JVC joins the sub-$200 Blu-ray player game with ultrathin XV-BP11

Sub-$200 Blu-ray players certainly aren't new -- heck, some guys have been doing it since the year 2008 -- but you'll never catch us kvetching about a little more competition. JVC has today introduced (in the briefest way possible, might we add) its newest Blu-ray player just ten months after deciding to play the BD game here in the States. The ultrathin (and "now available") XV-BP11 should slide into just about any AV rack, bringing Blu-ray / DVD playback, AVCHD support, HDMI 1.3, a USB socket and compatibility with a slew of audio formats. Curiously enough, the outfit doesn't bother to mention if this thing is Profile 2.0, but we're guessing (read: hoping) that it wouldn't do something as ludicrous as charge two bills for a Profile 1.1 deck in late 2009. Then again, we've seen zanier things go down...

Update: Ouch -- this thing is only Profile 1.1. Dud. [Thanks, Aaron!]

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JVC Announces Popularly-Priced Blu-ray Player

New XV-BP11 player offers AVCHD file playback.

WAYNE, NJ, October 28, 2009 – JVC today announced the availability of a new entry-level Blu-ray player. The new JVC XV-BP11 is a truly versatile high definition player, offering playback of high definition Blu-ray discs, plus playback of the AVCHD format, the high definition format widely used for HD camcorders, including the JVC HD Everio line.

JVC XV-BP11 Features
# Playable Discs: BD-Rom, BD-R/RE, DVD-Video, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, Audio CD, CD-R/RW
# Playable Formats: AVCHD, WMV, JPEG, MP3, WMA, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital plus, Dolby True HD, DTS, DTS HD Master Audio/Essential
# Connections:
o Video: HDMI V1.3, composite
o Audio: Analog L/R, coaxial, HDMI V1.3
o USB Host (front panel)
# Convenience Features: Quick loading, cinema zoom (x16), parental lock, slim design

The new JVC XV-BP11 Blu-ray player is available immediately for $199.95.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 28th 2009 9:08AM]

OMG, First! Now my life has a reason again!

The cheapest Blu-Ray I've ever seen in Germany was 99 Euro

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 28th 2009 9:23AM]

Well, without any Ethernet port profile 2.0 seems rather unlikely.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 28th 2009 9:27AM]

Wow...I'm scared that this is NOT Profile 2.0....GOOD JOB JVC....smh

[Dagreenman18 Posted Oct 28th 2009 9:34AM]

I'll wait for a sub-200 player with wifi and netflix streaming, but if it IS profile 2.0, then this is a great deal.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 28th 2009 9:51AM]

But does it play Crysis?

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 28th 2009 11:05AM]

It's a Blu-ray player, so....yes.

Really?

[NachoPATA Posted Oct 28th 2009 12:27PM]

Yes, it does play Crysis. But, only at 24fps.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 28th 2009 10:10AM]

My local Tsutaya is selling blu-ray players for ¥10,000!!!!

Damn cheap! it is a no name brand, but still, damn!

[AR Posted Oct 28th 2009 10:43AM]

LAME! Profile 1.1.
LAME!
Booo! Hiss!

http://av.jvc.com/product.jsp?modelId=MODL028594&pathId=169&page=1

Blu-ray Disc Player with USB Host, featuring HD Audio Bit-Stream Output, HDMI 1080/24p Playback, and x.v.Color(TM)/Deep Color

* BD Profile 1.1
* Playable Media: BD-ROM, BD-R/RE, DVD-Video, DVD-R/RW, +R/+RW, CD, CD-R/RW, USB
* 1080/24p Playback
* HDMI with x.v.Color(TM)/Deep Color
* Dolby Digital+/Dolby TrueHD/DTS-HD Decoding

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 28th 2009 10:46AM]

So quickly we've come down from the $1500 prices for stand alone BRD players.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 28th 2009 11:12AM]

Yeah, but when will the discs start coming down in price? The cost of the players isn't keeping me out of BR, it's the stupid high cost of the movies. They're too expensive to overcome the small increase in quality over up-converted DVD.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 28th 2009 11:56AM]

The discs have come down, too. At launch, everything was $30-40 a movie. They still aren't as cheap as DVDs, but you can get a lot movies for a hell of a lot less than that now.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 28th 2009 12:25PM]

the MSRP on a lot of DVDs is still like $30....thanks to Walmart they came down FAST....which is why places like Suncoast went out of business, because they sold movies at LIST prices....every once in a while I find BD movies for under $19 tho and I snatch them up....

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 28th 2009 11:09AM]

This one is better than most, but why do so many Blu-Ray players look like the were designed by engineers who majored in Ugly?

[NachoPATA Posted Oct 28th 2009 12:33PM]

Would glossy white with rounded corner square buttons and a touch screen be better? Nope.

[Stephanie C Posted Oct 29th 2009 1:45AM]

MAJOR FAIL, profile 1.1 when it's almost 2010! Isn't that Toshiba player Engadget was sort of bashing $200(at Best Buy), but with 2.0? Makes it look a lot better now, doesn't it?