• On CHOW: Sexy vampire party
June 25, 2009 8:51 AM PDT

Vizio's budget Blu-ray player coming to Wal-Mart in July

by Matthew Moskovciak

Back at CES 2009, Vizio announced the VBR100--a $200 Blu-ray player, complete with Profile 2.0 compatibility, 7.1 analog outputs and an April release date. Well, the April release date didn't happen, but the rest of the details are still accurate and Vizio is now planning on releasing the VBR100 as a Wal-Mart exclusive, coming in July at an even lower price of $188.

Much has changed in the Blu-ray market since January, with ultrabudget $100 players showing up and most name-brand players featuring streaming Internet content from Netflix, YouTube and Amazon Video On-Demand. The VBR100 is still an interesting product, mostly because it's the cheapest player we've seen to offer 7.1 analog outputs. That's good news for anyone on a budget looking to get a few more years out of their non-HDMI AV receiver, as you'll be able to use the VBR100's 7.1 analog outputs to take advantage of Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio at their full resolution.

For more information on getting into Blu-ray on a budget, check out our Blu-ray shopping tips.

(Source: TWICE via Engadget)

The following product mentioned is available.

On Sale Now: $179.99
View the latest prices for Vizio VBR100

Covering home audio and video, Matthew Moskovciak helps CNET readers find the best sights and sounds for their home theaters. E-mail Matthew or follow him on Twitter @cnetmoskovciak.
Recent posts from Crave
Sponge absorbs 180 times its weight (in toxic sludge)
Prizefight: Motorola Droid vs. iPhone 3GS
Accessories for the iPod Touch
Beware the Blue Yeti
Smartphone users, keep complaining
Two new remote Webcams: Mole and Vue
MP3 Insider 168: Inspired by the uninspiring
WiiWaa: Fun for kids, coma for animal controller

About Crave

The name says it all. Crave is our blog about gorgeous gadgets and other crushworthy stuff. If you would like to contact Crave with a tip or comment, please write to: crave@cnet.com

Add this feed to your online news reader

Crave topics

After 5 years, Firefox faces new challenges

Mozilla helped reshape the Web since releasing Firefox 1.0 five years ago. Now it's got a reawakened Microsoft and Google Chrome to reckon with.

There's a map for that: GPS or smartphone?

Almost every handset comes with mapping software these days, but standalone GPS devices are becoming more affordable than ever.