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Sony Shows Two ‘Interactive’ Blu-ray Players
The BDP-S350 and the BDP-S550 are capable of accessing the Internet and downloading additional content.
Sony’s BDP-S550 supports Profile 2.0, including BD-Live and Bonus View interactive features.
Sony Home Products Division made its first major public appearance since the high-definition DVD format essentially ended last week.
What a perfect time to unveil two Blu-ray Disc players with interactive capabilities, Sony executives must have thought.
During its 2008 "Open House" event for press and dealers in Las Vegas on Tuesday, Sony announced the BDP-S350 (estimated to ship in the summer for $400) and the BDP-S550 (estimated to ship in the fall for $500).
Sony used the event to play up the two models' access to interactive features like its Bonus View or BD-Live (also called Profile 2.0).
Both models support Bonus View or picture-in-picture, which can be utilized with compatible features on some new Blu-ray movie releases.
BD-Live allows Blu-ray players to access the Internet and find Web-based interactive content features. What that content will be is up to the movie studios.
The BDP-S350 is only BD-Live ready and features an Ethernet port for getting firmware updates. The BDP-S550 will already be BD-Live capable when it's estimated to ship in the fall. Rob Rodriguez, product manager, home video, expects studios to ramp up their disc-related Web interactive content before that time.
Both units have an external port so users can plug in a USB flash disc and save interactive content. The BDP-S550 comes with a 1GB storage device, but the BDP-S350 doesn't.
Users can put their own storage device into the units, larger than 1GB if they choose. Rodriguez estimates that the 1GB storage can probably save five to 10 minutes of deleted scenes, for instance.
The interactive features, according to Chris Fawcett, vice president of marketing for Sony Electronics' Home Product Division, "bring home movie experience beyond the cinema and into a whole new realm of entertainment."
The players feature 1080/60p and 24p True Cinema output. They are compatible with most standard DVDs and feature 1080p upscaling through an HDMI connection to capable HDTV sets, according to a Sony press release.
Also from the press release: "The models offer 7.1 channel Dolby TrueHD and Dolby Digital Plus decoding and bit-stream output, as well as dts-HD High Resolution Audio and Master Audio bit-stream output. The BDP-S550 adds dts-HD High Resolution Audio and dts-HD Master Audio decoding as well as 7.1 channel analog audio output."
Both players appear thinner and smaller than previous models, but dimensions weren't made available.
What a perfect time to unveil two Blu-ray Disc players with interactive capabilities, Sony executives must have thought.
During its 2008 "Open House" event for press and dealers in Las Vegas on Tuesday, Sony announced the BDP-S350 (estimated to ship in the summer for $400) and the BDP-S550 (estimated to ship in the fall for $500).
Sony used the event to play up the two models' access to interactive features like its Bonus View or BD-Live (also called Profile 2.0).
Both models support Bonus View or picture-in-picture, which can be utilized with compatible features on some new Blu-ray movie releases.
BD-Live allows Blu-ray players to access the Internet and find Web-based interactive content features. What that content will be is up to the movie studios.
The BDP-S350 is only BD-Live ready and features an Ethernet port for getting firmware updates. The BDP-S550 will already be BD-Live capable when it's estimated to ship in the fall. Rob Rodriguez, product manager, home video, expects studios to ramp up their disc-related Web interactive content before that time.
Both units have an external port so users can plug in a USB flash disc and save interactive content. The BDP-S550 comes with a 1GB storage device, but the BDP-S350 doesn't.
Users can put their own storage device into the units, larger than 1GB if they choose. Rodriguez estimates that the 1GB storage can probably save five to 10 minutes of deleted scenes, for instance.
The interactive features, according to Chris Fawcett, vice president of marketing for Sony Electronics' Home Product Division, "bring home movie experience beyond the cinema and into a whole new realm of entertainment."
The players feature 1080/60p and 24p True Cinema output. They are compatible with most standard DVDs and feature 1080p upscaling through an HDMI connection to capable HDTV sets, according to a Sony press release.
Also from the press release: "The models offer 7.1 channel Dolby TrueHD and Dolby Digital Plus decoding and bit-stream output, as well as dts-HD High Resolution Audio and Master Audio bit-stream output. The BDP-S550 adds dts-HD High Resolution Audio and dts-HD Master Audio decoding as well as 7.1 channel analog audio output."
Both players appear thinner and smaller than previous models, but dimensions weren't made available.
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About the Author
Tom LeBlanc, Senior Writer/Technology Editor, CE Pro
Tom has been covering consumer electronics for six years. Before that, he wrote for the sports department of the Boston Herald. Migrating to magazines, he was a staff editor for a golf publication and an outdoor sports publication. Now, as senior writer/technology editor of CE Pro magazine since 2003, he dabbles in all departments and offers expertise in marketing. Follow him on Twitter @leblanctom.
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