Slideshow

Best Blu-ray players under $400

11 Photos Chris Jager (Good Gear Guide)

Looking for a cheap way to play Blu-ray discs? Here are our top picks for budget Blu-ray players

  • Back in 2006, an entry-level Blu-ray player would set you back a minimum of $1000. Today, most models cost around $400-$500, with some retailing for under 200 bucks. In other words, there has never been a better time to toss away your old DVD player.

    Today's Blu-ray Disc players do a lot more than just play Blu-ray movies. Every model in this list has an Ethernet port for accessing Internet-based content via BD-Live, and some even boast inbuilt Wi-Fi. Most models can read digital images and music files from USB or SD cards, as well as video formats such as DivX.

    In the following article, we've assembled a list of the best budget Blu-ray players under $400. Whether you're shopping for a secondary Blu-ray player or have a tight budget, these are the best models on the market.

  • [[xref:http://www.sony.com.au/product/bdp-s370|Sony BDP-S370 Blu-ray player]] (RRP: $229)



    The Blu-ray players we've reviewed uniformly deliver on their promises of resplendent image quality on Blu-ray discs, but many fall behind in the task of upscaling regular DVDs. Not so with the Sony BDP-S370.

    In our tests this model impressively handled regular DVDs (as well as both colour and black-and-white Blu-ray discs). Sony includes plenty of extras for the asking price, including two USB ports, Full HD DVD upscaling and access to a free BD-remote app that let's you use your iPhone/iPod Touch as a remote control.

    [[artnid:331185|Read our full review of the Sony BDPS560 Blu-ray player]]

  • [[xref:http://panasonic.com.au/products/details.cfm?objectID=5528|Panasonic DMP-BDT300 3D Blu-ray player]] (RRP: $399)



    The Panasonic DMP-BDT300 is a Blu-ray disc player that can read the new 3D Blu-ray disc format. It can also access Internet content such as YouTube and Picasa. Originally quite pricey, it can now be snapped up for just $399 which is excellent value for money. In addition to supporting 3D Blu-ray, it's also quiet, boasts fast boot-up times and comes with two HDMI ports for connecting non-HDMI 1.4 receivers.

    [[artnid:353935|Read our full review of the Panasonic DMP-BDT300 Blu-ray player]]

  • [[xref:http://www.mytoshiba.com.au/products/blu-ray-and-dvd/blu-ray|Toshiba BDX2000 high-definition player]](RRP: $329)



    Limited extras and an awkward remote for the Toshiba BDX2000 let us down initially. But for a bargain price, this player does one thing well: It brings Blu-ray discs and DVDs to life. Its image quality was superior in just about all of our tests. It did a particularly good job at upscaling DVDs, showing an incredible level of detail.

    [[artnid:331185|Read our full review of the Toshiba BDX2000 high definition player]]

  • [[xref:http://www.kogan.com.au/shop/kogan-blu-ray-player-slim-bdlive-full-hd-1080p/| Kogan Blu-ray Player Slim BD 2.0 Full HD 1080p]] ($150)



    The Kogan Blu-ray Player Slim is an ultra-compact BD player that packs plenty of functionality into its petite body, including DivX video support and region-free DVD playback. With the super-low asking price of $150, it is insanely good value for money. It is also the smallest Blu-ray player on our list by a wide margin -- handy if your home entertainment system is already chock-full of hardware.

    [[artnid:352149|Read our full review of the Kogan Blu-ray Player Slim BD 2.0 Full HD 1080p]]

  • [[xref:http://panasonic.com.au/products/details.cfm?objectID=4995|Panasonic DMP-BD85]] (RRP: $399)



    The Panasonic DMP-BD85 is an affordable Blu-ray player that doesn't skimp on fancy bells-and-whistles. Highlights include 7.1ch surround sound, advanced 1080p upscaling, an SD/SDHC memory card slot, two USB ports, wireless networking, gold-plated analog audio outputs and Picasa/YouTube browsing. Not bad for $399.

    If you specifically require 7.1ch audio and DivX playback, it's pretty hard to beat this model.

    [[artnid:352653|Read our full review of the Panasonic DMP-BD85 Blu-ray player]]

  • [[xref:http://www.soniqav.com/Qplay.php?mdm=f507aa4ef605dfc3d832b6b230df8f08&group=Blu-ray Disc Player|Soniq QPB302B]] (RRP: $149)



    The Soniq QPB302B does everything you could possibly want from a sub-$150 Blu-ray player. It has sleek good looks for the asking price and a very impressive feature set; including DTS HD master audio, optical and coaxial digital audio outputs, BD-Live (via Ethernet cable), a front-mounted USB port and MKV/DivX/DivX HD codec support. It also punches above its weight when it comes to BD playback, boasting crisp images that are bursting with vibrant colours. The remote is also pleasantly solid, with a chunky feel and large, responsive buttons.

  • [[xref:http://www.lg.com/au/tv-audio-video/video/LG-blu-ray-player-BD390.jsp|LG BD390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player]] (RRP: $399)


    Thanks to a winning combination of remarkable Blu-ray image quality and seemingly boundless networking possibilities, the LG BD390 won our affection.

    You can connect to the Internet over an Ethernet connection or through the system’s built-in Wi-Fi (this is one of the few budget players to offer such an option).

    In addition to integrated Wi-Fi, the LG BD390 comes with everything you’d expect from a quality Blu-ray player, including 7.1-channel HD audio, a USB port for viewing multimedia, 1GB of on-board memory and DivX playback support.



    [[artnid:316874|Read our full review of the LG BD390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player]]

  • [[xref:http://www.sony.com.au/product/bdp-s570|Sony BDPS570 3D Blu-ray player]] (RRP: $279)



    The Sony BDPS570 is a reasonable choice if you own a 3D TV and want to check out some 3D Blu-ray movies. While image quality could be better, it is well designed, has extremely fast operation and incorporates a useful video search engine. The Sony BDPS570 3D Blu-ray player is compatible with .mp3, .wma, .wav, and .m4a files, which makes it a versatile jukebox.

  • [[xref:http://www.asus.com.au/product.aspx?P_ID=qJY9LXcM9Q6IgWmK&templete=2|Asus SBC-06D1S-U Blu-ray drive]] (RRP: $349)



    If you own a media centre or regularly watch movies on your computer, you might want to consider the Asus SBC-06D1S-U Blu-ray optical drive. This fuss-free external Blu-ray drive boasts 6x read speeds. It can also burn DVDs. The Asus SBC-06D1S-U runs entirely through a USB 2.0 interface -- subsequently, a dedicated DC power supply isn't required.

  • [[artnid:343706|Kogan Technologies Blu-ray Player Full HD 1080P (Profile 2.0)]] (RRP: $199)



    The Kogan Blu-ray Player Full HD 1080P (Profile 2.0) is a solid performer for the asking price. There were no problems with colour balance or image tearing and there was none of the jaggedness and aliasing that are apparent with some budget Blu-ray players.

    All the top-level audio formats can be decoded, from regular Dolby Digital all the way up to DTS-HD. This puts the player ahead of entry-level units from competing companies like Sony and Samsung.

    To top it off, the Kogan Technologies Blu-ray Player is also impressively fast at reading discs and features region-free playback. The model was recently refreshed to include inbuilt Wi-Fi -- that's astonishingly good value for the asking price.



    [[artnid:270082|Read our full review of the Kogan Technologies Blu-ray Player]]
Show Comments
Security Watch
Back to top

Don’t have an account? Sign up here

Don't have an account? Sign up now

Forgot password?