Compare Prices : Sharp BDHP20S

Review summary: The HP20 is perfect for Sharp Aquos owners - but is its spec and performance good enough to reel in other hi-def punters?

Pros: Great pictures. Slick, alternative styling. It's not that expensive

Cons: Awkward to set-up. Takes its time to operate. Lacks hi-def audio over HDMI

Review summary: Sharp's standalone BD-HP20 is one of the cheapest Blu-ray efforts on the market, with prices starting at around the £150 mark. It's a reminder that you can get awesome Hi-Def pictures for a reasonable price, but with so many other

Cons: Irritatingly, though, this quick start function actually uses more power by keeping the player in a sort of semi-standby mode, so green-minded users will switch the thing off anyway. And with BD Profile 1.0 support only, both BonusView and BD-Live ...

Review summary: Even though I was doing reviews of home entertainment products back when DVD players prices were plummeting, I am flabbergasted by how quickly the prices of the next-generation players have fallen. HD DVD still holds the edge on this front, but ...

Pros: Relatively fast operation, will decode new Dolby formats, 1080p24 output, top quality picture and

Cons: No digital bitstream output of new audio formats, does not decode DTS-HD.

Verdict: The Sharp Aquos BD-HP20X is a fine Blu-ray player at an excellent price. Just make sure you keep your regular DVD player as well

Review summary: A fine effort, all the more impressive given the spec and price

Pros: Fine 1080p/24fps images and exciting TrueHD decoding

Cons: Hopeless display, grim menus and remote ; doesn't always handle difficult motion scenes well