Dick De Jong
November 20, 2009
HDTV Solutions

I just posted our first Blu-ray Player Buying Guide and I wanted to follow up on a couple of Blu-ray related posts. As I mentioned, Blu-ray player prices are beginning to approach the no-excuse level. With brand name players on sale for around $100 this holiday season, the next wall to dismantle is the cost of the Blu-ray discs themselves.

With Walmart slashing price tags below $20 on even new releases like the 3 Disc Blu-ray Star Trek package, I think the days of $25 street prices for Blu-ray DVDs is over. At least, they should be. I sincerely believe that the whole Blu-ray industry would be better off at a $15 high end.

As much as I liked District 9, does it really need to list at $39.95 and sell at $18.86. At $14 or $15 for this intriguing Blu-ray, I believe more people would discover it. The movie would make a great stocking stuffer.

For their part, Warner Brothers is stimulating the move from SD DVDs to Blu-rays with their exchange program. If you own one of the qualifying DVDs in their movie library, you can go online, DVD2Blu, and register to mail in your old DVD and receive back a brand spanking new Blu-ray of the movie.

Of course, Warners is not so magnanimous as to offer this for free. To Blu-up to a movie like A Clockwork Orange costs $7.95. And you will need to give up your original DVD. Also, the list of qualifying titles is not long, only 55 at this time. But it's a start.

Speaking of Black Friday deals on Blu-ray players, VIZIO released a notice of their products that will be featured on the cha-ching day for retailers.

Amongst the TVs on the promo list is VIZIO's first foray into Blu-ray players, the VBR110. It will be on sale (with free HDMI cable) for $99.99 at Costco and online at Costco.com from 11/27/09 to 11/29/09, while supplies last.

I haven't received a review unit yet, but I see that it is a Profile 2.0 player with a USB port. At that price, it's definitely worth taking home and trying out.

Also on VIZIO's list is the VSB210WS Sound Bar with Wireless Subwoofer that I did review and liked. This unit is also available at Costco for $199.99 from 11/27/09 to 11/29/09, while supplies last.

The rest of the VIZIO's specials are available at these various outlets, while supplies last:

The VA26LHDTV10T, 26" HD LCD TV, $248 at Walmart from 11/21/09 to 11/27/09.

The VO320E, 32" HD LCD TV, $339.99 at Sam's Club, Samsclub.com, Costco, and Costco.com available now through 11/29/09.

The VL320M, 32" Full HD 1080P LCD TV, $399.99 at Costco starting 11/27/09 to 11/29/09.

VO400E, 40" Full HD 1080P LCD TV, $599.99 at Costco from 12/3/09 to 12/20/09.

VF550M, 55" Full HD 1080P 120Hz LCD TV, $1199.99 at Costco and Costco.com from 11/27/09 to 11/29/09.

I realize that there are hordes of more deals coming up. Perhaps the most exciting ones are the plasma TVs from a variety of manufacturers at what I consider some incredibly low prices. I'm still a big fan of plasma technology. I suggest that you give these sales serious consideration, even if the TVs are 720p models.

For example, I see reported that Best Buy is busting the doors with the Samsung 42" 720p Plasma PN42B400P3DXZA) for $547.99 and the Samsung 50" 1080p Plasma (PN50B530S2F) for $897.99.

In a press release, Samsung also reported that from Nov. 22 until Nov. 30 these HDTV models will be on sale:

The Samsung 1080p 46-inch LN46B500 46-inch LCD for $849, the 1080p 40-inch LN40B500 LCD for $599, the 720p 22-inch LN22B350 LCD for $249, and the 720p 50-inch PN50B400 plasma for $699.

On Black Friday weekend, Samsung will also offer deals on Blu-ray players and home-theater systems.

Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.

I'm working on an update to our HDTV Buying Guide.

Stayed tuned.