So my December issue of Home Theater magazine arrived yesterday, and it just so happens to be the Blu-Ray special, so i have plenty to look over...
I imagine it will mostly be about features. That should be helpful to you.
My main question is, what separates the men from the boys spec wise as far as blu-ray players go?
There aren't any really to help you, as far as "specs", outside of feature lists.
IMO, the biggest factors are:
- reliability, not just of the player, but of playback. IOW: FW support
- convenience factors, such as quick load, easy updates, etc
- PQ lastly, and the reason I say "lastly" is because all of the decent players are very close to each other in performance. The biggest leaps and differences you will see is with the software itself.
Now, the best way I think to learn about PQ differences is with published tests/results/shootouts.
For instance, here is an old thread I started with a 6 BDP shootout, replete with HQV test results.
http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=47892
I obviously am not going to buy the cheapest model at Best Buy or PC Richards...but i want to be able to know that i am buying a Porsche, not a VW bug with a Porsche body.
If bonus features aren't necessary, and you want to spend less, Panasonic has had top of the line FW support, reliability, and implementation/ease-of-use. Now, if you need any certain feature, then you have to decide for yourself.
