If you’re looking for uncompressed high-definition video for your ds3 connection, Blu-ray is the way to go. It’s the only way to guarantee you can see every single facial blemish on the faces of the Orcs in the Lord of the Rings. If you want Blu-ray without having to purchase an expensive new player, you can use your game console or you can purchases any number of mid-range devices with excellent quality. Here are your options:

Playstation 3. The original Blu-ray supported game console, now costs $250, which is one of the more expensive Blu-ray players, but think how many other functionalities are included in this package for gamers. It boasts lossless (perfect, data-intact compression) audio and, of course, a game console to boot. PS3 has the added advantage of being able to support 1080p video and vastly improve the quality of regular DVDs on HDTV. The PS3 is often considered a high-end Blu-ray player, along with the Oppo BDP 93.

Wii. Wii’s wifi capabilities allow you to upgrade blu-ray firmware for access to the latest movies, though you shouldn’t forget that you will still need to HDMI cables to connect to your TV or monitor. Wii also has the added benefit of being able to record DVDs, giving you a game console, a Blu-ray player and a DVR all in one. Take note, however, that the Wii U does not support Blu-ray discs.

Mid-range. There are a number of good mid-range blu-ray players, including Samsung’s BD-D5700 ($180) and the LG BD670 ($200). The Samsung BD-D5500 is a little cheaper (by about $20) but is considered to have a slow startup time and bad conversion features. The Sony Internet TV Blu-ray player is another good option as it brings Google TV and the Android app market into the deal. For people on a budget, the cheapest Blu-ray players which are considered quality devices are the Panasonic DMP-BT110 and the Toshiba BDX5200.

The Xbox 360 game console does not offer Blu-ray and apparently has no plans to adopt it in the near future, content as they are with their “instant-on 1080p streaming HD”. You can, however, purchase external Blu-ray players that will play Blu-ray discs on your Xbox. You can also use converter software, though it may not be worth the hassle.

If you’re looking for a Blu-ray player, there are multiple options. If you’re a gamer or maybe just want to take advantage of your high-speed business dsl, you may want to consider seeking a game console that plays Blu-ray discs. The trends of the future seem to pointing toward consolidated technological gadgets (all-in-one devices).