Blu-ray & DVD players; high-def models at lower prices challenge standard units.(Buyers guide)(Cover story)

THIS GIFT-GIVING SEASON could be the first strong one for Blu-ray high-definition disc players. More players are arriving in stores, and prices are falling. Some sell for less than $300, and you might see "doorbuster" specials for less than $200 after Thanksgiving.

Stand-alone players aren't your only option. Some Panasonic, Samsung, and Sony home-theater-in-a-box systems include a Blu-ray player, and so does the Sony PlayStation video-game system.

There are a growing number of movies to watch on a high-definition player. Most new releases come out on Blu-ray discs as well as on DVD, and studios are reissuing older films in the new format. Netflix has about 1,000 high-def titles. Blu-ray players can play standard DVDs and audio CDs too.

How to choose

Despite the buzz about Blu-ray, standard DVD players remain a viable and economical option; many are selling for less than $100. Here are issues to consider:

Standard or upconverting? Most standard DVD players we've tested recently provide excellent 480p picture quality to an HDTV. Many new players can also upconvert regular DVDs to pseudo-HD, often with good results. Does it make sense to buy one? If you need a player and don't want Blu-ray, yes. If your DVD player is fine, maybe not.

Your TV must have an HDMI input to accept upconverted video. If you have an LCD or plasma set, it's already upconverting the video from your existing player to match its native screen resolution. A specific player might or might not handle the conversion better than your TV. Buying an upconverting model gives you the option of using whichever device works better.