Budget shopping tips: Blu-ray players Budget Blu-ray players are generally older, Profile 1.1 players.Blu-ray started out as a pricey, enthusiasts-only niche format, but prices have fallen enough that even mainstream home theater fans can enjoy HD movies at home. If you're on a tight budget but still want to go Blu, here are some tips to keep the costs down. Profile 1.1 players for dirt cheapIf you're looking to spend less than S$400 (US$294.50) on a Blu-ray player, you'll probably have to settle for a Profile 1.1 unit. You'll be giving up the ability to watch Internet-enabled BD-Live content available on some Blu-ray movies, but that's not a huge loss considering we haven't seen much impressive BD-Live content. The bigger drawback is that these players tend to be slow and aren't great with disc compatibility, but it's the only reliable way of scoring a relatively cheap standalone Blu-ray player.Ditch the 7.1 analog outputsIf you've an HDMI-capable receiver, stick with the cheaper players that lack 7.1 analog outputs. Manufacturers often try to make it seem like the analog outputs offer a superior audio performance, but in our experience that's just not the case. Of course, if you have an older A/V receiver that doesn't support HDMI, you might actually save money by purchasing a player with 7.1 analog outputs. Spending an extra S$200 (US$147.25) on a Blu-ray player is less expensive than buying a new S$800 (US$589) AV receiver.Don't buy a boutique HDMI cableDespite the marketing hype, all HDMI cables are essentially identical--you're not going to get better performance from an S$150 (US$110.44) cable than you would from a S$50 (US$36.81) version. That's why it always makes more sense to buy cheaper HDMI cables widely available in stores.The PS3 is still a great valueThe PS3 is the most expensive gaming console, but it's really a home theater bargain if you use it to its full potential. For S$629 (US$463.10), you get an excellent Blu-ray player, a fully capable media streamer, and a high-def gaming system. There's no other way to get that combination of features and performance from separate components.The original story first appeared in CNET.comTags: Player, disc, cable, home theater, console
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