Toshiba BDX5200 review: Less expensive, but slow
The Toshiba BDX5200 costs a little less than competing midrange Blu-ray players, but you'll miss out on worthwhile extra features and speedy performance.
Toshiba isn't the first name you think of when it comes to Blu-ray, but the former backer of the now-dead HD-DVD format currently offers a full line of 11 Blu-ray players. The BDX5200 is one of the company's midrange models, offering built-in Wi-Fi, 3D compatibility, and a modest suite of streaming-media services, including Netflix, Pandora, and Vudu. It's also currently available at a bit of a discount compared with other midrange Blu-ray players, with a street price under $140.
That will save you some extra cash compared with our top-rated midrange players like the Panasonic DMP-BDT210 and LG BD670, but you're giving up quite a bit. The BDX5200 is considerably slower than typical 2011 Blu-ray players, it offers fewer streaming-media services, and it lacks common features like smartphone control and DLNA compatibility. We also had some issues with the Wi-Fi in our testing environment, where we've successfully tested many other Blu-ray players and other Wi-Fi products. If you're on a very tight budget, the BDX5200 is a passable Blu-ray player for less money than most competitors, but most buyers will be better served spending a little more for one of our better-rated Blu-ray players.
