Sony BDP-S550 1080p Blu-ray Player

The future of Blu-ray technology is here with the BDP-S550 and BD-Live. The BDP-S550 comes equipped with a built in Ethernet port and 1GB of memory on board (There is a USB port for additional Memory if needed as well) to allow you to access specially created content on your BD-Live enabled Blu-ray Disc Movie from the comfort of your Home Theater. Whether you are viewing upcoming trailers, playing a game with your friends, or just downloading a new ring-tone to your phone, BD-Live takes the movie experience to a whole new level. You still get the amazing picture performance of Full 1080/24p output and incredible upscaling up to 1080p for your DVD collection via the HDMI connection. Plus, to add to the great Home Theater experience, you get full bitstream output or, if you choose, internal decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD (Master Audio and High Resolution). To further the connectivity to your existing system, the BDP-S550 has a full 7.1 analog output for older receivers. Making all these wonderful features easy to access is the new Xross Media Bar� menu system, which is an icon based menu system for simple navigation. BRAVIA sync is also included which allows for easy one-button operation when connected via HDMI to other compatible Sony TV and Audio products. The BDP-S550 brings the world of BD-Live and Blu-ray to life!

Amazon.com Product Description Bring home the future of Blu-ray Disc technology with BD-Live and the BDP-S550 Blu-ray Disc player. The S550 is the step-up model to Sony's BDP-S350. It adds a gigabyte of onboard memory, so you can enjoy expanded Blu-ray capabilities like BD-Live interactive features right out of the box, and dts-HD compatibility for studio-quality sound. BD-Live takes your movie experience to a whole new level. Download and stream bonus content such as additional scenes, shorts, trailers and movie-based games. Equipped with a built-in Ethernet port, the BDP-S550 makes it easy to access specially created BD-Live content and Bonus View features. 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 outputs a Full 1080/24p True Cinema picture and  upscales your existing DVD collection to 1080p when using the HDMI connection. Dolby TrueHD/DTS-HD delivers studio master quality audio which is designed specifically for high definition entertainment. Make the most of all of these features with the icon-based Xcross Media Bar, which provides simple navigation of the player's menu system. Key Features Slim chassis True 1080p Output (Learn more) 7.1 Channel Dolby Sound , Dolby TrueHD and dts-HD (Master Audio and High Resolution Audio) (Learn more) 1 Gb of onboard memory and a USB Port Allows More Storage for Access to More Special Features, Like Bonus View (Learn More) Ethernet connection for BD-Live Compatibility and firmware updates (Learn more) Higher Bit Rates mean less video compression (Learn more) Emmy-Award Winning Xross Media Bar Interface (Learn More) Bravia Sync for Easy Connectivity (Learn More) Learn More More Picture See Everything Your HDTV Can Show You with Full HD. 6 Times the Picture Data on DVDs See everything your HDTV can show you. Blu-ray Disc's Full HD 1080p resolution produces over 2 million pixels per frame to produce a razor-sharp picture with unmatched depth and clarity that takes full advantage of the capabilities of today's 1080p HDTVs. That's six times the picture data contained on DVDs, which are encoded at only 480p. 24p True Cinema Video Output Most of all Hollywood movies are shot at 24 frames per second, and Blu-ray Disc movies are mastered at 24 frame per second, so it is only fitting that the Sony Blu-ray Disc Players can output your films at 1080/24p for a true film-like experience at home. Of course, Sony Blu-ray Disc Players can also output at 1080/60p for more traditional HDTV sets on the market. Either way Sony has you covered for the best picture possible in Full 1080p. Backwards compatible and Upscaling All existing Blu-ray Disc players will play your standard DVD collection without a problem. And with built-in 1080p video upscaling, they'll look even better. More Bits In the digital world, picture quality is not just about resolution, but also about bit rates. The higher the bit rate, the more data that is processed, typically resulting in higher video quality. DVDs have a maximum video bit rate of about 10 megabits per second (Mbps). In comparison, Blu-ray Disc is capable of video bitrates up to an incredible 40 Mbps. The bottom line, higher bit rates allow for the least amount of data compression for HD video that looks closest to the original video source. More Sound Dolby TrueHD internal decoding and bitstream output via HDMI for the Dolby TrueHD and dts-HD (Master Audio and High Resolution Audio) codes delivers studio quality audio designed specifically for high definition entertainment like Blu-ray Disc movies, with up to 7.1 channels of surround sound that is virtually indistinguishable from the original studio version. 7.1 channel analog output provides connectivity to older receivers, making the player compatible with your existing audio system with 7.1 analog inputs. The BDP-S550 is compatible with Dolby TrueHD, Dolby’s next-generation lossless technology developed for high-definition disc-based media. Dolby TrueHD delivers tantalizing sound that is bit-for-bit identical to the studio master, unlocking the true high-definition entertainment experience on next-generation discs. When coupled with high-definition video, Dolby TrueHD offers an unprecedented home theater experience that lets you enjoy sound as stunning as the high-definition picture. Delivers enthralling studio-master-quality sound that unlocks the true high-definition entertainment experience on next-generation discs. Offers more discrete channels than ever before for impeccable surround sound. Compatible with the A/V receivers and home-theaters-in-a-box (HTIBs) of today and tomorrow. Dialogue normalization maintains the same volume level when you change to other Dolby Digital and Dolby TrueHD programming. Dynamic range control (Night mode) enables you to customize audio playback to reduce peak volume levels (no loud surprises) while experiencing all the details in the soundtrack, enabling late-night viewing of high-energy surround sound without disturbing others. Xross Media Bar Xross (pronounced Cross) is Sony's Technical-Emmy award-winning graphic user interface for Sony WEGA and BRAVIA televisions and PS3 and PSX game systems. The interface features category icons spread horizontally across the screen that organize the viewing options (TV, Music, Internet, Tools, etc...). When a category icon is selected on the horizontal bar, a vertical bar appears showing the viewing options within that category. Using the directional pad on your remote, you can easily maneuver horizontally from category to category, then scroll vertically through individual viewing options to easily navigate through the wide range of programming available on today's televisions. BD-Live BD-Live is a Blu-ray feature that enables you to access  special content via an internet-connected Blu-ray player. Because it's not coded into the disc, BD-Live content is always updated, always fresh. With BD-Live, your Blu-ray disc is different every time you view it. Check out the latest previews,  download special scenes, exclusive features and ringtones, and participate in online communities or games. As BD-Live continues to grow and expand, even more features will become available, customizing features and content to your location or preferences. More Space Blu-ray Disc has 5x more storage capacity than DVD, which allows more content to fit on the disc. The extra storage capacity also means more room for special features like inline navigation, Bonus View, interactive games, deleted scenes, director commentary and more Navigate to special features, other scenes, or settings without leaving the content you are watching. Bonus View lets you watch special features and commentary inline without leaving the movie. HDMI Features x.v Color RGB Color Range xvYCC Color Range Thanks to the adoption of a newly approved international color standard called xvYCC (an option in the HDMI v1.3 spec and which Sony participated in creating), the color space has been greatly expanded. All Sony XBR HDTVs support the xvYCC color profile (Extended YCC Colorimetry for Video Applications), or "x.v. color" for short. Standard RGB color space allows the display of a portion of the colors that are viewable to the human eye. The next generation "xvYCC" color space actually offers  an available range of colors that exceeds what human eyes can recognize. Next-generation "xvYCC" color space supports 1.8 times as many colors as existing HDTV signals Lets HDTVs display colors more accurately Enables displays with more natural and vivid colors Deep Color So, where x.v. color expands the available range of colors your HDTV can display, Deep Color increases the number of colors your HDTV can display within that range, for smoother transitions from color to color. Lets HDTVs and other displays go from millions of colors to billions of colors Eliminates on-screen color banding, for smooth tonal transitions and subtle gradations between colors Enables increased contrast ratio Can represent many times more shades of gray between black and white Connectivity As a leader in products with HDMI connectivity, Sony has created BRAVIA Sync to gobeyond simple audio and video transmission. When combined with a select number of BRAVIA televisions and other Sony audio and video products, in addition to audio and video transmission, control functions will betransmitted via the HDMI cable. With "One Touch Play," operations that took several steps have been reduced to one. Press the PLAY button on the remote, watch the audio and/or the video component(s) turn on then the BRAVIA television turn on and switch to the correct video input–Simple–Easy–BRAVIA Sync. Inputs and Outputs Analog Audio Output(s) : 2 Channel: 1 (Rear) Coaxial Audio Digital Output(s) : 1 (Rear) Component Video (Y/Pb/Pr) Output(s) : (Y/Pb/Pr) OUtput(s): 1 (Rear) Composite Video Output(s) : 1 (Rear) Optical Audio Output(s) : 1 (Rear) S-Video Output(s) : 1 (Rear) Ether port for firmware updates USB port for BD-Live External Memory Specifications Weights and Measurements Dimensions (Approx.): 17 inches x 8 3/4 inches x 2 3/4 inches (430 x 220 x 70 mm) Weight (Approx.): 7 lbs 4 oz (3.3Kg) Audio Features Dolby: Yes & Dolby TrueHD bitstream out over HDMI (V1.3) Dolby Digital plus Decoding: Yes Dolby TrueHD Decoding : Yes dts Decoding: Yes dts Output: Yes dts-HD Decoding: Yes LPCM: Yes (multi channel decoder): Yes (HDMI bitstream out) Dolby True HD bitstream output: Yes dts HD bitstream output: Yes Capability CD: Yes DVD: Yes Video Features BD-R/RE Read Compatibility: Yes (BDMV & BDAV format) BD-ROM: Yes DVD+R Read Compatibility: Yes DVD+RW Read Compatibility: Yes DVD-R Read Compatibility: Yes (Video Mode and VR Mode) DVD-RW Read Compatibility: Yes (Video Mode and VR Mode) JPEG Playback: Yes x.v.Color Technology: Yes

The picture and sound quality were great....while they lasted. At 14 months, the unit developed a problem of freezing up after just a few minutes play. This unit has only seen moderate use and has always been plugged into a good surge protector. The only solution offered by Sony was to exchange the unit for a refurbished one at a cost of $152.99, which is more than the cost of several new players on the market today, and only a few dollars cheaper than buying a refurb unit of the same model at retail. I can understand an occasional product failure, but when you pay well over $300 for a piece of electronics, I would expect the manufacturer to stand behind the product better by offering a good discount on repair or replacement exchange when a unit dies so soon after the warranty period--especially when a little internet research shows that my experience with the unit is not an isolated incident. This is an inferior quality product, backed with inferior service and an attitude of 'we don't care about the customer's satisfaction'. I will never buy another Sony product.

when it worked was a fantastic blu ray player picture is amazing sound was quite good also. however 1 month after warranty expired unit stopped playing blu rays and sony customer service was useless one day website stated i could exchange for 1 dollar fee plus shipping. called the next day and was told $120 to even have it looked at and the website now says 152.99 for exchange. i will be purchasing a new player rather than have this one fixed and it most certainly will not be a sony product. never again a sony!

I purchased this Sony BDP-S550 over a year ago because of the reviews and because Sony had won the Blu-ray contest with other formats. I'm a big fan of Sony products but I've had my share of problems. This player has played my Blu-ray DVDs very well but then again, I'd say I've only watched less than ten actual Blu-ray movies during the time that I've had this player. A week ago, I'm watching a Blu-ray movie and all of sudden near the end of the movie, it stops and freezes. I went through trying to start the movie again and decided that the disc must be bad so I took the disc back to the store and got the same title. This time, the movie won't load at all. I tried other Blu-ray discs that I had along with other standard DVD titles and nothing works. I then purchased a lens cleaner. The cleaner did ok but still, no discs will play. I contacted Sony for assistance. To fix it, I have to ship it to a Sony authorized dealer for $112.00. I don't know if I am going to ship it or get another Sony player. But I'm leaning towards getting another player like the Panasonic. I've seen other situations where just after the warranty runs out, the device goes bad. Mine is one month over a year old and now no player and no warranty. Lastly, I've read online that this is a common problem with this player. What the problem is remains elusive. Still a good player...when it works...and mine doesn't...and I'm not happy.

When I bought this, it was the most recent one available. So it does what it's supposed to, it plays Blu Ray discs and DVDs and upscales them. It also lets you change the output video quality to 720p or 1080i or 1080p etcetera. This is very helpful as the TV I use can technically support 1080p, but its native resolution is 720p. As a result, playing Blu Rays on 1080p tends to have the picture suffer some scratching or tearing things which are very unremarkable and the average viewer would never be able to notice. So that's it, really. What drags this down a star is its problems and little "quirks". The load speed. Maybe its how all Blu Ray players are these days, but the speed is atrociously slow. I wouldn't have any frame of reference though, as this is my first Blu Ray player. I would not be surprised if older players were even slower than this. Or maybe it just has to do with the size of the disc being inserted---example, inserting a disc of Star Trek the Original Series tends to take up to 30 seconds to load, but never any longer. To distract us, though, it shows us a tiny little wireframe Enterprise shooting phasers! One of the biggest gripes I have, though, is its autoload. I have some ideas as to how this work, but here is the summary: It works sometimes. When I open up the Blu Ray after first turning it on, load in a new disc, close it, it will load... if the TV is not on, or if it's turned on to normal TV. If I unload a disc and load in a new one while on the Blu Ray menu, it will NOT auto-load, and instead I need to select BD-ROM and press Ok in orderfor it to load. This gets troublesome. One odd quirk which I don't think is very serious, nor that many people would take note of, is a tendency, during a Blu Ray movie, out of literally nowhere, for the movie to pause. Not freeze, not stop, but pause, as in, the movie pauses and there's the II symbol for pause on-screen. This is easily corrected by pressing the "Play" button. This has happened to me quite frequently, but not nearly enough to be of significant nuisance. Another big huge problem which is easily resolved is the volume. For some odd reason, every Blu Ray played on this player is inherently low on volume. For reference, on my HTS, during normal TV, a volume of 10 would be very low, a volume of 16-18 is averagely loud. A volume of 25 is very loud. With my DVD player on, 16-18 is loud, and 25 is extremely loud. By contrast, 16-18 is virtually inaudible on the Blu Ray player. A volume of 25 is of decent sound, and 21 is soft. 30 is around the reasonable volume for a cinematic experience with loud sounds. I will personally beat over the head anyone who watches a movie with me at this volume, then after its done, changes back to the television without lowering the volume. The menu is quite good, not only easy but almost fun to navigate, as I feel like I might find some as of yet unexplored options to make for a different or more unique movie experience. Downloads happen fast and quick and efficient. It plays. That's pretty much what it should do and it does it. I have no regrets and I would buy it again if it broke.

System worked fine for 10 months. Then it stopped recognizing blu-ray discs, even discs from our collection that it had played on numerous occasions before. SONY support says it isn't an uncommon problem and it needs to be sent to Texas for repair. Even though it is still under warranty, the cost of shipping makes it hardly worth it. I expect more than 10 months of use from a $350 product.