James Delahunty
11 Jan 2009 0:32
Vizio is already known for its low-cost high-definition televisions. Now the company is aiming to get competitive in the market for Blu-ray players. It will begin offering a $199 Blu-ray player in April. The Vizio VBR100 Blu-ray player cannot match up to some of the new Blu-ray players shown off at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas this weekend, but with the low price point, it's features make it very competitive.
The player is Profile 2.0 compatible, provides 7.1 analog audio outputs and has on-board support for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. It also sports optical and coaxial digital audio outputs. Obviously, support for BD Live 2.0 is very unlikely, which can be found in the newer high-priced models.
Blu-ray disc sales have been showing some promise since late 2008, with titles like The Dark Knight turning conservative observations into cautious optimism among analysts. The PlayStation 3 (PS3) console still persists as the biggest selling entertainment device that includes a Blu-ray drive, and still would be a good recommendation for anyone looking for a Blu-ray stand-alone.