Consumer Tech: Try to wait to buy improved Blu-ray players

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Just shy of two years running, the format tussle between Blu-ray and hi-definition disc rival HD DVD is over. The end was nigh last month when Warner Bros. Entertainment dropped HD DVD to back Blu-ray exclusively with its high-definition movie releases. Universal Studios, Netflix and Wal-Mart soon followed suit. On Tuesday, Toshiba, HD DVD's main backer, announced it no longer would produce HD-DVD players.

So is it time to buy Blu? And what if you already went HD DVD?

Consumers still face choices, though none are as daunting as was picking a side before the hi-def contest wrapped.

If you've waited this long to buy a hi-def disc player, you may want to wait a little longer. Blu-ray player prices, currently averaging about $400, undoubtedly will fall. New features such as picture-in-picture and online content are being added to Blu-ray releases, but these add-ons are only supported by new and upcoming players.

Blu-ray Profile 2.0, dubbed "BD-Live," is due later this year and will require players to include expanded memory and an Ethernet port to allow Internet connectivity. These features alone are worth the wait because they will allow players to upgrade their capabilities.

Current owners of older Blu-ray players will still be able to play upcoming discs, but with limited access to the special features. You're in better shape if you have a Sony PlayStation 3, which features a built-in Blu-ray drive and wireless networking. Automatic updates include new Blu-ray player profiles and features.

Maybe you jumped the gun and picked up an HD DVD player. You could hardly be blamed, especially when prices dropped below $150. All is not lost. Even if every movie that was exclusive to HD DVD eventually comes to Blu-ray, you'll still be enjoying films such as "Batman Begins" and "Beowulf" before the other side.

HD DVD players also make great upscaling DVD players. Why not move it to the bedroom and enjoy all your regular DVDs in higher resolution?

Whether you're an HD DVD owner or a hi-def newcomer and you're ready to buy now, you can choose from several excellent Blu-ray players.


Sony's PS3 ($400, sonystyle.com) is the competitively priced Blu-ray player that also happens to be a great gaming machine. Even if you don't game, the PS3 trumps other Blu-ray players with its continually updated profiles via the built-in Wi-Fi connection; you won't be stuck with the outdated hardware you would be with non-networked machines. The case design is definitely an acquired taste, but you can always stand the thing on its end and tuck it away somewhere.


Bi-format enthusiasts will find much to love in Samsung's latest combo Blu-ray/HD DVD player, the BD-UP5000 ($800, samsung.com). The price may be steep, but just think of all those HD DVD movies you'll be able to pick up on sale. Last year's generation of combo machines lacked HD DVD bells and whistles such as picture-in-picture and interactive menus; Samsung's latest is a full-featured player in either format.


If you're comfortable watching movies on a desktop PC or you already have a home theater PC hooked up to an HDTV, the cheapest way to go Blu is with Philips and Lite-On's PLDS DH-4O1S ($200, www.pldsnet.com) This internal Blu-ray drive doesn't record, but it plays Blu-ray discs on any HDCP-compliant monitor or HDTV.

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