Pioneer BDP-HD1

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Pioneer's premiere Blu-ray player, the BDP-HP1 will face an uphill battle when it's released long after the format launch. At $1,500, it will be among the most expensive Blu-ray player on the market. In the company's defense, Pioneer offers a number of exclusive features to justify the loftier price point. The BDP-HP1 is tentatively scheduled for a late October/early November release, though the cluttered upcoming Blu-ray player list will likely push a few decks into December and beyond.

Upside: The Blu-ray format enjoys a few advantages over HD-DVD, but for the full rundown, we'll direct you to CNET's quick guide to HD-DVD vs. Blu-ray. The Pioneer BDP-HD1 and other Blu-ray players' biggest early edge over HD-DVD players from Toshiba, the HD-XA1 and HD-A1, is the ability to output 1080p resolution via the HDMI jack, besting the 1080i delivered by first-gen HD-DVD decks. In reality, this isn't a huge lead, because even on the few sets capable of accepting and displaying a 1080p input, you'll have a difficult time distinguishing between 1080i and 1080p sources. We know it will have HDMI and component-video outputs and will be able to convert standard DVDs to higher resolutions--including 1080p--via HDMI, an ability shared by some standard DVD players on the market as well as by other Blu-ray players.

The Pioneer BDP-HD1 comes with a much more expansive feature set than the rest of the first batch of Blu-ray players. The BDP-HD1 will utilize Pioneer's Home Media Gallery networking software so that viewers can stream music, movies, and photos from their PC or from a DLNA-compliant server and enjoy the content in 1080p resolution.

Downside: The Pioneer BDP-HD1 is currently the most expensive next-gen-format player by a large margin. By comparison, it's triple the cost of the entry-level Toshiba HD-A1 HD-DVD player. The cheapest Blu-ray players will cost $500 less upon release, and the closest-priced player will still be a couple hundred bucks cheaper. The Sony PlayStation 3's November 17 release date is yet another reason to wait before you buy. The console promises to play Blu-ray discs in 1080p resolution and will come in $500 and $600 models.

Pioneer's BDP-HD1 also has a unique detriment, in that it unable to play any CD formats, unlike most of the Blu-ray launch window players. This problem is caused by the unique nature of Pioneer's Blu-ray hardware.

Outlook: As we've stated for the premiere HD-DVD players, the best purchasing decision to make in the early days of this format war is to wait and see. Quite frankly, there's too much uncertainty of the outcome to recommend such a large investment in a player that could be obsolete in only a few years if either format--or both--goes down the tubes. Unless you're dead set on getting a player early on and money is no object, wait to see how the Sony PlayStation 3 stacks up before making your choice.