Blu-ray players are now available for less than $100.00; however, most are still in the $150.00 to $250.00 range. Some are even more expensive and can cost you thousands. But are these players really better? Many of these players seem to offer very similar features. Wi-Fi and streaming media services are commonly found in every price range; even 3D capability is more prevalent. And there is little difference between the image quality between the models. So why do they cost more and are worth the higher price? One feature that you can use to distinguish between players is their operational speed.
There are many ways to determine the operating speeds of a Blu-ray player. How fast can the player turn on, how fast can you load a disc, or how fast is your browsing or online services? And because all Blu-ray discs aren’t built the same, you won’t get consistent speed every time you load a disc. This is the same when it comes to online streaming services. Therefore, measuring a player’s operational speed can be tricky. But for the most part, the different variations of disc load speeds, as well as online streaming services, average out, and you can determine which player is faster overall.
Manufacturers have always had a strong effect on producing faster players. Slow speeds was an early criticism from critics and consumers. So in 2011, all the major manufacturers are producing models that are faster than ever. Panasonic seems to have created the fastest player so far in 2011, the DMP-BDT210. It has lightning fast speeds when loading most discs compared to other players. It even has a fast startup mode to increase how fast the drive loads. Power up faster than most players. The DMP-BDT210 navigation is easy to use and allows you to quickly access features such as Netflix.
Another very fast player is the Sony BDP-S580. Although overall it’s not quite as fast as the Panasonic DMP-BDT210, it comes pretty close. Powers up extremely fast, faster than most players; and has good disc loading speeds. Your navigation, especially when it comes to Online Streaming Media Service, could be easier, but this should not be enough to disappoint. Other Blu-ray players that are among the fastest are Samsung BD-D6700, LG BD670, Insignia NS-WBRDVD2, Oppo BDP-93 and Sony PlayStation 3.
With most consumers accustomed to the fast playback of DVD players, it’s easy to see why so many were reluctant to switch to slow Blu-ray. This, however, is no longer the case. While still not as fast as DVD players, Blu-ray players have gotten fast enough that they’re no longer an impediment. And since many players have similar functions and features, it’s a great way to distinguish between players and help make purchasing decisions.