1	Samsung BD-P1400 £300 Fact: Blu-ray decks are now affordable, and none more so than this budget beauty from Samsung. Not only does it look gorgeous but it also offers 1080p output at 24 frames per second and sports decoders for Dolby True HD, Dolby Digital Plus and DTS HD. Apart from some juddering in the 24fps mode, picture quality is sublime, making this a great entrée into the magical world of hi-def. http://www.samsung.com/uk
2	Toshiba HD-EP35 £250 Warner’s decision to go all Blu-ray has caused panic in the HD DVD camp, but there’s life in the format yet, particularly with players as affordable as this. This great-value deck gets you 1080p hi-def output, HDMI 1.3 output and 7.1-channel audio, plus support for HD DVD’s interactive features and access to online extras. http://www.toshiba.co.uk
3	Pioneer BDP-LX70 £1,000 The long-awaited debut Blu-ray machine from Pioneer is among the first to deliver 1080p picture at 24 frames-per-second, the Holy Grail for any true cinema fan. The results on a compatible screen are astounding, and the deck oozes quality throughout, but though the lack of HDMI 1.3 and support for advanced Blu-ray features is disappointing, particularly at this price. http://www.pioneer.co.uk
4	Sharp BD-HP20H £400 Sharp’s debut Blu-ray player comes with a decent range of features, such as 1080/24p video output via HDMI, 7.1-channel digital audio output and support for Dolby TrueHD, but the real story is the price – at £400 it’s one of the first ‘affordable’ Blu-ray players. The DVD upscaling leaves a lot to be desired, with pictures looking a touch noisy, but sharp hi-def performance is enough to earn a thumbs up. http://www.sharp.co.uk
5	Panasonic DMP-BD10A £900 One of the first Blu-ray players to hit the market, Panasonic's unit has been recently updated to handle Dolby True HD and DTS HD soundtracks and is all the better for it. There's no 24 frames-per-second output or Ethernet socket, but Blu-ray playback is superb and the deck's solid build quality is reassuring. http://www.panasonic.co.uk
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