Memorex intros $269 MVBD-2510 Blu-ray player

Right, so we're pretty stoked about having one more option in the sub-$300 Blu-ray deck club, but the lack of Profile 2.0 (which is only the latest, most up-to-date Profile, you know) is a real bummer. That aside, the BonusView-enabled MVBD-2510 doesn't seem like a half bad attempt from Memorex. It features audio decoding for Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus, and DTS-HD High Resolution along with Master Audio bitstream output. You'll also find 5.1 analog audio outputs, a white LED display and a few brushed metal accents to jazz it up externally. Look for it this November beside a whole host of new Memorex cleaning supplies.

[Kiwi616 @ Sep 18th 2008 8:51AM]

Profile 2.0 for under $200 PLEASE.....NOW

[Erwos @ Sep 18th 2008 9:16AM]

What the poster never mentions is how useless profile 2.0 features have been so far. I'm sure, one day, the studios will figure out how to use it in some non-sucky fashion, but if that's the only problem with this player, it's not much of one. And, frankly, by the time they get get profile 2.0 figured out, the BR-D players will be cheap enough for you to just buy a new one.

The lack of DTS-HD MA decode is more annoying, but it's also not the end of the world.

[konshuss @ Sep 18th 2008 10:08AM]

overall this is a needed move to demonstrate blu ray can come down in price to something reasonable, even if it's not the best player with the latest profile. i'm sure it still produces a fantastic picture, so kudos to memorex for setting a precedent.

is it real or is it memorex? no wait, i'm tape, memorex is real...

[arkweld @ Sep 18th 2008 10:27AM]

Yep, the Profile 2 network features are a slow waste of time.

MoLog? No thanks.

I don't want to spend 30 minutes to type in "I like this scene, it's cool", have a small picture of a ferret run across the screen and then share it with 10 other people or see what equally pointless stuff they've been doing.

[andyg8180 @ Sep 18th 2008 9:01AM]

BD-Live is pretty gay anyways... I havnt seen any good BD-Live at all except where they show you online DVD previews (which i can get online anytime i want).... So long as it has Dolby TrueHD and the other sound options, who gives a crap?? Sub $300 player is a GOOD thing BDA... a GOOD THING!!

[tiremfej @ Sep 18th 2008 9:03AM]

I may just have to pick up a Blu-Ray player this X-Mas then. I wonder if Sony is going to allow a cheaper alternative than the PS3 to hit the market. So far it's been Sony's gain due to the PS3 the standalones from other companies aren't getting any love. We will see I suppose...

[zargon @ Sep 18th 2008 9:17AM]

Check the refurbed market, I was able to get a Samsung 1400 for $170. I refused to pay more than $200 for a player that wasn't even finished and I will not buy crap brands like Insignia or Memorex.

I figure it is good enough to tie me over until high end Blu-ray players actually get to the point where they are worth paying their premium price, that or until Panasonic gets all their kinks worked out, the 50 did a better job, but not good enough... I have hopes for the 35 and 55.

[jamal.h.khan @ Sep 18th 2008 9:20AM]

The Costco's near me have a Samsung Blu-Ray Player for $279.99 after $100 _Instant_ Rebate. I'd rather get a Samsung compared to some of these cheapies...

[dj496 @ Sep 18th 2008 9:33AM]

Who cares about BD-live? If the BDA are not even promising to lower general prices in the time frame we want, I wouldn't count on having our "perfect-2.0-blu-ray-player-under-$200" orgy so soon.

For a good enough player now, this one is ALMOST there. IMO it still needs DTS-MA decoding. Who knows...do Memorex know what firmware is?

[SteveJ @ Sep 18th 2008 9:40AM]

What's interesting is that in spite of "winning" the HD disc battle, Sony's PS3, even though being one of the best, perhaps the best, and one of the cheapest BD players, it's still stinking up the sales charts. HD DVD is dead, but BD isn't really looking that much better off.

[Joseph Moore @ Sep 18th 2008 9:44AM]

I agree with the BD-Live comments, and raise you with, who really cares about audio processing within a cheapo player ... better left to a receiver.

For sub-$200 all I need it to do if pass a digital signal unmolested to the display and receiver.

[Neeko @ Sep 18th 2008 9:47AM]

I thought lake of 2.0 on some players means certain movies WONT play?That spiderman and Pirates were having issues on some players. Correct me if im wrong..NICELY dont be a douche.

[chefgon_ign @ Sep 18th 2008 9:56AM]

There will always be unexpected compatibility problems, but if Blu-ray spec is followed then it shouldn't be caused by lack of profile 2.0. Profile 1.1 should be able to play the main movie on every Blu-ray disc that will ever be released.

[chefgon_ign @ Sep 18th 2008 9:58AM]

Paying extra for BD-Live is like flushing your money down the toilet. If leaving it out can result in a cheaper player, then by all means leave it out. I find it highly unlikely that anybody is going to discover a brilliant use for it any time soon.

[NoAndThen @ Sep 18th 2008 10:18AM]

I really could give a shit about profile 2.0

It supports dts-hd and MA bitstream, so unless this thing doesn't output 1080p, I have no reason not to buy this over a ps3 if all I want is a BD player.

I feel like people use the 'No Profile 2.0!!' as just a bitter way to pout about HD-DVD.
I've never even watched extra features on any movie, ever. Except maybe a few deleted scenes, which you sure as hell don't need profile 2.0 for.

Maybe an xmas gift for my brother?

[Iridium @ Sep 18th 2008 11:06AM]

Spiderman and Pirates play fine. Nobody even needs a BD 2.0 player, the only reason why the spec was added was because of the function added to HD-DVD. Since HD-DVD is dead the BD manufacturers aren't in a hurry to add 2.0 since only 2% of people would ever use the BD 2.0 features. How many people are going to plug an ethernet cable into their movie player, really.

What I find impressive is that this player has 5.1 analog output for that price. All in all it really isn't a bad player.

[Nick @ Sep 18th 2008 11:39AM]

Something like this is perfect for your average user who's on the fence about Blu-Ray. It doesn't have all the high-end bells and whistles (Profile 2.0), but it's got the necessities (TrueHD decoding, etc).

The only major complaint is the lack of MA decoding, but, then again, look at how many cheaper dvd players, HTIBs, and receivers could never decode regular DTS. The newest DTS codec has, and likely will be for the foreseeable future, a premium feature.

By losing DTS MA decoding and Profile 2.0 stuff, this becomes a decent budget player to get more people to make the plunge into Blu. Honestly, most people didn't pick the PS3 as a Blu-Ray player because it was Profile 2.0 upgradeable, but because, for the longest time, it was the CHEAPEST Blu-Ray player. There are plenty of people, like my mom and grandparents, who would gladly upgrade if Blu weren't so expensive. They've seen a few of my Blu-Rays and were completely wowed, they just can't justify spending $400+ on a player.

[Robert K. @ Sep 18th 2008 12:49PM]

Memorex DVD players are junk, so I wouldn't touch this one with a ten foot pole. I bought my parents a Memorex DVD recorder for Christmas, and they didn't end up setting it up until about March. Then they used it about a half dozen times, and then it crapped out. Of course this was JUST BARELY outside the 90 day warranty, and Memorex basically told us we were out of luck. So both their customer service and their electronic products stink. Their blank media is OK though.

[italiansm0ke @ Sep 18th 2008 1:15PM]

I'm going to wait until Christmas to even consider the purchase of a home theatre system in Blu-Rays direction. My library is all HD-DVD, and will probably stay that way for atleast another 4-12 months. Blu-Ray has a lot of different battle fronts they need to address(expensive as shit movies, expensive & mediocre monopolistic type players).

I think I'm just going to be buying a Playstation 3, so I can have it kept up to date with the PSN. I don't know of any blu-ray player that has the ability to connect to a network and download updates & profiles. So, to me, that is in an of itself pretty nifty especially in prolonging the player and format for a couple years.

I can live with watching HD-DVD for the time being(my wallet will appreciate it too), but there is no doubt that Blu-Ray is an incredible format, not to mention picture quality is pretty snazzy.

[HDGuy @ Nov 18th 2008 4:38PM]

It's going to be kinda hard watching "the Dark Knight" on HD-DVD, won't it?

C'mon, break down and do what the rest of us early adopters did and get a BD player, if not a PS3.

[britboyj @ Sep 18th 2008 3:47PM]

Does anyone else REALLY think this looks EXACTLY like the Sony?