What? A new Blu-ray player for $99.99?
It's true. For the first time ever, you can buy a new, not refurbished, Blu-ray player for under $100. No rebates, either! You even get an HDMI cable and free shipping.
Well now it's getting interesting. Meijer has a Curtis Mathes CMMBX130 Blu-ray player for just $99.99. It's new, not a refurb, and you can use coupon code DOTMJR09 to get free shipping.
This arrives hot on the heels of Tuesday's Insignia player for $129.99 and Wednesday's refurbished Magnavox for $99.99. (Yes, it's Unofficial Blu-ray Week here at the Cheapskate!)
OK, first up: Meijer? It's a Walmart-like store that's very well-known to those of us who live in the Midwest. No worries there.
Next: Curtis Mathes? Wasn't he an R&B singer from the '70s? Obviously this is no Sony or Samsung, but just because you don't recognize the brand doesn't mean the player is bad. The handful of reviews on Meijer's site average 4.5 stars out of 5.
And check it out: In addition to the usual stuff--1080p output and upconversion, Dolby Digital audio, etc. (get complete specs at Blu-ray.com)--the player comes with an HDMI cable! Granted, that's only saving you about $3, but it also saves you the hassle of having to buy a cable separately.
Unlike most budget Blu-ray players, the CMMBX130 sports an Ethernet port. Alas, firmware updates apparently require the old download-an-image-file-and-burn-it-to-CD method.
So it's official: You can now buy a new Blu-ray player for under $100. Interestingly, Meijer's product page says this price is valid until July 31 (though I doubt the free-shipping coupon is), so this is not a one-day-only special or anything.
What do you think? Are you waiting for Blu-ray movie prices to drop before you pull the trigger on a player? Or do you just rent them from Blockbuster/Netflix? Share your thoughts on this deal in the comments!