Original URL: http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/02/26/sony_bluray_pair/
Sony last night introduced its latest standalone Blu-ray Disc players, both incorporating the latest Blu-ray interactivity features.
Sony's BDP-S350: BD Live coming via firmware update
The BDP-S350 and BDP-S550 both support what Blu-ray calls Bonus View, but is perhaps better known as picture-in-picture. It'll allow disc makers to add visual commentary tracks to movies in place of the old commentary voice-overs of the DVD era.
The S550 will also feature BD Live, the format's online content linkage technology, out of the box. The S350 won't but that's only because the firmware won't be ready when the machine goes on sale in the States this coming summer.
Sony said the S350 will get BD Live through an internet-delivered update in the autumn, round about the time the S500 goes on sale.
Sony's BDP-S550: Bonus View friendly
To complement BD Live, both machines have a USB port to allow owners to add USB Flash storage devices to hold downloaded files. The S550 will come with a 1GB stick in the box.
Both players feature 1080/60p and 24p cinema-rate output, Sony said, and will upscale DVDs to 1080p too. They have HDMI output and support for 7.1-channel Dolby TrueHD and Digital Plus sound, as well as dts-HD and Master Audio bitstream output. The BDP-S550 adds dts-HD and dts-HD Master Audio decoding, and 7.1-channel analog audio output.
The BDP-S350 will retail for around $400 (£204/€270), BDP-S550 (£254/€337) for about $500. There's no word yet on European availability, but given the US release schedule, we'll undoubtedly get clarification of that by next September's IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin.
Obituary: HD DVD, 2002-2008 (http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/02/19/ft_hd_dvd_obit/)
Sony chews the Blu-ray fat with Microsoft (7 March 2008)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/03/07/sony_apple_microsoft_in_bluray_talks/
Paramount, DreamWorks rip up HD DVD release list (29 February 2008)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/02/29/paramount_dreamworks_drop_hddvd/
HMV blames rival for PS3 PlayTV pre-order puzzle (28 February 2008)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/02/28/hmv_play_tv/
Sony clocks onto iPhone docks (27 February 2008)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/02/27/sony_icfclipmk2_xdrc705/
Sony and Sharp to partner on tenth-gen LCD plant (26 February 2008)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/02/26/sony_sharp_lcd_production/
Sony claims home cinema kit helps movie buffs keep the noise down (25 February 2008)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/02/25/sony_davdz_home_theatre/
MS axes Xbox 360 HD DVD drive (25 February 2008)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/02/25/ms_axes_xbox_360_hd_dvd/
Sony sells $835m PS3 CPU plant to Toshiba (20 February 2008)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/02/20/sony_sells_cell_plant_to_toshiba/
Official: Toshiba discontinues HD DVD (19 February 2008)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/02/19/tosh_drops_hd_dvd/