IFA 2008 – Sony Unveils Blu-ray Player Line-Up

If prices are any indication, Blu-ray is beginning to reach the mass market. Even players from big brands are becoming more affordable, reaching the €250 mark. Sony is no exception and is unveiling its new Blu-ray players BDP-S350 and BDP-S550, which will cost €330 and €440 respectively. These models are updated versions of the current BDP models S300 and S500.

The BDP-S350 is the entry-level model and can output high definition audio to a compatible AV receiver via HDMI. The player itself can decode Dolby TrueHD and then output to a receiver via HDMI as a linear PCM signal. Sony also promises that standard definition DVDs will also look when played back on the new models. Specifically, a technology Sony’s marketing experts have dubbed “Precision Cinema HD Upscale” is meant to smooth the jagged edges that can appear in moving images.

The more techy crowd will appreciate another feature as well. When the DVD or BD is inserted, the player analyses the rotation of the disc and can compensate in three directions if it determines that the medium is out of balance. According to Sony, this will allow error-free playback.

The Bonus-View picture-in-picture feature is also a new addition compared to the old models, allowing the player to display two videos simultaneously. Sony will offer a firmware update in October which will enable the player to download BD-Live content from the Internet, save it to a USB flash drive and then play it back in parallel to the Blu-ray disc. We have already seen the same underlying strategy with the Playstation. Sony wants users to get accustomed to accessing additional content from their playback devices, citing examples such as reading blogs, taking part in online competitions and raffles and watching movie trailers online. Users could also download additional information about the movie they are watching, such as more background on the production or the actors’ biographies. It stands to reason that for-pay content will be added very soon as well.

Sony has also improved the players’ power consumption, claiming that it was able to reduce the BDP-S350’s power consumption by 43 percent when idle and 21 percent during playback compared to its predecessor S300.

The BDP-S550 is not that different from its “little brother”. Where features are concerned, the main difference is that BD Live and Bonus View are already included from the start. It also adds some audio functionality, offering an additional DTS-HD Master Audio decoder as well as an analog 7.1-channel output for older AV receivers.

Sony is unveiling these models at this year’s IFA in Berlin. The BDP-S350 will cost €329/around $485, while the S550 will come with a price tag of €439/around $650.