In the US today, the proportion of households owning a High Definition TV is more than 60%. And another 12% plus intend to acquire one soon. All over the world households are increasingly selecting High Definition Television. To take full advantage of a High Definition Television, a Blu-ray player is a must. The new online craze for a lot of consumers is to watch streaming flicks and television shows. A lot of people believe that the Blu-ray experience is outmoded. However, web streaming cannot compare to the quality you get from watching from a Blu-ray disc.
The Blu-ray players available right now give you the best of two worlds as they offer streaming services and also playing discs. One such Blu-ray player is the current one from Vizio, the VBR200W. It is on the same product line as Vizio’s earlier Blu-ray players, but with extra features. Films can be streamed from Netflix and VUDU, using a wireless connection, because of the added Wi-Fi ability fused with Vizio’s Internet Apps . The front panel of the VBR200W contains the controls, which are touch sensitive, and the player is just 2.4 inches high. The disc tray is centered on the front, and the unit seems really high-tech with its black, silky finish.
The I/O connections are hidden on the rear end of the player. The VBR200W Blu-ray player by Vizio reaches nearly High Definition quality with typical DVDs, while with a Blu-ray disc the video quality is Full HD 1080p. You can utilize one of three choices – Component, HDMI, and composite outputs – to connect the video. Plugging in via the HDMI option allows for top video quality with both regular DVDs and Blu-ray discs.
The sound quality is 7.1 multi channel surround sound by way of HTMI, and also, other connections are analog and Digital Optical/Coaxial outputs. While you do get internal decoding for DTS-Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD, 7.1 analog utputs are not supplied. Streaming of movies, news, TV shows, music, funny videos and other content is achieved by means of the Vizio VBR200W player’s Internet Apps. Twitter, Facebook, Netfix, Pandora Internet Radio, The New York Times, Associated Press,and lots more web services can be accessed. An onboard ethernet port and wireless capability offer two ways to get connected to the internet, which is a requirement for getting streaming content.
On top of an owner’s manual, you get a quick-start guide to help set up the Blu-ray player easily. It’s unfortunate that you won’t have the capability to stream music or video files straight from your computer to the VBR200W. The superb video and audio made by the VIZIO VBR200W Blu-ray Player are but two of the reasons for purchasing one. Through HDMI, playback for video on a Blu-ray disc is Full HD 1080p. DTS-HD and Dolby Digital TrueHD audio signals can both be decoded internally. Wi-Fi capability is integrated, and huge amounts of web streaming content are available – movies (Netflix, VUDU), TV programs, radio, music, news, and more. The drawbacks of the Vizio VBR200W are that it doesn’t come with a Quick Start Mode, and it doesn’t have DLNA capabilities.
For someone in the market for a reasonably priced Blu-ray player, the Vizio VBR200W offers a good mix of features and price. The video and audio quality is outstanding, you get streaming functionality, Wi-Fi integrated to the system, and the VBR200W features a menu that is simple to navigate. The VBR200W should be priced in-store at less than $200.
Keith Geddes