Calling this thing a ” universal Blu-ray player ” seems a bit disingenuous (at least compared to models that have used that moniker in the past), but there’s no question that Yamaha’s latest does a good bit more than simply play back your newest Blu-ray Disc. The BD-A1000 offers 1080p playback via HDMI, component outputs, coaxial / Toslink digital audio ports, an RS-232C control socket and an Ethernet port, but unlike many BD decks, you’ll also find a pair of USB ports (one on the front, one on the rear). Moreover, this guy can tune into Netflix, Blockbuster and YouTube without any fancy software hacks, and as expected, it’ll handle BD-Live and BonusView content as well. Too bad that $699.95 MSRP is bound to scare just about everyone away. Gallery: Yamaha BD-A1000 universal Blu-ray player Continue reading Yamaha brings Netflix, Blockbuster and YouTube access to BD-A1000 ‘universal Blu-ray player’ Yamaha brings Netflix, Blockbuster and YouTube access to BD-A1000 ‘universal Blu-ray player’ originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Nov 2010 15:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink