Sharp BD-HP50U

A couple of years ago, Blu-ray players were highly criticized for being expensive and not boasting enough features to convince even the biggest movie fanatics to make the switch. Now that the Blu-ray remains as the only mainstream high-definition format available and the increasing support of the Blu-ray technology by the top companies of the movie industry, mainstream brands are moving forward including Sharp with the Sharp BD-HP50 Blu-ray disc player being introduced as one of the midrange Blu-ray players.

Sharp BD-HP50U Blu-ray Player

Design

The Sharp BD-HP50 Blu-ray disc player clearly tries to impress with looks here and the end result isn’t so bad for people that want a flashy Blu-ray player. What separates these from the rest of the players design-wise are the two circles found on the center of the player bearing the DVD and Blu-ray logos respectively. In its off state, these logos look like miniaturized versions of the standard discs, but once the player is turned on and a disc is inserted, the corresponding logo lights up serving as an indicator on which format is inside the player. The tray is concealed within the door on the right, which opens downward when the open/close button is pressed. On the left side are the logos comprising of audio formats and the power button.

Features

Although it bears the midrange price tag, the Sharp Aqous BD-HP50 doesn’t have an Ethernet port making it impossible to take advantage of the BD-Live features that are present in the later titles. However, it manages to squeeze in the Profile 1.1 specification, which is still good to take advantage of the Bonus View features and works well when used with the AQUOS LINK functionality using the HDMI connection that it comes equipped with. The HDMI when combined with DVDs produce better images too thanks to the DVD up scaling to achieve backwards compatibility.

Fortunately, the BD-HP50 is modern in some aspects with high fidelity audio support which means 7.1 channel digital surround sound all in its lossless glory. It also supports the popular Dolby formats including Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, and DTS HD Advanced Digital Output. There is also an RS-232 port for custom installations.

Performance

The BD-HP50 fairly excels in terms of performance thanks to the Quick Start technology, which allows the player to start up a Blu-ray title in around 10 seconds, which is exceptional, and the Full HD resolution and Deep Color support looks good with nice contrast and sharpening.

Extra Features

There is a built-in JPEG viewer that can read CD formats with photos in them. These photos are presented in a slideshow format for viewing pleasure. Although there is a USB port in the back, it is strictly used for firmware updates.

Bottom Line

The Sharp BD-HP50 Blu-ray disc player surprisingly doesn’t have many special features to offer, but some may appreciate the design of the player and the seamless operation when paired with AQUOS TVs. There is nothing particularly bad about the player if the lack of Ethernet port isn’t a big deal.

Actual user review:
“Awesome pictures both in Blu Ray and up-converted DVDs. Fast Startup. Blu Ray operability is easy and Pop-up Menu provides flexibility during playback. HDMI connectivity makes seamless operation with our Sharp LC-42D64U 1080P (LCD) television (one controller operates both). Comparison with Sony, Samsung, etc., revealed the Sharp as a top competitor with excellent specifications. For audio fans, this unit will satisfy 5.1 and 7.1 (with HDMI) performance. An attractive unit with lots of flexibility (besides all the standard connections for audio and video, the unit also has a usb connector for firmware update, a RS232 port allows computer-controlled operation, etc.). Recommended” – W.Engelken (TX,USA)

Click Here for Latest Offer on Sharp BD-HP50U
Enjoy Free Shipping & Secure Shopping