Everyone knows that Sony's PS3 is the cheapest way to bring a Blu-ray player home, but is it the best? That's the question the folks at Home Theater Blog and Ultimate AV are trying to answer. Both agree that as a standard DVD player the PS3's image quality is a bit soft, but when it comes to Blu-ray titles the PS3 is no slouch.

Here's what they had to say.


Ultimate AV:

The PS3 more than holds its own in image quality, and wins hands down on boot up and disc access speed.
Home Theater Blog:
It would be hard for me to recommend a PS3 as a primary Blu-ray playback device; to those with zero interest in gaming. On the other hand for those with at least a passing interest in gaming, multimedia and Blu-ray playback, the PS3 does indeed offer an attractive mix of features.
So while it may be difficult to find (depending on where you live), the PS3 is your best bet as far as "bargain" BD players go. – Louis Ramirez

PlayStation 3 Blu-ray Disc Player [Ultimate AV]
Sony PlayStation 3 (BD Playback) [Home Theater Blog]