In many homes these days, it's in with the Blu-ray player and out with the DVDs.
Blu-ray players offer a much clearer picture than regular DVD players. They allow you to watch high-definition video discs.
Many players also have a feature called BD-Live, which allows the player to connect to the Internet. This enables the player to access movie outtakes from movie-studio Web sites and streaming videos from services like Netflix and Vudu.
Consumer Reports tested more than two dozens costing $150 to more than $700.
They evaluated players for picture quality -- including detail and colour accuracy -- and for ease of use.
Testers said an excellent choice is the Sony Blu-ray player, which costs $275 and offers the BD-Live feature.
"The Sony is what's known as a BD-Live-ready player. That means it can connect to the Internet, but you have to add memory for that feature to become active. It'll probably cost you about 10 to 15 dollars to add the memory you need," said Consumer Reports' Jim Willcox.
But if you just want to play Blu-ray discs, the $200 Magnavox player rated 'excellent.'
Consumer Reports advises people to keep an eye on the fliers for Blu-ray players because prices continue to fall, especially during the holiday season.
It's not even out of the question to find players for as low as $100 to $125.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Chris Olsen
