For the longest time, buying a PS3 was the cheapest way to get a Blu-Ray disc player. $600 for the movie-playing game console vs. $1000 for a standalone player. The PS3 also compared favorably in terms of startup time, disc load time, etc. Now that standalone players have dropped below $300, does the PS3 still make sense as an alternative?
… Sony finally gets to play its trump card: the PlayStation 3, which has clearly emerged as one of the best Blu-ray players on the market—and is likely to remain so for some time. Why? Because the first player now becomes the most versatile, sporting a future-proof Blu-ray setup.
HD DVD players have included networking as standard since the beginning, but Blu-ray has not, and the evolving standard may become a large problem for early adopters. The 2.0 profile actually changes the minimum requirements for full compatibility. In other words, there is only one player currently on the market that will be 2.0 compatible: the PlayStation 3, which, with its upgradeable hard drive, Ethernet port, and powerful graphics capabilities, will be able to adapt to any and all future updates. This is quite the slap in the face to consumers who paid several hundred dollars for players that won’t able to be updated to take advantage of the 1.1 profile, much less the upcoming 2.0.
Go to SonyStyle, add a PS3 to your cart, and start to go through the checkout process.
On the payment page, check for the rebate offer for SonyStyle purchases using a Sony card (new card members only). I think it’s currently $100 off a $300 purchase. If it’s there, sign up for the card. If not, mull over your decision until after the holidays.
Complete checkout and find the rebate on your first statement from the Sony card.
A few weeks ago the rebate was $150, so you might want to play the waiting game to see if Sony brings it back. Enjoy!