BDP-S500 Blu-Ray

Reviews of the BDP-S500 Sony

Below are a selection of reviews of the BDP-S500 blu-ray dvd player.

Review One

"I decided to I wanted a Blu-Ray dvd player that was able to decode HD Audio like Dolby True-HD. I therefore traded in my old BDP-S300 and exchanged it for the higher end model - the BDP-S500.

The BDP-S500 features full internet connectivity via an ethernet connection, another function enjoyed on HD DVD players but completely missing on BD Players.
Obviously being Profile 1.0, the BDP-S500 enjoys none of the features that will be present in Profiles 1.1 or 2.0, nor is it possible to upgrade this player to add these features. As a result when the new Blu-ray discs that have these features come out it will simply be a case of playing the film only for the BDP-S500 and its fellow Profile 1.0 players.

There are a lot of good things about this player though. It decodes Dolby True-HD superbly, giving a deep and very rich sound when played back on my amplifier. Films like 'Close Encounters' and 'The Fifth Element' are amazing, sound is beautifully clear across all the channels with no distortion what-so-ever. Surround sound is superb and is never intrusive. Despite not (yet) being able to play back DTS-HD Master, the BDP S500 can play back DTS-HD as well as normal DTS sound. Both are great and give an impressive audio experience. Visually the BDP-S500 Blu-Ray plays back a stunning 1080p high definition resolution and this fantastic picture is really what HD is about.
Lastly the build quality is really good - it looks and feels well made, and I just love the the motorised front panel that lifts up and down before and after the disc tray opens or closes.

You could say this is a bit of a mixed review. I bought the player for its strengths and was fully aware of its limitations. It has therefore not disappointed me in my expectations of it but just be aware of the Profile 1.0 concerns and others that I've spelt out. You can always go for the BDP-S350. However, if like me, you can do without those features then go ahead and buy one as it's a great HD player which will be even better if it gets its rumoured firmware update to be able to decode DTS-HD Master Audio."

BDP-S500 Blu-Ray

Review Two

"A major reason for me buying a BDP-S500 is that I like the purity of a simple stereo amp. I'm definitely not a fan of surround sound. The BDP-S500 Blu-Ray
has a setting for a 2 speaker set-up which is great, because now I can actually listen to the dialogue in films. My two stereo speakers have dedicated midranges which don't really get used with other players and sound for the 3rd centre speaker normally just gets lost. As an example, during 'The Departed' you cannot hear all the slurring speech usually yet on my BDP-S500 you can hear it extremely clearly and furthermore it is more in the foreground too. Before you would need the volume up so loud just to hear the dialogue before suddenly an action sound would give you a heart attack.

I thought I had a problem with my TV where motion became jagged on slow horizontal panning, but this was actually a problem with a BDP-S300 that I tried out. BD movies don't do that on this new player.

To conclude, I love the picture and sound, it does what it says on the tin, but it is a bit slow and big and Sony has become a bit plasticy."

BDPS300

Review Three

"I purchased my BDP-S500 with Sony tv. The combination together is wonderful. I have upgraded my firmware once and found the instructions from Sony were reasonably complete and the process was fairly easy. It took about half an hour so it's best to do it before you want to watch a film. The instructions are needed too so do not attempt to just run the disc.

Picture quality from the BDPS500 is exceptional. I'm very happy with the upscaling performance from the player. I have a 6.1 setup as opposed to 7.1 (the centre rear speakers are bridged onto one speaker) so I get the general 7.1 experience in my listening area. The imaging and placement are excellent in my viewing area and probably worth the price differential from a BDP-S300. If you're looking for a good middle of the range blu-ray dvd player I have no problem recommending this unit.

Areas where the experience isn't quite so good are the long time for the system to come on. I now have the habit of hitting the open button, going off and doing something and then coming back to drop the disk in. This is most annoying thing about the BDPS500. The instructions aren't as good as I'd like but I guess that goes for a lot of things.

I think most people would be very pleased with this player - certainly if audio and video quality are primary concerns. But with the BDP-S550 around the corner it might be worth having a look at that first."

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