Feel the need…the need for speed? Sharp’s first Blu-ray, the HP20U, could be the answer to your prayers. This speed-demon loads Blu-ray discs in ten seconds—a welcome departure from the standard 40 plus seconds it takes for most players to load. Only complaints are the steep price and the lack of bit stream output for DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks. But if you can deal with the price, you will certainly make up for it with time.

Samsung’s entry-level device, the 2550, features standard Blu-ray capabilities (Dolby TrueHD™, Dolby Digital Plus™ and Surround Sound), but with a twist—the online streaming of both Netflix movies and Pandora music. There’s also considerable buzz surrounding upgrades that will stream HD films in the coming year. The only caveat? You will definitely need a fast internet connection to ensure smooth, hassle-free playback.

Comparable to the Playstation 3 (PS3), the Panasonic BD35 enters the market at almost $200 less than the PS3 and operates at nearly the same level. This solid player, which features clean image quality, a complete feature set and virtually silent operation, proves that stand-alone Blu-ray players can compete with the higher-end models. A sensible price, solid performance and sleek design. What’s not to like?

If you’re one of the immortal few skating through the economic crisis unscathed, the super expensive, but high-performing Denon 3800 should be on your radar. Featuring analog outputs, Silicon Realta sxT2 HQV video processing and secondary audio and video decoders essential for picture-in-picture playback, the unit lives up to its high price. The one missing feature, BD-Live functionality, shouldn’t be a deal breaker if accessing Web content isn’t a requirement for you.

The Pioneer name has long been synonymous with high performance electronics. Though one of the most expensive on the market, this full-feature player has the chops to prove it deserves its place in the premium market. After being tested by industry reviewers, this model tied with only one other model for the best audio. Its image output was also judged impressive, as was the overall performance and color quality and detail tests. While slightly bulky for some, the device has far more redeeming qualities than negatives.

Phillip’s first attempt at a Blu-ray player, this sleek machine features a Faroudja scaler (for upscaling standard-definition DVDs, a useful remote, a user-friendly graphic interface which includes a full color HD animated menu and produces excellent picture quality on both Blu-ray and DVD. Coupled with a middle-of-the-road price, the Phillips lacks only an HDMI 1.3 and more efficient support for both DTS and Dolby surround formats on DVD.

Widely agreed-upon by industry insiders and consumers alike as the best and most proficient Blu-ray on the market, the Playstation 3 is a game console and Blu-ray built into one. This 40 GB machine has Blu-ray BonusView for playing back content in HD, built-in gigabit Ethernet and is one of a small number of players that carries BD-Live (Profile 2.0) content. Though initially marketed and created as a game console for the likes of your Grand Theft Auto-playing teenage brother, it’s a reasonably priced option for non-gamers too.

A true trendsetter, the LG BD300 was the very first Blu-ray player to include the ability to stream Netflix videos. Though many have followed suit, the LG combines Netflix and Blu-ray the most expertly. Aside from this defining feature, the BD 300 also sports onboard Dolby TrueHD™ decoding, fine picture quality and DVD upconversion to 1080p resolution. Overall, experts agree the BD300 is a top-performing machine.

Perhaps you prefer your electronics to be “multi-talented” and “versatile.” If so, the Sony S550 might be the one for you. The device comes equipped with Precision Cinema for faster and enhanced DVD upconversion, Bonus View and BD-Live functionality, one GB of external memory for memory-heavy downloads and best of all, a Precision drive, which allows the play of dirty or scratched discs. Added bonus: This model will likely be dropped to below $300 during holiday sales.

In these unfriendly economic times (to say the least), this Blu-ray player stands out as a viable option that’s also easy on the budget. Boasting features also available on higher-end Blu-ray players, such as 1080P picture and digital bit stream audio output for Dolby TrueHD™ and DTS-HD Master Audio™, the Magnavox has been praised as a high-performing entry-level device. Capable of basically everything the one-to-two thousand dollar models can do, this is a great choice for anyone looking to see what the Blu-ray fuss is all about.