Sony BDP-S350 1080p Blu-Ray Disc Player

Revel in astounding HD clarity with the BDP-S350 Blu-ray Disc player. The most noticeable additions to this year’s model are the Ethernet port that lets you download firmware updates directly to the player, and — with one of those firmware updates — access web contetent encoded to Blu-ray discs via BD-Live, compatibility with the Bonus View feature of select Blu-ray movies, and a USB port that allows you to add more storage to access the growing number of special features that will be available given the immense storage capacity of Blu-ray discs themeselves. This player also outputs a Full 1080/24p True Cinema picture, and upscales your existing DVD collection to 1080p when using an HDMI connection. Dolby TrueHD capability delivers lossless sound that is true to the original studio master. Bringing it all together is the new icon based Xcross Media Bar, which provides simple navigation of the player’s menu system.


5.0 out of 5 stars First impression is this is a great player

This is my first BluRay player. So far so good. The setup was very straightforward and I did appreciate the simple set up walk through the minute I turned it on. After setting up – I was a bit surprised (all right – fricking shocked) when sound played through my TV speakers because I specifically set it up to play through the digital audio output. Not a big deal – I can just mute the TV, but I did fear it was going to blow out the speakers.

So after the unit was set up (less than a minute with an HDMI connection and a digital audio out) I popped in my first disc. Granted, I did not test with a BluRay DVD, but the load-time was a pleasant surprise. I found it just as fast as the el-cheapo model DVD player that occupied the space before it. All the nightmares I have heard about ridiculously slow start-up times seem to have been for not. No problem with loading.

Also, I have heard horror stories of having to update firmware out of the box. Luckily, the check for a firmware update is easier than the set-up, and took less than 5 seconds to tell me I was up-to-date.

Since I don’t have a BluRay DVD handy I popped in an animated feature. My family – who is usually the biggest critic of new things – all noticed a significant improvement vs. the previous analog player.

So set-up, ease of use and picture quality are all superior. Also, when using a digital coaxial I notice a much better sound than with other mid-line DVD players. Aesthetically this is a sharp looking unit. The remote seems a bit of overkill and I think it’s a bit too large. Plus I’m not confident that I can use it to control my non-Sony TV. I haven’t played around with all the features yet, but so far it’s worth what I paid for it.

5.0 out of 5 stars It’s about time, a great player…

I recieved my BD Player last week. I just recently replaced a BDP-S300 with it because it is an unfinished product. I heard that Sony was so desperate to win the now over format war, that they purposely put out what one critic called: “Demonstration Models”. Another said that: “All the Blu-ray Players released up until now were/are worthy only of the garbage can”. Be that as it may…

The first thing I noticed about this player is it’s small size. It’s about 1/3 the size of the 300. And I would say, smaller than a Standard DVD Player. Good for me, I like having some extra space in my Home Theater System.

Second, it was very easy to do the initial set-up. I didn’t even need to refer to the manual, the screen guide walks you through it.

After popping in Batman Begins, I noticed that the high-def is just as good as any 1080p media I have ever seen. The sound is great too. I have not yet purchased an A/V receiver that can decode the HD codecs, but part of the reason I purchased this player, was to have a finnished product that is somewhat future-proof.( I don’t think I’ll have to buy another Blu-ray Disc Player for a long time.)

The features are good (i.e. Profile 1.1) The only other high-def piece of hardware that I’ve owned (HD-A35, HD-XA2) had these features of course…now, it’s nice to have them again.

If you’re still sitting on the fence about getting into Blu-ray…Get off the fence! This is a great player! Unless, you are a real audiophile and are holding out for the BDP-S550. Otherwise, this is your machine. And it’s a Sony!

5.0 out of 5 stars Size Does Matter

In April 08 I bought a BDP-S301 (Same as a BDP-S300). What a disappointment. It was so large (17 x 3.25 x 15 inches), yes, a whopping 15 inches deep, that I had to modify my cabinet so the door would close. Then I found the boot time and response to any command (such as drawer open/close) was awful. Then after 3 weeks it just plain quit. What a slug !! Returned it to Costco.

So I waited for the BDP-S350 release. Ordered from Amazon.com. The prerelease specs on the S350 indicated it was the same size as the BDP-S301. SURPRISE.. when my BDP-S350 arrived I was shocked at its small size of 17 x 2.25 x 8.75 inch. Yes.. <9 inches deep. What a differance in size.

But the differance does not end there. The response time is instant in comparison and the picture quality is totally superb (I used to design TV monitors so I do have a clue on this). The on screen menu’s and all details appear to be really great (I am one week into ownership).

I’d recommend this player in a heartbeat. Go for it.

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