Sony BDP-S550 Review
The Sony BDP-S550 1080p is Sony's newest Blu-ray disc player and is the more advanced sibling of the BDP-S350. The BDP S 550 is a high-end blu-ray disc player but the advancements in the technology allows it to sell for a mid-range price. A year ago a player with these features would cost over $500. It is now under $400.
If you've been putting off getting a blu-ray player because of the price, now is the season to get one. The Sony BDP-S550 is a good model for the whole family to enjoy and is suited for primary use in the living room.
Save $70 on the Sony BDP-S550 Today
If you've been putting off getting a blu-ray player because of the price, now is the season to get one. The Sony BDP-S550 is a good model for the whole family to enjoy and is suited for primary use in the living room.
Save $70 on the Sony BDP-S550 Today
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Review of the Sony BDP-S550
Pros:
Sony has a great remote for the BDP-S550.
Sharp picture quality.
No conversion artifacts.
Hassle-free installation
Cons:
Color could use more depth.
Audio could be fuller.
DVD upscaling is slightly fuzzy.
Comparison with BDP-S350:
When you compare it with the BDP-S350, you find that the Sony BDP-S550 has the following improvements.
- 7.1 ANALOG Audio out.
- Decodes all of the next-gen audio formats. The 350 currently does not, but might in the future with a firmware upgrade.
- It's BD 2.0, the newest blu-ray disc format, straight from the box.
You can read more about the Sony BDP-S350at the site http://www.squidoo.com/bdp-s350
Other Models to Consider:
If you're willing to spend a little bit more money, you may want to go for the Panasonic BD50K instead. You can check a review of that at http://www.squidoo.com/Panasonic-DMP-BD50K
Sony has a great remote for the BDP-S550.
Sharp picture quality.
No conversion artifacts.
Hassle-free installation
Cons:
Color could use more depth.
Audio could be fuller.
DVD upscaling is slightly fuzzy.
Comparison with BDP-S350:
When you compare it with the BDP-S350, you find that the Sony BDP-S550 has the following improvements.
- 7.1 ANALOG Audio out.
- Decodes all of the next-gen audio formats. The 350 currently does not, but might in the future with a firmware upgrade.
- It's BD 2.0, the newest blu-ray disc format, straight from the box.
You can read more about the Sony BDP-S350at the site http://www.squidoo.com/bdp-s350
Other Models to Consider:
If you're willing to spend a little bit more money, you may want to go for the Panasonic BD50K instead. You can check a review of that at http://www.squidoo.com/Panasonic-DMP-BD50K
Features of the Sony BDP-S550
Here are some of the key features of the Sony BDP-S550 1080p Blu-ray disc player.
--It has a slim chassis.
--There's an ethernet connection for firmware updates and BD-Live Compatibility. BD-Live is a feature that allows you to access special content that isn't encoded on the disc. This content may be special scenes, previews, ringtones, or exclusive features.
--It has true 1080p output. That means that it can output your movies at 1080/24p, which is the same speed that movies are shot at. Of course, it can also output at 1080/60p if that is all your television can output at.
--Easy Connectivity with Bravia Sync. With certain Bravia televisions, you'll be able to simply press play to switch to the correct video input. Video and audio transmission, along with control functions, can all be transmitted by the HDMI cable.
--Dolby TrueHD, 7.1 Channel Dolby Sound, and dts-HD. High Resolution Audio and Master Audio.
--Experience less video compression thanks to a higher bit rate. Blue-ray discs can have a bit rate up to 40 Mbps, compared to only 10Mbps on DVDs.
--Store you special features on the 1 GB of onboard memory. Comes with a USB port.
--Comes with the Xross Media Bar Interface, which won an Emmy. This allows you to use your remote's directional pad to navigate horizontally between categories, and scroll vertically through the options.
Save $70 on the Sony BDP-S550 Today
--It has a slim chassis.
--There's an ethernet connection for firmware updates and BD-Live Compatibility. BD-Live is a feature that allows you to access special content that isn't encoded on the disc. This content may be special scenes, previews, ringtones, or exclusive features.
--It has true 1080p output. That means that it can output your movies at 1080/24p, which is the same speed that movies are shot at. Of course, it can also output at 1080/60p if that is all your television can output at.
--Easy Connectivity with Bravia Sync. With certain Bravia televisions, you'll be able to simply press play to switch to the correct video input. Video and audio transmission, along with control functions, can all be transmitted by the HDMI cable.
--Dolby TrueHD, 7.1 Channel Dolby Sound, and dts-HD. High Resolution Audio and Master Audio.
--Experience less video compression thanks to a higher bit rate. Blue-ray discs can have a bit rate up to 40 Mbps, compared to only 10Mbps on DVDs.
--Store you special features on the 1 GB of onboard memory. Comes with a USB port.
--Comes with the Xross Media Bar Interface, which won an Emmy. This allows you to use your remote's directional pad to navigate horizontally between categories, and scroll vertically through the options.
Save $70 on the Sony BDP-S550 Today
More About Blu-Ray
Blu-ray discs, or BD, is a high definition optical disc format. Blu-ray improves video quality, audio quality, and storage over DVDs. The first BD players hit the market in the summer of 2006. There have been more than 1,300 titles released on blu-ray since then. Blu-ray disc players have been getting cheaper with each year and have becoming more popular in many homes.
To get the most out of your blue ray disc player, you should hook it up to an HDTV. If you bought your TV in recent years, there is a good chance that it is a high definition television. The best HD TVs will be 1080p or 1080i. Older models may be 480p or 720p. They are still high definition, but not as high quality.
Blu-ray discs may look a lot like DVDs, but they store more data. A single layer blu-ray disc holds 25 GB and a dual one can hold 50 GB. The resolution of blu-ray is six times greater than DVD resolution.
If you buy a blu-ray disc player, you'll be happy to know that your DVD collection does not become obsolete. Although DVDs will never be in high definition, your blu-ray disc player can not only play your DVDs, they can also upconvert them.
Save $70 on the Sony BDP-S550 Today
To get the most out of your blue ray disc player, you should hook it up to an HDTV. If you bought your TV in recent years, there is a good chance that it is a high definition television. The best HD TVs will be 1080p or 1080i. Older models may be 480p or 720p. They are still high definition, but not as high quality.
Blu-ray discs may look a lot like DVDs, but they store more data. A single layer blu-ray disc holds 25 GB and a dual one can hold 50 GB. The resolution of blu-ray is six times greater than DVD resolution.
If you buy a blu-ray disc player, you'll be happy to know that your DVD collection does not become obsolete. Although DVDs will never be in high definition, your blu-ray disc player can not only play your DVDs, they can also upconvert them.
Save $70 on the Sony BDP-S550 Today
Blu-Ray For Christmas
Blu-ray disc players will be a hot item this holiday season as they have become more affordable and some models are even as cheap as more expensive DVD players. Some families who already own a blu-ray disc player will be giving their older models to their teens as gifts, while others may buy cheaper models for their teenagers' Christmas presents.
The Sony BDP-S550 is not a model to be hidden away in the basement or a teen's room. It is a model that was released earlier this fall and is a mid-priced blu-ray disc player. It is a good Christmas gift for your husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend, mom, or dad.
Save $70 on the Sony BDP-S550 Today
The Sony BDP-S550 is not a model to be hidden away in the basement or a teen's room. It is a model that was released earlier this fall and is a mid-priced blu-ray disc player. It is a good Christmas gift for your husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend, mom, or dad.
Save $70 on the Sony BDP-S550 Today
by Marc_d
I'm an early adaptor of new technology and love to write reviews and share what I know. (more)
