Best blu ray player JUST for picture quality

For blu ray pictures, I have not found any difference between players at different price points. Make sure to demo before spending money.

The Oppo 103 is worth having a look at. I don't generally use sharpness controls on players as they're not great, but the one on the Oppo is great- sharpest looking pic I've ever seen

denon 2012 is worth evey penny just amazing picture.should go great with your tv

It's not available to buy anymore.

Remember that the higher end players mainly invest in sound improvements. You only have a soundbar, so audio enhancements in a player is of no use to you. Oppo 103 is a good option, but I think you'll be paying for a lot of features you won't use. Look at Panasonic BDT500, Sony S790 & Pioneer BDP-450.

You will be better served by going for a budget blu ray player (like Pioneer 120) & spend the extra cash on a decent separates system (AV receiver and 5.1 speakers). No blu ray player at any price point can beat this.

I'll say something different. 

Whilst I have seen slight variations in motion processing - mainly with a player having problems with specific discs (that is later fixed by firmware updates) - I have NEVER heard any differences in sound when playing BDs.

Sure some players have better sound when playing just audio like cds (by switching off the video circuitary) but when playing BDs lossless on one player sounds just like lossless on another - or through analog outs come to that...

I'd go for the one which has the best online services, or 2hdmi (should you not have a 3d amp).

Nobody's mentioned upscaling yet. Are you looking for the best option playing Blu-ray discs only, or do you have a large DVD library you also want to make the most of?

I appreciate that you're relatively new to home cinema, but you may have been collecting DVDs for years and playing them on a lower end system.

If upscaling is important, there's some value in looking at higher end players. As always, audition and conduct A/B testing if possible, so you can get a better sense of how players at different price points compare. As suggested above, you may find that a budget player is all you need.

The Sony S790 will do, great picture, great up-scaling, twin HDMI output, 3D, also 4K maybe for future use also very reasonable price :) .  Using it for 8 months now & very happy with it.

When we did the Big Question with three "levels" of Blu-ray player, differences in sound and image were noted by all three participants  (I was one of them).Through a huge Samsung screen and a KEF surround system.

But interestingly, being different did not necessarily mean that we all preferred the most expensive (Oppo).

Personally, the upper end Oppo gave much more musical reproduction (better snare and kick sound, for example)  and a more cinematic smooth image, on DVD upscaling and blu-ray.

Very happy with my CA BD751 and was noticably different (sound and audio) to my previous CABD650 in a one hour head to head at Richer Sounds auditioning room  in Maidstone, across a range of DVDs, Blu-rays and Blu-ray pure audio discs.

There's a thread somewhere here about it.

thanks to all the replys .to answer strapped for cashs question yes i do own a lot of dvds and even if money was no object i still wouldnt rebuy them on blu ray.so a high end blu ray player would perhaps do a better job of upscaling.im upgrading to hopefully the panasonic zt60 in may .maybe its just my ignorance being new to home cinema but spending 4000 on a tv then only 200-300 on a blu ray player even tho these players do get great reviews seems like im cheaping out.hence the reason i fancy the oppo 103 and other models up to 1000.

I was picking up my repaired PV1D at lunchtime, and I was given a nice audition of a big (55 I think) latest Panasonic.

The salesman himself said that he'd bought an Oppo105 to go with his own one at home, as it was head and shoulders above the other BD players he'd tried (all the usual suspects), and they don't even stock Oppo.

just upgraded my BD player and can tell a big difference in sonic abilities also speech much crisper and clearer.

Of the 4 blu-players I have (do) own - PS3 Fat, Samsung BD-C6900, Panasonic BDP310, and  Denon DBT-3313 I have never noticed any sonic differences.

Anyone who thinks they have heard a big difference I suggest it is more of a settings issue. 

For example when using HDMI-CEC (bravialink,samsung connect, viera etc) you have to make sure that the amps output is set to AMP and not TV+AMP - otherwise the amp drops down to the lossy soundtrack.

I've also tried LPCM, Bitstream, Analog outs - not a jot of difference in any. (Obviously bitsream,analog doesnt apply to the PS3 Fat).

The motion on the Samsung used to stutter on a few discs (Da Vinci Code, Monsters v Aliens 3D spring to mind) , but these were later fixed by firmware updates, before the Sammy packed in so perhaps it was dodgy from the outset.

The OP has a soundbar, so a blu ray player is unlikely to bring improvements to sound.