Starting on the first of this year, every new Blu-ray player announced is required to output HD video through HDMI only.  That means you're not going to be able to connect through component anymore unless you're willing to sacrifice picture quality.

To the average consumer this isn't really a big deal. HDMI cords are easy enough to come by.  If you've got a larger, more involved setup that involves long cable runs or wires going through your walls and ceilings though, this announcement is huge.

The biggest change will come in 2013, when analog video outputs are removed from Blu-ray players for good, leaving you the option of HDMI or nothing.