Recommendation Needed: Blu-ray DVD Player with Netflix Streaming and WiFi

[Brian]

When I bought a house in
Los Angeles, it came with a 50 inch 1080i Pioneer Plasma tv
(outstanding tv, but notice the "i"), a Denon surround sound system
and a Toshiba High Definition DVD player.

I am going to keep the TV (great tv), but I would like to get a very
nice quality new DVD player that can take the typical DVD and up
convert to 1080i. I suppose it should also be Blue Ray. And I would
like it to be WiFi so I can download movies from the
internet. Finally, it would be nice if it can boot a disk relatively
quickly. I am less cost sensitive than most, but I would like to get
something that works well.

For someone like me who does not need 3D, just a really excellent
modern DVD player with WiFi, what would you go with?

I know it is a difficult question, but it is really difficult for
even an informed reader to select among the many choices today.

[MrBoylan]

When I bought a house in
Los Angeles, it came with a 50 inch 1080i Pioneer Plasma tv
(outstanding tv, but notice the "i"), a Denon surround sound system
and a Toshiba High Definition DVD player.

I am going to keep the TV (great tv), but I would like to get a very
nice quality new DVD player that can take the typical DVD and up
convert to 1080i. I suppose it should also be Blue Ray. And I would
like it to be WiFi so I can download movies from the
internet. Finally, it would be nice if it can boot a disk relatively
quickly. I am less cost sensitive than most, but I would like to get
something that works well.

For someone like me who does not need 3D, just a really excellent
modern DVD player with WiFi, what would you go with?

I know it is a difficult question, but it is really difficult for
even an informed reader to select among the many choices today.

Don't get too hung up on the TV's specs (1080i vs. 1080p vs. 720p, etc.). Many aspect's of a TV's performance are more important than resolution. That TV is actually somewhere between 720p and 1080p in resolution (technically, its native resolution is 1365x768 pixels so you could call it a "768p TV" but then people would look at you funny). The Pioneer KURO sets were among the best in their day and will still give many new 1080p TVs a run for their money.

As for your question, yes, you definitely will want to get a Blu-ray Disc player, not just an upconverting DVD player. Blu-ray players do support playback of regular CDs and DVDs (including upconversion) as well as the new Blu-ray Discs. A 1080p Blu-ray Disc will look significantly better than an upconverted 480p DVD on that set, so getting a Blu-ray player will allow you to rent and own the highest resolution home video format available, as well as getting a pretty nice picture out of standard DVDs and take advantage of the streaming capabilities that are becoming commonplace in Blu-ray players today.

If 3D playback does not matter to you, then I would recommend a few players, each for different reasons. This is by no means a comprehensive list, but it is built based on reviews or at least some personal hands-on experience, as well as on track record of these companies in producing reliable players:

• LG BD590 - very multimedia-friendly machine with good DVD upconversion and excellent Blu-ray performance. Unique feature is a 250GB hard-drive on board which is useful if you rent or own VUDU content or want to store a library of photos or MP3 music files on your player. Includes built-in WiFi (802.11b/g/n) - Buy the LG BD590 on Amazon
  
• LG BD570 - similar to the BD590 but without the internal hard drive and with possibly slightly inferior upconversion (but significantly cheaper). Includes built-in WiFi (802.11b/g/n) - LG BD570 review - Buy the LG BD570 on Amazon
  
• Panasonic DMP-BD85 - excellent all-around performer with high quality audio and video. Streaming options are slightly less robust than some competitors (no VUDU, but it does have Netflix, Amazon VOD, Youtube and Pandora. Multi-channel analog output makes it a great match for audiophiles with older, non-HDMI receivers. One of the slower loaders, but still much faster then first through third generation players. also, slightly klugey, text-heavy set-up menus can be a little tricky for average users to understand. Includes WiFi via 802.11b/g/n WiFi dongle (in the box) Panasonic DMP-BD85 Review - Buy the BD85 on Amazon
  
• Toshiba BDX2700 - they may have lost the format war, but they're making a strong comeback with this WiFi-enabled streaming Blu-ray player. It features strong performance on DVD and Blu-ray as well as good selection of media streaming options, and all at an affordable price. Toshiba BDX2700 review - Buy the Toshiba BDX2700 on Amazon. - note: recent Amazon user reviews suggest potential problems with the player's longevity, though we saw no issue like this during our review.
  
• OPPO BDP-93 - not shipping yet, but this should be a very high performance player for video and audio quality. OPPO's previous player, the BDP-83 was the fastest on the market when it came out and offered excellent audio and video performance both on upconversion of DVDs and with native Blu-ray playback. The OPPO BDP-93 will be their first to include internet streaming capabilities (including Netflix). We have heard no definitive shipping date yet but expect to see the player in late 2010/early 2011.

Anyway, these would be the non-3D player's on my "off the top of my head" short list. Purchases via the above links support this web site.

Good luck!

-Chris