<p>Has anyone purchased a new blu ray player lately? I am in the market for one… under $100. It doesn’t have to be internet capable because I have a Roku box and much prefer the user interface on it.</p>
<p>I currently have two - a first generation Sony and a wired internet Sony that is about 2 or 3 years old. This would be replacing the first generation Sony which I think is on it’s last legs. I’ve always been a fan of Sony and Toshiba but am open to other companies if the quality and price is right.</p>
<p>Yes, H just replaced the one in his man cave-it’s a Sony that cost $99 at Fry’s. The picture is crystal clear and almost 3D, though it’s just Blue Ray. I’m sorry that I don’t know the model, but it was one that was on sale last week right after Christmas. He loves Sony-his original VCR fro his college days lasted 20 years.</p>
<p>Yeah, the blu ray player i’m looking to replace is really clear. My issue with it is that it’s first gen and it always loaded blu ray movies slow, ever since day one. I guess that’s just how they were. DVD’s are fine. But it really struggles with some of the new blu rays. I’m not sure if there’s just more content on them or what. Some of them will take 15 minutes just to load… or they’ll load to a black screen and never give the menu. I’m not sure if it’s just dying or if the new movies are too advanced for it or what. The same blu rays load right away on my newer player. This one is at least 5 years old and I bought it refurbished in the first place.</p>
<p>I just looked up a review on mine and it says</p>
<p>The bad: Slow load times, particularly unbearable on newer BD Java discs like Pirates of the Caribbean; some minor video performance issues; no Ethernet port for firmware upgrades.</p>
<p>Editors’ Note, October 10, 2008: Since this review was published, Sony has released a firmware update that adds Dolby TrueHD decoding and is said to offer improved BD Java compatibility. CNET did not have the opportunity to re-test this model with the firmware upgrade installed, but we have tested the 2008 version of the player</p>
<p>Maybe I should try to do the firmware update and see if that resolves the issues before I buy a new one. That review was written in 2007 so if it was having issues with some new blu ray discs then it’s no wonder it is having issues with ones from 2012!!</p>
<p>If it helps any, H’s old one was also a Sony and also started to load slow, then one morning it just didn’t work at all. He knew that everyone was having an after-Christmas sale and just went for the knew one. His was also refurbished-we have a Sony outlet not too far away where he got it. This one is completely new. Good luck with whatever you try,</p>
<p>After many years of beating my head against the wall with gorgeous Sony TVs that all died with widespread design flaws to $5 parts after a couple of years, I threw in the towel and have been buy Panasonic stuff. Never as cutting edge, or “designy” as the Sony stuff, Panasonic has a corporate culture of making stuff that doesn’t break. I just picked up their el cheapo [BDT-220</a> Blu Ray](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-DMP-BDT220-Integrated-Blu-ray-Player/dp/B00752R4PK]BDT-220”>http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-DMP-BDT220-Integrated-Blu-ray-Player/dp/B00752R4PK). Works fine. $99. At Amazon or WalMart or BestBuy. It’s 3D (yawn), internet capable, and accepts a thumb drive for playing music (although not, apparently, an ipod).</p>
<p>They make the same thing, a little fancier, with an annoying touch-screen remote for $50 more that I decidedly did NOT want.</p>
<p>We bought LG BD630 Network Blu-ray Disc Player 1 year ago from Amazon, paid $84.47, has worked fine. We have never tried to use the network capability, just play DVDs with it.</p>