Blu Ray Players - Important Features and Buying Guide

Blu Ray is the latest high definition video technology that over took HD-DVD as the standard for high definition movies, video and players. With the invention of Blu Ray disks comes not only comes superb picture quality, but also a new durability and longer life span of the disks themselves not before seen with DVD disks and movies. Another benefit is that these disks can store a much larger amount of data and video than the traditional DVD-R and DVD-RW disks. Up to 25GB of data on a single layer disk and up to 50GB of data on a dual layer disk and over 9 hours of high-definition video on a 50GB disc.

Choosing a Blu Ray player will mostly depend on your personal budget as their prices range from budget models to very expensive high performance types. 

For those shopping for the best Blu-ray disc players and know that price is not a limitation, then there are several quality brands to choose from on the market. The problem is that most consumers do not know how to compare one Blu-ray with another. As far as image goes, most of today's brands offer the same high-definition picture quality and really just differ in the features of each player.

When shopping for a Blu-ray player, there are two new features to look for when choosing a brand. The first is called Bonus View and lets you play back picture-in-picture content, which allows for a second video and audio stream.

The second feature to look for is called BD-live which supports Internet-connected activities such as social networking and interactive gaming as long as there is an Ethernet connection to the player.

If a more traditional unit is your preference, then the Pioneer Elite BDP-05FD is more your speed. This top shelf Blu-ray player runs around 800 dollars and comes with the same features as other brands. Where the Pioneer Elite tops other systems is in its audio features. If you pair the Elite with its manufacturer's recommended AV receivers, you will have a premium home entertainment experience like no other Blu-ray disc player on the market.

If you are looking for something cheaper without sacrificing quality, then the LG BD300 is the player for you. With most systems starting at below 300 dollars, these lightweight Blu-ray players offer the same picture quality as most units on the market while also offering the ability to stream Netflix videos right into your home.

Learn more about Blu Ray, with buying guides, model reviews, full Blu Ray Cables guide and more. Shop for all brands and models of players as well as a large selection of Blu Ray movies at very cheap prices at Blue Ray DVD.

LG BD590 Blu-Ray Disc Player

As with the BD550 and BD570 models, the BD590 is one of the latest Blu-ray disc players that LG has on the market. Unlike the 570 however, the 590 offers a hard drive, along with many other features, which make this new device stand out among the others. When you choose the BD590 you'll have a disc player for high definition videos as well a device to up convert DVDs as well. Dolby Digital surround sound, Bonus View, BD Live, and wireless internet are just some of its amazing features. Well within the recommendations of Energy Star, the BD590 also is DNLA, and is equipped with 250 gigs of memory.

When you open the box, you'll find not only the LG BD590 but also the user's guide, the Nero Media Home bundle, a remote control specially designed for the LG BD590 as well as the batteries to operate it. Nero Media Home bundle, user guide, remote control with batteries included with it, and the LG BD590 body itself are all included when you buy this Blu-ray disc player. The thin, streamlined BD590, is 11 inches deep, 17 inches wide, and 2 inches high. It's also carries a mere seven-pound weight. This sleek device plays a single disc with multiple playback functions. You will be able to watch selections for YouTube, CinemaNow, Pandora, Vudu, Roxio, Netflix, and Picasa, through it's internet connection, although this device is not equipped with a digital tuner or media card slot. You also have access to Accuweather so you can check the local forecast.

You can connect with Ethernet, or wireless LAN. There is also a huge selection of sound decoders, too. You are also able to save MP3s and photos onto your disc player's on board memory, and can view them on your television or on your computer when you use the HDMI output on the device. The interface of the device is easy to figure out and master, you will see that it has a logical setup. The audio quality with the LG BD590 Blu-ray disc player is simply incredible, and the video clarity is out of this world!

You will easily be able to read the large numbers of the digital clock on this device. Manage your music, keeping it stored in the BD590's generous hard drive, or burn some music to a CD, and play it whenever you like with the power of the remote right at your fingertips. When you have the BD590, you have a wealth of entertainment alternatives, which are simple to arrange and operate. You won't believe the difference that the LG BD590 blu-ray disc player will make in the enjoyment of your favorite entertainment.

Once you own the BD590 you'll discover setting it up is so simple that you'll be using the player within minutes of getting it home. You will be quickly prepared to connect to the internet, listen to music, or watch your favorite films, as soon as you connect to your present system. With superior construction, a massive amount of incredible features, and ingenious all-around functionality, the LG BD590 is clearly ahead of it's time. And with all these fabulous features, the best news is that you can get this impressive Blu-ray disc player at an amazingly affordable price!

What do others have to say about their experiences with the LG BD590?
CLICK HERE to read reviews written by customers who have purchased the LG BD590.

The Samsung BD-P1500 1080p Blu-Ray Player

If you are considering buying a serious, no frills Blu-ray disc player, consider the Samsung BD-P1500 1080p. To put it in a nutshell, the Samsung Blu-ray player has all the basic features of an average player and of course the reliability factor of the Samsung brand.

The Samsung BD-P1500 1080p Blu-ray player is black in color and sports a very minimalist design, with only a disc ray and a cursor button. Almost all other forms of navigation will have to be don on the remote control. The Samsung model is slightly more bulky than the many popular models in the market, but it is barely noticeable. It is 3.3 inches tall, 10.8 inches long and 16.9 inches wide.

The video and audio playback quality of the Samsung BD-P1500 1080p Blu-ray player is very good, playing audio CDs and DVDs at a noticeably improved quality. Like many Blu-ray players in the market, the Samsung model comes with an Ethernet port that allows for online firmware updates and also a USB port to increase its memory capacity with a thumb drive.

The Samsung BD-P1500 1080p Blu-ray player is pretty much silent most of the time. My only complaint is that when you load a disc, you can hear the machine ticking from over 6 feet away. Other than that, while the movie is playing, the machine is virtually mute - no fan noise, no ticking, nothing. It also has a pretty fast loading time (10-15 seconds). An important thing to note is that the Samsung BD-P1500 1080p Blu-ray player does not support 5.1 or 7.1 analog outputs.

For more real reviews and product information on the Samsung BD-P1500 1080p Blu-ray player or other players, visit: Blu-ray and DVD Player Reviews.

DVD Players - The High-Definition DVD Players

A digital versatile disc player is a device that plays discs produced in video and audio formats. Most of these players allow users to play audio and video compact discs (CDs) also. The player reads and obeys the DVD's regional lockout codes and displays a warning if it is not authorised to play it. These players usually read a DVD disc in ISO - UDF version 1.2 format. Mostly these are of the same dimensions as a CD but can store up to 6 times as much data.

Some new players also play videos in MPEG-4 ASP video compression format. They are usually cheaper than VCRs. Presently; China is the largest producer of DVD players. There is also another variety of players that is called software DVD players. These players allow the users to view videos on a computer. Some examples of these include VLC Media Player, PowerDVD and WinDVD.

The LG's DivX (PDP) has a 7 inch wide swivel LCD screen. The player supports a number of file formats like VCD, JPEG, DivX, CD-R and WMA. The player's 100x High Speed Smooth Scan allows the users to view videos and movies with crystal clear resolutions. Its user-friendly on-screen Graphics User Interface makes it very simple to operate and use. The device comes packaged with a removable battery pack and an in-car charger. Other big players like Sony, Philips and Panasonic have also come up with a range of slim and lightweight players.

Most portable DVD players come equipped with a LCD monitor and stereo speakers. PDPs are best suited for use during long travels. Most common PDP screen size is 7 inches although there are some models that have screen size of up to 12 inches. Some models of PDPs are offering a high screen resolution of 800 x 480 pixels. Newest models of PDPs come with a swivel screen that can be rotated through 180 degrees. Some PDPs also have built-in iPod docks, USB & SD card slots and fold flat.

Jayson Pablo, a dedicated writer of Rupizcompare.co.uk which provide information on consumer electronics [http://www.rupizcompare.co.uk/electronics/] as sony dvd player [http://www.rupizcompare.co.uk/electronics/dvd-players.aspx?brand=brand_sony].

Blu-ray Disk Player Panasonic DMP-Bd60

Panasonic DMP-bd60 comes with the special features of PHL Reference Chroma process that combines high quality images and more integrated networking functions. The PHL reference Chroma also allows clear and reliable images. The 2009 Blu-ray DMPbd60 has included the VIERA link, which integrates audio and video function by allowing the user to use one remote control for both using HDMI.

The Blu-ray Panasonic BD60 also comes with the ability to connect directly to internet and access bonus features. This allows for regular updates and improved technological features, such as games and movie studio production. You basically can see movies still uploaded only at YouTube or CinemaNow.

To be able to share documents between the computers and the Blu-ray Panasonic BD60, a provision for a USB flash port has been made. You can basically download music or videos into your flash disk and then play them in the Panasonic BD60. This not only allows sharing, but also improved the quality of the output video or audio. Both the SD memory card and the USB slot will enable you to enjoy memories in HD almost as clearly as the day of shooting or recording. The precision levels are high going to 4.4.4.

With the Blu-ray disk player Panasonic DMP bd60, you will not need to go to cinema halls. You have the chance to enjoy a full big screen cinema just as much as you would enjoy it when you go the cinemas. The sound quality is compatible with the big industry players, such as Dolby Sounds. The 24p cinema mode is like being moving the cinema hall into your living room or the reverse.

This Blu-ray Disc player also has a high tech audio decoder that features Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio Essential for sound output. You can only compare this to a live music production in vacyume where no other sound can be heard. Each voice is selected and played differently. Some times you may feel that the sounds come from different speakers. The high quality is also partly due to 7.1 channel surround sound now.

Panasonic has also keep its foot ahead in the keeping the green image. The new technology will assist in reducing carbon emission and saving the world from global warming. This is in line with its policy of reducing the planet's carbon levels.

By doing this, Panasonic has kept the pledge to reduce the planet carbon amounts. The power consumption in the new Blu-ray players is much lower compared to the tradition Blu-rays. The reduction in energy consumption is great with about 10 percent less consumption of power. This has led to the rating of energy

The Panasonic BD80 is even a greater improvement to watch in the near feature. The move towards completely integrating the technology with the web based internet technology will soon allow for sharing of information in the web with someone in his or her sitting or movie room. Even more is the ability to use the Bluetooth technology to share the information from one Blu-ray player to another, just like computers are able to do.

Read more about Panasonic blu-ray DMP-BD60 and also compare the most popular models review blu-ray players on the market.

A Look at the Samsung BD-P1600 1080p Blu-Ray Disc Player

The Samsung BD-P1600 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player is one of the top best selling blu-ray disc players on Amazon. It is also one of a few that will stream Netflix for you. If you like HD quality pictures, then this will definitely satisfy you with the 1080p resolution.

Formats It Will Play

I love backwards compatibility. This unit does not disappoint in this matter. It will play the HD Blu-ray discs, DVDs, CDs, MP3 discs, JPEG discs, AVCHD, and others. This is quite an exhaustive list. I am impressed!

Streams More Than Just Neflix

It also streams YouTube, Blockbuster, and even Pandora. This gives you even more options to watch your favorite show.

Wireless Ready

You can purchase an additional wireless dongle that will allow this unit to connect to your home network wirelessly. Samsung has a proprietary Link Stick that serves this purpose. Of course, it comes with a wired Ethernet connection to connect to your network.

Memory Stick

If you somehow run out of memory with this unit, you can use the USB ports to plug in a memory stick.

User Reviews

Looking at the large number of user reviews for the Samsung BD-P1600, it seems that most people are impressed with the price point as well as the picture quality. People are reporting that the HD movies play and show very well on screen and that Pandora sound is excellent as well. The up-conversion when playing regular DVDs, however, is not that great. But, you have to remember that you cannot recreate information that just isn't there which is what up-conversion is trying to accomplish.

Overall, you will be getting a good unit for a good price.

Samsung BD-P1600 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player

It is selling really well. See how it ranks.

http://www.top5picks.net

An iPod Car Adapter Makes The Most Of Your iPod

There is no question that the most popular portable music player on the market is the iPod. With its small size, large memory, and digital sound, iPods allow you to bring a massive music library with you wherever you go, and it all fits in the palm of your hand. iPods are becoming increasingly ubiquitous as more and more consumers eschew compact disks in favor of the convenience, portability, and performance of these small wonders. However, iPods are not perfect and if they have a shortcoming it is most obvious when you would like to use your iPod in the car, unless, of course, you have purchased an iPod car adapter.

While some new cars are equipped with iPod docking stations, it is a rare feature that was not available until very recently. For the vast majority of drivers their car stereo is still designed to accommodate compact disks, which up until recently were the music medium of choice. Because an iPod can store hundreds of music titles its advantages over compact disks are obvious, and iPod owners naturally want to utilize this while driving in their automobiles, and they need an iPod car adapter to do that.

There are several types of iPod car adapters on the market. The most basic model would be for use in cars that still have an analog cassette player. For those automobiles, a cassette adapter can be plugged into the headphone jack of the iPod, and the cassette can be inserted into the car stereo. However, the sound quality of this option is not ideal, and most late model cars have CD players instead of cassette players.

If your car has a compact disc player, then a cassette iPod car adapter is obviously not an option. The Neo iON is the latest and best iPod car adapter on the market. The iON plugs directly into your iPod and is connected through a cable that plugs directly into the CD changer port that is located on the back of your car CD player. Installing the iON requires some degree of skill and time and those who are less mechanically inclined may opt to have it professionally installed. The iON provides a direct connection that delivers the highest quality digital sound, but perhaps the most enticing feature is the way your iON and iPod interface with your car stereo system. Once attached to the iON, you no longer have to fumble with the buttons on your iPod while driving. Instead you can change musical tracks by using the existing buttons on your car stereo.

Installing an iON in your automobile has obvious advantages, but those advantages come at a cost. The iON is not portable, it becomes part of your car, so if you own several cars you would need to install an iON in each if you want to bring your iPod with you wherever you go. Further, if your car stereo does not have a CD changer port then an iON would not be compatible with your car. If those scenarios describe you, then an iPod car adapter with a universal FM modulator is what you need. A FM modulator will allow you to broadcast your iPod through one of several FM frequencies, and you can tune in your iPod on your car radio.

Another desirable feature of an iPod car adapter, such as the iON and the FM modulator, is that they provide a power source for your iPod so you do not have to worry about charging your iPod's battery; it happens automatically. An iPod car adapter gives you the ability to listen to your entire music library for as long as you want, and as far as you drive.

For easy to understand, in depth information about iPod car adapter visit our ezGuide 2 iPods.

HDMI vs DVI - Which is Better?

Are you looking out to buy a DVD player/TV/home theatre? Then you are probably worrying about HDMI Vs DVI questions: which is better? Are they compatible? HDMI Vs DVI, which should I opt?

Which is better? HDMI or DVI?

Let's first understand what they are. Both of them are standards for carrying digital signals between a source like your set top box or Blu-ray disc player and your TV. High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI), which connects like USB, is a licensable audio/video connector interface for transmitting uncompressed, encrypted digital streams. HDMI was derived from DVI. It has more bandwidth capability (5Gbps to 10Gbps). Unlike DVI, which needs a separate cable to carry audio, HDMI uses a single cable for video and audio making the cabling less bulky. Not just that, HDMI cables can go up to 15m length, giving you the flexibility to design your living room.

HDMI supports automatic screen format conversion. It can automatically convert a picture into its most appropriate format, such as a 4:3 or 16:9 aspect ratios. HDMI produces pictures that are sharper and smoother (up to 1080pi resolution). Though DVI can produce similar picture quality, HDMI betters it in audio.

Are HDMI and DVI compatible?

HDMI is fully'backward'compatible with DVI. For example, if you have a DVD player with a DVI connection and a HDMI LCD TV, it works. All you need is a HDMI/DVI adapter. But some HDMI features will be lost if you use an adapter like automatic screen format conversion and universal remote control.

HDMI Vs DVI

If you are buying both HDTV and a video player like Blu-ray Disc player, I suggest you go for HDMI for both. You can free up your living room of messy cables that you find in other home theatres. You can use a single remote to operate all the devices connected and it provides the best video and audio. But if you already have one of a DVI source or DVI TV and then just go for a DVI for the other one as well because going for HDMI does not increase the overall quality of experience.

Overall, I recommend HDMI because it gives you better quality of video and audio, has lesser cables and gives you the universal remote control. Add the DRM (Digital Rights Management) angle to it, HDMI may well be the standard in days to come.

Sean Lee is an editor of High quality HDMI Cables Website.