Which? report - Blu-ray players

High-definition Blu-ray DVD players boast pictures that, providing you are watching a high-definition disc, are far superior to standard DVDs.

There were two rival high definition DVD formats: Blu-ray, backed primarily by Sony, and HD-DVD, supported by Toshiba among others. But now that Toshiba has decided to withdraw from the battle and stop producing high-definition disc players, Blu-ray has won the day.

You can access our Best Buy blu-ray DVD player reviews - and hundreds more - with a 1 month trial ofWhich? for just £1.

HDMI socket

This is a high-definition video socket that connects your Blu-ray player to a suitable HDTV. Many manufacturers claim the HDMI connection will enhance standard DVD pictures when connected to a HDTV. However, we've rarely witnessed many picture quality improvements, when compared to a standard Scart RGB connection.

DVD discs

Blu-ray players are primarily designed to work with high-definition Blu-ray discs. They will not work with the now defunct HD-DVD format, unless the machine is a specifically designed dual player like the LG BH100.

But Blu-ray DVD players will also playback standard DVDs - so there's no need to throw out your old collection just yet.

However, not all DVD discs are the same. There are several different recording formats - DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW and DVD Ram - each with slightly different features and capabilities. All Blu-ray machines will play pre-recorded DVDs, either those you rent or buy.

Other types of discs

Most Blu-ray players can also play standard CDs. Some can also play newer types of audio disc (DVD-Audio and SA-CD) which claim to offer better sound quality.

Some Blu-ray models can also play discs containing MP3 files, or those containing Jpeg picture files, so you can show your holiday snaps on your TV screen, for example. DivX is a format commonly used when copying video footage from a computer onto a disc.

However, our tests reveal that Blu-ray players tend not to be as versatile as some of their standard counterparts and it's not unusual to find models that can't play back one or more of these formats.

Surround sound

All Blu-ray players can be connected to external surround sound decoders (such as Dolby Digital 5.1), amplifiers and speakers so you can experience 'cinema-like' surround sound.

Virtually all DVDs have the surround sound tracks on them. If you intend to use the Blu-ray player with a surround sound system, you'll need one with a digital output that's compatible with the surround sound amplifier. There are two types of output, coaxial (wire) and optical (fibre optic) so make sure you get the correct type.

So which is the best blu-ray DVD player for you? We've subjected a range of Blu-ray DVD players to a battery of tests to found out if there really is a noticeable difference in the picture and sound quality. Find out which ones earned Best Buy status with a 1 month trial of Which? for just £1.

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