Introduction to the Toshiba BDX5200 3D Blu-ray Player

To compare today’s Blu-ray players with the very first models that shipped back in 2006, one would find those early players to be a mere shadow of what’s available today. Early adopters had to live without full lossless sound support, no 24p, no Internet apps, terrible ergonomics, glacially slow load times, and of course, high prices. Now we have models like Toshiba’s BDX-5200 that give you everything but the kitchen sink for under $180. Ain’t technology great? It’s amazing how much has changed in only five years. Blu-ray has gone from exotic to ordinary in what seems like the blink of an eye.

Back in 1999, I purchased my very first DVD player, a Toshiba. I’ll never forget sitting down with my wife that first night and watching the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice, all 4½ hours of it, in one marathon session. That player served me very well until 2005 and never gave me a moment’s trouble. Fast forward to today and Toshiba is playing in the sandbox with other Blu-ray player manufacturers competing in a fast-paced market with ever-changing products. The BDX-5200 is their latest entry; let’s see how it stacks up.