New Trends in Blu-Ray Disc Players

Each year, the CES in Las Vegas, NE is THE event for the optical disc drive makers to launch their innovations, essentially this time for Blu-ray disc players as th media is not evolving.

According to The Digital Entertainment Group, sales of Blu-ray movies rose 20% last year over 2010 in USA and total Blu-ray penetration in 2011 jumped 38% with global household penetration of all Blu-ray compatible devices now at nearly 40 million U.S. homes.

All the manufacturers of BD readers are based in Japan and most of them announced new products: Panasonic, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, Toshiba. Apparently nothing new from from JVC, Philips - that subcontracts this activity - and Yamaha. Adds also Korean LG with innovations.

There was dozen of different new models (see today's news) showing the following trends.

The vendors stopped to launch basic low-cost drives just to read the discs and are adding new multi-functional models hoping to convince home users to buy more expansive and sophisticated units and consequently getting higher margins.

The idea is to make Blu-ray drive, connected to TV, the centerpiece of the A/V entertainment and Internet at home.

That's why most of the manufacturers have added Wi-Fi LAN connectivity to their devices, Web browser, remote control equipped with touch pad and keyboard, as well as the possibility to enjoy Internet AV services like Goggle TV, Flixster, Netflix, Pandora, HuluPlus, Amazon Instant Video, YouTube, etc., and social ones like Twitter and Facebook or even Skype.

Another functionality appearing on about all drives is the possibility to read 3D movies. But today there are no more than 65 of them (compared to 20 in 2010), reports The Digital Entertainment Group.

LG was apparently the only one with new Blu-ray recorders in a box also including 1TB HDD an two video TNT tuners, with Lite-On showing its latest 12X BD writers iHBS312 and eHBU312.

Other trends on the most recent read-only optical units:

• Slimmer, some of them approaching one-inch high;
• USB interface for external hard drives for storage and playback, and integration with other media sources such as digital cameras;
• New chips for better performance and quality of images, lower energy consumption, and faster boot time (less than one second);
• Sometimes not only one but two HDMI connectors
• DLNA compatible
• iPhone, iPod, Android dock/connector and apps to transfer the website on mobile device to TV, or send the website displayed on TV to mobile device;
• Wireless speakers that can be setup in any location;
• Portable basic Blu-Ray units with screen

Conclusion:
Are these most sophisticated Blu-ray drives the best devices to centralize and manage A/V entertainment and Internet at home? We don't think so because you generally cannot record - LG added a built-in 250GB HDD on the BD590 -, only by connecting an external writable unit, essentially a HDD. The best solution we know is a set-top box announced last year by French Internet provider Free that includes all you need to connect to Internet through an ADSL or fiber optic line, integrating both a Blu-ray and a 240GB hard disk drive, and with about all the same functionalities being managed with one remote device, eventually a keyboard. This box is even superior to the best multimedia HDDs. The providers of Internet connection are in the best position to offer multifunction boxes included in their monthly rates.

Read also:
Freebox Revolution: Best Set-Top Box in the World
With 250GB HDD and Blu-ray drive, at €36/month, in France only