Home Cinema Buyer Blog

Posted at 2nd March 2010

Should you buy the Sony BDP-S360 or BDP-S363 Blu-ray Player?

Manufacturers often like to confuse us with model numbers and names, and finding out the difference between the models is often difficult. The new Sony BDP-S363 Blu-ray player is especially tricky though as even to the keenest eye, it is impossible to tell it apart from the Sony BDP-S360. Until you see the remote controls that is.

The Sony BDP-S363 has a pleasant amber backlit remote control whereas the Sony BDP-S360 doesn’t. Apart from this difference, they are the same in every other way – the looks, the internals, everything..

So, which one should you buy? Well, assuming that you want the backlit remote, the S363 is the obvious choice and is the one we’d choose. Of course you need to consider if the price difference is worthwhile – and as of today there is a £10 premium to pay for the S363. Of course prices change all the time, and you’d be wise to keep an eye on the pricing tables on each of the review pages on this site (Links: Sony BDP-S363 Sony BDP-S360). But, unless the price difference widens alot, we think £10 is a premium worth paying for the backlit remote control.

Posted at 1st March 2010

Sony DAV-DZ280 Home Cinema System Under £150

When the whole world is going Blu-ray and high definition, it is easy to forget just how good DVD actually is, and if you want or need a top brand DVD based home cinema system for under £150, the Sony DAV-DZ280 could just be it.

With it’s gloss black finish and sharp edges, the DAV-DZ280 is a futuristic looking system, but there is absolutely no mistaking it as a Sony. It still has that air of quality that you get with all their systems. It also has neat little features like an iPod dock, 1080p upscaling and Auto calibration, but it is probably the 850w power that most stands out as this models defining feature.

You can read the review and check the latest prices, including details of where to find the fantastic £149.99 offer on the Sony DAV-DZ280 page, but don’t delay, this offer price ends this week!

Posted at 8th February 2010

LG BD360 Blu-ray Player at 1stAudioVisual

The new LG BD360 Blu-ray player is currently available for a fantastic price at 1stAudioVisual.

With slightly more rounded and more modern looks than the BD370 the BD360 is a better looking player that is bristling with up to the minute technology and features to help you get the very best from high definition Blu-ray movies. Plug in a USB drive with some of your favourite downloaded HD MKV movies and the BD360 will happily player them, and if you ever get stuck for things to watch, you can also view YouTube videos. Simply connect to the internet and you will be able to choose from the 2.5 million movies now available on the video sharing website.

The LG BD360 is currently on special offer at 1stAudioVisual for only £116.33, with its normal price being around £137.

Posted at 21st January 2010

Free Blu-ray and DVD rental with Toshiba and LoveFilm

Toshiba have got a rather good offer on at the moment, that will help you get the most out of your shiny new DVD or Blu-ray player.

Buy the new impressive and great value upscaling DVD player, the Toshiba XD-E600 and you can enjoy six months FREE DVD movie rentals from LoveFilm. However, if you want to get the very best from your high definition television you may be tempted by the Toshiba BDX2000 Blu-ray player where you will receive twelve months free Blu-ray rentals instead.

We reckon this deal is worth about £48 over the year and makes the overall cost of the Blu-ray player very reasonable indeed, especially if the prices continue to fall. It also means that if you are new to Blu-ray, you can watch all the latest high definition movies, without having to shell out a vast amount on buying the discs.

LoveFilm have a vast library of films for you to choose from and there are always plenty of copies of even the latest discs so you should never have to wait too long to watch the most recent movies.

The offer runs from the 1st December 2009 to the 31st July 2010 and full details are available at the official Toshiba Lovefilm website.

Posted at 18th January 2010

Toshiba BDX2000 Blu-ray Player Now £129.99

When we first looked at the Toshiba BDX2000 we were a little underwhelmed. With its fantastic looks backed up by positive reviews from owners, the BDX2000 looked like it had everything. However, it was up against some very stiff competition in the name of the Sony BDP-S360 and Panasonic DMP-BD60, and when the retail price of £199.99 was announced it was clear that the Toshiba was going to have trouble even getting mentioned in the same breath let alone competing with these two established and well respected Blu-ray players. So what promised to be a great selling player has had a somewhat lukewarm reception.

When you also consider that the BDX2000 saw massive price cuts in the US in late November, the UK RRP made it look even worse value to us and was one of the reasons why here at Home Cinema Buyer we recomended waiting for a price reduction. Thankfully that day has now come because as of today, the Toshiba BDX2000 is available for £129.99 at Comet. Whilst it is currently only one retailer, we will hopefully see more online stores follow suit in the next few weeks and make this a genuine contender in the Blu-ray player market.

Compare Toshiba BDX2000 prices »

Posted at 7th January 2010

Best Blu-ray Player for under £100

Even just a year ago it was inconceivable to think of a buying a branded Blu-ray player for under £100. But in 2010, if you shop around, you can!

There are two players inparticular we’ve been keeping an eye on over the last few months – and not just because they are two of the best looking players on the market – but their prices tumbled over 33% since October 2009. And as well as being good looking and great value, they are also fine performers too.

Firstly, the Philips BDP3000 is a very sleek looking player that has received many plaudits for its quality Blu-ray playback. It ticks almost every box on the features front, and whilst the players at this end of the market do not have built in wireless, at under £100 is does everything else you resally need it to, including being the latest Blu-ray profile.
Compare Philips BDP3000 prices »

The Second player is the Sony BDP-S360 which is tremendous value for a Sony Blu-ray player. Whilst not quite as sleek as the Philips, the BDP-S360 still manages to look good, and performs very well, and all for an amazing price. Whilst not quite as widely available at under £100, if you use our review page you should find somewhere selling for under the magic £100 mark.
Compare Sony BDP-S360 prices »

If you new to Blu-ray, remember that they do play DVD discs as well so if you are looking to replace a DVD player then it makes sense to buy a Blu-ray player now especially as the price difference between Blu-ray and DVD players has reduced so much.

As for 2010, we hope Blu-ray player prices will continue to fall as more and more people buy into the format, and the prices of Blu-ray movies get cheaper too. But, there is never a better time to buy than now – the sooner you buy a Blu-ray player, the sooner you can enjoy all that glorious high definition!

Posted at 30th December 2009

Order your Home Cinema before the VAT Increase!

If you are in the market for a home cinema system or Blu-ray player, then now is a good time to buy.

With VAT being returned to its previous value of 17.5% on the 1st January 2010, some more expensive goods could see a good few quid being added to their price tags. For example the current price of £299.99 of the Sony BDV-E300 could increase to £306.51 and the Panasonic SC-BT200 could increase to £408.70.

Whilst some retailers will be holding their prices, our advice is to buy now, and use the money you save on a couple of new movies!

Posted at 14th December 2009

Sony BDP-S360 Blu-ray Player Deals

The Sony BDP-S360 is definitely one of the favourite Blu-ray players around at the moment, and with its smart looks and brand credentials it’s not hard to see why.

But even so, retailers are still offering some fantastic deals in the run up to Christmas. We’ve seen online prices for this player tumble from their starting points of around £160 in August, right down to their current best price of £119 at John Lewis at the moment.

If you are in the market for a Blu-ray player right now, whether it is your first, an additional player for another room, or as a gift for someone this Christmas, the Sony BDP-S360 makes a fine and good quality choice, and with prices this good, it won’t break the bank either.

For more information on the Sony BDP-S360 and to compare the best prices currently available read our review »

Posted at 30th November 2009

Panasonic SC-BT200 or Panasonic SC-BT205 Blu-ray Home Cinema System?

Blu-ray home cinema systems are proving to be extremely popular at the moment, and likely to stay that way for some considerable time. Whilst many people still want a DVD based system, those who want to take advantage of the latest high definition format are looking at Blu-ray home cinema system to give them the latest and greatest sound and picture quality.

One of the most popular systems around at the moment, the Panasonic SC-BT200 is a 5.1 based system and at around £400 is very good value for a high definition system. The neat main unit and compact speakers make a very good looking and neat system. However, many people might find the smaller speakers a little harder to position in their rooms, and may have to purchase additional stands to ensure the speakers perform at their best. In that case, the next model in the range, the Panasonic SC-BT205 could be of interest. Functionally identical, the only difference is that the BT205 comes with tallboy speakers rather than the smaller compact units of the BT200. This means that the speakers will be much easier to position in your room without having to purchase additional stands. The BT205 is more expensive at around £500 but when you consider that speaker stands could cost up to £100 then it starts to looks quite good value.

Either of the two systems make a very good purchase, and with the speed these systems are flying off the shelves it will be best to start enjoying them as soon as possible! Read more and compare prices on the Panasonic SC-BT205 and Panasonic SC-BT200.

Posted at 17th November 2009

7 Free Blu-ray films when you purchase a Panasonic Blu-ray product

With their fantastic performance, great looks, and dependable quality, there are plenty of reasons to buy one of Panasonics Blu-ray products this year. But now there are even more reasons – seven free Blu-ray films!

Unlike many of these types of promotions, the discs available with this Panasonic offer with the are actually very decent indeed and there is a good selection of films to suit a variety of audiences. The films included with the offer are X-Men Origins Wolverine, Night At The Museum, Ice Age 3, Australia and the X-Men Trilogy, with the final film being counted as three. They are all common in that they all make the absolute best use of high definition Blu-ray from the sweeping barren landscapes of Australia to the crystal clear sharpness of the latest CGI Ice Age film.

To claim the movies you need to buy your Blu-ray player or home cinema system from an authorised Panasonic dealer (we are careful on this site to only include links to retailers who are authorised retailers) and you need to complete a claim form. The offer ends on the 2nd of January and all claim forms must be received by the 28th February 2010. BUT, Panasonic inform us that this offer is only available whilst stocks last, and with their Blu-ray players likely to be a very big hit this Christmas you’d be well advised to buy as soon as you can.

The offer is available on selected Panasonic Blu-ray products only and is restricted to the DMP-BD60 and DMP-BD80 Blu-ray players, the DMR-BS750 and DMP-BS850 Freesat HD Blu-ray recorders with hard drive and the SC-BT200, SC-BT205 and SC-BTX70 Blu-ray home cinema systems.

This is a fantastic offer and if you were planning on going Blu-ray this Christmas then this offer will certainly get your collection kick started, but don’t hang around, it is only available whilst stocks last!

STOP PRESS!
Panasonic have closed the offer now. This was on the 18th December which was over two weeks early, so demand was obviously greater than they expected. I hope you didn’t miss out!