Don't bring PS3 fanboy quotes either; if I get a PS3, I'm not going to kill it's lifespan on movies. I want to know what the best standalone Blu Ray player is right now in that price range.

I understand what you are saying...but at $299....you might as well get a PS3...it is an entertainment console (according to Sony)...so it is designed to play loads of Blu Rays

Sorry but best "value" at $500?

I know it will wear down the player with the amount of movies I watch.

Well...nobody wants to answer your question. $500 for a Blu Ray is expensive....when you can get the PS3 for $299. Also...go do some research online for models in that price range...I doubt anyone here has a $500 Standalone Blu Ray player.

I just like to have my movies seperate. I have gone through about five DVD players in ten years going through my 400 + movies; and I get high quality players. I don't want to subject a gaming console to that abuse. I learned my lesson burning out my original Xbox playing movies as well. I have looked around a bit, and the $200.00 - $300.00 standalone players just seem cheap in comparison to the more expensive models.

Honestly, if you're looking to spend 500$, I'd just build a computer with a Blu-ray drive, or stick one in yours if you have an HDMI port on it and it's handy to your TV.  They come as cheap as 60$ nowadays: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106325

Spend less time watching movies. 400+ movies..wow.

When I'm not going out, or working, there is a movie playing at home. Most t.v. is garbage now.

No one knows how long a optical disc player lasts. Only time will tell. My Denon CD player is 21 years old, it still works and is still used several hours a day. During the same time period all relatives and friends - who use their CD players rarely compared to me - had to buy 2 or 3 new ones.

So why would watching many movies on PS3 automatically shorten its lifetime? (And even if it theoretically does, I assume it will still work for several years).