Sony Blu-ray disc player

Sony is a leader in the Blu-ray industry. From being a manufacturer of Blu-ray players, to being a major player in the content side as they are one of the major studios producing Blu-ray content.  In addition, the video game market is also a factor as the PS3 is not just a video game system but a Sony Blu-ray disc player as well.

It is no surprise then that Sony is a leader among current players.  Lets take a look at several of the current models offered by Sony.

Sony Blu-ray disc player - BDP-S350

The Sony BDP-S350 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player is a top selling Blu-ray player that provides a great value for your dollar.  It offers:

• The 350 is capable of internal decoding of Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby True HD, while DTS-HD Master Audio is available as a bitstream to be decoded to a compatible HDMI 1.3 receiver.
• The 350 has 5.1 analog audio outs for connection to a non-HDMI compatible receiver.
• BD-Live
• A sharp, crystal clear 1080p picture.
• 24p True Cinema output that allows the BDP-350 to be set to play 24 frames per second like Hollywood movies for a more filmlike experience.  Of course it can also be set to play at 60 frames per second as well for traditional tv.
• 1080p upscaling of DVDs
• BRAVIA Theater Sync for one touch control of Bravia TV and AV systems.

The BDP-S350 offers a good value with fast boot up and load times.  The picture quality is good, but if you are looking for full decoding of DTS-HD Master Audio you may want to consider the BDP-S550. 

Sony Blu-ray disc player - BDP-S550

The Sony BDP-S550 1080p Blu-ray Player builds on the strengths of the S350 and adds decoding of DTS-HD Master Audio for complete streaming and decoding of all the major surround sound codecs.  circuitry for quicker response and stunning picture quality.

The S550 also adds 7.1 analog audio outs to support HD audio tracks in 7.1 even without an HDMI compatible receiver.  The S550 also has 1 GB of onboard storage.

Sony PLAYSTATION 3

So would any true home theater connoisseur consider a video game system as its primary Blu-ray player?  Well they should as the PS3 is one of the best performing Blu-ray players available at a reasonable cost.  The PlayStation 3 offers:

• Fast boot times.
• Good DVD upscaling.
• Excellent picture quality and audio quality over HDMI. 
• The PS3 decodes Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby TrueHD, but again lacks support for DTS-HD MA. 
• The PS3 is upgradeable and can perform firmware updates through its built in internet connection.
• Obviously the PS3 can also play video games in full high definition for a truly immersive gaming experience

There are some disadvantages with the PS3 as opposed to other stand alone players as the PS3 does not have a front panel display and does not have an IR remote.  It has a bluetooth remote control which is sold seperately.

If you are a home theater owner that is also someone who enjoys a good video game from time to time (or if you have children who are gamers) then the PS3 is an ideal solution for your family's home theater.

As you can see there are a wide variety of Sony Blu-ray disc player options at competitive pricing.  There are additional models set to come out beginning this summer that will offer additional improvements, but if you are looking to add stunning high definition movie experience to your home theater now is as good of time as ever to make the jump to Blu-ray.