Philips BDP7500 review

Blu-ray hasn't revolutionised home movie viewing in the same way as DVDs, but it's certainly here to stay. Other options for watching movies in high-definition are to subscribe to Sky's HD movie channels, or download gigantic files from online movie services. Blu-ray releases aren't cheap, admittedly, but movie rental services like LoveFilm now stock all new releases on the format.

This latest model from Philips is among the best-looking players we've seen. Its dimensions match that of other AV and Hi-Fi components, but its curved edges set it apart from their usual boxy designs. The disc tray is centrally placed, with an LED display to the left and touch sensitive controls to the right. Below the disc tray a soft blue lights points downwards. The edge of the front fascia appears to have an unbroken silver rim. There are actually two small joints that mar the effect somewhat close up, though you won't notice them from your sofa.

Loading a disc into the tray we're were immediately impressed with the BDP7500's performance. It took just 24 seconds to load our SpiderMan 3 disc, which practically halves the time taken by its predecessor, the BDP7300, and makes it the fastest Blu-ray player we've seen.

Image quality from Blu-ray movies was excellent, with all the detail we'd expect. Even testing it side by side with a couple of other recent players, we found it very hard to find differences between them. It's your TV that will make any significant difference in picture quality. DVD upscaling is another matter however, and like its predecessor, the BDP7500 shines with sharp straight lines, reduced compression artefacts and vibrant, graduated colour.

On the rear of the unit are all the connections you'd expect. As with all modern players, the HDMI port supports the 1.3 standard. This means it can output the full bitstream of Dolby TrueHD and DTS Master Audio soundtracks to a compatible HDMI-equipped amplifier. Alternatively, this player has its own built-in decoder, so you can output these soundtracks via the multi-channel out. This gives you the full benefit of Blu-ray audio with older surround sound amplifiers, as long as your amp has a multi-channel input. Other ports include optical and coaxial S/PDIF outputs, component and composite video connectors.

Beneath a sliding flap on the front fascia is a USB port for playing media files from storage devices. There's only support for MPEG2, DivX and WMV video files, MP3 and WMA audio, plus JPEG images. The support may be limited, but the menu system is a pleasure to use, and it could be very handy for the odd photo slideshow. The whole interface is stylish and minimal, and the included remote control is brilliant, with responsive controls, that are both clearly labelled and comfortably arranged.

If you're after a great-looking Blu-ray player with a multi-channel output then this is a good buy. However, if you don't need a built-in audio decoder, then for only £20 more you could get a PlayStation 3 Slim instead. It's also a great Blu-ray player, and has loads of other useful functions, plus it plays games as well. Those looking for a cheaper option should buy LG's BD370 for £140 from Richer Sounds.