For $100 more than the cost of its low-end HDTV, Best Buy will soon sell a combination HDTV and Blu-ray player.
The retailer's Web site lists a 32-inch HDTV and Blu-ray player under Best Buy's Insignia brand for $600. The same TV, without Blu-ray, is listed at $500. Availability hasn't been revealed, as Best Buy simply says the product is "coming soon."
Of course, the TV itself is nothing to write home about. The specs are sufficient enough -- 1080p, 176-degree viewing angle, 6.5 ms response time and 2 HDMI inputs -- but refresh rate is 60 Hz and contrast ratio tops out at 4,000:1 (20,000:1 dynamic). And as Engadget speculates, the Blu-ray player isn't likely to have fast load times. In fact, specs for the player are missing completely from Best Buy's product page. But at $600, you can't complain.
Keep in mind, though, that reports from earlier this year suggested that we'll be seeing $100 standalone Blu-ray players during the holiday shopping season. You'll find players on sale for that price periodically, but right now the cheapest I can find on Amazon is a $116 player from Sylvania. If those reports pan out, you may want to shop around for a la carte offerings that better suit your needs.
