Insignia NS-2BRDVD Blu-Ray Disc Player

The Insignia NS-2BRDVD, Best Buy’s house-brand Blu-ray Disc player, is a bargain in almost all respects. Priced at $230, this model serves up a winning combination of sharp, well-balanced high-definition images and solid industrial design. The Insignia’s sole failing lies in its inadequate upconversion of standard-definition DVDs.Our image-quality tests start with standard DVDs, and that's where the NS-2BRDVD outright bombed. It had issues upconverting standard-defintion video to 1080p: Scenes looked dull and muddy, with a distinct lack of detail.

In contrast, when we moved on to viewing Blu-ray discs, at their native 1080p resolution, the NS-2BRDVD performed superbly. Our judges awarded it grades of Very Good and Superior. If you're looking for a bargain in a Blu-ray player, the Insignia NS-2BRDVD is the best you can buy -- but only if you’re willing to rely on another source for upscaling your standard-definition DVDs.