The Bottom Line: The Panasonic DMP-BD35 represents the best value in standalone Blu-ray players, with excellent image quality, a comprehensive feature set, and a price that's significantly lower than the PS3. Read review
Specs: Blu-Ray disc player, Tabletop, Remote control, Stereo, 5.7 lbs
The Bottom Line: The combination of its small design, solid feature set, and excellent image quality make the Sony BDP-S350 a worthwhile standalone Blu-ray player--especially if you can find it for less than $300. Read review
Specs: Blu-Ray disc player, Tabletop, Remote control, DTS decoder, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital, DTS-HD decoder, Dolby Digital Plus, Stereo
The Bottom Line: Even though PS2 backward compatibility has been dropped from this version, the 80GB PS3 is still a superb Blu-ray player and high-definition game console. Read review
Specs: Sony PlayStation 3 - Game console, BD-ROM, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, Cell Broadband Engine, 1920 x 1080
The Bottom Line: The Panasonic DMP-BD55 is the best standalone Blu-ray we've tested and it's a good choice for those with older receivers, but most people will get the same performance out of the cheaper DMP-BD35. Read review
Specs: Blu-Ray disc player, Tabletop, Universal remote control, DTS decoder, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital, DTS-HD decoder, Dolby Digital Plus, Surround Sound, 5.7 lbs
The Bottom Line: Now that Blu-ray has become the pre-eminent high-definition standard for discs, the Xbox 360 has yet to support it, but it still remains an excellent game console with a superior game library and online experience. Read review
Specs: Xbox 360 - Game console, DVD-ROM, 1 x IBM PowerPC 3 cores 3.2 GHz, 1920 x 1080
The Bottom Line: The Samsung BD-P2550 adds Netflix and Pandora to an already well-featured and top-performing Blu-ray player, with only some minor disc compatibility issues giving us pause. Read review
Specs: Blu-Ray disc player, Tabletop, Universal remote control, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus, Surround Sound, 6.8 lbs
The Bottom Line: The Sony BDP-S550 offers excellent image quality and a solid feature set, but only consider it if you need the multichannel analog outputs. Read review
Specs: Blu-Ray disc player, Tabletop, Remote control, DTS decoder, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital, DTS-HD decoder, Dolby Digital Plus, Surround Sound, 7.3 lbs
The Bottom Line: The Samsung BD-P1500 lacks some features and doesn't perform as well as the PlayStation 3, but its relatively low price makes it a solid option for those few people on a budget who still demand a standalone Blu-ray player. Read review
Specs: Blu-Ray disc player, Tabletop, Universal remote control, DTS decoder, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Stereo, 8.6 lbs
The Bottom Line: While it's neither a must-have upgrade for existing 360 owners nor as feature-packed as the PS3, the Xbox 360 Elite's combination of top-notch gaming and digital media features make it the current game console of choice. Read review
Specs: Xbox 360 Elite System - Game console, DVD-ROM, 1 x IBM PowerPC 3 cores 3.2 GHz, 1920 x 1080
The Bottom Line: With its excellent iPod-like remote, the Logitech Squeezebox Duet is an ideal way to stream the full range of digital music--including files on your computer's hard drive, premium subscription music services, and free Internet radio--to your living room stereo system. Read review
Specs: Remote control
The Bottom Line: With its enhanced iTunes video offerings, PC-free operation, and a lower price tag, the updated Apple TV is a compelling Internet-enabled entertainment device for the living room. Read review
Specs: Digital multimedia receiver, Remote control
The Bottom Line: While Sony has cut a few corners to get its entry-level PlayStation 3 below $400, it's still a great game console and Blu-ray player for the money--so long as you can live without backward compatibility for PS2 games. Read review
Specs: Xbox 360 Arcade - Game console, DVD-ROM, 1 x IBM PowerPC 3 cores 3.2 GHz, 1920 x 1080
The Bottom Line: Outstanding recording quality and tons of features, like flexible recording speed and chasing playback, make the Panasonic DMR-EA18K an excellent all-purpose DVD recorder. Read review
Specs: DVD recorder, Tabletop, Remote control, Stereo, 6.2 lbs
The Bottom Line: The BDP-S300 is a decent choice if you're limiting yourself to a relatively cheap, standard-design Blu-ray player, but everyone else should consider the competition. Read review
Specs: Blu-Ray disc player, Tabletop, Universal remote control, Dolby Digital, Stereo, 9.9 lbs
The Bottom Line: The LG BD300 deftly combines Blu-ray and Netflix streaming in a single box, although there are better standalone players without Netflix. Read review
Specs: Blu-Ray disc player, Tabletop, Remote control, Dolby TruHD, Stereo, 6.6 lbs
Specs: Blu-Ray disc player, Tabletop, Universal remote control, DTS decoder, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital, DTS-HD decoder, Dolby Digital Plus, Surround Sound, 6.8 lbs
The Bottom Line: A handful of notable upgrades from the entry-level model, the 80GB PS3 is superb Blu-ray player and high-definition game console. Read review
The Bottom Line: The Oppo DV-983H is pretty much the ultimate standard-def disc player, but its high price means videophiles on a budget can get a better bang for their buck. Read review
Specs: DVD player, Tabletop, Remote control, DTS decoder, Dolby Digital Surround EX, Surround Sound, Black, 6.2 lbs
Specs: Blu-Ray disc player, Tabletop, Remote control, Stereo
The Bottom Line: The Panasonic DMP-BD30 offers excellent video quality and is Blu-ray Profile 1.1 compliant, but those who want high-resolution audio will need a cutting-edge AV receiver. Read review
Specs: Blu-Ray disc player, Tabletop, Universal remote control, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital, DTS-HD decoder, Dolby Digital Plus, Surround Sound, 7.3 lbs
The Bottom Line: While it's not compatible with your cable company's interactive and video-on-demand services, the TiVo HD's excellent onscreen interface and long list of network and Internet features puts it in a class above the generic high-def DVRs offered by most cable providers. Read review
Specs: DVR, 16.5 in x 12.6 in x 3.4 in, 190, 2, TiVo, Remote control
The Bottom Line: The GE 22730 DTV converter box is difficult to use and has subpar video quality, so you're better off going with a different converter box. Read review
Specs: Blu-Ray disc player, Tabletop, Remote control, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD decoder, Dolby Digital Plus, Surround Sound
The Bottom Line: If you're not ready to get a high-def player, the Oppo DV-980H DVD player delivers excellent performance and an unparalleled feature set for the price. Read review
Specs: DVD player, Tabletop, Remote control, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Surround EX, Surround Sound, 5.1 lbs
