Sony breaks out 'mass market' Blu-ray players
HD for all
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IFA 07 High-definition at home is the big theme at the IFA consumer electronics show this year with a myriad of media players and a titanic turnout of new TVs. Not to be left out, Sony announced two new Blu-ray Disc players: the BDP-S300 and the BDP-S500.
Sony's BDP-S300 (top) and BDP-S500
The BDP-S300 is being marketed for the mainstream and will be priced accordingly. The BDP-S500 is a high-end alternative aimed at customers with a bit more mazuma to invest in their definitive HD viewing experience.
Both come with a complimentary copy of the Spider-Man trilogy on Blu-ray disc... after registration of the product and completion of a customer questionnaire online.
Both models support 1080p over HDMI 1.3 and output 7.1-channel Linear PCM and Dolby Digital Plus surround sound. The BDP-S500 also supports Dolby True decoding and Bit Stream Output for DTS-HD1 and Dolby True.
Both models also support a wide variety of formats and media, including the still centrally important CD. In addition each supports BD-ROM, DVD, and DVD video playback from DVD/DVD±R/RW encoded discs, as well as MP3 audio files and JPEG images stored on DVD. The BDP-S500 will also support BD-R/RE discs.
The BDP-S300 will be available mid September and the BDP-S500 from the end of October. Unfortunately, pricing details weren't available.
COMMENTS
What's missing...
...is a standardisation.
Something that has been present in HD DVD from the start which is why more places are becoming exclusive...
Have you heard the one about the first gen players being unable to play new discs when v1.1 comes in to force.
Buy a dual format player
Then, after a couple of years when one format is dominant, find that dual format quietly disappears and half of your movies are unplayable on most new machines. Better be gentle with that old dual format job and count the hours on that oh-so-reliable blue laser diode.
Nope, only go the dual format route if the hacks are there to transfer content from one format to the other. Lets hope AACS turns out to suck as much as CSS.
dual format players are the only way to go
the only way I'd buy a BR player is in a PS/3 because at least if BR dies like betamax did, then at least you've got a useful games console.
however, if hd-dvd dies and you bought the adaptor for the xbox, there's a chance you could get a BR drive for the xbox!
unless you don't care about blowing at least $400 on a potentially dead-end player, either rent one if you must, or splash the extra and get the dual format player.
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