Sony BDP-S550 1080p Blu-ray Player
by Sony
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List Price: Our Price: $125.00 You Save: $274.99 (69%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Home Theater See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Sony BDP-S550 1080p Blu-ray Player
Customer Review: Best Blu-ray player on the market yet!
Summary: 5 Stars
If you're looking for a Blu-ray player that can do it all, check out the Sony BDP-S550 player.
It's got a ton of improvements over Sony's (and the competition's) previous models.
It can internally decode all 7.1 next-gen audio formats. This is the player that will easily let you play Dolby TrueHD as well as dtsHD Master Audio soundtracks.
It is Profile 2.0 capable right out of the box. No upgrades required (at least not right now!). With the built-in network port, upgrades are a snap.
Sony's previous players (except the 350) had slow loading times. The 550 is much quicker. You even have the option of a quick start-up mode, even faster than the default standard one which is fast enough.
Most Blu-ray players display total and elapsed time. This player also features remaining time, crucial if you want to know how much time is left on the disc.
The 550 includes a backlit remote, a real improvement if you are using your player in a darkened room.
The best feature of the 550 is its price. Although the $399 price tag may seem high to some, actual discounts are closer to $300-$330, which is about $50 higher than the bottom line 350 model. Considering how many extra features you get, it seems like a bargain.
Only down side is Sony's Xcross Media Bar graphic display is always on except for playing discs. You only need to access this menu when you are setting up your system or making changes. Then you only need to display a neat desktop, not one cluttered with icons.
If want a reasonable inexpensive Blu-ray player that can handle all your options now or in the short-term future, the Sony BDP-S550 is the one to get!
Customer Review: Couldn't be happier!
Summary: 5 Stars
I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience with the Sony BDP S-550. I have been using it for a month and have it connected to a Sony Bravia KDL-52V4100. I initially was not interested in Blu Ray, but being a "techie" I decided to give it a try, especially when I saw this player drop under $300 on Amazon, and I am very glad I did. I have particularly liked the upconvert feature. It has allowed me to completely rediscover my movie collection. I have been very impressed with Blu Ray quality. In particular the way it enhances older movies re-released on the format (e.g. Sleeping Beauty was amazingly clear and colorful). Other reviews I read said that this model did not have the feature of holding your place in a movie if the machine was turned off. This is not true, it returns you to the place you were at in the movie prior to shutting things off. I have also experienced quick loading times. 30 seconds is the longest I have had to wait for a BD to load.
Another feature I have found to be amazing is the ability that this model has to convert some movies from 60 frames per second down to the original 24 frames per second. If you have a t.v. that supports 24p you will be amazed at the reduction in blur. I compared this with a Magnavox player and a Samsung 52" that did not support 24p and was amazed at the reduction in blur between the two set ups.
The fact that I can use one remote to control the t.v. and the player was also an unexpected positive. Sony has done a good job with this. The included 1gb micro vault is also a good selling point. Having this made using BD Live a breeze. All in all I am extremely satisfied with this purchase and recommend this Sony to anyone.
Customer Review: Easy to update
Summary: 5 Stars
Others have already spoken of the many high points of this Blu-ray player. Let me focus on the Ethernet connection. After plugging it directly into an Apple Airport that serves as a relay on my home wireless network, I was informed that a firmware update was available. Downloading was quick and the player then installed the new firmware without any difficulty. Connecting the unit up to the network also allows retrieval and viewing of a variety of promotional high definition programming - trailers, for the most part - and for communicating with other Blu-ray viewers. I haven't tried the latter aspect of the service, but everything so far has been working as promised.
I'm incredibly impressed with this player, which I've connected to a 1080p capable Sony television. The picture is flawless. The sound, whether connected via HDMI, digital connector with your processor doing the processing, or using the direct analog connections, represents a significant leap in quality from previous DVD iterations. Playback starts rapidly after disc insertion.
I have one very minor gripe. If you're standing at the unit with a new DVD, and the unit isn't already turned on, you can't simply turn it on and open the drawer to insert the DVD. You have to turn it on and wait about 10-15 seconds for it to cycle through a start-up process. Only then can you open the DVD tray. This could be updated with new firmware, I would imagine.
Overall, an excellent performer.
Customer Review: Excellent at the price
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been using this excellent unit for over a month without any problem whatsoever. I paid less than $300 which is below the price of the BDP-350 unit which is the basic model. Delivery time from Amazon ...excellent as always. Settimg up of the unit is easy: just plug it to my Onkyo 805 and my 46 inch 1080p Bravia , both thru an HDMI cable and enjoy. Before seeing a movie I connected the 550 to an ethernet cable for a fast and easy software update: less than 20 minutes to have all things ready.
Both video and audio are excellent, as expected. There is not a great difference between the video of the PS3, but soundwise... no comparison whatsoever, the 550 is much superior.
I like very much the remote which is partially illuminated. This feature allows me to modify the audio and subtitles in the dark, as well as giving me access to the film menu, go back, advance, pause and stop.
Upscaling is very good similar to the quality of my Oppo 981, I took the Oppo to my room and use only the 550 instead.
As for stereo music (audio only) the unit is good though the quality never compares to my old tube Sonic Frontiers preamplifier and Audio Research amplifier, combined with my Marantz SACD player. One good thing about the 550 is its ability to read SACD, DTS audio, etc.
If you happen to find a bargain like the one I grabbed at Amazon, do not hesitate. This is a hell of a blu ray player.
Customer Review: So far so good
Summary: 5 Stars
I've had this player for about a week now. Setup took awhile because of all the connections and on screen settings. Sound and picture are excellent; even with my old Kenwood 6.1 sound system. It's connected to a Sony Bravia LCD television and unlike some other reviewers, I've had very good luck with Sony products. I expect the same good service out of this Blu-Ray player.
I'm not a geek and wondered about connecting it to my computer network. A trip to my local office supply store where I plunked down $89 plus tax got me the Netgear Powerline Network Kit (Model XE102G). I simply plugged the ethernet cable from the BD player into one of these units, then plugged the unit into a wall outlet. I plugged another ethernet cable from my router (in another room) into the second unit and plugged that one into another wall outlet. Without having to string cables from one room to another; it worked like a charm. No disk to set up, no software to install. Really...Just plug and play. The package comes with both units and two ethernet cables. Easy way to connect the Sony to the internet and get automatic updates, etc. As to the Blu-Ray player itself, I would recommend it highly. I've had no problems, except the way it was packaged.
As reviewed earlier, Amazon put the box in another flimsy box with a sheet of heavy packing paper for a cushion. It broke open and the shipper had to repackage it. Thankfully nothing was broken.