Sony BDP-S550

The Sony Playstation 3 is a popular choice among gamers because it also doubles as a Blu-ray player as well, but people that cannot afford the price and do not need a gaming console can always opt for a more affordable and dedicated Blu-ray player like the Sony BDP-S550 Blu-ray player. The Sony BDP-S550 is one of the latest standalone Blu-ray players out there and incorporates a great feature set making it a great addition to any Sony or non-Sony home theater system.

Sony BDP-S550 Player Details

Design

The general design of the BDP-S550 is pretty much basic, but the nice gloss finish makes gives the player some visual value. Some of the generic designs used include the disc tray found on the center of the unit which flips down when the tray button is pressed. A clear LCD display is located on the right side with some minimal playback controls and the power and open tray buttons found on the top. The design of the remote control is far by one of the best as there is clear button distinction allowing it to be used in dark environments.

Features

Aside from its usual Blu-ray playback capabilities, the BDP-S550 has the BD-Live support allowing any Internet-enabled features found in most of the latest Blu-ray movies to be accessed if an Ethernet cable is plugged in the port found on the back of the player. It does not have built-in memory so it is required to plug in a USB storage device.

It also has good soundtrack support fully capable of decoding all the commonly used high-res soundtrack formats most notably the DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD formats. It is possible to allow the AV receiver do the decoding work by having the player output the high-resolution without any sacrifices in audio quality.

The connectivity options are pretty broad despite the lack of any wireless options with HDMI output support for 1080p needs as well as component and composite outputs for 1080i and 480p resolution options. 7.1 analog-audio outputs can be found too which is a great feature for those with older receivers.

Actual user review:
“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.” – I.Haas (IN,USA)

Performance

When put to the test, the BDP-S550 does fairly well against the significant tests like the Film Resolution Loss Test and Video Resolution Loss tests. Some of the jaggies tests were passed as well which is why most Blu-ray titles looked good overall. Anyone having an annoyance with jaggies and demand excellent image quality won’t be disappointed by the performance that the BDP-S550 brings. It even doubles as a great DVD player too as it passed some great tests including the 2:3 pulldown test which many players have trouble with.

Extra Features

Because this is a basic Blu-ray player, the Sony BDP-S550 doesn’t really bring much to the table and the lack of other Internet features really shows. However, it does manage to include a Sony Micro Vault Tiny branded USB drive with a 1 GB capacity which is welcome for storing BD-Live content.

Bottom Line

Till the arrival of the new BDP-S560, the Sony BDP-S550 is pretty much the older brother of the BDP-S360 that doesn’t add too much on the price tag and keeps the price lower than the PS3. What matters most is that the image quality delivers making it a fine choice for movie fanatics.

Average User Rating:

• “For a long time, I have been contemplating on getting a Blu-ray player. I’ve been watching the Sony line for the last month or so and I’ve taken in interest in the S350, and the S550. The reason why I got the S550 was because of the analog audio inputs, so that I could get TrueHD and other digital sounds through my older reciever, which can decode Dolby Digital and DTS. Other reasons were because it is future proof, and it comes with the latest upgrade already installed, plus the 1GB flash card is pretty cool.” – B.Ferchaud (CA,USA)
• “This was a Christmas gift for the family. A GREAT Christmas gift. We already had a Samsung 37 inch 720p LCD, and Blu-ray looks tremendous on it. The colors pop off the screen unlike any up-converting DVD player. After watching 4 BDs so far, I really hope Blu-ray comes through. It is just like having your own theater in your home. Picture and sound are phenomenal.” – I.Guy (IL,USA)

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