Aside from the Samsung, just which Blu-ray players are currently available, and how do they compare to the Samsung?

What Blu-ray players are still forthcoming?

Available:

Samsung
Philips
Panasonic

Soon:

Pioneer
Sharp
Sony

2007:

LG

The best out there right now is the Panasonic. The Samsung and Philips are very similar (both use the same base design). The Pioneer will be the best when it is released this December.

But remember, the Pioneer will also be the most expensive, at around $1500. The Samsung is available at half that price now.

You could also add the PS3, should you ever be able to find one.

Speaking of the Pioneer, is it ever coming out. The latest release date is soon I think, maybe this week or next. Before any player was announced and any disc came out I wanted the Pioneer so I am really interested to see this bad boy. The Pioneer has dropped from 1800 to 1500 and it has not even been released yet, so that price may come down a little.

Last I heard, Pioneer/Sony will be out in December.

Sony's PC Blu-Ray drives are already available.

No one's talking about PC drives.

Since PC drives can playback movies also, and given the scarcity and price of stand-alone players, maybe the OP needs to be aware that PC drives are an available option.

1) stand-alone players are not scarce at all
2) PC drives are even MORE scarce
3) they're just as expensive.

Question: Are any of these players truly going to output in 1080p, or are they all going to go from 1080p -> 1080i -> 1080p like the Samsung?

Are you having a bad day or are you just an argumentative b@stard?

1) Stand-alone players are scarce in the sense that Samsung is still the only make which you can readily pick up at a B&M. I have yet to see the Panasonic & Philips players at BB or CC.

2 & 3) That's not the point. The point is that PC drives are an available option.

Deja Vu DFNYC?

Nope. Not interested in PC drives, only stand-alone players.

Sorry I didn’t specify, but given the context of my questions in my original post, I did not think there was any need to elaborate.

The Pioneer (and possibly the Sony) will output 1080p24 straight off the disc. The Panasonic does the same thing as the Sammy, but has the ability to take 1080p24 off the disc - so that may be upgradeable later.

If we're going to talk PC drives, you can get an HD DVD one for $200

josh2012,

Thanks a bunch.