Is the BDP-S550 the first standalone Blu-ray player better than the PS3?
(Credit: Sony)Sony has announced two new Blu-ray players scheduled to be released in the second half of the year: the entry-level BDP-S350 and the step-up BDP-S550. We haven't been the biggest fans of Sony's recent standalone Blu-ray players (the BDP-S300 was really slow and the same price as the PlayStation 3). Fresh off its victory over HD DVD, however, the company has announced two new Blu-ray players for 2008, both of which sport considerably more attractive feature sets and prices. Here are the details:
Key features of the Sony BDP-S350:
- Supports BonusView, which means it is Profile 1.1 compliant
- BD-Live ready, which means it can gain BD-Live capability with a firmware update
- Ethernet port for firmware upgrades
- Supports 1080p output at both 24 and 60 frames per second
- Onboard decoding for Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby TrueHD
- Bitstream output for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio
- About $400 list price, scheduled to come out this summer
Step-up features on the BDP-S550
- Onboard decoding for DTS-HD High Resolution and DTS-HD Master Audio
- 7.1 analog outputs
- 1GB local storage, which should make it Profile 2.0 compliant
- About $500 list price, scheduled to come out in the fall
While the BDP-S350 is interesting for its relatively low price point, it's still going to be hampered by the fact that it costs the same as the PlayStation 3--which offers almost all the same functionality (except bitstream audio output for high-resolution soundtracks), plus you get a high-definition game console and a media streamer. On the other hand, we could see the BDP-S550 being a hit with home theater enthusiasts because it offers a couple of key step-ups that make is a particularly solid standalone player--DTS-HD Master Audio Decoding and 7.1 analog outputs. We're betting that the PS3 eventually gets onboard DTS-HD Master Audio decoding--which will make BDP-S550 less attractive--but for right now it looks like a solid option for audiophiles, especially those who plan to use the 7.1 analog outputs. Of course, the BDP-S550 will also have to compete with other step-up standalone players coming out this year and we're betting the Panasonic DMP-BD50 will give it a run for its money.
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The Sony BDP-S2000ES.
(Credit: Sony)Editors' note: Neither the BDP-S2000ES nor the BDP-S500 offer DTS-HD Master Audio compatibility, either via bitstream or onboard decoding. We originally speculated that it should be able to output DTS-HD Master Audio using its bitstream output, but have received confirmation from Sony that neither player can.
Over the summer, Sony introduced the cheapest standalone Blu-ray player yet, the BDP-S300; now it's filling out its product line with two higher-end models: the BDP-S500 ($700) and the BDP-S2000ES ($1,300), both coming this fall. According to the company press release, the two models are largely the same, sharing the following features:
BDP-S500 and BDP-S2000ES key features:
- 1080p at 24-frames per second output;
- Onboard decoding for Dolby TrueHD and Dolby Digital Plus;
- Bit-stream output for DTS-HD High Resolution, but not DTS-HD Master Audio;
- HDMI 1.3 port;
- Support for AVCHD discs encoded with x.v.Color.
The Sony BDP-S500.
(Credit: Sony)The step-up features for the BDP-S2000ES are mostly related to build quality, with Sony touting "dual-shield construction," to prevent dust from getting inside the player, and "a rigid-drive bracket" which supposedly minimizes vibrations. There is also greater separation between video and audio boards, which Sony claims can deliver better quality. With many people getting both their video and audio from the digital HDMI output, we're a little skeptical that there will be any real-world audio and video performance improvements.
While the BDP-S500 looks to have a solid combination of features, Toshiba's HD-A35 will be released in October with the same key features and a list price of $500. The high price of hardware has been a problem for the Blu-ray camp, and these new players don't help.
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