Toshiba BDX1500 review

Without 3D, apps or an online dimension, the BDX1500 is about as simple as it gets in the world of Blu-ray. Is there a place for a Blu-ray that does nothing except spin discs and play files from a USB stick? Yes, there is – and the BDX1500 manages a respectable performance for a small spend.

We liked

Perhaps the most simple Blu-ray player of all – and so cheap that there now doesn't seem any point investing in a DVD player – Toshiba's BDX1500's no-fuss design is one we like; its compact size is practical and its matte black finish sensible. Picture quality, too, is pretty reasonably and certainly good enough for most living rooms. The BDX1500 plays myriad files from a USB stick, too, including AVI, MKV, JPEG and MP3.

We disliked

The remote control is a little flimsy, with very small buttons that don't depress properly. This results in having to repeatedly press commands, leaving you wondering about whether the battery is dead.

Sadly, there's no way around that problem because there's no virtual version available on an app.

Without support for 3D Blu-ray discs and lacking nay kind of online dimension, there's little to get excited about on the BDX1500.

Final verdict

Can a 2D-only Blu-ray player with no hint of streaming video apps really cut it in the 'smart' market? It has no apps, no networking, the remote is poor and it can't play 3D Blu-ray discs, yet there's something about Toshiba's bare bones BDX1500 – other than its low price – that we like. It's not for avid streamers nor videophiles after the perfect picture, but as a small and easy to house disc spinner for a bedroom, the BDX1500 won't disappoint.