Many of us have taken advantage of DVDs and DVD players to enjoy movies at home for the past 10+ years. In the past 4 years the successor to DVD has emerged and this standard is called Blu-Ray. You’ve likely seen Blu-Ray players advertised at BIG Box stores and at online retailers. Last year’s Black Friday specials even featured some Blu Ray players for under $100.

Movies on Blu Ray discs will provide you a richer visual experience and theater like audio. Blu Ray players only make a difference if you have an HDTV, so if you are still using an older “picture tube” set, your DVD player will work just fine. (DVD players also display movies quite nicely on HDTV’s, with the proper cables and setup. If you are buying a plain old DVD player, make sure to get one that “Upconverts to 1080” for optimal display on your HDTV).

However, there is one catch to Blu Ray DVD players. The software standard for the Blu Ray players changes about every 6 months. It’s a real pain for some home movie viewers because this means if your player is not updated, your discs literally will not play.

The Blu Ray player that you will purchase or already have will allow you to download updates in one of 3 ways

1) By receiving a free update DVD in the mail (Make sure you can get these for free).

2) By receiving a free update DVD in the mail or by plugging in to your home internet internet connection. This option has its perils also because you would need to position your DSL or Cable modem close enough to your TV and then connect it to the modem (or your router) with an Ethernet cable. This may be a hassle, but you only have to do it every so often. You will be able to download your updates instantly.

3) The final method includes the options to receive a DVD mail or make a hard wired connection to your home internet connection, but also includes WiFi. Not all Blu Ray players include WiFi, so check this out before your buy. However, most of you have a wireless router in your home and if you plan on watching a lot of these high definition movies buying a Blu Ray player with WiFi will be your best option.