1	Panasonic DMP-BD30 £350 As the world's first 'Profile 1.1' Blu-ray player, the DMP-BD30 is the only one that supports picture-in-picture and audio mixing features found on discs like Resident Evil: Extinction. But there are many more strings to its bow, like killer 1080p picture quality and an SD card slot. http://www.panasonic.co.uk
2	Sony BDP-S500 £600 Sony's high-spec Blu-ray deck fires 1080p pictures to your TV at 24 frames per second and unlike the next model down (BDP-S300) it supports 7.1-channel Dolby True HD, DTS HD and Dolby Digital Plus. The S500 looks gorgeous with a motorised front panel that slides down at the push of a button, and picture quality is staggeringly sharp and vibrant. http://www.sony.co.uk
3	Samsung BD-P1400 £300 Fact: Blu-ray decks are now affordable, and none more so than this budget beauty from Samsung. Not only does it look gorgeous but it also offers 1080p output at 24 frames per second and sports decoders for Dolby True HD, Dolby Digital Plus and DTS HD. Apart from some juddering in the 24fps mode, picture quality is sublime, making this a great entrée into the magical world of hi-def. http://www.samsung.com/uk
4	Pioneer BDP-LX70 £1,000 The long-awaited debut Blu-ray machine from Pioneer is among the first to deliver 1080p picture at 24 frames-per-second, the Holy Grail for any true cinema fan. The results on a compatible screen are astounding, and the deck oozes quality throughout, but though the lack of HDMI 1.3 and support for advanced Blu-ray features is disappointing, particularly at this price. http://www.pioneer.co.uk
5	Sharp BD-HP20H £400 Sharp’s debut Blu-ray player comes with a decent range of features, such as 1080/24p video output via HDMI, 7.1-channel digital audio output and support for Dolby TrueHD, but the real story is the price – at £400 it’s one of the first ‘affordable’ Blu-ray players. The DVD upscaling leaves a lot to be desired, with pictures looking a touch noisy, but sharp hi-def performance is enough to earn a thumbs up. http://www.sharp.co.uk
Back To Top