Sony BDPS350 Blu-ray Disc Player 1080p Full HD
See it at Amazon.co.uk for £154.99Average Customer Rating
(4.5 out of 5)
Amazon Customer Reviews
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(5 out of 5)Finally, a blu-ray player for the masses - and it's a beauty!
Sony has lagged a bit behind the other stand-alone blu-ray player manufacturers to date, which is odd considering their stake in the format. But now, with the HD war over and the release of this `budget' player, there has never been a better time to make the change from DVD to Blu-Ray high def and the reasons why I have finally been converted are these:
1) This player is 1.1 out of the box and more important has an Ethernet connection and is upgradeable to 2.0 and like the PS3 is future-proofed via firmware updates.
2) The player is super slimmed down to the size of a `normal' dvd player and looks wonderful.
3) Despite the price, the picture output is as good as more expensive players and the sound is fine.
4) The player is backwards compatible and will upscale DVDs to 1080p (producing a picture even better than upscaling DVD players at 1080i & 1080p) and will even play audio CDs etc.
5) The start up time for BR discs is much faster than many more expensive models (ca 5-8 seconds on average) - so fast so as not to matter any more.
6) The Player is Region B coded, but I have tested `B', non-coded (`0') and imported `A-B-C' BR's on it and they all play to the same quality (but note the player is not region free as usual with sony products).
7)A memory stick port is provided to fully utilise Blu-Ray Live additional features.
8)The player is as quiet as a mouse during feature playback and the disc draw is a smooth operator and sturdy enough.
9)The remote control, as usual with Sony, is of the larger sort, clearly laid out and easy to use (not like the awful little controls you usually get with DVD players) and also includes various sync and quick start options for Sony TV's and a TV volume key which is so often left off player remotes.
10)The player is easy to set up using the `Auto Setup' option if , like me, you find some of the tecchy options double-dutch.
Ultimately though, it is the picture performance that matters most to the average user and this affordable player more than delivers with the highest quality playback of BD's and upscaled DVD's. No HDMI cable in the box, but then there never is with any manufacturer.
If you are not into games but love your DVD's, its time to go Blu-ray with this beauty folks!
(5 out of 5)Well done Sony
It's much smaller than its predecessor which isn't entirely a good thing if you stack your components as my Sky box hangs over the back by a few inches but the player is wider than it so it would look daft on top. Connections are all well labelled and simple although the ac socket is a little loose. Remote is a little garish compared to the BDP-S300. It definitely starts up faster than before though still not as fast as a DVD player and the drawer doesn't seem as well damped as the S300. Internet connection was automatic and a swift check for updates revealed it was current. I tested it with my one and only 7.1 disc and the sound was superb, can't say that I noticed the extra speakers but the receiver says they were working so who am I to argue. Also tested it with 'Cars' which has a notoriously long start up and that was a great improvement, no more looking at blank screens and blue loading bars. The Dolby True HD soundtrack is fantastic, the cars really sound like they are racing round the room. Haven't tested the blu ray live yet and may never do so as I'm not a big fan of extras so overall Sony, good job.
(5 out of 5)Very Impressed
Firstly I would just like to ask whats with everyone giving a 1 star rating because Amazon messed up/cancelled your order? Your reviewing the product, not the service. If your unhappy with Amazon then complain to them but don't put people of buying an excellent product!
This is my first BD player and Ive got to say I chose it based on the reviews given here. This is what I found:
THE GOOD
- Looks very good. Sleek black design, goes very well with things like Sky+ HD box or a xBox 360 Elite
- Solid, stlyish and easy to use remote
- Can be connected to broadband to update software
- Impressive HD playback. Even with an older film (Predator) it really was breathtaking
- Also impressive when upscalling a normal DVD
THE BAD
- Don't know if this is the norm but it doesn't come with a HDMI cable
- Also doesn't include an ethernet cable if you want to connect for updates
- Slow to play when loading a BD
I love this player so much I've only had it a week and already bought 7 BD's. I didn't think watching a film in 1080p would be that different to standard DVD but it really does look amazing and I would recommend this BD player to anyone.
(5 out of 5)Simply amazing!!
First of all, the fast service from Amazon was very impressive. I ordered my blu-ray player at roughly 3pm on 23/09 and at 7am the next morning was running down the stairs in my undercrackers to get to the door before the CityLink driver drove off with it!! Very fast service. The only complaint I do have is that they sent the HDMI cable seperatley so I had to wait an extra 3 days for that. Even though the parcel was plenty big enough to fit them both in together! Seemed a bit pointless to me, but never mind.
But onto the player. Having recently been watching DVD's on a 26" HD TV, pretty close up (i'm only in my small bedroom), I've noticed a lot of loss in quality as the picture has been enlarged, such as pixelation and dull colours. With the blu-ray player you get none of that. The picture is as sharp and bright as if you were there yourself seeing what the camera was seeing. The first disc I played was 'I Am Legend' and I was stunned that I could see every single pore in Will Smiths face, every single drop of sweat and every individual hair! The quality was mind blowing. Next disc was 'Sweeney Todd', It's a dark film, and usually on normal DVD's you'd get a lot of pixelation in dark scenes, blocks of different shades of black scattered around the screen. Now that's all gone with the blu-ray as the colours are bright and sharp with no pixelation in the slightest.
I can't comment much on the audio quality, as I can't have the benefits of surround sound in this little room, but normal stereo sound through the HDMI port does already sound much clearer and gives a bit more of an atmosphere during your movie experience, so I can only guess that surround sound would sound amazing!
It is a little slow at loading discs, but that's not a big worry.
Being a 22 year old student, it was an expensive toy to buy myself (though I did get in with birthday money), and blu-ray discs are still pretty pricey, so I won't be buying films as often as I did on DVD for the time being, but at least I have a couple to keep me going and it's good to know that i've future proofed my movie watching experience :)
Overall, a fantastic machine which will simply blow you away. You won't be disappointed!
(5 out of 5)....SIMPLY AMAZING !
Amazon, well done ! Ordered on Sunday, delivered Tuesday !!
I have a Sony bravia 40 inch TV so plugged in with HDMI in about 3 minutes, switched on, played Celine Dion Blu-Ray through my Sony 5.1 Theatre System and....wow !! Quality of picture and sound were extraordinary.
Connections are perfect with tightly fitting mains lead. DVD tray runs smoothly and quietly. I suppose it could be a little better 'damped' but no problem for me. Size is remarkable. Blu-Ray light is not at all intrusive (unlike some other players). Blu_ray discs that I have tried start up in around 6 seconds. I've run standard definition DVDs on it and the upscaling is very good. All in all an excellent purchase and, at present, nobody sells it cheaper in the UK.