Going Blu-ray

It’s 2009 and about time we upgrade to the world of true 1080p movie watching with a proper Blu-ray player. Here are this year’s fresh picks.

After you go Blu-ray, you will never look at a regular DVD quite the same way again. One of the worthy units in the market is the Samsung BD-P1500 player. It can output a video resolution of up to 1080p and it’s got high definition multimedia interface (HDMI) output to accommodate all of that HD goodness. Although its inability to play DivX, MP3, WMA or JPEG files is despairing enough. This basic black box doesn’t boast many visual adornments, but it is classy in its understatement.

The video end is well covered, with HDMI 1.3, component video and composite video outputs and on the audio front, you get HDMI, optical digital and stereo analog. Samsung BD-P1500 lacks a coaxial digital audio output and multichannel analog audio outs (This is an issue for anyone who has an older, non-HDMI-equipped A/V receiver and desires the ability to listen to high-resolution audio tracks.) The player sports an Ethernet port and an USB port, which can be quite useful additions.

The Ethernet port can be used to access internet and the USB port connects enables storage devices to manage data. Since the BD-P1500 has an Ethernet port, a network setup will be required. But don’t fret, as the player’s default settings automatically obtain the needed information from a server and you will be required to make changes only if you want to manually input your network information. If you choose your shop right, then BD-P1500 should cost you around Rs 14,000. Its picture performance at this price is brilliant.

Next in line is the Blu-ray player from Denon, a world leader in consumer electronics, which has released three high-end players. The Denon DVD-2500 BTCI offers 10-bit video processing for scaling of standard DVDs up to 1080p and will output both bitstream and LPCM (Linear Pulse Code Modulation) for the new audio codecs as well as all the legacy ones like Dolby Digital and DTS. It can also play CDs, Kodak picture and Fuji Color CDs, WMA and MP3 CDs, DVDs and of course, Blu-rays.

The image detail and colours were spot-on, while the uncompressed audio was far superior to the standard DTS. Result, a wider soundstage with improved detail and the bass of explosions are unbelievable. It lacks internal and mountable memory or an Ethernet port, so if you must have the downloadable add-ons for your entertainment, then look elsewhere. Otherwise, it costs approximately Rs 45,000.

The new Philips BDP7200, which seems like a tiny machine when compared with Denon-2500 BTCI, supports 1080p playback and allows you to pass Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD bitstream over HDMI. Frankly, there’s a lot to like about the BDP7200. A relatively quick and very stable Blu-ray player, it’s easy on the wallet too. At Rs 20,000, it figures in a snug price spectrum. Philips has included a lot of auto modes to remove guesswork for the average consumer.

If HDMI is your video output of choice, the default resolution setting is Auto, which causes the player to output the highest resolution your TV will accept. Other choices include 480p, 720p, 1080i and 1080p. The player’s analog audio set-up menu lets you set output speaker size, distance and level for the front, centre, surrounds and subwoofer. The BDP7200 also gives no trouble while launching or playing the interactive games on it. It moved through the game experience without freezes, stutters, or excessive delays.

The BDP7200 supports picture-in-picture playback, but lacks access to web. Ultimately, the lack of an Ethernet port is the make or break issue in today’s Blu-ray players. If you really want access to BD-Live web content, a functionality which is available in the Sony PlayStation 3 then go for Samsung BD-P1500.