only issue with Panasonic is their Veira Cast (internet smart TV bit) is nowhere near as full featured as LG or Samsung's Version...so depends if upscaling or smart tv is more important....prices seems about the same though.

Another option would be the Panasonic DMP-BDT110 or DMP-BDT210 again has everything you need, I have an older Panasonic and it's upscaling is very good...only issue with Panasonic is their Veira Cast (internet smart TV bit) is nowhere near as full featured as LG or Samsung's Version...so depends if upscaling or smart tv is more important....prices seems about the same though.

The DMP-BDT110 doesnt have wifi incorporated.

The other one's page seems to be down (?) so couldnt read much about it....

It seems the equivalent in my region is: Philips BDP5200/12

I imagine they are exactly the same...

So basically we are down to these;

LG BD670

Panasonic DMP-BDT210

Philips BDP5200/12

Im geared (excluding prices, as I havent looked yet) towards the Philips as my DVD player is Philips and hasnt given any problems and so is my TV.

The problem is that (from comments here on Neowin in this thread) LG offers better "smart apps" Are they really worth it?

My TV (Philips) also offers some apps although they are VERY slow to load....

Now more towards the Philips :p It seems to also be the cheapest (also easiest to find) of the three....

Panasonic DMP-BDT210

There is a cheaper option that only has one HDMI out. It's about ?150 on ebay

1: Why do I want more than one HDMI out?

2: Why, besides that, should I pick this instead of the Philips which is cheaper and has everything I asked for?

The DMP-BDT110 doesnt have wifi incorporated.

The other one's page seems to be down (?) so couldnt read much about it....

I think the 20 is the same just with WiFi.

The smart app are kinda nice...youtube on your tv etc...but it really depends if you're fussed...maybe have a look at LG's smart site see what there is.

This is a list of thats pre-installed http://lgknowledgeba...ry&EntryID=6510

and this is the store http://gb.lgappstv.c...t.lge?dummy=all

as you can see quite a lot...now I dono if some are limited to just the TV's rather then the players...but if your the sort of person who has LoveFilm or Netflix...or wants to watch youtube on the TV its quite useful.

It seems the equivalent in my region is: Philips BDP5200/12

I imagine they are exactly the same...

So basically we are down to these;

LG BD670

Panasonic DMP-BDT210

Philips BDP5200/12

Im geared (excluding prices, as I havent looked yet) towards the Philips as my DVD player is Philips and hasnt given any problems and so is my TV.

The problem is that (from comments here on Neowin in this thread) LG offers better "smart apps" Are they really worth it?

My TV (Philips) also offers some apps although they are VERY slow to load....

I would expect the upscaling on the Phillips to be only as good if not worse than the LG...I'd break it down as:

Best upscaling - Panasonic

Best Smart Apps (and probably best updates) - LG

Cheapest - Phillips

My vote would go towards the Panasonic 210 (I have one) as far as upscailing - Phillips to me seems cheap and I would not expect the best quality. LG is def the favorite for your "smart apps" but with all of the ones that are built into the Panasonic.. I havent used any of them.

Holy ****....

From their online store (although I know this is not the cheapest price I can find) the Philips costs 140 while the Panasonic costs 229. Doesnt meet the price point of "low priced" at all.....LG doesnt seem to have a online store.

Upscaling is nice of course but my TV is not huge so I dont think it would be too noticable.

I could find the LG (or the Panasonic) in a online store Ive been recommended :( so I think Ill have to go with the cheapest option of Philips.....although it has a "Reserve Now" option :( which means they arent shipping out right now.

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