Choosing a stationary Blu-Ray player. Choosing a stationary Blu-Ray player Additional information about Blu-Ray players

The market situation is such that a simple player capable of playing movies and music from discs is no longer relevant today. This will only be bought by those who only need such functionality, and therefore you can save a lot on this.

So manufacturers have to get out of this situation, and especially manufacturers of Blu-ray players. This format has been walking around the planet for the sixth year now, but it has a very unexpected competitor - capacious hard drives, and therefore BD discs are still expensive, although the average price of players has decreased, and the functionality of the latter has expanded significantly.

In addition, the Blu-ray format was the first to master the latest “fashion” - 3D video. 3D video, as is now evident from its popularity, turned out to be needed by the market in much the same way as Blu-ray media itself. However, many companies are directly pushing it onto the market and, obviously, sooner or later most TVs and players will support 3D, and not just Blu-ray.

But today we will talk about a product that offers support for Blu-ray 3D discs - Philips BDP9600. This is one of the flagship products of the Dutch company, which in addition to playing Blu-ray 3D is capable of much more. In addition, it has a rather extraordinary design, which is where we will start.

Design

The solidity of the BDP9600 can be assessed even before it is removed from the box - it weighs quite decently, and its dimensions promise something massive. Obviously, such a player has a place in the center of the home theater, right under the TV, and not in a modest nook behind a partition.

And indeed, having taken out the device, all our assumptions were confirmed - it looks very impressive and, most importantly, expensive. The material used to make the case makes the design more expensive. Of course, aluminum is often found, especially in various household disc players from the middle and upper price range. But Philips especially emphasized the metallic “essence” of the BDP9600.

A very thick sheet of metal (3 mm!) without any seams encircles the entire player from top to bottom and on the sides. Of course, at the corners of the side edges it is strongly rounded, since it is difficult to make sharp corners with such thick metal. The front section of the sheet is chrome-plated, which gives the impression that it is particularly durable glass. However, the rough “scratched metal” texture leaves no doubt about the material used to make the main part of the player body. Actually, it’s not really paint—one touch is enough to feel the relief of the coating. Apparently, Philips actually scratched the aluminum sheet for the BDP9600 on purpose.

However, the designers of the Dutch company considered such surroundings insufficient. There is a plexiglass window on top of the device, through which you can view the insides of the player.

At first, we generally thought that this was exclusively a feature of our demo sample, but the plexiglass was clearly installed at the factory, and it’s not for nothing that there is blue neon lighting inside. Computers have been designed this way for a long time and it looks very impressive. In addition, this made it possible to save on metal, which in turn leads to a reduction in the final cost and weight reduction.

By the way, quite a lot can be seen inside. Moreover, the various components of the player are even schematically marked on the plexiglass.

In particular, this is a toroidal power supply, which, according to Philips, does not create any sound distortion. Directly below it, closer to the front of the player, is the power supply mode switch.

Hidden centrally at the back of the BDP9600 is a TI Burr-Brown DAC, which promises particularly high-quality sound reproduction. Well, on the right, under the massive radiator, there is clearly a processor that decodes video and audio - it could use additional cooling. Around it you can see four chips, either video or RAM (or both) Nanja memory in BGA packaging, as well as a flash memory chip from Hynix. The latter is clearly used for a cache or similar role. A little higher is the Marvell 88DE2750 chip, which is a Qdeo video processor that complements the main one. Next to it you can see another memory chip made by Nanja.

Controls and Connectors

Now let's move on to the front panel. At first glance, there are quite a few elements on it: a button, an optical drive tray and a USB connector.

The button, as you might guess from its remote location from the drive, does not serve to open the tray at all. She turns the player on and off. Although the button is covered with “mirror” paint, a dull orange-red shutdown button icon is visible behind it during operation.

The absence of a disk eject button is somewhat confusing, but it quickly becomes clear that it is touch-sensitive and is located on the mirror panel at the bottom. By the way, this panel is made of real glass mirror, and upper part the front end is made of plastic, painted to look like “scratched metal”. There are three touch buttons in total and they are illuminated while the player is operating. They are illuminated in a pale blue color and are not very visible in bright light. There are few functions displayed on the front panel: eject the disc, start playback and pause. To the left of the drive tray there is an indicator with information about the number of the part being played on the disc, as well as the playback time.

On the right side of the front side there is a proud Blu-ray 3D logo, and below it is a USB connector with a plastic slide. You can connect a USB flash drive here.

And the last thing about the front panel. Right underneath optical drive When you turn on the player and open the tray, a bright blue backlight lights up.

Now about the rear end, where all the connectors are located.

So on the right is the power connector. It is quite massive, like desktop computer power supplies. Actually, the BDP9600 is partly similar to them. Including the built-in power supply - the connected wire is inserted directly into the socket, and not into a small block of the power supply, as happens quite often. To the left, closer to the center, there is a block of ventilation holes - right behind it is the DAC.

The main connectors are located on the left. The most noticeable thing is the set of gold-plated connectors for connecting 7.1 speakers. Pretty good for a Blu-ray player, although, of course, serious sound system you still have to connect through the receiver. Next is the Secure Digital memory card slot. It may seem that the player is capable of reading media content from an SD card in the same way as from a USB drive, but this is not the case. It will use the inserted card to store caches from its various applications, as well as downloaded BD-Live content.

Next to the SD slot are two digital audio outputs: coaxial and optical. Even further to the left is the component video output. Well, the set is completed with an HDMI output and an RJ-45 connector for connecting to local network. By the way, there is a logo on the very edge virtual machine Java with the caption "Java powered". Now it’s clear what the BDP9600 control system is written in.

Remote control

Although the Philips BDP9600 player did not come to us “in a bag,” we were still dealing with a sample intended specifically for testing. We can't say for sure what should be inside the box with the production sample, but ours came with a thin brochure of a quick user guide and a remote control.

The shape of the remote control is quite unusual - a streamlined ellipsoid cut along the “equator”. Typically, manufacturers choose something more traditional, like an ergonomically curved parallelepiped at the bottom. However, this does not prevent the Philips remote control from lying comfortably in the hand, although, of course, fingers fall into the specially made grooves of “ergonomic” remote controls more readily.

There are not many buttons on the remote control, but they are enough – the menu provides sufficient functionality, which is easiest to access using the joystick. The latter is located at the top of the remote control. It is very convenient to use - the four-way joystick is made of a solid rubber button that is pressed in four places. In its center there is an OK button for applying or canceling settings.

There is a separate button to return to the main menu of the player, as well as a button to return to the disc menu. Another five buttons control playback. At the bottom there is a numeric keypad, as well as buttons for working with teletext. The keyboard is useful when setting settings, as well as when controlling the TV (via EasyLink technology). Note that the digital block is made of four solid rubber rows with “bumps” indicating buttons. Button “5” is marked with a key (traditional “bump”) for quick search. In our opinion, you will have to get used to such a numeric keyboard - at first, fingers accustomed to separate buttons get lost, but then they gradually recognize the correct unevenness of the “relief”.

The back cover of the remote control is glossy and highly reflective, and is also subject to fingerprints and scratches. It is easy to remove - just press the button at the bottom of the accessory.

Characteristics

Before moving on to impressions of the practical use of the player, let’s take a look at its characteristics.

In principle, we do not observe anything unusual here. The characteristics of the Philips BDP9600 are quite consistent with a player in its class. It is capable of reading any modern discs, and can also play most popular audio and video formats.

However, in our opinion, the network capabilities could have been implemented a little better. The presence of a built-in Wi-Fi network card supporting the high-speed 802.11n standard is an obvious plus. However, whether via Ethernet or via Wi-Fi access access to media data is only possible if the DLNA server. The Philips player is not capable of functioning like a NAS, which is a pity.

A USB connector can be found on any modern media player, and as for the SD card reader, as we noted above, the card inserted into it can only be used to store BD-Live content. If there is no card, the player will save everything on internal memory, the volume of which is 2 GB.

Of course, the BDP9600 supports most multi-channel audio systems, which is important for a good home theater. You can also pay attention to the support for the 21:9 aspect ratio when playing video. It is unlikely that this feature will be in demand, since it is supported only by a few models of Philips TVs.

The dimensions and, naturally, the weight are quite large. Particularly impressive is the 6kg weight, which is a direct result of the thick metal casing. However, the player is not designed to be portable - this is not at all mobile device, and therefore it will be enough to put it in the planned place once.

In progress

A media player of the Philips BDP9600 class should be able to work not only with video and audio discs. However, this is its main function and therefore it provides everything you need here. When you insert a disc, it automatically plays, although the main menu consists of five options: disc playback, USB overview, PC overview, Net TV overview and setup.

As for 3D video playback, there are no problems or surprises here - Blu-ray 3D discs play perfectly (we only had a Philips demo disc - this type media is still rare and expensive), and it was not possible to reproduce the image of a Blu-ray 3D disc from a computer. Only viewing the ISO image was possible via the network. As for other file containers where 3D can be stored, the BDP9600 does not recognize them.

We don’t see the point in describing the player’s operation with Blu-ray and other types of discs - a lot depends on the menu of the disc itself, and in general the player cannot offer anything special in this regard. The full range of technologies accompanying the Blu-ray and DVD format is supported, and therefore further we will focus on other capabilities of the device.

When you connect a USB storage device to the front panel connector of the BDP9600, its contents can be viewed through the menu. The player offers viewing without a filter with the ability to navigate through the media directory tree (the “folders” item), or with filtering of music, videos and photos. If you select one of the latter options, the folder structure is not displayed, but a list of all files of the specified type on the drive is displayed. In the case of music and video, these are simply file names, and in the case of photos, these are previews of graphic files.

When you select a music or video file, the right column displays all the information about it that the player can find out.

When playing audio, the track number on the media, its name, artist, album, a picture for the album, if one is saved in the file, and a timer are displayed.

Video playback, of course, occurs without timers and other information.

By default, photos are viewed in slide show mode. If desired, you can display additional information about the image: serial number on the media, file name, date and time of file creation.

Now let's move on to the "Browse PC" menu item. The name chosen is not the best, since it does not directly talk about a network connection to a computer. Moreover, it may not be a computer at all, but, for example, a NAS. But something else is much more important. As we noted above, the connection occurs via the DLNA protocol, which means the need for support from a PC or other device. Login to the shared network Windows folder it won't work. But the connection can occur both via Ethernet and Wi-Fi.

Navigation through the “PC” is carried out in almost the same way as through the drive. The entire folder structure visible in the second and third columns is formed by the DLNA server and does not depend on the player in any way.

With NetTV it didn’t work out very well, or rather, nothing worked out at all. The player showed an error connecting to the Philips server, although a nearby TV from the same company was able to make the necessary connection without any problems. It is possible that this is a problem only with our test sample and in production model everything will be alright. In the meantime, let's consider last point"Settings".

The settings are also divided into three columns. The first displays the settings section, the second the name of the parameter, and the third its value. Let's note a nice feature of the BDP9600 setup interface - if you select a parameter and do nothing for a couple of seconds, an informative tooltip will appear below with a description of the parameter and even its individual value. This makes setup very easy and almost eliminates the need to refer to the manual.

The first section is, of course, “Video” - for a media player it is of greatest importance.

Here you can adjust the screen aspect ratio, resolution for component output and HDMI, image optimization and viewing Blu-ray 3D discs.

The title of the “Audio” section speaks for itself. Here you can enable or disable various filters, configure audio output through a particular interface, and also specify the format of the audio stream. But we were also impressed fine tuning multichannel acoustics.

The player can work with a 7.1-channel system, and therefore allows you to set parameters for each speaker. In particular, you can specify the distance to each speaker, volume and size.

Philips BDP9600 is distinguished by the presence of a built-in Wi-Fi adapter with support for the high-speed 802.11n interface. The latter will obviously come in handy if you have to display FullHD video on the screen via network connection. However, there are some obstacles to Wi-Fi settings arose. But first, about Ethernet.

If an advanced switch or a configured server is installed on the network, then through the DHCP service you can quickly and easily obtain an IP address and start working. We tried to enter all the parameters manually. This was done without any problems and the player connected to the computer.

There will be no problems with Wi-Fi either, if the access point is not protected, which is not so common - why give your own Internet to strangers? In our case, the access point was protected as follows: its name (ESSID) is hidden, identification is carried out by MAC address, and WPA2 encryption is installed for the connection. Not surprisingly, we received a blank screen when scanning:

The problem that needed to be solved first was to find out the MAC address of the player adapter, otherwise the access point would always reject the connection attempt. Well, in the network menu there is an option “View network settings", which was opened.

The MAC address for both is displayed there network cards BDP9600, but for a wireless controller it turned out to be too wide and the last character was “eaten” by the right border of the message window. Well, all that remained was either to guess the missing hexadecimal digit (from 0 to F), or to find the MAC address somewhere else.

We were lucky and Philips repeats this data in the “Advanced” section, the “Info” parameter. About the version." In addition to MAC addresses, the exact model name and current firmware version are displayed here.

So, the MAC address is in the memory of the access point, and therefore all that remains is to manually enter its name on the player and the access password. Name Wi-Fi networks entered without problems (although typing words using the remote control is a separate story).

But a second problem arose with the password. The player offered to enter it, but choosing the type of encryption was not allowed anywhere. The result is logical - the connection never took place. Out of curiosity, we removed the WPA2 encryption on the access point and everything went fine without a password. However, the BDP9600 never connected to the Internet.

In addition, the Philips device allows you to view the parameters wireless connection, you can specify the country for better localization of NetTV, and at the same time clear the player cache from the Net TV function.

The EasyLink feature will be useful for owners of several Philips devices, if they also support it, of course. It allows you to control them all at once with one remote control.

The title of the section with the abbreviated name “Preferred.” we deciphered it as “Preferences”. Here you set the preferred menu options and not only for the player user.

This way you can specify the player menu language, disc menu language, preferred subtitle language, enable or disable the screen saver, auto-shift subtitles, age restrictions for watching discs, and so on.

And the already mentioned “Additional” section remains. or "Advanced".

Here you can configure BD-Live protection for BD-RE discs, you can update the software from a USB drive or via the network, clear memory, select the type of local memory (internal or external), and restore factory settings.

Conclusion

Philips BDP9600 is a hi-end player designed for use in a modern home theater. By “modern” we specifically mean “supporting playback of 3D content,” which automatically puts such a system in a slightly different price class. However, the player does not cost very much - about 13-14 thousand rubles. A TV, including one from Philips, can cost much more. But this does not prevent the BDP9600 from being used with an “outdated” TV receiver.

The strengths of the Philips 3D player definitely include its design and build quality. The choice of a thick 3mm aluminum sheet is very successful, although it makes the device much heavier. However, you only need to bring it to the TV once. But the mirrored front panel and “metal-like” coloring (that is, to match itself) give the BDP9600 a very solid appearance and in general it all looks very stylish. The only difference is that the plastic slide of the USB connector blurs the impression somewhat.

From a functional point of view, the Philips BDP9600 demonstrates excellent performance with all types of discs, and also understands popular video codecs. The ability to play content from a USB drive or from a network is a clear plus, although working with the network is only possible via DLNA, which is not very convenient from the point of view of using a computer. Of course, if you have some kind of NAS with DLNA support, then the problem is quickly solved, otherwise you will have to put the computer in “proper form,” which will require certain computing resources from its system.

Perhaps it would not be a bad idea to allow data to be read from SD memory cards as well, and not just used for cache storage. Well, as for NetTV, this function is quite interesting and allows you to install various applications on the player, as well as surf the Internet (we tested its analogue on a Philips TV).

In general, the Philips BDP9600 is clearly a solid player, albeit with some peculiarities. However, we cannot name any serious shortcomings.

Smart TVs and digital set-top boxes are systematically replacing the once popular DVD players, but the latter are in no hurry to give up their positions so easily. True movie connoisseurs prefer to collect film collections not on flash drives, but on Bly-ray discs and in 3D, which contributes to the evolution of the corresponding equipment.

Blu-ray players, in addition to their main function, can serve as a network device, a professional decoder, and are also better suited for home theaters. Let's try to understand this equipment, and also see which blue disc players are preferred by domestic consumers this year. Here are the ten most popular Blu-ray players.

10. (3800 rub.)

Budget Blu-ray player with USB Type A, Ethernet and DLNA, which can be controlled via HDMI and released to the Internet, took tenth position. This is already an interesting start, since this miracle device deserves much more. The reason for the last position in the top ten was the very recent announcement of the model.

9. (28,000 rub.)
If anyone doesn’t know, Onkyo is a Japanese consumer electronics company specializing in the production and sale of audio equipment such as loudspeakers, sound amplifiers, radios, as well as home theater systems, DVD and BD players, receivers, multi-channel audio systems with 1946. The Blu-ray player can play 3D, access the Internet, has USB Type A, Ethernet, RS-232 interfaces, and of course the DLNA function.

Among the features, it is worth noting support for BD-Live and 4p True Cinema, as well as the included universal multi-brand remote control. Lovers of high-quality sound will appreciate such characteristics as a signal-to-noise ratio of 100 dB, a dynamic range of 98 dB and a harmonic distortion of 0.005%. An excellent device, but you should not buy a model assembled in China.

In order not to be unfounded, we will give an example of one of the many negative reviews verbatim: “Disgusting build quality, made in China, I came across a defective sample, it did not reproduce 3D and some licensed DVDs, it turned out about 1.5 months later, it was sent for warranty repair, where it remained safely for almost 5 months. Single word deserves a remote control, the impression is that it comes from Chinese crafts of the 90s, you can throw it away immediately after purchase! Poor menu of the player itself and uninformative display! Of course, I wouldn’t want to give 28 thousand rubles for the opportunity to write such a comment.

8. (50,000 rub.)

The latest model of the famous BD player Japanese company, which will be appreciated by fans of professional equipment, which took eighth position also due to its recent announcement. The characteristics of the device are similar to the Onkyo BD-SP809 with only one difference - the model has no Chinese analogues and the Japanese do not plan to release it in China, so be careful when purchasing. Denon values ​​its reputation, so a special certificate always comes with the product, hence the price.

7. Dune HD Max(RUR 22,000)

But this “Chinese” deserves respect, although it has specific settings that you need to get used to, but for those who choose this technique this is not a problem. The device reads absolutely all formats, including little-used ones. In addition, it is not only a Blu-ray player, but also an IPTV set-top box.

The model has USB Type A x3, USB Type B, Ethernet interfaces, as well as the following outputs: composite, S-video, component, HDMI, stereo audio, 7.1CH audio, optical audio, coaxial audio and DLNA; supports BD-Live and 24p True Cinema, DTS-WAV, DTS, AC3. The Dune HD Max model has built-in Dolby Digital, DTS, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD decoders, but lacks 3D, Wi-Fi and built-in hard drive, which of course is upsetting.

For this price they could have at least supplied an HDD, but otherwise it’s a good device. It is also worth noting that the Dune HD range is used by some popular Internet providers as equipment for IPTV. During the entire period of use of equipment of this brand, there were no special complaints about it, and regularly released firmware really improves the equipment used.

6. (9000 rub.)

Panasonic pleasantly surprised us. For nine thousand rubles you can buy a full-fledged Blu-ray player with all its inherent qualities and excellent build quality in a nice design. Among the features, it is worth noting the possibility of 4K scaling, as well as the presence of an SD, SDHC and SDXC card reader. Our editors found no negative reviews about the model.

5. (2900 rub.)

Recently, Koreans have been delighting Russian buyers with high-quality and inexpensive audio and video equipment. This device is no exception. The Blu-ray player can play all popular formats, has USB Type A, Ethernet, and optional Wi-Fi interfaces. Can be controlled via HDMI and supports BD-Live. What else do you need for that kind of money? The LG BP325 is a great solution for most buyers who just want to watch movies recorded on Blu-ray.

4. (60,000 rub.)

The English company Cambridge Audio was founded in 1964 and has been creating audio components ever since. Cambridge Audio was one of the first to produce CD players. If you need not only high-quality video, but also professional sound, your choice is the Cambridge Audio Azur 752BD. The model has a harmonic distortion coefficient of only 0.001% with a signal-to-noise ratio of 108 dB, and all thanks to the built-in Audio DAC - 24 bit/192 kHz. There are all possible interfaces, including Wi-Fi, as well as support for all imaginable and inconceivable formats. But the sound it produces is bliss for those who have an ear for music and an extra 60,000 rubles for a Blu-ray player.

3. (3700 rub.)

We have already talked about the competent pricing policy of the Korean brand, but we never expected that this model would take third place. The LG DKS-9500H lacks DLNA, Wi-Fi, BD-Live, and only 5.1 audio output, but it has a karaoke function and people are willing to overpay for it, although, if you believe the reviews, the quality of “group singing” leaves much to be desired. Well, our people love karaoke, which can overshadow really useful features that are not available. Our editors would give this place to the LG BP325.

2. (7000 rub.)

The promoted brand and the “memory of ancestors” did their job - Pioneer is in second position. Yes, the model reads everything, has two USB Type A, Ethernet and Wi-Fi, as well as a 24-bit/192 kHz audio processor. Everything looks good until you start looking closer. There is essentially no Wi-Fi, only Wi-Fi Direct, that is, for the full operation of the wireless network, an appropriate module is required.

The specifications say that the player can play BDMV from a disc, but in fact this is not the case. There are also no control buttons on the device itself, that is, control only through the remote control, in case it breaks or gets lost? There should be a minimum take on the device even at the expense of the size of the equipment. Compare the Pioneer BDP-160-K with the Panasonic DMP-BDT330 - a reasonable person would rather overpay for performance and functionality than for the brand and the presence of a music processor.

If you really need sound, then don’t skimp on the Cambridge Audio Azur 752BD, but the sound may be the root of the model’s popularity; remember why Pioneer car radios are valued.

1. (65,000 rub.)

Marantz is an American company that produces and sells audio equipment for professional and home use from the “above average” to the Hi-End class.

The first Marantz branded audio products were designed and manufactured by Saul Marantz in his own home in Kew Gardens, New York, and today the brand is familiar to every connoisseur of quality audio. Marantz UD7007 is a professional model of Blu-ray player with a powerful music processor and built-in amplifier. The device has USB Type A, Ethernet, RS-232, and DLNA interfaces, but nothing compares to the sound - signal-to-noise ratio 120 dB, dynamic range 105 dB. In this case, the quality matches the brand, so people are ready to buy professional equipment rather than budget models with Wi-Fi and karaoke. Probably, the first place of this device is explained precisely by the fact that it is taken for professional, and not home, purposes.

Conclusion
This review proved that the Blu-ray player has a future in Russia. Just look at the variety of well-known manufacturers in this TOP. The elite Marantz UD7007 is in first place, the Cambridge Audio Azur 752BD is in fourth and the Denon DBT-3313UD is in eighth - they are appreciated by lovers of high-quality sound and image, of which there are many in our country and they do not care about the price. The love for the brand and karaoke was demonstrated by the example of the Pioneer BDP-160-K in second position and the LG DKS-9500H in third. But the Chinese both pleased and disappointed: the Japanese Onkyo BD-SP809 from the Celestial Empire is, according to reviews, a rather dubious purchase, and the pure “Chinese” Dune HD Max can only please with its Blu-ray and IPTV player, two in one, but It's just the price that's a bit disappointing.

What do we see in the end? Such equipment is valued primarily for its sound; some prefer a familiar brand to optimal characteristics, while others buy karaoke out of habit. The future certainly belongs to professional equipment, but a minority will certainly purchase it, but take a closer look at the LG BP325 and Panasonic DMP-BDT330 if you need Blu-ray quality affordable price.

There are still plenty of DVD player users, but still impossible to ignore modern Blu-ray players when choosing home media equipment, as their functionality increases and their price falls. Today, you can spend about 3,500 rubles. and get the most equipped model of this device. Either way, DVD players will have to go to the landfill. The main advantage of modern Blu-ray players is the ability to play HD video. In addition, the ability to play your media library consisting of DVD and CD media is preserved.

How much money are you willing to pay for a good Blu-ray player? For some, a player for 3,000 rubles is enough, and in selected cases, 20,000 can become an acceptable option as a main media player. It is worth considering that manufacturers divide devices into different target groups. If you require highest quality images and you are going to use the Blu-Ray player as a high-end audio device, you will have to spend a lot of money. In expensive models you will also find support for resolution (UHD), but the ability to play UHD content is not only available in top models. If you are a multimedia lover, then take a look at inexpensive but well-equipped models. And for movie buffs, a Blu-Ray player with wide web capabilities for online cinemas and 3D support will be suitable, since now their cost has become quite affordable.

How to choose a Blu-ray player for any budget

The choice of Blu-ray players is very wide, as is, in fact, the range of prices. Expensive models often have unnecessary functionality relative to your technical requirements.

Choosing Blu-ray players: more expensive is not always better!

Using a home theater, you can watch HDTV in 1080p resolution with clear 5.1 and 7.1 sound, only when using a Blu-ray player. Selecting a Blu Ray Player- not the easiest thing.

Image quality

Manufacturers of premium Blu-Ray players (for example, the Philips BDP9700 model) will not agree with the fact that picture quality in practice does not depend on the price of the device. But most Blu-Ray players, the image quality of which I observed with my own eyes, did not surpass each other in this parameter. Modern models do not have problems with digital video playback, but there is one significant difference in the models - image optimization using presets (Preset is a ready-made image profile for the user to select), which provide greater comfort and a wide range of individual settings. Otherwise, to get the best quality image and sound, any Blu-Ray player only needs to be connected to a video projector or via an HDMI interface, depending on the configuration of your multimedia system or.

In terms of equipment, even cheap players provide everything you need to make watching movies and media content enjoyable. The minimum set of interfaces was USB ports and LAN, digital audio output, Smart TV web interface, and 3D support. Top-end devices have a wide list of additional options, such as wireless network connectivity and support for Ultra HD or 4K formats. When choosing a Blu-ray player, ask yourself: which functions are necessary for you in the first place, and which ones will fade into the background or are simply not needed.

Energy saving

The latest models of Blu-Ray players have standby power consumption of 0.1 to 0.2 W, which is a pretty good result. In operating mode, decent power consumption values ​​are in the range from 6 to 8 W, and only top models cross the 10 W limit. The reason for the great appetite is the wide functionality and equipment.

Control

Modern models of Blu-Ray players, in addition to classic remote controls, boast a control function using a smartphone application. Some players allow you to access media stored on mobile phone or tablet. For example, LG can transmit the sound of a game movie from the player to the headphones of a smartphone so, for example, not to disturb a sleeping wife :).

What else should you pay attention to when choosing a Blu-Ray player?

Video

Please note that modern Blu-Ray players are not compatible with older models of TVs and video projectors, since they output image and sound using a digital interface. Almost all flat-panel TVs manufactured in 2005 and older have this connector. Selected models of Blu-Ray players still have an analog video output, but the video is transmitted in SD quality, so it is highly recommended to have a modern TV.

Audio

To connect multi-channel speakers (5.1 or 7.1), you will need a digital audio output (S/PDIF - coaxial or optical), which may be absent in some models (for example, Panasonic DMP-BD75), or in general the Blu-Ray player is equipped only with an analog stereo output (LG BP120 and SAMSUNG BD-E5300). If you need both types of connectors and wide functionality, then take a closer look at Blu-ray player Sony BDP-S390.

To output multi-channel audio, of course, you can use the HDMI output, but this requires the presence of a receiver as part of your Blu-Ray player + TV multimedia combination.

Network capabilities of Blu-Ray players

When choosing a Blu-Ray player, pay attention to the multimedia functions of the models. Undoubtedly, all modern Blu-Ray players are capable of playing photos, videos and music from USB flash drives And hard drives, but make sure that your future player is equipped with an Ethernet connector, given the fact that there are models that can only use it to download software updates and additional content for Blu-ray movies. Find out whether the player allows you to play media content over a network using an Ethernet port (DLNA support), thereby saving yourself from the need to transfer files to flash drives, as well as use the YouTube video service. Latest Blu-Ray models are increasingly receiving support wireless networks WLAN and access to numerous web services. It is worth noting that for those who want to get additional functionality, DVD playback is often accompanied by flickering of the picture.

Price

The differences in picture and sound quality are minimal, so buying expensive models will not be justified. If you are interested in playing 3D films, then 3000-4000 thousand rubles will not always be enough for you. For a purchase at this price point I would recommend the Blu-Ray Sony player BDP-S390. This model has all the functions necessary for a modern Blu-ray player, with the exception of 3D support. Those interested in three-dimensional images will be attracted by the inexpensive Blu-Ray player Samsung BD-E5500.

Additional information about Blu-Ray players

All the latest models of Blu-ray players support both the maximum FullHD resolution - 1920 x 1080 pixels with progressive scan, and Ultra HD (4k), but to obtain maximum quality and viewing comfort, both the player and the TV must support 24p mode, then there is image formation at a frequency of 24 frames per second. The use of the HDMI 1.3 interface and higher has led to Blu-Ray players supporting multichannel formats: Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD Master Audio, but for their use in multimedia systems with a receiver, the latter must support them.

Top 5 Inexpensive Blu-Ray Players of 2013

1. Philips BDP5510
2. LG BP630
3. Panasonic DMP-BDT335
4. Samsung BD-E5500
5. Sony BDP-S3100

Okay, words are words. As for the matter... Let's take, for example, our favorite Blu-Ray disc, “Crazy Special Forces,” for example. We load it into the OPPO tray, and after a very short deliberation we can begin both viewing the content and options for setting up its playback. We have, for example, a 4K TV or a 2K monitor, but the picture on the disk, although remastered for UltraHD, has not acquired the resolution. And with an MTK chip - he can buy it. And not just with doubling or quadrupling the dots on the screen, but also with a good customizable picture. Depth and a number of other parameters will allow you to adjust the picture to your own vision of the ideal.

It’s quite funny to rediscover, in fact, familiar films a long time ago - this feeling even sometimes arises when you listen to your old favorite compositions in new high-end headphones and catch yourself thinking that there were no background noises, there you are I couldn’t hear the cymbals, but here the guitar seemed a little blurry. It's the same with video.

However, this can be not only an optical disk, but also external hard disk, already mentioned NAS (although I couldn’t run the stream above the DVD rip on the BDP-103D, but it’s already old for us). We watched some more TV series at work with a monitor with 2K resolution. Here you can’t get particularly high-quality broadcasts of the American “serial machine”, so sometimes you have to go to network resources of different levels of legality, where the quality of the video often does not shine. Everyone was pleased with the results of the viewing, as well as the omnivorous nature of the player: we launched test videos without looking at formats, containers and volumes, and everything worked as it should work. If you have the same Apple TV, and honestly purchased movies are already waiting in the store, you can assign one of the HDMI inputs to this media console (or any other).


You can connect a game console and get redesigned graphics without waiting for the ninth generation of consoles. That's exactly how it is. Let's take it Juana or curling iron, we load OPPO with the tasks of a graphic receiver - and the output we get is a more interesting picture than with a direct connection. Everyone has already seen receivers for sound more than once, but a receiver for pictures, and with enhancers, is still a rare thing. Again, even the latest generation consoles have complaints regarding resolution, they say, everyone has already acquired 4K TVs, and on the same Xbox - 900p. And here, with the help of the BDP-103D, you can have almost the ninth generation of game consoles in a separate apartment.

Another interesting point for gadget lovers: MHL input on the front panel. Take the necessary cable, connect your smartphone, and enjoy your personal selection of videos or the ones you filmed yourself. Yes, Darbee, by the way, will help here too. By the way, we almost forgot: the BDP-103D supports 3D in full and in all incarnations. Well, this is just for reference - in case someone likes to watch 3D movies at home...

Oh, and about something strange: inside the package you can find a roomy fabric bag, which can comfortably fit the player and all accessories. I remember LAN-party very well, but I haven’t heard about Hi-Def-party. However, if you suddenly want to demonstrate your love for High Sound or Really High Definition Video, this can be done without any problems. If anyone suddenly knows what this bag is really for, write in the comments, we will be glad to see your versions.


If I needed a player to replace my acoustic setup, I would definitely choose this device from OPPO. Judge for yourself: Darbee to improve the picture for an HDMI source, seven-channel sound, support these newfangled ones of yours 3D and other goodies in one cozy rack-mount case.

If the brand seemed unfamiliar to someone, then you were probably looking in the wrong place: in the field of hi-fi, OPPO is one of the recognized leaders (what are their planar headphones worth, eh...). So if the acoustics and display are capable of producing a picture at a level worthy of this very BDP-103D, you definitely won’t regret it. It’s not for nothing that leading publications writing about High Sound and Perfect Video regularly and deservedly award this player and a number of other OPPO products.

Rostislav Kuzmin

Hello, I'm with you again! I . So, when I was collecting material, I inspired the people around me so much that several friends decided to buy such a player for themselves.

Naturally, questions and clarifications began: “which one to choose,” “help me decide,” “I would like something inexpensive,” etc. Anticipating a barrage of additional questions, I created a rating of Blu-ray players from different companies and price categories. After studying it, you can choose what you like best.

Monsters of the digital industry

Contrary to tradition, I will start my review with the most expensive models. Firstly, this way you can fully appreciate the proper quality of the format; secondly, you will gradually get used to the idea that such a technique is worth it.

Of course, not every company produces such expensive players. Many manufacturers are focused on the average buyer, so they make their equipment more accessible.

Optimal price-quality ratio

Basically, buyers come to me who are looking for decent quality at an affordable price. There is nothing surprising in this; no one wants to overpay for functions they don’t need.

Especially for my regular customers and readers, I created the TOP average blue ray players in the price category.

Usually I try to satisfy the needs of all categories of customers. Even if the client wants the cheapest device, I may be against it for quality reasons, but I will definitely provide the information. It is also important for me to find the most functional models so that the purchase is a joy. I advise my regular clients not to lower the bar below average, but sometimes a person just wants to try something new, then an inexpensive player is quite suitable as a test sample.

Budget models

When I ask myself what brand of players can be the most affordable, surprisingly, I come across models from well-known companies: Samsung, Sony, etc.