The player with everything, except one thing!

Author's Rating:

Pros: Internet capability, simple set-up, great video and audio with HDMI connections.

Cons: Just one: No frame-by-frame feature.

The Bottom Line: 
Almost a perfect player. If only it had frame-by-frame!

Author's Review
It's been recommended to me that I describe my experiences on the use of the BD player. I'll start with the remote. As usual with other remotes, it has many buttons that are somewhat cramped. However, the buttons are back-lit with the press of a button. The footprint of the player is smaller than most other players I looked at. On-screen menus are very comprehensive. You can set up the player to download updates automatically when turned on. A feature I like is the disc tray is behind face of the player, and the tray slides out from inside so that it's not always exposed to accidents. I upgraded from the S350 when I found I could get firmware updates and BD-Live data on many new Blu-ray discs using an ethernet cable connected to my router. In my opinion, it's better than ordering and then waiting for your CD firmware update from Sony which can take about a week, or, downloading the update from Sony's servers ONLY if you have a PC. Apple computers (of which I have one) will not be able to download the information. Anyway, for me, set up was rather easy. I highly recommend using the HDMI connections directly to your receiver. Signals go from the Sony to your receiver to your TV using HDMI with no signal loss. Also, with this method of control, there will be less cables to put up with. So, regarding the BD player, video looks awesome. Audio, when properly connected, will rattle the windows and walls. Go for the full 7.1 effect and your movies will never be the same. However, I have one complaint and I don't think there is a work-around. There is no frame-by-frame feature, which the S350 has. I can't believe this "full-featured" player doesn't have this!! It's a pretty big disappointment in my opinion.