VBR110

Product Review (submitted on February 5, 2010):

I bought the VBR110 at Costco for $99.00 over Thanksgiving and have been wearing it out ever since!

Pros: Fast loading time, excellent picture quality (on my Vizio SV420XVT), suberb value, HDMI cable included

Cons: Remote is "iffy", menu is "always on" (I want to see the cool Vizio logo!), no firmware updates via ethernet, no frills

First of all, let me say that NONE of the cons should turn you off from this player. They don't do anything to detract from the purpose this machine was built - to play Blu-ray discs. On that front this player wins hands down.

Set-up was a breeze. Before I took down my old (component) DVD player I put a copy of a DVD I happen to own two copies of in each player. I was stunned at how well the Vizio "upscaled" the regular DVD. It was like the difference between watching cable TV and antenna TV. VERY marked difference.

On the Blu-ray front, I've heard many "horror" stories about "extreme" load times on Blu-ray discs on inexpensive players. Not on this one. You put in the Blu-ray and within a minute, you are watching a movie. Longer than a DVD? Sure. Annoying? Not at all.

On the con side, the remote isn't that great. I find myself mashing the buttons several times to make them work, and it just doesn't fit as well in my hand as my Vizio TV remote does. Would have liked to see something better there.

I'm also surprised that you can't update the firmware from the ethernet connection. The only options are memory stick or disc.

When you turn the player on, the menu is always up, hiding the cool Vizio logo behind it. You can turn it off, but it always comes back up. Small detail, but something I would like to be different.

It doesn't have any of the "extras" you get with higher end players (YouTube, Pandora, Netflix, etc.). Who knows if that will come in a firmware update or not (it looks like the buttons are on the remote to support it). Certainly not critical, especially for the price.

The bottom line? Buy this player. Save your money on a $200-$300 machine (unless you HAVE to have Netflix, Pandora, etc.). If you are looking for a machine that plays Blu-ray discs, and plays them well, this is the best value out there.