Sony’s BDP-S470, at $200, is the lowest-priced
3D Blu-ray player in our Ratings.
Photo: Sony

We’ve just posted our latest Blu-ray Player Ratings (available to subscribers), and for those in the market for a new model, there’s some good news: Prices continue to fall, even on models with the latest features, including 3D capability.

While the first 3D players cost $350 to $400, well above the average price for a standard Blu-ray model, the lowest-priced 3D player in our current Ratings—a Sony that can be upgraded to full 3D capability via a free firmware update—costs just $200. Another Sony 3D model, which includes built-in Wi-Fi, is $250. With the price premium for 3D so low, you may want to consider a 3D model even if you’re not quite ready to buy a 3D TV, as all models can also play standard 2D Blu-ray movies, and you’ll be ready to go when you make the move to a 3D TV. Just remember there still isn’t very much 3D content, and you’ll also need to get 3D glasses to complete the system.

If you’re not interested in 3D, you can buy a full-featured, top-rated player from a major brand for as little as $150, and we expect prices to drop even further this year. We’re seeing more lower-priced models that can access the Internet to get additional content, including streaming movies from services such as Amazon, Blockbuster, Netflix or Vudu, or music from Pandora or Slacker Internet radio services. We’re also testing more players with either built-in Wi-Fi or the ability to accept a wireless adapter, a boon if you don’t have a nearby Ethernet jack for making a wired connection.

One quick note with our Ratings: We recently changed our Blu-ray testing protocol, so the overall scores for previously tested players have changed. The picture-quality scores, however, have remained the same.

—James K. Willcox