What you need to know about Blu-ray players

All the Blu-ray players we've tested so far can output video signals with a maximum resolution of 1080p, provided you use an HDMI connection; component-video connections are limited to1080i. In addition, all Blu-ray players can upconvert standard DVD video to 720p, 1080i, or 1080p to match the native resolution of an LCD, plasma, or rear-projection microdisplay HDTV. That may or may not result in slightly improved picture quality over 480p. Even if the picture quality is improved, at its best, it won’t be the same as video that originated in high-definition.

Besides using a stand-alone player, you can play Blu-ray discs on Sony's PlayStation 3 game consoles, which have an integrated drive. The quality is as good as with a stand-alone player, but you might want to get a separate remote that's more video friendly than the typical two-handed gaming controls. A growing number of notebook and desktop computers either come with or can accept Blu-ray drives. JVC and Sharp recently announced new LCD TVs that integrate a Blu-ray player, eliminating a separate box.

Blu-ray has been an evolving standard. All the models in our Ratings (available to subscribers) have BonusView, a picture-in-picture feature. More players are now BD-Live models that can connect to movie-studio servers to access extra content. An increasing number of these players are also able to receive streaming movies from services such as Amazon Video On Demand, Blockbuster On Demand, Netflix, and Vudu.