[inbetweener]

Can anybody advise me what I should get to play dvds on?

My old dvd player has died and I've borrowed an Xbox as a short term substitute.

Should I buy a normal DVD player, a Blu-ray (not that I have any) or buy a games console?

I have a sony bravia hd tv.

Thanks!

[ironjade]

I'd opt for the Blu-Ray. My LG BR player does a great job of upscaling and is very good at playing video files from an external hard drive. The previous one (not a Blu-Ray)also did this but so poorly that it was like watching through park railings by comparison.

[stud u like]

I use my xbox 360 downstairs as a dvd player and media streaming.

I use my PS3 upstairs for bluray and dvd and media streaming.

[soulboy77]

Time to upgrade to a Blu-ray player. What sort of budget do you have in mind?

[inbetweener]

Thanks. It looks like Blu-ray is the way forward then.

I don't really have a budget but I don't want to pay silly money for something unnecessarily, so probably no more than £200..... unless you guys tell me otherwise

[webbie]

That's more than enough. Have a look in Richer Sounds for various options. Check if you will need optical or coaxial digital output as some players don't include these any more.

[inbetweener]

Just had a look, they're cheaper than I thought! Great

Is there anything else I need to look out for? Particular features? What brands are best/ones to avoid?

[ironjade]

Make sure it will play audio and video files from a decent sized hard drive. It's extremely handy: no more (almost) burning to disc!
Internet connectivity (Smart tv) is also a feature of my player but I find it a bit underwhelming and after an initial play, disconnected it.
If you've an eye to the future then 3D may also be worth having.