Blu ray player - where to buy

[andywoowar]

Hi,

Was searching online for blu ray player reviews and the best ones don't seem to be available in Hong Kong. Fortress just seem to stock old models at relatively high prices (compared to amazon.com and amazon.co.uk).

I thought HK was supposed to be cheap for electronics and have the latest models.

Any suggestions on where to shop for the latest models at the best value?

thanks

[Skyhook]

Which model player are you looking for ?

We purchased our LG BD570 a couple of months back, via New Town Plaza in Shatin, level 5, where all the AV stores are located on the one floor. We got ours for a little under $2K, which I am pretty happy with the price, and love the extra benefit of its built in WiFi capability, which acts as a media server to stream movies via other DLNA supported media devices.

For higher end models, lots of independent AV shops are located on the higher floors of Times Square in Causeway Bay ( HK Island ), and Mong Kok ( Kowloon side )via Yau Shing Commercial Building, 51 Sai Yeung Choi Street & Fa Yuen Commercial Building, 75-77 Fa Yuen Street, Mongkok. Prices are generally a little more negotiable in Mong Kok, if you are willing to haggle. When I purchased my HD projector there a couple of years back, my final price for a HK authorised model, was identical to what they were going for, in the USA, so it does pay to negotiate.

[beachball]

Which model player are you looking for ?

We purchased a LG BD570 a couple of months back, via New Town Plaza in Shatin, level 5, where all the AV stores are located on the one floor. We got ours for a little under $2K, which I am pretty happy with, and love the extra benefit of its built in WiFi capability, which acts as a media server to stream movies via other DLNA supported media devices.

Lots of hifi stores on the higher floors of Times Square in Causeway Bay ( HK Island ), and Mong Kok ( Kowloon side )via Yau Shing Commercial 51 Sai Yeung Choi Street & Fa Yuen Commercial Building 75-77 Fa Yuen Street, Mongkok. Prices are generally a little more negotiable in Mong Kok, if you are willing to haggle. When I purchased my HD projector there a couple of years back, my final price for a HK authorised model, was identical what they were going for in the USA, so it does pay to negotiate.

I second the LG BD570 in terms of value - about HKD1,800 at Fortress after discount.

[andywoowar]

thanks for the replies.

The model i was looking at online was the Sony BDPS570B, although sony hk doesn't have it listed, so maybe not released here yet. the cheaper model the Sony BDPS370 was in fortress for HK$2000 which seems a bit high as it's only about 1400 in the UK. The LG BD570 at under HK$2000 is on a par with UK prices, so that seems a much better deal. Will def check it out.

thanks

[beachball]

thanks for the replies.

The model i was looking at online was the Sony BDPS570B, although sony hk doesn't have it listed, so maybe not released here yet. the cheaper model the Sony BDPS370 was in fortress for HK$2000 which seems a bit high as it's only about 1400 in the UK. The LG BD570 at under HK$2000 is on a par with UK prices, so that seems a much better deal. Will def check it out.

thanks

Was also looking at/for the Sony BDPS570B about a month ago but could not easily find it so went with the LG instead, especially since it was only for the guest room.

[Raccon]

I thought HK was supposed to be cheap for electronics and have the latest models.

No and no.

[Flamuel]

Just to throw something in, You could invest in a PS3, you don't even need the latest one and probably could get away with 1,800-2,200. Perks: It does more than a standard Blu-ray player: Internet, music, games. If you really ONLY want to watch blu-ray movies then I would recommend sticking to any standard player

[Skyhook]

Apart from playing PS3 games, what does the PS3 do more than the LG BD570 ? I'd be fairly certain that the audio/PQ side of things, the LG 570 would muller the PS3, and not having to contend with Sony's PITA GUI menu system, was enough to keep me away, and I am a huge Sony fanboi...





If one is not interested in the gaming side, which we weren't, the LG BD 570, is, as a stand alone Blu Ray, wireless DLNA media / internet accessible player, as far as I could gauge, it is unrivalled for its price point. The Sony came close, but the GUI on the BDP-S570 & PS3 are tired and tedious, which is a shame .

[beachball]

Apart from playing PS3 games, what does the PS3 do more than the LG BD570 ? I'd be fairly certain that the audio/PQ side of things, the LG 570 would muller the PS3, and not having to contend with Sony's PITA GUI menu system, was enough to keep me away, and I am a huge Sony fanboi...





If one is not interested in the gaming side, which we weren't, the LG BD 570, is, as a stand alone Blu Ray, wireless DLNA media / internet accessible player, as far as I could gauge, it is unrivalled for its price point. The Sony came close, but the GUI on the BDP-S570 & PS3 are tired and tedious, which is a shame .

Cannot agree with most of that, specifically:

• Also have a PS3 and the audio/video quality is in line with the LG.
• PS3 is a DLNA client as well - as are the Sony dedicated BR players (which, unlike the LG, can play SACDs and come with on-board memory for BR-Live).

The three big disadvantages of the PS3 solution are:

• Atrocious load times and time-to-play, as with many early BR players;
• User interface (as Skyhook mentioned - although the LG is not amazing either, the current Sony models (like the BDP-S570) are much better), and
• PS3 does not play all BR disks (although there are not that many problem disks and they are mostly older releases).

As a pure BR player the LG is clearly superior to the PS3, however when comparing the LG with the BDP-S570 it is a trade-off between a slightly better unit (Sony) vs. availability and price (Sony still difficult to get and 30-50% more expensive).