For what it's worth, the PS3 delivers more value than a standalone player. It can basically do everything. But you pay a little more for it.
Just like DVD decks, the difference in quality between components is shrinking. Blu ray deck sellers are attracting buyers with their internet-ready add-ons, like Pandora, YouTube, Netflix, etc.
I own 3 Blu Ray players - a Sammy BD-p1400, a BD-p3600 and an Insignia (Best Buy house brand) NS-BRDVD3. The 3600 does Netflix, Youtube, Blockbuster and Pandora. The Insignia does Netflix & some others after firmware update. The 1400 does just blu (it is not a profile 2.0 player).
The difference in quality between the Insignia and the Sammies are unintelligible when playing a blu disc. The 3600 and the BRDVD3 each stream netflix at what appears to me to be the same quality, although I actually prefer the functionality of the Insignia Netflix interface. The 3600 does a slightly better job of upconverting DVD discs (and it connects wirelessly to the internet).
My suggestion would be to research some of the value decks out there, including Insignia's NS-WBRDVD, which connects to the internet wirelessly. It can be gotten from BB or on the gray market for ~$150 - $175. If dvd performance is VERY important, consider a "name" brand unit over the Insignias (reports indicate that the Insignia decks are made at the same factory that assembles LG and Samsung players, and is a hybrid of the two). If Netflix streaming is a top priority, I can definitely recommend the BRDVD3, which loads blu rays faster than either of my other players, too. Beware of lemons - but assuming you get a good one, you'll be happy.
