Remember the VHS and Betamax battle of the 80’s? Many had different claims on which one was better, and the dispute lasted for a while. Another video format war again resurfaced in the form of the Blu-ray and the HD DVD and although both provided high definition video quality, the melee didn’t last long and Blu-ray emerged victorious. And with HD DVD conceding, manufacturers have finally decided to enter the Blu-ray market and create their own player, lowering the prices almost immediately. Now, you don’t need to break the bank just to be able to watch HD Blu-ray videos, thanks to affordable Blu-ray players like the Phillips BDP3000.

Philips did not join the Blu-ray bandwagon early on. The company maybe wasn’t sure at first which format would emerge, and with Blu-ray coming out victorious, Philips then launched their own line of Blu-ray players coming out with three models jammed with features. At the top of the heap is the high end model BDP9100, next is the BDP7300 at mid level, and lastly, the entry level Phillips BDP3000.

As the youngest of the bunch, the Phillips BDP3000 received a lower price tag, but it did sacrifice a good number of features to be able to cut down its purchase cost. Looking at the design of the BDP3000, you wouldn’t think that it’s an entry level unit. It looks very sophisticated with its glossy black finish, curved edge corners, flat front panel, and the minimalist front panel which presents a display window, four control buttons, and the drive. The one difference the Phillips, with its one level higher kin is a USB port in the front as well.

Turning the Phillips BDP3000 to its back, you will find the rear connections, in an adequate number. Because it was built and designed for the utmost viewing pleasure, it most certainly have an HDMI output to reach the optimal levels of high definition audio and video quality for delivery to your receiver or TV, providing an exceptional 1080/24p output.

Other connections include an Ethernet port for internet connection and BD live downloads. Another casualty resulting from the price downgrade is the lack of Wi-Fi capability. Besides, the Phillips BDP3000 doesn’t have sufficient memory for downloads and a USB flash drive is required for file saving, which a port is found at the back as well. Another letdown of the BDP3000 is its inability to fully optimize its USB port by allowing it to play digital files stored inside. So any files you download using the unit, saved into the USB flash drive, should still be burned to a CD, DVD, or BD. Other connections found at the rear are composite, component, coaxial digital and analogue stereo outputs.

Other features that suffered from the price slashes is in the inability of the BDP3000 to decode DTS HD Master Audio and deliver them as PCM using the HDMI output, but this can be done with 7.1 channel Dolby TrueHD soundtracks. Then again, your receiver can still accept transfer of bitstream from the former.

Digesting all of these facts, the Phillips BDP3000 is definitely a great buy, especially if you can live with the lack of some of the features found in the upper crust models. For its price, it’s already a great addition to a home entertainment system that will be able to give you a memorable cinematic experience.