|
Sony BDP-S350 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player | 
 enlarge | Brand: Sony
Category: CE
Buy New: See price in cart
New (13) Used (6) Refurbished (2) from $198.95
Rating:  156 reviews
Sales Rank: 16
Color: Black
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: Yes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 6.4
Dimensions (in): 17 x 8.8 x 2.4
Warranty: 1 year warranty
MPN: BDP-S350
Model: BDP-S350
UPC: 027242737501
EAN: 0027242737501
ASIN: B001A4LVYY
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Pre-Order (0-0 Business Days)
Tell A Friend
Add to Wishlist
Add to Wedding Registry
Add to Baby Registry
| |
| Features:
| | Full HD 1080/60 p & 24p True Cinema Video Output | | | Dolby TrueHD decoding built-in Dolby TrueHD /DTS-HD bitstream out over HDMI (V1.3) | | | DVD upscale to 1080p | | | Precision Cinema Progressive HD | | | x.v.Color for AVC-HD |
|
| Accessories:
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Experience the next wave of home entertainment with this Blu-ray Disc player, featuring Dolby TrueHD and BD-Live compatibility. Featuring BD-Live compatibility, you can take full advantage of the Bonus View feature of select Blu-ray movies as well as acquire the latest features and updates as they become available. This player also outputs a Full 1080/24p True Cinema picture, plus upscales your existing DVD collection to 1080p when using the HDMI connection. Superior picture quality isn't the only thing you'll notice, the BDP-S350 comes with Dolby TrueHD which delivers sound as stunning as the high definition picture itself. Bringing it all together is the icon based Xross Media Bar, which provides simple navigation of the player's menu system. Quick start-up mode allows operation in less than 6 seconds from when Sony Blu-ray Disc player is powered on. Dolby TrueHD delivers lossless studio master quality audio designed specifically for high definition entertainment like Blu-ray Disc. An incredible sound stage, dynamic range and a stellar Home Theater experience await you with Dolby TrueHD. With up to 7.1 channels of surround sound and audio that is indistinguishable from the original studio version, Dolby TrueHD/DTS-HD promises you an extraordinary surround experience. DVD Upscaling via HDMI gets the most out of your existing DVD collection by upscaling standard definition video to near HD quality. Precision Cinema HD upscale uses high bandwidth digital-to-analog conversion and processing to detect image changes at the pixel level, rather than at the level of whole scan lines. Additionally, separate algorithms are used to process the moving and still parts of an image, resulting in sharp backgrounds with moving objects that are free from motion artifacts. Ethernet port provides connectivity to a home broadband connection so you can download network updates.
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 151 more reviews...
 Sony BDP-S350 vs. Panasonic DMP-BD30K: DVD Upconversion, etc. August 29, 2008
Hugh (New York, NY USA)
311 out of 320 found this review helpful
I went to Circuit City yesterday to purchase the Panasonic DMP-BD30K Blu-Ray Player. As the salesman showed me where the Blu-Ray players were located in the store I told him I was interested in the DMP-BD30K. His response was that I should consider the new Sony BDP-S350 instead. He claimed that the BDP-S350 had received great reviews and is a better player than the Panasonic DMP-BD30K. Usually I don't listen to anything the sales people at Circuit City say, but this time I decided to see if he knew what he was talking about. I did some quick research online, while in the store, and discovered that he was correct about the Sony receiving decent reviews. I had my mind set on the Panasonic DMP-BD30K after months of research and waiting until the price dropped below $300, so the prospect of the Sony BDP-S350 through me for a loop. I decided to purchase both players, try then both out, and then return the looser.
I have to admit that the results surprised me. As I said before I had my heart set on the Panasonic DMP-BD30K, but after installing the 2 players and carefully comparing their image quality and features the Sony BDP-S350 is the clear winner in my opinion.
Panasonic DMP-BD30K: (Profile 1.1)
The start up time was respectable (as the reviews I had read indicated) and the menu interface was straight forward and relatively easy to navigate. After setting up the player, my first test was to compare its ability to upconvert standard definition DVDs with my now obsolete Toshiba HD-A20 HD-DVD player. I had read online that the DMP-BD30K's upscaling abilities had something to be desired and my tests confirmed this. To be honest the results were a little disappointing. Next, I decided to move through the players setup menu and change a few settings. At this point I made another disappointing discovery. If for any reason you need to access the players setup menu while you are watching DVD or Blu-Ray disc the player will not remember where you left off. When you exit the menu and resume play, the disc will start playing from the beginning of the disc. Although accessing the setup menu looses your place on the disc the Panasonic does remember where you left off if the DVD is stopped or the the player is shut down and then turned on again. Other than these criticisms the DMP-BD30K is a very nice player that yields excellent results using Blu-Ray discs, but doesn't do a great job with SD DVDs.
Sony BDP-S350: (Profile 1.1, but soon to be updated via firmware to 2.0)
The Sony player was a pleasant surprise. The start up time was very respectable, and was comparable to the Panasonic DMP-BD30K. After setting up the player I proceeded to run the same tests that I ran on the Panasonic. I had read online that people were impressed with the BDP-S350's upconvertion abilities, but having owned multiple Oppo DVD players (in my opinion, some of the best out there) I was skeptical. I put in a SD DVD and could immediately see the improvement over the Panasonic. Although the image is a little softer compared to my obsolete Toshiba HD-A20 HD-DVD player, and my other Oppo DVD players, it was still excellent. It made the Panasonic's upscaling abilities seem unrefined and outdated. Next, I then jumped into the players setup menu and changed the players output resolution. What really amazed me was that when I exited the menu the player began playing my disc where I had left off. Finally, I tried powering the BDP-S350 down while in the middle of a DVD. When I powered the player back on it remembered where I had left off and began to play the disc. The Sony BDP-S350 seems the winner in my opinion due to its superior upconversion and disc playback memory.
Finally, I wanted to add that I read a review comparing the Sony BDP-S350 to the new Panasonic DMP-BD50K that declares the DMP-BD50K the winner (http://hdguru.com/first-review-of-sonys-latest-blu-ray-player-exclusive-sony-bdp-s350-vspanasonic-dmp-bd50/256/). This may be true, but the almost $300 price difference makes me feel that this is an unfair comparison. In my opinion, the Sony BDP-S350 is currently one of the best deals out there.
FORMER HD DVD SUPPORTER August 30, 2008
Gerald Schoenburg (MOORPARK, CA USA)
113 out of 123 found this review helpful
Ok,my HD player of choice was HD DVD. I own about 100 HD DVD disks. These players were far less expensive than Sony Blu Ray. The movies were generally less expensive than Blu Ray. HD DVD had more features, easy to update on line, less expensive...easy choice. The dreaded evil Sony corporation was not going to get my business.
When Toshiba pulled their product after the major studios dropped them, I was shocked and annoyed. What did evil Sony do to get the others to drop them?
After the demise, Sony showed no signs of putting out a good player at a reasonable cost. I didn't want a bulky Playstation. There was plenty of HD DVD movies out there, and at bargain prices.
Then last month a crazy thing happened. Sony released the BDP-S350 to rave reviews. I held out no longer and bought mine from Amazon for 344, no tax, free shipping. I got it within a week.
I just set it up. Took about 15 minutes. It would have taken less but the audio set up confused me a bit. God forbid I read the instructions.
Anyway, I bought a single BluRay disk and played it.
The picture and sound were nothing short of wonderful. I'll buy a few disks as they are still way too expensive, and rent from Netflix or Blockbuster. I am very impressed with the quality of this unit, and consider me a convert.
I recommend this machine highly, and congratulations to Sony for finally waking up!
Update: I bought a Yamaha RX663 so I can enjoy the Tru HD and Master HD sound. Yamaha only recognizes Bitstream signals. The S-350 audio choices are PCM or Direct, no Bitstream. The solution is to choose direct, and Voila, it works! You will not get the uncompressed sound unless you do this! I hope this helps.
Size Does Matter July 27, 2008
Malcolm (Idyllwild, CA)
30 out of 30 found this review helpful
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.
Your best option for Blu-Ray October 2, 2008
C. Wynes (Dyersburg, TN)
32 out of 34 found this review helpful
Until very recently, the conventional wisdom was that the Sony Playstation 3 -- primarily a video game console -- was universally the best option for those looking to get into Blu-Ray discs. Now with the release of the S350, and its late-September price drop, that is no longer the case. Which option is right for you?
As of this review (Oct. '08), the PS3, plus the remote which is sold separately, comes to about $420. The S350's suggested retail price of $299 undercuts that by $120. Both machines feature an ethernet port which allows it to be updated all the way to Profile 2.0, although the S350 will require a flash memory card to do this whereas the PS3 presumably uses the attached 40GB hard drive. Up to this point, Profile 2.0 features have not been very appealing, and you may have no desire to update at all. Both machines are capable of outputting 1080p at 24fps, to more accurately represent the frame-rate associated with American cinema, but you will only be able to make any use of this if you have a 120hz set. And of course both machines will function as upconverting DVD players.
The S350 seems to have eliminated the problems most reviewers were associating with the S300, Sony's previous entry-level model. There were reports indicating a higher than usual failure rate on the S300, but with the S350 on the market for a few months now it seems that this has been remedied. The load times, once a 2-3 minute inconvenience on the earliest Blu-Ray players, are barely noticeable on this player and are not much worse than the load time on a DVD. I have NOT noticed the drive being unusually loud, which another review mentions -- in fact, if I have A/C or a fan running, I can't hear the disc drive over that and the movie.
The S350 is a solid entry-level Blu-Ray player, with all of the Blu-Ray playback functionality of the PS3, but for more than $100 less. If you're interested in a Blu-Ray player, and you prefer the reliability of the Sony brand, but you have no interest in video games, the S350 should be your first choice.
Best Blu-Ray DVD Player To Date! August 16, 2008
Tante Maren (Ohio, United States)
12 out of 12 found this review helpful
Sony has really done it right this time, when making a blu-ray player that has everything you would want from blu-ray, including upgrading your regular dvd's.
To start with, the unit is very sleek and trim, and fits in easily with your television and various other boxes. This Sony BDP-S350 1080p blu-ray disc player loads faster than any other blu-ray player on the market right now.
The price is fantastic, especially with Amazon's sale price right now! The picture for blu-ray is truly out of this world- beautiful vivid colors, crystal clear and sharp beyond belief! As far as the picture goes for upgrading your regular dvd's, it is superior also. I have to say though, that I have an Oppo upgrading player, that is almost as good as this Sony. So, there are also just as good upgrading dvd players out there as well, but certainly non better than this Sony.
The set up was easy as well. I just plugged it in and attached a hi-speed HDMI cable to my 1080p lcd television, and after a fast set up menu, it was ready to go. I don't have separate speakers, so I did not have to set up other audio wires.
Another great feature is you can set this up directly to your computer for any upgrades in the future. Sony could not have made this any better compared to what has been available on the market to this date. This is a great value, on sale right now and the ABSOLUTE BEST picture by far! 5 Stars for Sony!
|
|
|
|
| |
