Sound advice: Blu-ray player rivals PS3

Q I have a 34-inch HDTV and own more than 600 DVDs. I didn't want to get into Blu-ray just yet because I do not want a PlayStation 3, but unfortunately I need a new DVD player now. How much difference will I see between Blu-ray and upconverted DVDs on my 34-inch set, and on a set 42 inches or bigger when I upgrade next year?

J. LOUIS, MOUNT LEBANON, PA.

A: You won't see much difference on your 34-inch screen, but you will definitely hear the difference if you have a sound system. At 42 inches and up, the difference in picture quality will blow you away.

There have been some recent developments on the Blu-ray front that might make you want to consider diving in now, even with the smaller TV.

For a long time, the $399 PlayStation 3 was the only Blu-ray player worth considering because comparably priced stand-alone players were slow, glitchy, unreliable and not nearly as capable. We are finally seeing stand-alone players that can compare to the PS3.

I recently tested the Philips BDP7200, a new Profile 1.1 (meaning it offers picture in picture, or "Bonus View") player and found it to be well worth recommending.

It does not load discs as quickly as the PS3 does, taking one to two minutes depending on the disc. This is still much faster than older stand-alone players, which often take five minutes. Once the disc is loaded, the BDP7200 responds quickly, and the picture from Blu-ray Discs was impeccable. I tried more than 30 Blu-ray movies representing every studio and did not encounter a problem.

The Philips BDP7200 lists for $399, but is selling for $348 street price. When you take into account the PlayStation 3's $25 Blu-ray remote, the BDP7200 comes in at a meaningful $76 less while possessing the slim, conventional form factor most prefer over a game system.

Another development regards the movie studios. Most have announced that all new releases will be available on both Blu-ray and DVD when launched. If you go with Blu-ray now instead of waiting, you can get movies in the best possible presentation sooner rather than later.

I would not accept a blockbuster such as "Iron Man" any other way, and lots of great old movies such as "Ben-Hur" and "Patton" will be coming to Blu-ray soon. The Blu-ray/DVD price difference for new releases is only about $5 at retail and if you go to Amazon.com, you will save significantly, so the additional cost of the movies isn't a factor if you shop smartly.