Sony BDPS550 Blu-ray Disc Player

Sony BDP-S550 Blu-Ray DVD Player

Strengths: picture and audio quality; ease of use

Weakness: none noted thus far

This Blu-Ray player works remarkably well. Not only does it offer excellent video quality for Blu-Ray discs, but it also upscales DVDs quite ably. In addition, it offers superb audio through the 7.1 analog output, the coaxial digital output, and the HDMI output. Finally, it loads Blu-Ray discs quite speedily.

By Motivation - Jan 3, 2009

One Great Blu-ray Player That Does It All

Strengths: Decodes all 7.1 next-gen audio formats, BD Profile 2.0, backlit remote, quick start up, remaining time display

Weakness: Set up menu stays on desktop

If you're looking for a Blu-ray player that can do it all, check out the Sony BDP-S550 player. It's got a ton of improvements over Sony's (and the competition's) previous models. It can internally decode all 7.1 next-gen audio formats. This is the player that will easily let you play Dolby TrueHD as well as dtsHD Master Audio soundtracks. It is Profile 2.0 capable right out of the box. No...
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If you're looking for a Blu-ray player that can do it all, check out the Sony BDP-S550 player.

It's got a ton of improvements over Sony's (and the competition's) previous models. It can internally decode all 7.1 next-gen audio formats. This is the player that will easily let you play Dolby TrueHD as well as dtsHD Master Audio soundtracks.

It is Profile 2.0 capable right out of the box. No upgrades required (at least not right now!). With the built-in network port, upgrades are a snap.

Sony's previous players (except the 350) had slow loading times. The 550 is much quicker. You even have the option of a quick start-up mode, even faster than the default standard one which is fast enough.

Most Blu-ray players display total and elapsed time. This player also features remaining time, crucial if you want to know how much time is left on the disc.

The best feature of the 550 is its price. Although the $399 price tag may seem high to some, actual discounts are closer to $300-$330, which is about $50 higher than the bottom line 350 model. Considering how many extra features you get, it seems like a bargain.

Only down side is Sony's Xcross Media Bar graphic display is always on except for playing discs. You only need to access this menu when you are setting up your system or making changes. Then you only need to display a neat desktop, not one cluttered with icons.

If want a reasonable inexpensive Blu-ray player that can handle all your options now or in the short-term future, the Sony BDP-S550 is the one to get!

The 550 includes a backlit remote, a real improvement if you are using your player in a darkened room.

By dvdirv - Oct 24, 2008

Search no more!

Strengths: Really! I don't get to excited about products generally, but this Blu-ray PRODUCES! Just as advertised. Beautiful!

Weakness: Have not found any yet. But all Blu-rays take alittle time to load, but according to the media and my personal testing, this is one of the fastest in its class!

Excellent value for the price. Setup is fairly easy. Make sure if you are using the DTS/Dolby Digital settings, that you put it in the correct format; ex. PCM or Auto mode. Had to play with settings to get my Denon to respond to the DTS/DD signal, but works wonderfully. I am considering upgrading receivers this year and am looking for one with DTS HD/DD +/Dolby True HD/etc. I cannot believe that...
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Excellent value for the price. Setup is fairly easy. Make sure if you are using the DTS/Dolby Digital settings, that you put it in the correct format; ex. PCM or Auto mode. Had to play with settings to get my Denon to respond to the DTS/DD signal, but works wonderfully. I am considering upgrading receivers this year and am looking for one with DTS HD/DD +/Dolby True HD/etc. I cannot believe that it would make a huge difference, but we will see.

By anonymous; - Jan 27, 2009

Sony BDP-S550

THE GOOD: Excellent image quality on Blu-ray Discs; Profile 2.0 compliant; onboard decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, plus bit-stream output; 7.1 analog-audio outputs; 1GB USB drive included in box. THE BAD: PlayStation 3 may still offer a better value for some buyers; competing players offer more features or lower prices. THE BOTTOM LINE: The Sony BDP-S550 offers excellent image...
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By cnet.com - Nov 17, 2008

Sony BDP-S550

The Sony BDP-S550 is one of the newest Blu-ray players to be released by Sony, and the first player by Sony to support the Profile 2.0 standard. The player features BD-Live, PiP, 1GB of storage, and 7.1 discrete analog outputs. It is the successor of the BDP-S500. The biggest difference between this higher-end model and the S350 is the inclusion of on-board HD audio decoding with 7.1 analog outs....
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By productwiki.com - Sep 19, 2009