1. What is one of the best Blu-Ray player that also supports
Lovefilm?
Want to have the greatest High Definition movie experience? Want to get the most out of
your 1080p HDTV? To do this you will need a Blu-ray Player. Blu-ray Players will deliver
sights and sounds so rich and vivid it will leave your old DVD player gathering dust. The only
problem that may arise is knowing which Blu-ray Player to choose. New models are being
released every year and manufacturers are constantly adapting and changing this relatively
new technology to bring you the ultimate Home Movie experience. For example,
manufacturers are incorporating Blu-ray Players to playback 3D Blu-rays, to have Online
Streaming Media Services, improved DVD up scaling, built in Wi-Fi and DLNA capabilities.
While all these new features and functions are great, it can get a little confusing for the
consumer to make an informed choice. To help with that choice, here is a list of the ten best
Blu-ray Players available on the market as of June 2010. Any one of these players would
make a fine addition to a Home Entertainment Theater and bring you endless hours of
enjoyment. Regarded by many experts and consumers as the best performing Blu-ray
Player, the Oppo BDP83, is the benchmark all other Blu-ray Players are compared to. In
terms of price/performance there is no other Blu-ray Player that can meet it's high standards.
It is a Profile 2.0 Universal Blu-ray Player capable of playing Blu-ray, DVD, SACD, DVD-
Audio and CD discs. It produces stunningly high quality images on both Blu-rays and DVDs.
It supports a wide variety of audio formats. Has bitstream and internal audio decoding for
Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. The BDP-83 inputs/outputs should meet any
possible connection requirements. Including 7.1 analog outputs, HDMI, USB, Ethernet, RS-
232 and IR inputs. Other features include very fast operational speed, 1 GB of internal
memory and a backlit remote control. -- Price you should look for when purchasing -- Under
$500.00
The Oppo BDP-103 is the latest incarnation in a long line of DVD and Blu-ray players, which
started with the OPDV971H from 2004 - notable for its up-scaling of 480p DVDs to LCD- and
plasma-friendly 720p and 1080i resolutions. The BDP-103 takes all of the learnings of the
last eight years and incorporates them into a Blu-ray player that can output video at any
resolution up to Ultra High-Definition. It can stream media files from your network, can
connect a games console or mobile device and up-scale that, or can access instant
streaming movies and TV shows from the Internet. But it’s $699 - is it worth that much?

2. When our Oppo BDP-103 arrived in a nondescript box all the way from Mountain View, CA.,
we were somewhat nonplussed. It didn’t help that the box had taken a couple of scars along
the way, but we were surprised that such an expensive home cinema component looked so
ordinary.
An a fantastic read can imporve your movie experience, Other great feature you get with the
BD-D5500 includes Samsung's Smart Hub with Web connected Apps. Giving you access to
online streaming content from Netflix, Hulu Plus, YouTube, Pandora and social media sites
like Twitter and Facebook. There is a Search All feature where you can find videos or files on
apps or on other devices through Samsung's AllShare DLNA Technology (Stream media files
from your computer to your TV screen). Also, you have a Your Video feature which will
recommend movies you might like based on your previous viewing habits. Of course to
access these features you will need an internet connection. The BD-D5500 can connect to
the internet through its Ethernet Port or with a Wireless USB adapter. The USB adapter is
sold separately. This is a major drawback and if want Wi-Fi; you should consider buying a
blu-ray player with Built-in Wi-Fi. It is cheaper to buy a mid-level player with built-in Wi-Fi,
than purchasing a player and a wireless USB adapter. The BD-D5500 also has 2 USB ports.
The USB port can be used to playback videos, music or photos. The supported files include
AVCHD, MKV, AVI, DIVX HD, XviD, MPS,WMA, WMV and JPEG. These files are also
supported by the AllShare DLNA feature as well. Great for any one who has a wide range
digital media collection.
LG BP125 Another value Blu-ray player, this time from Korean manufacturer LG. The LG
BP125, which stands at 27cm wide, is on sale at Asda or Amazon for £50 - the latter includes
free delivery. As for other Blu-ray players listed here, it offers up-scaling capabilities, HDMI,
USB and Ethernet ports but no SCART ports. It also comes with Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital
Plus, DTS, DTS HD and Dolby True HD decoding, plus compatibility with a slew of file
formats. Power consumption in operation stands at 12W which is surprisingly low for a Blu-
ray player while standby power consumption is 500mW. It’s worth noting that this player has
a quick start-up mode and is ready to play a disc in 15 seconds plus there’s an auto
shutdown which ensures that the USB connected drive is switched off after a preset time.
Tablets are this holiday's hottest sellers, from the Kindle Fire HD ($199) to the Nexus 7
($199) to the Nook HD ($199). But experts warn that if you're looking for bargains beyond
what's already being offered, don't hold your breath. "There always room for cost-based
reductions. However, what we're seeing now is tablets priced at cost," says NPD's Baker.
Baker says the low hardware prices are all keyed into the greater revenue-generation
strategies of Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Google. Each company sells its devices at cost,
and then makes all its money on the back end, selling digital content to people who need
something to watch, play or listen to on their tablets. "They're basically giving the hardware
away at this point," Baker says. PriceGrabber says it's seeing a 37 percent uptick in unit
sales of tablets. It says the average price of what people are spending on tablets equals what
it was last year: $199. "The average price is the same, but buyers are getting more for their
money when it comes to storage and features," Avanesian says. The biggest boost has been
in display resolution specs. Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Google have all improved display
resolution to provide higher pixel densities in relatively low-cost tablets. Buying Advice: If
your tablet budget is under $200, buy now. A price wars driving these already subsidized
devices to cheaper levels just isn't in the cards. Is now the best time to buy a snazzy new

3. Windows 8 laptop or hybrid notebook? Experts say yes, because prices are actually inching
up when you look at the entire product category as a whole. NPD's Baker says PC prices in
general are stable for Windows 8 hardware, but at the high-end of the market, with laptops
and hybrid tablet/notebooks, the prices are creeping up, thanks to demand. Baker says while
PC sales are not as strong as computer makers would like, they are still moving in the right
direction. "Overall, I'd say PC prices are pretty stable," Baker says. "At this point [new
Windows 8 hardware] sales are just getting started and it would be silly to see price cuts
now." Based on our experts advice, the time is right to buy a high-end Windows 8 notebook
or hybrid. But you may want to wait until 2013 to see if pricing comes down on lower-end
systems, or if PC makers tempt us with beefier specs for the same levels of pricing. There
are no official best or worst times to buy when it comes to purchasing consumer electronics.
Most of the time, we make a purchase because we want something, not because we need
something. That said, take your time, do your homework, shop around for the best price, and
remember: A skeptical shopper is a smart shopper.