blu-ray movies

Here's a neat idea: an app that links your iPhone or iPod Touch to whatever Blu-ray movie you're watching and serves up extra content, a remote control, a soundtrack listing, and even Facebook integration so you can tell friends about the movie.

Pocket BLU is that app. It's free, it works, and it's pretty cool--but it suffers from two major limitations.

The first is that it works only with Blu-ray players that have Wi-Fi. I can understand the need for a network connection, but what's wrong with Ethernet? Save for PlayStation 3s, few modern players … Read more

The holidays must be drawing near, because suddenly the Blu-ray deals are heating up.

For example, what's better: a refurbished low-end Blu-ray player for $79.99 (sold out, I'm afraid) or a new Blu-ray player with BD-Live and Netflix support for $99.99?

The latter deal is happening now at Best Buy, which charges a reasonable $7 for shipping--a charge you can avoid by opting for in-store pickup. (Either way, you'll have to pay sales tax.)

The Insignia (Best Buy's house brand) NS-BRDVD3 offers the usual 1080p output goodness, including upconversion of regular DVDs, along with … Read more

It wasn't that long ago that we finally saw Blu-ray players dip below the magic $100 mark. Now, Newegg is offering a refurbished Magnavox NB500MG9 Blu-ray player for $79.99 shipped.

That's a new low, big time, so this will absolutely, positively sell out quickly. If you're interested, chop-chop. (Make that click-click.)

The RNB500MG9 features 1080p output and upconversion and Blu-ray Profile 1.1. However, that's about it in the specs department. If you insist on BD-Live and other frilly features, keep walking.

Though I've covered this model before, I still haven't found any … Read more

The last time I found a Blu-ray player with BD-Live support in this price range, it was a refurbished Sony model that sold out in about 10 minutes.

Right now, Amazon has an even better deal: a new Panasonic DMP-BD60 Blu-ray player for $128.23 shipped. Regular price: $250.

This player not only supports Profile 2.0 (meaning it can play the BD-Live features found on some discs), but also performs such nifty tricks as streaming Amazon On Demand and YouTube video, accessing your PicasaWeb photos, and fetching weather and stock reports.

You'll need a wired Ethernet connection to … Read more

Update: Sorry, sorry! Looks like this is already out of stock. Try checking back later, but in the meantime I'll try to find you another deal for today!

Update #2: If you're still on the prowl for an inexpensive, BD-Live-friendly Sony Blu-ray player, here's an option for $199.99. Yep, it's the Sony PlayStation 3 slim deal from a couple weeks ago. Not quite $130, but you are getting a kick-ass game console as part of the bargain.

We've seen a few Blu-ray players for under $100, but most of those were low-end models from … Read more

Update: Just came from the Wal-Mart store in Commerce Township, Mich. Not only was the Magnavox priced at $168, but the sales guys had never seen a Blu-ray player for $98. Could be this is a regional thing, or it could just be bad reporting (on my part and others'). Were you able to find this deal? In any case, my apologies if you went to Wal-Mart and came up empty.

The good news: You can finally buy a new, non-refurbished Blu-ray player for under $100--no rebates required.

The bad news: You have to go to Wal-Mart to get … Read more

Hey, remember way back yesterday when I said a Blu-ray player for $129.99 was pretty good, but you'd have to wait a bit longer for that magical less-than-$100 price tag? Well, your day-long wait is over.

Sears has a refurbished Magnavox RNB500MG9 Blu-ray player for $99.99.

Hey, don't blame me if you jumped on the $129.99 player--it was reader Dave who found this deal. (Seriously, though, thanks for the tip, Dave!)

Like the aforementioned Best Buy Insignia model, the RNB500MG9 features 1080p output and upconversion and Blu-ray Profile 1.1. However, that's about … Read more

I said it before, I'll say it again: Blu-ray won't really take off until you can buy a player for $99. We're not quite there yet, but we're close: Best Buy has the Insignia NS-2BRDVD Blu-ray player for $129.99 shipped (plus tax in most states).

That's just about the lowest price I've seen yet on a nonrefurbished, rebate-free player. (Actually, Walmart has a Magnavox model on sale for $128, but it's in-store only. I like stuff that gets brought to me.)

The Insignia (Best Buy's house brand) features the usual features: … Read more

I haven't seen a decent Blu-ray deal in months. Months! And now I have two. First, Sears has the refurbished Magnavox RNB500MG9 Blu-ray player for $132.99. That's with free shipping and a 5 percent discount (the latter automatically applied to your cart), both of which end today.

Given that it's still pretty rare to find a player selling below $150, this is a solid deal. Just one complaint: The Sears site makes no mention of the warranty, so assume 90 days. (Also, you'll probably have to cough up sales tax. Guess that's two complaints.)… Read more