Vizio's VBR100 Blu-ray player is a $188 Wal-mart exclusive next month

We still don't know what it looks like, but during its line show, Vizio let slip that the sub-$200 VBR100 Blu-ray player announced at CES is now scheduled to come to Wal-mart only in July. For $188 (just not that cheap anymore) Wal-mart shoppers can expect a BD-Live ready (with optional 1GB+ USB thumbdrive attached) player, though no details on codec or output support. Don't shop at Wal-mart for philosophical reasons, quality concerns or fear of being trampled during an early Black Friday rush? A similar VBR110 model should follow, coming to other retailers around November/December, just in time to match with that brand new WiFi connected Netflix / Amazon / Twitter etc. widget packing LCD.

[gerrrg @ Jun 25th 2009 6:45AM]

So where are the sub-$100 Blu Ray players?

Consider that, by the end of Fall USB 3.0 will be out, which means external hard drives running connections at megabit speeds, connected to an HTPC running Boxee (either in beta or post-beta), and voila, hundreds of movies available to stream from stored content and online. Well...assuming they strike a deal with Hulu and Netflix.

I think Boxee in devices could end up being the critical GUI which makes digital content easier to access and getting consumers to bypass Blu Ray, assuming someone creates an HTPC and sells it as such.

[Markarian @ Jun 25th 2009 7:30AM]

Yes, but with almost every major residential broadband provider putting caps on bandwidth online movie downloads may not be the Hi-Def free-for-all people think it will be. And they won't stop anytime soon. Comcast's logic is "You silly consumer. Why are you streaming movies when you should be watching TV. Ooh, look what's on On-Demand!"

[Jeff @ Jun 25th 2009 12:44PM]

I guess you don't follow the links in stories: http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/06/19/meijers-brand-new-99-shipped-blu-ray-player-brings-joy-to-sk/

As for Netflix and Hulu, neither offers high definition, nor will they anytime soon. 50GB per movie is still a lot of bandwidth. And with internet access caps becoming more ubiquitous, I would expect people will be watching fewer full-length movies online in the future, not more. Bandwidth caps are eventually going to strangle the online content industry.

[nDy @ Jun 25th 2009 6:48AM]

Sweet, cheap BR player at your door step.

But then you have to trade of style, most of the time.

[Zane @ Jun 25th 2009 6:55AM]

Specs are decent enough but I'd rather stop watching BD entirely than go to that trash place.

[Bill @ Jun 25th 2009 6:56AM]

Still too expensive in a world of $50 region-free, up-converting DVD players (and 720p displays)

Cut the price of players & movies in half and watch adoption soar.

Until then it's another Laserdisc.

[Markarian @ Jun 25th 2009 7:31AM]

Or CED!

[Andrew Fujimura @ Jun 25th 2009 6:57AM]

I remember when HD DVD players cost this much...... 2 years ago!

[Matt @ Jun 25th 2009 9:04AM]

Except these ones are sold for a profit, and not under cost! : )

[calchatrent @ Jun 25th 2009 8:35AM]

Markarian says:
Comcast's logic is "You silly consumer. Why are you streaming movies when you should be watching TV. Ooh, look what's on On-Demand!"

I would have agreed with you on that one maybe two months ago but, Comcast is starting to roll out 100Mbps Internet packages for $99.95 in some areas.
Seems everyone wants to be there when Verizon lays the hammer down later this year.

[Iridium @ Jun 25th 2009 12:35PM]

Wait, you are cheering paying $100 a month for internet? Are you out of your mind.

25Mbps internet should be $20 a month. Broadband is more expensive now than 8 years ago. I thought all of these new users were going to drive the price down.

[FThorn @ Jun 25th 2009 8:48AM]

My WalMart had some Samsung Blu Ray player for $198 a month or so ago

http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/3425/photo050209002.jpg

(How does one add photo to post?)

[FThorn @ Jun 25th 2009 8:49AM]

http://img329.imageshack.us/img329/8136/photo050209001.jpg

[Matthew @ Jun 25th 2009 9:32AM]

How about the $99 one at Meijer? Available now, too!
http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/19/meijers-brand-new-99-shipped-blu-ray-player-brings-joy-to-sk/
No BD-Live...but lots cheaper!

[Jay @ Jun 25th 2009 9:39AM]

Blu-ray player prices are dropping...that is a very good sign for the new format

[Jay @ Jun 25th 2009 9:40AM]

Well I have a PS3

[Malice @ Jun 25th 2009 10:57AM]

YAY!! Home theater for the white-trash!!

[mazzthepianoman @ Jun 25th 2009 11:12AM]

Walmart is known for forcing companies to water down and cut corners on products. This is why at Walmart/Sams you'll find TVs missing picture in picture, fish tanks that come with incandescent instead of CFL bulbs, etc. You end up getting what you pay for, a more cheaply made product, and supporting a culture of large companies forcing disposable quality goods upon us.

[kevincahoon @ Jun 26th 2009 1:46PM]

CFL's are crap. They contain mercury plus the light they give off is crap. I'll stick with my incandescents. They're cheaper too. The TV's they have at WalMart and Sam's are the same as the ones at Best Buy (other than selection).

[Charles @ Jun 25th 2009 11:34AM]

Unlike many of the haters I have no particular problem with Walmart. But Vizio's release date drift would have driven me a bit crazy since I was all geared up to get my first Blu-ray player back on the announced date in April. I figured they'd probably be around $149 at Costco. Never could get any release or location info from Vizio though as the date slipped further and further behind. Ended up buying an excellent Panasonic BD60 instead and am very happy that I didn't wait for Vizio to sort it out. I'd rather buy at the local Costco, with their liberal return policies, than drive 40 miles to save a little at Walmart anyway.

[Iridium @ Jun 25th 2009 12:35PM]

Wallmart already sells a Magnavox Bluray deck for $125.

[JacTheRipPer504 @ Jun 25th 2009 1:28PM]

I bought the samsung player at my walmart for $198 but returned it a few days later to get the $288 sony player(BP-s360) and it's soooo much better. With the samsung I had obnoxious load times and some freezing/glitching with none of that present in the sony player. I just wouldn't trust the cheaper players yet..

[jkudlacz @ Jun 25th 2009 1:45PM]

Here are some images of this blu-ray player. You can find them at Vizio's website. Duh.

http://www.vizio.com/product.aspx?id=3535&pid=2624

[Jared @ Jun 25th 2009 1:51PM]

This player is supposed to have 7.1 analog outputs, making it the cheapest player to support that feature. If you're stuck with a 7.1 receiver that doesn't have HDMI decoding this is a good player to look into.

[Steve Barrett @ Jun 25th 2009 3:26PM]

still waiting for cheap blueray movies

[Mike D @ Jun 25th 2009 4:10PM]

I'll wait till they are $99 which will be by Christmas.

[reallynotnick @ Jun 25th 2009 8:45PM]

Best Buy already has a $200 Insignia BD player with BD Live support, nice to see more cheap players but $150 is the new price to shoot for.

[jriga @ Jul 3rd 2009 1:24PM]

*UCK Wal-Mart. Talk about the downfall of America's integrity. You billies go ahead and shop there. I wouldn't buy a stick of deodorant at that sh*t hole.