The Sony BDP-S580 is the best Blu-ray player that Sony makes. The only thing that makes it better than the $50 cheaper BDP-S480, though, is its integrated Wi-Fi networking -- something we don't think should come at an extra price. If you're willing to pay the extra, though, you'll be pleased to know that the Sony BDP-S580 is just as competent and full of extra features as its cheaper siblings.
The Sony BDP-S480 sits in the middle of Sony's line-up -- it's $30 more expensive than the cheap Sony BDP-S380, but this small price premium gets you 3D video playback and remote control via a free iOS or Android app on your smartphone. We don't think the top-end BDP-S580's extra $50 for inbuilt Wi-Fi is justified -- it should be in the BDP-S480 at no extra cost.
Sony's entry-level Blu-ray player, the BDP-S380, has an impressively wide range of features. It's a great player for watching Blu-ray movies, but it also has BRAVIA Internet Video for Web features like streaming ABC iView.
The Grundig GSTB3111BR set top box is a competent digital TV receiver that also incorporates a Blu-ray disc player and USB-based media player. It's reasonably cheap but doesn't have any significant flaws we could find -- for watching digital TV, playing Blu-ray movies and viewing the occasional photo or playing back a song it works just as advertised.
The Pioneer BDP-430 is a Blu-ray disc player that can play 3D movies as well as normal 2D content with aplomb, and YouTube access will be offered via a future firmware update. Sadly its Internet-based features are limited when compared to media powerhouses like the Samsung BD-C6900 and Sony BDP-S470.
The newly-announced Pioneer BDP-LX54 joins the Pioneer BDP-430 in Panasonic's 3D Blu-ray line-up. The company doesn't have any other 3D products -- after 2009's ups and downs, it doesn't even have any plasma TVs. The BDP-LX54 is the top model, and it's almost identical to the cheaper BDP-430. So what's the extra $100 for?
The Pioneer BDP-340 isn't the company's most expensive Blu-ray disc player -- that honour goes to the $4999 BDP-LX91 -- but it's still chock-full of high-end circuitry and wizardry. As well as playing back 3D Blu-ray movies, the Pioneer BDP-430 can be controlled with an iPhone using Pioneer's iControlAV app.
The high-end Samsung BD-C8900 Blu-ray player has inbuilt Wi-Fi and is capable of playing 3D Blu-ray movies. It shares many of the same features as the excellent Samsung BD-C6900 -- with the added benefit of a 500GB hard drive and DVB-T digital TV tuner.
The LG BX580 does an excellent job turning the bits on a DVD or Blu-ray disc into stunning images. Its Internet content and multimedia capabilities are among the best. And for a 3D Blu-ray player, the $300 estimated street price (as of November 22, 2010) is remarkably reasonable.
Just about any way you look at it, the Samsung BD-C6500 is a first-rate Blu-ray player. The picture quality is among the best we've seen to date, it has audio options that are particularly friendly to older home theater surround-sound systems, and it brings Internet services such as Netflix, Pandora, Vudu, and YouTube to your television, too.
It is becoming increasingly difficult to stay safe online, with the proliferation of threats and the new and complex ways that cybercriminals can target people.
Ultimately this laptop has achieved everything I would hope for in a laptop for work, while fitting that into a form factor and weight that is remarkable.