Link This | Email this | Blog This | Comments (0)

Consumer Reports Can't Decide Either
November 9, 2007

The established magazine for shopping advice, Consumer Reports, is almost agonizingly balanced in its picks for Blu-ray and HD DVD players in its current December issue. Yes, on average, Blu-ray wins better overall marks, securing 87 points, out of a possible 100, in picture quality. HD DVD's average was 81.
There is a real big but, though. 
Consumer Reports manages to pick as its bestest players, one Blu-ray player and one HD DVD player, Pioneer's BDP-94HD and Toshiba's HD-XA2, respectively. And it confuses things further by giving them the exact same 91 score. 
Consumer Reports judged primarily manufacturers' second generation models, including on the BD side, Pioneer's BDP-94HD, Panasonic's DMP-BD10 and Sony's entry level BDP-S300. Sony's first generation BDP-S1 was also evaluated.
Toshiba's higher-end HD-XA2 and HD-A20, plus entry level HD-A2 were included on the HD DVD side. The fact that Toshiba's HD-A2 outputs to 1080i, rather than the more pristine 1080p, likely worked to drag down the HD DVD player average quality score.
The good news is the Consumer Reports argues that no matter which side of the high-def fence consumers fall, they won't get hurt. 
"All the high-definition models we tested provided excellent HD picture quality with high-def discs," the review states.
Also heartening for high-def fans, Consumer Reports top marks for the also evaluated upconverting DVD players max out at 84, with the Harman Kardon DVD 48 model.

Posted by Susanne Ault on November 9, 2007 | Comments (0)