Does a cheaper PS3 make standalone Blu-ray players overpriced again?

A $300 PS3 makes us reevaluate the value of standalone Blu-ray players.

(Credit: CNET)

For most of Blu-ray's existence, the PlayStation 3 has easily been the best value in home theater. Only recently have we reviewed Blu-ray players that come close to matching its performance, speed, and functionality, while costing about the same amount.

The $300 PS3 Slim changes the marketplace considerably. Standalone Blu-ray players that offer similar performance to the PS3, like the LG BD390 and Samsung BD-P3600, used to offer some savings over PS3, but now they actually cost a little more. How can these standalone players expect us to pay more?

If you want to use the PS3 with a universal remote, you'll have to pay extra for an IR-to-Bluetooth converter.

The standalone players have a few points in their favor. The most obvious is the ease-of-use, as they behave nearly identically to DVD players, making them easier for tech novices to use. The players also all have IR receptors, which make them easy to integrate with universal remotes without buying a pricey IR-to-Bluetooth converter.

Blu-ray players from Samsung and LG also feature Netflix and Pandora streaming, which are generally better options than Sony's pricey movie store. More expensive players, like the LG BD390 and Samsung BD-P3600, also feature 7.1 analog outputs, making them better choices for those with older, non-HDMI AV receivers who still want to experience Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio at their full resolution.

Even considering those factors, the PS3 Slim is an easy choice for anyone even slightly interested in high-def gaming or network media streaming. (Some Blu-ray players feature media streaming, but the PS3 offers a better overall experience.) We can still see the LG BD390 (currently our top-rated standalone player) being a better choice for some buyers, but we feel like the price is going to have to drop to stay competitive as the holidays get closer.

Standalone Blu-ray players may not be as overpriced as they were a year ago, but the PS3 Slim makes them seem like less of a value.

What do you think? Does the ease-of-use of standalone players, plus streaming features like Netflix, make them worthy competitors of the PS3 Slim? Or is the PS3 Slim now easily the value for the tech-savvy looking to get into Blu-ray?

[kormiko]

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In a word: YES.

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[siouxtupa]

You can actually buy the Nyko BluWave remote for the PS3 and just use the USB iR sensor with universals. I have a Harmony 659, and it works flawlessly. The only thing it won't do is turn on the unit.

It's a much cheaper option at $15.99: http://www.amazon.com/PlayStation-3-Blu-Wave-Remote/dp/B000R5H7KE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1250714783&sr=8-2

[CrayzeeCarl]

Actually, the Slim includes the Bravia Sync over HDMI feature, so those with a Bravia TV can apparently control the PS3 through their TV with their universal remote.

There is also some speculation that it *may* also bitstream TrueHD and DTS-HD through HDMI. Since the HDMI controller was obviously upgraded for the Bravia Sync feature, they may have added this as well. I would investigate this once the slim is released.

[pencil_pusher]

What about those without a Bravia? A lot of people have other HDTVs like Sharp and LG. So really this is only an advantage for a small group.

[chrkeller]

Yes, which is great. I don't really want a second ps3, but I want a bluray player for the living room, one with wifi and onboard memory. My assumption is prices for stand alone players will be going down later this year.

[sav1981]

I think that the lower price of the PS3 will make the stand alone blu-ray players to also drop thier prices. With blu-ray getting cheaper that means those people who are looking forwards hi-def entertainment are in better position to purchase these device even the xbox 360 crowd who disses blu-ray secretly wants one for their entertainment setup.

[Shaners256]

What about using the PS3's internet browser to access Pandora? That's what I've been doing and it works great.

[eelcd]

there are programs like PlayOn that will add netflix hulu and amazon vod to the ps3 for about $20-$40

[Sage11z]

I'm suprised no one mentioned the power savings of a standalone player-- even at 2/3s the consumption of the previous model, the ps3 is remarkably power hungry when playing blurays.

[shibumi68]

I'm glad the PS3 is a great device but you seem to forget that the gaming community is a small portion of the market. The truth is stand alone players are going to push blu ray not the PS3. For most it's overkill when all you want to watch is a movie.

[imake]

ps3.