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What is a good Blue-ray player to buy?

I'm in the market for a DVD player. I've noticed HDMI and Blueray; some players even play both. What are the differences, which one should I buy and why?

  • Answer:

    Part II The transition from standard DVDs to high-definition Blu-ray and HD DVD discs is in its early stages, so it's no surprise that prices for the new players are high. What you might not expect is the turmoil surrounding this long-awaited technology. The two formats are incompatible, meaning that a Blu-ray disc won't play on an HD DVD player and vice versa. That raises the possibility that consumers who buy one of those devices could discover that their expensive hardware is obsolete if the rival format becomes the industry standard. To address that concern, LG Electronics recently introduced the BH100, the industry's first "hybrid" player, capable of playing Blu-ray and HD DVD discs. Tackling the issue from the other end, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has announced that it is developing a hybrid disc format, called "Total HD," which can contain movies in both formats on a single disc. Given the current state of high-definition DVDs, it's tough to recommend purchasing a player now. For one thing, we expect prices to fall later in the year as the market for high-def DVD expands. While Toshiba is currently the only company selling HD DVD players, several Chinese manufacturers have said they'll have less expensive HD DVD players in the U.S. by the end of 2007. We also hope to see more dual-format players capable of playing both types of discs. But we don't expect the format war to be resolved for at least another year.

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It's already hard to decide which HDTV input to use, and now there's another to consider: HDMI. Here's what you need to know. It's digital, and that's good. Video signals are increasingly digital, as are the LCD, plasma, and microdisplay TVs receiving them. But if you hook up a digital device to a digital TV using the best analog input, a component-video input, the signal has to be translated from digital to analog and back again. The back-and-forth conversion can affect quality-and not for the better. HDMI inputs are digital, so the signal doesn't have to undergo such gyrations. Potentially, they can provide better HD picture quality. Note we say "potentially." The best TVs preserve the integrity of a digital signal, but the circuitry in some TVs can substantially degrade the image quality. Small but capable. HDMI is a slim, single-cable connection that carries both video and audio. It appears to be taking over from DVI, another digital input that has been around for a few years. DVI connections carry only video, so you need separate audio cables, and they're bulkier than HDMI. You would use DVI primarily to connect a PC to your TV for use as a monitor. If your TV has no DVI inputs, you can also use an HDMI input to hook up a computer with the help of an adapter that costs about $20 to $30. Look for one or two HDMI inputs. Most new TVs have one HDMI input; some have two, which gives you more connectivity options for devices such as DVD players and cable boxes, which increasingly have HDMI outputs. HDMI version 1.3 is expected soon. It's designed to support multichannel audio (with lossless compression) and more accurate color--nice touches but not worth waiting for. Like other inputs, HDMI requires a specific cable. Don't pay hundreds of dollars for "premium-grade" cables, though. Inexpensive cables at Best Buy, RadioShack, and other stores should be fine, and they cost less. A 6-foot cable is adequate for most setups and won't leave a tangle of extra wiring. ---consumer reports

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