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Reviewed on 11/17/08

Sony BDP-S550

The Sony BDP-S550 offers excellent image quality and a solid feature set, but only consider it if you need the multichannel analog outputs.

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

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$325 -$400
Reviewed on 11/14/08

Samsung BD-P2550

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.

Specs: Blu-Ray disc player, Tabletop, Universal remote control, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus, Surround Sound, 6.8 lbs

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$350 -$490
Reviewed on 10/31/08

Insignia NS-DXA1-APT

The Insignia NS-DXA1-APT DTV converter box has an easy-to-use design and solid video quality, but other boxes have more features or are easier for seniors.

Specs: Remote control

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$60
Reviewed on 10/15/08

Panasonic DMP-BD35

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.

Specs: Blu-Ray disc player, Tabletop, Remote control, Stereo, 5.7 lbs

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$249 -$303
Reviewed on 10/15/08

Microsoft Xbox 360 (60GB, HDMI)

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.

Specs: Xbox 360 - Game console, DVD-ROM, 1 x IBM PowerPC 3 cores 3.2 GHz, 1920 x 1080

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$300 -$409
Reviewed on 10/14/08

LG BD300

The LG BD300 deftly combines Blu-ray and Netflix streaming in a single box, although there are better standalone players without Netflix.

Specs: Blu-Ray disc player, Tabletop, Remote control, Dolby TruHD, Stereo, 6.6 lbs

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$315 -$398
Reviewed on 10/10/08

Sony PlayStation 3 (160GB)

Specs: Sony PlayStation 3 - Game console, BD-ROM, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, Cell Broadband Engine, 1920 x 1080

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Reviewed on 10/08/08

Sony PlayStation 3 (80GB)

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.

Specs: Sony PlayStation 3 - Game console, BD-ROM, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, Cell Broadband Engine, 1920 x 1080

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$400
Reviewed on 10/06/08

Iomega ScreenPlay TV Link

The Iomega ScreenPlay TV Link offers an easy way to watch digital video files without the need to hook up a computer to your TV.

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$80 -$100
Reviewed on 10/02/08

Sony Bravia Internet Video Link (DMX-NV1)

The Sony Bravia Internet Video Link (DMX-NV1) will stream Web video and Amazon Video On Demand to your Bravia HDTV, but its slow interface and limited content options will have you looking at alternatives.

Specs: Digital multimedia receiver

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$209 -$300
Reviewed on 10/01/08

Panasonic DMP-BD55

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.

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

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$380
Reviewed on 09/30/08

Winegard RCDT09A

The Winegard RCDT09A is the first DTV converter box that can be powered by batteries, and it's a great choice for those who want to use their analog portable TVs after the DTV transition.

Specs: Stereo, Remote control

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$61
Reviewed on 09/24/08

Sling Media Slingbox Pro-HD

The Sling Media Pro-HD streams live TV to your PC or smartphone--but for most users, its excellent HD-capable picture quality will be diminished when accessed outside of the home network.

Specs: Stereo

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$289 -$300
Reviewed on 09/19/08

RCA DTA800B1

Good reception, respectable video quality, and a basic EPG make the RCA DTA800 an excellent DTV converter box, and its included remote is the best we've seen.

Specs: Remote control

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Reviewed on 09/17/08

Sony PlayStation 3 (20GB)

Specs: Sony PlayStation 3 - Game console, BD-ROM, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, IBM Cell Broadband Engine 3.2 GHz, 1920 x 1080

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Reviewed on 09/17/08

Magnavox TB100MW9

The Magnavox TV100MW9 DTV converter box competently handles the basics, but doesn't offer a standout reason to choose it over its competitors.

Specs: Remote control

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Reviewed on 09/11/08

Apex DT250

The Apex DT250 DTV converter box is packed with features and puts out a nice picture, but it doesn't pull in as many stations as competing boxes.

Specs: Remote control

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Reviewed on 09/03/08

TiVo HD XL DVR (150-hours)

The TiVo HD XL charges a hefty premium for its spacious recording capacity and THX certification, but most users will be content sticking to the all-but-identical standard TiVo HD DVR.

Specs: 16.5 in x 12.6 in x 3.4 in, 190, 2, TiVo, Remote control

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$590 -$600
Reviewed on 09/02/08

Toshiba XD-E500

The Toshiba XD-E500's XDE picture enhancements don't live up to the hype. While it's a solid upscaling DVD player, its high price makes it a hard sell.

Specs: DVD player, Tabletop, Universal remote control, Dolby Digital, DTS decoder, Stereo, 3.5 lbs

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$88 -$157
Reviewed on 08/18/08

Insignia NS-BRDVD

The Insignia NS-BRDVD is competent as a relatively cheap, barebones Blu-ray player, but better players are coming and the Sony PlayStation 3 is a superior option for those with just a little more cash.

Specs: Blu-Ray disc player, Tabletop, Remote control, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD decoder, Dolby Digital Plus, Stereo, 9 lbs

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$230