http://hd.engadget.com/2006/12/08/sony-bdp-s1-blu-ray-player-reviewed/ Engadget HD Comments for Sony BDP-S1 Blu-ray player reviewed http://hd.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://hd.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://hd.engadget.com/2006/12/08/sony-bdp-s1-blu-ray-player-reviewed/http://hd.engadget.com/2006/12/08/sony-bdp-s1-blu-ray-player-reviewed/
While the Sony BDP-S1 takes some time to load and play discs and the occasional soft pops are not desired, the overall outstanding picture performance and quality of construction warrant it a ♥♥♥♥ rating , a best value in its class, the HD Guru says “Buy It”. Check it out. ]]>Dec 8th 2006 6:10PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2006/12/08/sony-bdp-s1-blu-ray-player-reviewed/http://hd.engadget.com/2006/12/08/sony-bdp-s1-blu-ray-player-reviewed/Dec 8th 2006 6:15PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2006/12/08/sony-bdp-s1-blu-ray-player-reviewed/http://hd.engadget.com/2006/12/08/sony-bdp-s1-blu-ray-player-reviewed/http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/HD_DVD_Studio_Support]]>Dec 8th 2006 7:08PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2006/12/08/sony-bdp-s1-blu-ray-player-reviewed/http://hd.engadget.com/2006/12/08/sony-bdp-s1-blu-ray-player-reviewed/
I wouldn’t call it crap, although, I don’t see the point in buying this unit over a PS3 (if I was in the market for a BRD player). PS3 supply constraints notwithstanding obviously. The same holds true for every other BRD player actually. With Sony positioning the PS3 at around the half grand mark, that pretty much screws over all the BRD manufacturers. It harms Blu Ray more so than help if you really think about it.]]>Dec 10th 2006 1:39AMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2006/12/08/sony-bdp-s1-blu-ray-player-reviewed/http://hd.engadget.com/2006/12/08/sony-bdp-s1-blu-ray-player-reviewed/
Oh look, it's more of Sony's "We'll be good later!" stuff. *laugh*
]]>Dec 8th 2006 9:02PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2006/12/08/sony-bdp-s1-blu-ray-player-reviewed/http://hd.engadget.com/2006/12/08/sony-bdp-s1-blu-ray-player-reviewed/
Did anyone mention that you can get pay $500 for a PS3 (same price of the HD-A2 but with HDMI 1.3, a 20GB hard drive, 8 processors, and 1080p/24fps & upconversion coming soon). The HD-A2 is just an illogical choice over the PS3. The HD-XA2 ($999) is now more expensive than the $799 Samsung player (Best Buy). The HD-XA2 still only does 1080p/60fps and not 1080p/24fps directly off the disc. The only plus is the ethernet cable and HDMI 1.3. The advanced audio decoders are already built into the player so you really don't benefit from HDMI 1.3.

By the way HD DVD players aren't selling in retail chain stores. Microsoft's smear campaign is really great. HD DVD has almost no news of their own. They just try to spin Blu-ray news to their advantage. I wonder if people are smart enough to see all of this.]]>Dec 9th 2006 3:10AMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2006/12/08/sony-bdp-s1-blu-ray-player-reviewed/http://hd.engadget.com/2006/12/08/sony-bdp-s1-blu-ray-player-reviewed/
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=764683

(note that the official release date is supposed to be December 14th, but some stores are letting them go early).]]>Dec 9th 2006 11:06AMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2006/12/08/sony-bdp-s1-blu-ray-player-reviewed/http://hd.engadget.com/2006/12/08/sony-bdp-s1-blu-ray-player-reviewed/
Maybe because Sony has delayed this unit almost a half dozen times. When you announce a product, then delay it over and over again, people are a lot less lenient towards it.

“Did anyone mention that you can get pay $500 for a PS3 (same price of the HD-A2 but with HDMI 1.3, a 20GB hard drive, 8 processors, and 1080p/24fps & upconversion coming soon). The HD-A2 is just an illogical choice over the PS3. The HD-XA2 ($999) is now more expensive than the $799 Samsung player (Best Buy). The HD-XA2 still only does 1080p/60fps and not 1080p/24fps directly off the disc. The only plus is the ethernet cable and HDMI 1.3. The advanced audio decoders are already built into the player so you really don't benefit from HDMI 1.3.”

If you said this to me a year or two from now, I might have understood where you were going with this, but at this point in time, the PS3’s benefits for the Blu Ray format isn’t there but rather, I’ll say that it’s harming Blu Ray as a whole. For those wanting a Blu Ray player, who in their right mind would buy an $800 BRD only player when you can get a $500 BRD + Game player. Now with PS3 availability problems, this also adds to the problem as well. There hasn’t been a dramatic shift (or any news of) Blu Ray software flying off the shelves even with almost 1/2 million PS3 units already out there.

“By the way HD DVD players aren't selling in retail chain stores.”

Would you elaborate a bit more on this? Are you saying this as a personal observation or was there some “official” news on this?]]>Dec 10th 2006 1:57AMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2006/12/08/sony-bdp-s1-blu-ray-player-reviewed/http://hd.engadget.com/2006/12/08/sony-bdp-s1-blu-ray-player-reviewed/Dec 9th 2006 5:43AMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2006/12/08/sony-bdp-s1-blu-ray-player-reviewed/http://hd.engadget.com/2006/12/08/sony-bdp-s1-blu-ray-player-reviewed/
I've determined that if Blu-Ray stomps HD-DVD into oblivion, we'd be losing the best HD Picture quality in favor of a lesser (but possibly more "promising") format. Who ever hear of buying for potential when it is so painfully obviously an inferior format NOW. I bought into the Blu-Ray hype myself, the best I should have done is either trust my eyes and buy HD-DVD or wait until Blu-Ray is as it promised it would be. Heck, even Sony's exec's have lost their jobs over the Blu-Ray debacle (and that wasn't the result of Microsoft's so-called smear campaign)!

Studio support? Heck, they'll go where you go. Even Sony would put its movies out HD-DVD if BR didn't sell. The question then is, why do people buy on promises/specualtion when the competition has what you want today? It's like buying a Fort Escort on the promise that someday it'll be exchanged out by the manufacturer for a Porsche...then pulling up next to a Corvette and revving your engine and saying, "Yeah, but someday it'll be a Porsche!"]]>Dec 9th 2006 8:55AMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2006/12/08/sony-bdp-s1-blu-ray-player-reviewed/http://hd.engadget.com/2006/12/08/sony-bdp-s1-blu-ray-player-reviewed/
I would LOVE to find one on the shelves.]]>Dec 9th 2006 1:42PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2006/12/08/sony-bdp-s1-blu-ray-player-reviewed/http://hd.engadget.com/2006/12/08/sony-bdp-s1-blu-ray-player-reviewed/http://www.jr.com/ they still have some instock online.]]>Dec 9th 2006 10:08PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2006/12/08/sony-bdp-s1-blu-ray-player-reviewed/http://hd.engadget.com/2006/12/08/sony-bdp-s1-blu-ray-player-reviewed/Dec 9th 2006 2:16PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2006/12/08/sony-bdp-s1-blu-ray-player-reviewed/http://hd.engadget.com/2006/12/08/sony-bdp-s1-blu-ray-player-reviewed/Dec 13th 2006 10:36AMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2006/12/08/sony-bdp-s1-blu-ray-player-reviewed/http://hd.engadget.com/2006/12/08/sony-bdp-s1-blu-ray-player-reviewed/
Personally, if I were in the market for a BRD player, the PS3 would be my choice (assuming it’s available obviously).

I have to disagree with you on the “bigger discs will mean better quality” part. The numerous early adopters have already disproved this. Regardless of size differences, movies on the two formats have been shown to be at best equal (at worst with HD DVD PQ slightly edging Blu ray). The higher storage on Blu ray is relegated to storage of extra features/ longer contents and/or a less efficient codec.

If you remembered back to last year (before the formats released) Blu ray was touted as being “better” (PQ) than HD DVD. They have so far shown that they are (at best) equal. It’s interesting how many people forget that.]]>Dec 13th 2006 3:58PM