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Sony BDP-S350 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player

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Sony BDP-S350 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player

(489 customer reviews)

SKU:

SNBDPS350RB

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The Blu-ray revolution continues with the Sony BDP-S350 Blu-ray Player. You can take full advantage of the Bonus View feature of select Blu-ray movies, and are ready to dive into BD-Live when the update is available. In true Sony fashion, the BDP-S350 will output a Full 1080/24p True Cinema picture, plus upscale your existing DVD collection to 1080p as well, when using the HDMI connection. On board decoding for Dolby TrueHD is here, also the ability to send out the bitstream for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD (Master Audio & High Resolution) as well. BRAVIA sync ensures that with the touch of a button, you can easily power on and synch the inputs of compatible Sony compatible BRAVIA flat-panel LCD HDTV sets and Sony audio/video devices connected to the players, via HDMI, for hassle-free enjoyment of high-definition Blu-ray Discs. Bringing it all together is the new Xcross Media Bar menu system, which is an icon based menu system for simple navigation of the BDP-S350's menu system.

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Product Details

Product Length:	17.0 inches
Product Width:	8.75 inches
Product Height:	2.38 inches
Product Weight:	6.38 pounds
Package Length:	19.6 inches
Package Width:	11.7 inches
Package Height:	6.6 inches
Package Weight:	9.4 pounds
Average Customer Rating:	based on 489 reviews

Features

Full HD 1080/60 p & 24p True Cinema Video Output
Dolby TrueHD decoding built-in Dolby TrueHD /DTS-HD bitstream out over HDMI (V1.3)
DVD upscale to 1080p
Precision Cinema Progressive HD
x.v.Color for AVC-HD

Customer Reviews

Average Customer Review: 4.0

( 489 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

611 of 630 found the following review helpful:

Sony BDP-S350 vs. Panasonic DMP-BD30K: DVD Upconversion, etc. Aug 29, 2008 By Hugh
I went to Circuit City yesterday to purchase the Panasonic DMP-BD30K Blu-Ray Player. As the salesman showed me where the Blu-Ray players were located in the store I told him I was interested in the DMP-BD30K. His response was that I should consider the new Sony BDP-S350 instead. He claimed that the BDP-S350 had received great reviews and is a better player than the Panasonic DMP-BD30K. Usually I don't listen to anything the sales people at Circuit City say, but this time I decided to see if he knew what he was talking about. I did some quick research online, while in the store, and discovered that he was correct about the Sony receiving decent reviews. I had my mind set on the Panasonic DMP-BD30K after months of research and waiting until the price dropped below $300, so the prospect of the Sony BDP-S350 through me for a loop. I decided to purchase both players, try then both out, and then return the looser.

I have to admit that the results surprised me. As I said before I had my heart set on the Panasonic DMP-BD30K, but after installing the 2 players and carefully comparing their image quality and features the Sony BDP-S350 is the clear winner in my opinion.

Panasonic DMP-BD30K: (Profile 1.1)
The start up time was respectable (as the reviews I had read indicated) and the menu interface was straight forward and relatively easy to navigate. After setting up the player, my first test was to compare its ability to upconvert standard definition DVDs with my now obsolete Toshiba HD-A20 HD-DVD player. I had read online that the DMP-BD30K's upscaling abilities had something to be desired and my tests confirmed this. To be honest the results were a little disappointing. Next, I decided to move through the players setup menu and change a few settings. At this point I made another disappointing discovery. If for any reason you need to access the players setup menu while you are watching DVD or Blu-Ray disc the player will not remember where you left off. When you exit the menu and resume play, the disc will start playing from the beginning of the disc. Although accessing the setup menu looses your place on the disc the Panasonic does remember where you left off if the DVD is stopped or the the player is shut down and then turned on again. Other than these criticisms the DMP-BD30K is a very nice player that yields excellent results using Blu-Ray discs, but doesn't do a great job with SD DVDs.

Sony BDP-S350: (Profile 1.1, but soon to be updated via firmware to 2.0)
The Sony player was a pleasant surprise. The start up time was very respectable, and was comparable to the Panasonic DMP-BD30K. After setting up the player I proceeded to run the same tests that I ran on the Panasonic. I had read online that people were impressed with the BDP-S350's upconvertion abilities, but having owned multiple Oppo DVD players (in my opinion, some of the best out there) I was skeptical. I put in a SD DVD and could immediately see the improvement over the Panasonic. Although the image is a little softer compared to my obsolete Toshiba HD-A20 HD-DVD player, and my other Oppo DVD players, it was still excellent. It made the Panasonic's upscaling abilities seem unrefined and outdated. Next, I then jumped into the players setup menu and changed the players output resolution. What really amazed me was that when I exited the menu the player began playing my disc where I had left off. Finally, I tried powering the BDP-S350 down while in the middle of a DVD. When I powered the player back on it remembered where I had left off and began to play the disc. The Sony BDP-S350 seems the winner in my opinion due to its superior upconversion and disc playback memory.

Finally, I wanted to add that I read a review comparing the Sony BDP-S350 to the new Panasonic DMP-BD50K that declares the DMP-BD50K the winner (http://hdguru.com/first-review-of-sonys-latest-blu-ray-player-exclusive-sony-bdp-s350-vspanasonic-dmp-bd50/256/). This may be true, but the almost $300 price difference makes me feel that this is an unfair comparison. In my opinion, the Sony BDP-S350 is currently one of the best deals out there.

165 of 171 found the following review helpful:

Which is better? This player or the Panasonic DMP-BD35K? I bought them both and tested them side-by-side! Oct 28, 2008 By Home Theater is Fun
I take my home theater hobby pretty seriously, that's why when it came time to invest in a Blu-Ray player (finally the wait is over!!!), I did a ridiculously great amount of research. I was willing to spend much more money on a blu-ray player, but the prices have come down so much, you don't have to! I narrowed down my extensive search for the right player to the Panasonic DMP-BD35K and the Sony BDP-S350. **I BOUGHT THEM BOTH AND DID A "SIDE-BY-SIDE" TEST!**

I have some nice equipment, so I feel that the test was an excellent representation of the capabilities of these two players. My equipment includes a 100-inch Stewart screen with a 1080p Sony Pearl front projector, an Integra 9.8 DTC processor (with all the latest surround sound goodies), an NAD amp, 7 Paradigm Signature speakers, and a dual M&K subwoofer (for full 7.1 surround sound).

I do understand electronics, but the Sony manual was really hard to follow. After only one call to Sony, I eventually got the player set up properly. After I set up the Panasonic, everything became much clearer. The Panasonic manual is so much better. But, who really cares about manuals? How do these two players perform side by side?

Audio for BOTH Blu-ray discs and standard DVDs: The Panasonic unquestionably has better audio. Compared to the Sony, the highs were much clearer. The 7.1 surround sound put me right in the middle of the "explosion" (my first test blu-ray disc was National Treasure I) when the Charlotte blew up. The biggest Audio difference was the bass. The bass in the Panasonic was so much better than the Sony. In fact, my old Sony standard-DVD player had better audio than the Sony BDP-S350. I'd give the Sony 3 stars with the audio. The Panasonic had outstanding treble, bass, and surround: 5-star audio!

Video for BOTH Blu-ray discs and standard DVDs: The Sony's video was ok, but the Panasonic's video was fantastic. The skin tones were more realistic and the colors were more vibrant with the Panasonic. The Sony seemed to have a thin gray film over everything -- like looking through a filmy-dirty window. The Sony had 4-star video, the Panasonic and its upscaling gets an easy 5 stars!

Both my wife and I did the "side-by-side" test by going back and forth between Blu-Ray discs and standard DVDs. We didn't discuss any of our thoughts until we each independently formed our own conclusions. After seeing and hearing both players, we were both in complete agreement that in every way the Panasonic DMP-BD35K was superior to the Sony BDP-S350.

By the way, the card slot on the Sony for BD-Live is very hard to get to. I do like Sony as a brand for some things, but not Blu-Ray players.

Also, to save you some research time, I've already checked out all of the professional reviews including the ones on CNet.com: The Sony is considered ok, and CNet liked the Panasonic so much that it is the first Blu-Ray player EVER to receive CNet's "Editor's Choice Award."

I have to go to the store now and return the Sony player that I bought. I'm keeping the Panasonic!! :-)

Hopefully you found this review helpful!

133 of 142 found the following review helpful:

Finally, Sony Gets It Right Jul 26, 2008 By Irv Haas "dvdirv"
My previous Blu-ray player was a Sony until late last year when I purchased a Panasonic DMP-BD30 which had all the latest profile upgrades. The biggest problem with the Sony was its slow loading time.

With the BDP-S350, this has all changed for the better. Load time have vastly improved and it is a Profile 2.0 player. Picture quality is stunning, but most Blu-ray players display this picture.

One of the best features of this player is its size. Sony has been able to reduce the size of the player to just over a 2" height and only 8-3/4" deep. Sony's previous model was nearly 15" deep and just over 3" high.

Finally Sony adds a remaining time function to the display. Previous models only had a elapsed and total time display, so you had to do the remaining time in your head. Most Sony DVD players always had this function, but this is a first for their Blu-ray players.

Main complaint I have with this unit (a minor one) is that you cannot turn off Sony's GUI control panel (Xross Media Bar) over the desktop pattern--it is always on unless you are playing a disc. I use this player with a front projector and it looks tacky for guests seeing my control panel over the desktop. Sony didn't do this with their DVD players, so why do it with this new technology? About the only time you even need to use the GUI is when you are setting up the unit or add new equipment to the player.

All in all, Sony did a great job with this player. It's easy to set up and offers an outstanding picture.

144 of 155 found the following review helpful:

Works well...Wife likes it...What could be better Jul 16, 2008 By Matt "mattser"
I purchased my BDP-S350 from Sony Style web site. This is my first BD player. I was waiting for the format war to end once it did I read a column by David Pouge in the New York Times that said you might consider waiting to making the jump to BD until the next generation of players to come out on the market.

This one loads pretty fast. From what I read it is much faster then older models. I was upgrading coming from a Sony 5 disc up converting DVD player and that thing was slow so I'm very satisfied. The picture is awesome and the audio is great too. I don't even have it connected to a amp that does Dolby Tru-HD or DTS-MA. That will be my next purchase.

There is only one thing that I'm disappointed with the player has the Bravia Theater Sync feature. Which works great with my Sony amp. But for some reason the DVD remote will only control the volume for the TV not the amp. So I still have to use a second remote for volume on my Sony amp. This makes no sense to me.

We watched Batman Begins, Mission Impossible III, and the Bucket List on BD so far. Batman Begins was jaw dropping good from an audio and picture quality issue. My wife said she had no clue that a DVD could look that good.

I also watched Stop Loss on a SD DVD and that look pretty good too.

The DVD player has a slot in the back for a USB drive and it also has a ethernet port so it can connect to the net for firmware updates and to access bonus features.

There is another model the S-550 due out in the fall it will cost more but it decodes all the audio inside the player.

Overall a week in I'm happy with the purchase and I'm happy I waited for this model.

147 of 159 found the following review helpful:

FORMER HD DVD SUPPORTER Aug 30, 2008 By Gerald Schoenburg
Ok,my HD player of choice was HD DVD. I own about 100 HD DVD disks. These players were far less expensive than Sony Blu Ray. The movies were generally less expensive than Blu Ray. HD DVD had more features, easy to update on line, less expensive...easy choice. The dreaded evil Sony corporation was not going to get my business.

When Toshiba pulled their product after the major studios dropped them, I was shocked and annoyed. What did evil Sony do to get the others to drop them?

After the demise, Sony showed no signs of putting out a good player at a reasonable cost. I didn't want a bulky Playstation. There was plenty of HD DVD movies out there, and at bargain prices.

Then last month a crazy thing happened. Sony released the BDP-S350 to rave reviews. I held out no longer and bought mine from Amazon for 344, no tax, free shipping. I got it within a week.

I just set it up. Took about 15 minutes. It would have taken less but the audio set up confused me a bit. God forbid I read the instructions.

Anyway, I bought a single BluRay disk and played it.
The picture and sound were nothing short of wonderful. I'll buy a few disks as they are still way too expensive, and rent from Netflix or Blockbuster. I am very impressed with the quality of this unit, and consider me a convert.

I recommend this machine highly, and congratulations to Sony for finally waking up!

Update: I bought a Yamaha RX663 so I can enjoy the Tru HD and Master HD sound. Yamaha only recognizes Bitstream signals. The S-350 audio choices are PCM or Direct, no Bitstream. The solution is to choose direct, and Voila, it works! You will not get the uncompressed sound unless you do this! I hope this helps.

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