It is somewhat surprising that despite being a member of the Blu-ray Disc Association, it took a long long time for JVC to come up with its first Blu-ray System, the NX-BD3. The unit has a swanky look and feel about it, and wears a number of different hats apart from performing its primary task with great ease.

In terms of looks it’s not called Sophisti for nothing, as the main Blu-ray/receiver unit boasts an elegant, seductive design with a gorgeous semi-translucent front section that offers a flirtatious glimpse of an illuminated blue arc. The buttons and info display also glow an alluring shade of blue and on the underside you’ll find a flap that conceals a slot for SD and SDHC memory cards.

Each speaker of the unit is outfitted with a pair of drivers in separate enclosures, with one of them outputting the front channels while the other sends out the surround channels which are supposed to deliver convincing 4.1 sounds from the three speakers. Despite all these, the JVC NX-BD3 sorely misses the presence of a proper 5.1 speaker system that could have turned the system into a real livewire.

Connectivity of the unit is pretty solid including an HDMI 1.3 output, which supports most of the popular formats like Deep Colour and x.v.Colour, apart from 1080/24p Blu-ray output and CEC functionality. Then, there is a SCART and component video output as well, which is capable of upscaling standard videos to 1080i, but somehow strangely defaults to 576p when playing DVD or Blu-ray.

According to reports available from Nikkei, Panasonic is all set to give a whole new dimension to visual technology with its latest initiative to develop a Blu-ray standard for 3D imagery that will be equipped with an HDMI standard for carrying 3D signals. The development carries immense significance considering that it will increase the clout enjoyed by Panasonic, already a formidable name in the filed of TVs, AV receivers and Blu-ray players, to unprecedented levels. Meanwhile, the technology in question is widely believed to be the next generation of visual technology after high definition.

To accelerate the process the company has already submitted it proposal to Blu-ray Disc Association for approval. A company source admitted that they are looking forward to an early approval as they don’t want to get entrapped in the vicious tangles of standard wars, patent monopolies, and the like as they have the ability to seriously impact the proliferation of any 3D image standard. The company is especially apprehensive of being caught in a situation like the HD format war, which for the record proved to be a matter of discord among the big wigs.

The BDA on its part is optimistic that a standard would be in place by 2010. Coming back to the proposal submitted by Panasonic, it is a fairly uncomplicated one specially considering that it is basically based on a technology that is already in H.264 standard. The Apple iPod touch 16GB can in fact play H.264, as come numerous other devices. If you are unfamiliar with H.264, it uses two video channels as is required for 3D. The technological specifications of the gadget make it the perfect foil that is required for left-eye right-eye dual-imagery.

A player that has been creating a lot of buzz and has captivated the imagination of movie enthusiasts is the Aiwa XD-DV370KN. The unit starts to impress you from the word go with its impressive design and easily fits into TV/VCR or Hi-fi set-ups, with colour being the only real consideration.

The access time of the unit is dependent on the disc type, and plays CDR, CDRW, MP3, VCD, along with the trademark DVD discs. An aspect that may bother you is that it takes a considerably long time to load an MP3 disc, depending upon the disc structure and track content. Moreover, you might even encounter noise while the player skips to and fro reading the TOC.

Noise levels are however, nonexistent when the disc is played, irrespective of formats, and scene selection and access track is also pleasantly quiet. The on-screen GUI menus, which to an extent are identical to those offered by LG units, such as the LG DVX-392H, are easy and quick to navigate and comprises of all the contemporary options. The unit’s audio output feature unit is a colourful one and possesses all the modern requirements ranging from PCM to Bitstream. The video output features, on the other hand, include 4:3, 4:3 Pan and Scan, and 16:9 wide.

Connectivity wise you will have very little to complain as it consists of 1x SCART, which is RGB, Composite and S-video. Then, Coaxial and optical connectors are there as well that will especially help those with DTS and Digital amps. The remote of the unit however lacks in imagination, especially its insipid design. It is however, quite functional and well laid out.

One thing that I have come to believe is that most of the Blu-ray players out in the market are over priced. It is because they invariably fail to leave up to the expectations and consequently does not do justice to their outrageous price tag. It is for this simple reason I believe that the new Blu-ray player from the ranks of Sharp need to be recommended, if not commended and appreciated.

The look and design of one unit, namely the BD-HP20H, has not been compromised to get its appealing price tag, nor has it cut back on features either. The greatest quality of the Sharp BDHP20 is its extremely rapid load rate. While most players seem to take ages to load a disc, this devil of a product will do the same in the blink of an eye. In fact it can play a disc even from standby in a matter of seconds!

Connectivity is also impressive enough, if not top rate, and includes a HDMI feature, and is more importantly compatible with the latest v1.3a specification. Then, the much vaunted imaging features Deep Colour which is built-in along with Dolby TrueHD 7.1-channel HD audio is there as well. The video quality, on the other hand, is optimized by a Component video output capable of progressive, upscaled HD video feeds. Meanwhile, the service port acts as a supplementary feature as you can use the same for firmware upgrades.

You will also be left stunned by the performance meted out by the Dolby TrueHD audio well supported by the standard Analogue 5.1-sourround sound audio.

JVC has achieved a very important milestone with the launch of the NX-BD3 system that is DivX certified, and consequently has left its footprint on the home cinema arena. The DivX is of immense significance as it implies that the product has undergone a series of rigorous testing and has come out unscratched. You can thus, rely on this certification alone and feel assured of a high-quality DivX media experience, including reliable video playback, interoperability with other DivX Certified devices and the visual quality users expect from DivX.

The Blu-ray player is of profile 1.1 compliant, with the option of upgrading it to profile2.0. The unit thus supports 24fps video, apart from colour and Deep Colour via a single HDMI 1.3a output. Some of the JVC NX-BD3’s other important connections include an optical audio output, analogue audio input, and HDMI-CEC input. Moreover, DiVX files on CD, DVD or Blu-ray are supported as well, and you can also enjoy the added benefit of a tuner while tuning into your AM/FM set.

The unit is highly competent at playing back high-quality DivX video which provides the discerning audience a wonderful opportunity to enjoy premium quality home entertainment programmes. The NX-BD3 is modeled based on the world’s first DLNA Blu-ray cinema system, and allows consumers the titillating prospect of playing back content over wired or wireless home networks, and thereby virtually bring your wide repertoire of video confined on the PC to the living room. Users of NX-BD3 will now also have little difficulty in having access to high-quality video content whether it is from a CD or DVD source.

Blu-ray players may be dame a dozen these days, but you will hardly find a particular one that doesn’t have its own issues. Even Pioneer or Sony, the premier names in the DVD sector, are also not immune to this accusation. The peculiar problems associated with these two premier brands are that they have extremely slow response time and, in addition, also found wanting when it comes to offering support for cutting-edge Blu-ray features. It is here that Denon has made its mark with its first Blu-ray DV player, the 2500BTCI. The unit is strikingly different from the average players that you normally come across and is all set to fill the persisting void.

It has managed a coup in the sense that it is the first player to support Picture-in-Picture Bonus View interactivity, and in likelihood is also the first entirely digital Blu-ray player to have hit the market. You will also be perplexed to find that there are no analog outputs whatsoever, and instead features only a solitary HDMI output. The emphasis of the player seems quite apparent and is unmistakably designed to be used with the current crop of AVRs and pre/pros that offer full advanced audio decoding. Furthermore, the unit is one of those select few, in addition to high-end players like the Panasonic DVD-2500BTCI, that support bitstream transmission of lossless Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. Support for onboard decoding of the lossless codecs is however not there.

The major highlight on the audio section includes PCM (up to 7.1 channels) and Dolby Digital Plus. The player on the lower side is inscribed with Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks, which limits its decoding capability to only the core lossy Dolby Digital and DTS tracks, which are output over HDMI as 5.1-channel PCM.

“High-end Blu-ray source” is the terminology that Denon is using to describe its latest offering, the DVD-2500BT. Whatever may the terminology or the claims the truth is despite having an abundance of features you still have to rely on outside help to experience a full cinematic experience on the unit. You for instance will need an extra bit of kit, a decoder to get things moving.

The DVD-2500BT, nevertheless as has been mentioned above has a number of features that should excite you. The one feature that immediately comes to mind is the unique drive mechanism feature that has been purposefully designed by Denon for use with Blu-ray discs. This feature separates this Denon device from imitators like the Denon DVD1940 and plays a significant role in protecting the internal disc space from magnetic influences, dust, and external noise. This noteworthy improvement in the drive mechanism is carried out by adding a shield to the bottom and top of the unit which consequently creates the perfect environment for playback.

The image quality of the unit is crisp, clear and displays a great degree of clarity that makes movie watching a real pleasure. Moreover, colour combination is pretty natural thereby giving a realistic feel to the proceedings. Skin colours, in particular, appear very natural. Another, pleasant thing is that the unit makes negligible operating noise, which usually happens to an obstacle on your way to a satisfying experience.

The unit is now available in the market in three colour versions: black, silver and premium silver. The colours are specially designed to fit into every Denon A/V receiver colour available.

The Pioneer BDP-LX71 is one of those rare products that will invariably trap you under its spell. Designed in an enticing glossy black fascia, which is punctuated by a neon blue display and covered in a haze of sophisticated touch-sensitive buttons, the unit is truly a customer’s delight. The impressive design is well complemented by a host of feel good features that make the unit a real frontrunner in its designated category.

The unit’s video connection is supported by HDMI and component video outputs, whereas the audio component is assisted by coaxial and optical digital outputs, together with a set of seven-channel analogue and standard RCA phono outputs.

The unit should also please those who have the habit of playing with settings, as they can now customise the output resolution to their own liking via the accompanying remote. Moreover, the Pioneer BDP-LX71 also gives you the leverage of displaying the audio and video bitrates of discs being played, to add a more personalised feel.

When it comes to spinning CDs there is nothing better than the BDP-LX71, which delivers a power packed performance. It is equally good with two-channel content as it is with multi-channel. The unit’s audio output also appears to be dynamic and dramatic, and replete with natural tone throughout.

A peculiar problem with the unit is that it can’t decode DTS-HD Master Audio onboard, which the company claims will be made available via a future firmware upgrade. This is quite a dampener though, considering the unit costs quite a hefty amount. Then, there is also no Ethernet port on the player, which is understandable since it is a Profile 1.1 player. This limitation effectively means that though you can enjoy Blu-ray’s Bonus View functionality, you can’t expect to take advantage of the interactive BD-Live content found on some discs.

The Panasonic DMP-BD35 is a refined version of the brand’s BD series, and follows immediately after the model DMP-BD30 which was released a few moths earlier. Physically it differs from the latter mainly on the count that it is a few inches shorter. The great thing about the unit is that it is a Profile 2.0 enabled player, and thus has very few chances of becoming outdated in the near future. Then there is also the much sought for BD-Live compatibility, which makes this player a real treat, especially for the followers of this latest fixation. This unique feature means that now you can get access to special features and content that’s available on compatible discs.

The unit also has contemporary features such as an Ethernet socket that can come in handy if you decide to access online content, apart from being a tool for downloading any future firmware updates. Coming to compatibility, the Panasonic DMP-BD35 can output a reasonable 1080p/24fps Blu-ray signal, apart from being compatible with DVDs that have been formatted in 24fps too.

The unit on the downside, however, doesn’t have the 5.1 multichannel analogue output feature. This is rather sad, especially considering that the unit is quite a gem when it comes to decoding the latest HD audio formats. The output option could have made it a real killer Hi-Fi player. A golden opportunity missed!

The Samsung BD-P1500 Blu-ray Player is a successful follow up to the company’s highly popular BD series, including the BD-P1400 in particular. This latest edition adds a few more interesting features but keeps the price predictably low. The unit’s most spectacular feat is that it is a Profile 1.1 player, unlike the BD-P1400 which was a profile 1.0, and hence is capable of playing BonusView material found on an increasing number of Blu-ray discs these days. You will be even more impressed when you come to know that it’s ‘BD Live ready’, which effectively means that you can upgrade it to 2.0 by downloading the relevant firmware update from the Samsung website, which in all probability will be launched soon.

The difference in design between the BD-P1500 and the BD-P1400 is quite marked when one discovers that the curved fascia, signature style of the latter, is replaced by a more stylish flat front panel and a slimmer chassis. The gorgeous gloss-black finish, however, retains its place of pride, and the buttons are also kept to a bare minimum, making the device eye candy.

What you will find rather strange, on this otherwise versatile unit, is its inability to play DivX, MP3, WMA or JPEG files and to an extent the lack of a DTS HD Master Audio decoding feature. The Samsung BD-P1500’s lackof these up-scale features definitely cuts a sorry figure and put to rest the possibility of the unit from becoming a true flag bearer.