Customer Reviews

Sony BDP-BX57 Blu-ray Disc Player, 3D-ready with built-in WI-FI

5 star:		(45)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(16)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

This player is the same player as the Sony S570 except it is sold primarily at Costco, Sam's Club and BJ's Wholesale Club. The unit can be purchased at those place for $199. The unit plays Blu-Rays very well, loads fast and the picture quality is excellent. The same can be said for DVD's. The BDP-BX57 is hooked up using a Sharp Aquos 1080P LCD HD TV via HDMI. The internet streaming content is the reason I purchased this player. I have connected it with a wired connection and a wireless connection both without any problems. I have a solid and fast cable modem connection and was really looking forward to streaming Netflix like I can on our PS3 that is in the Family room. Even with the latest firmware, Netflix can be a bit choppy or buffer often. The PS3 unit never buffers despite the same wired connection. I had the Video setting from the Sony player on "Auto" which defaults to 1080P. Apparently, there must be a firmware issue with the Netflix and the unit possibly trying to upconvert the video? Interestingly, when I changed my Video setting on the Sony to 1080i, the Netflix buffering went away and it hasn't reoccurred. This shouldn't be an issues since you aren't getting 1080 from Netflix even when streaming HD content. Still, I shouldn't have to default the setting to 1080i when the unit is hooked up to a 1080P TV via HDMI. Nonetheless, it seemed to be the fix for me at least until the next firmware update. I contacted Sony about this issue and was routed offshore to a help desk employee who said it was a Netflix issue. This defeinitely isn't the case since the PS3 implementation of Netflix never buffers from the same wired connection on 1080P. I found tech support to be very disappointing and the person wasn't as knowledgeable as expected. Lastly, the remote on the unit isn't very good. If you want to use the remote to control your TV, there are codes in the back of the manual but the manual doesn't tell you how to enter the codes. After searching the internet, you have to hold the TV power button down on the Sony remote while entering the codes and it works fine to control the TV's on/off, input selection and volume.

This is the Costco version of the Sony BDP-S570 Blu-ray Disc Player. This comes with a free HDMI cable in the box and Costco's 90 day return policy if you buy from them. Otherwise just go for the BDP-570 from Amazon. This is a pretty sleek looking player, even the start button blends into the face, it is pretty light too and you can easily stack it on all your other equipment.

The greatest asset of this player is the multiple video streaming options it gives you from different services. Netflix, Amazon On Demand, Pandora, NPR, YouTube and other channels like Wired, Epicurious, Style, Michael Jackson, Dr. Oz, Howcast, eHow, Golflink and more. The list goes on. The interface is much better than Panasonic as that just opened up a window on my screen for Youtube videos while this player fills up the screen. It seems more compatible with my Panasonic HDTV than the Panny Blu-Ray player.

This player is 3D ready although I don't have a 3D TV yet. There is a network update you have to perform to use it. The wireless set up is pretty easy through the interface and guides you step by step.

The start up is quick, it has an option for even quicker start up but it consumes more power. The upscaling is pretty good. I docked one star as the Netflix streaming is still slow, although that may be due to Netflix than the player. The streaming is definitely better than through my Wii.

If you have an iPod Touch or iPhone download the free BD Remote app. I can never find my remotes and it comes in very handy and has a very cool interface where you just slide your finger along the screen rather than having to press buttons. There are many screens on the app that allow you to work all the controls on the player.

I am impressed with how easy this set up.
I connected wirelessly with great ease
This works great for streaming Netflix (this product really adds great value to my Netflix account)
Start up time is quick compared to other Blu-Ray players I have had.

I have it connected to Sony STR-DH800 7.1-Channel Audio Video Receiver (Black)the set up was extremely quick and easy (I changed both the Blu-Ray player and the receiver and still the set up was extremely quick).

I am using Logitech Harmony 880 Advanced Universal Remote Control. The programming was extremely easy and the remote was able to pick up all the Sony commands without needing extra steps.

Pros: Beautiful Blu-Ray with quick start. Easy to set up. WiFi works great. Lots of internet media options. Netflix streams in HD. The menus are simple and easy to navigate.

Cons: Seems a little touchy about the router you use. Had I not had to chase an X-Box live issue I may not have solved a Netflix issue so quickly.

Summary: A great Blu-Ray player with excellent WiFi media streaming. This is the Costco version of the BDP-S570. I paid $198 for this item and could not be happier with the end result. I was initially very disappointed with the poor picture quality of Netflix streaming. My son had just gotten a new X-Box 360 and was having issues with the wireless. I finally bought a new router (Belkin Dual Band 802.11n) to replace my old 802.11g router and that solved both the X-Box Live issues and the Netflix issue. As I write this I am watching "Taxi Driver" in beautiful HD streaming on a 73" screen. I tried to watch it with the old router and it was unwatchable. The user interface is easy enough and all of the setup was simple. My Mitsubishi TV recognized the BR player and programmed the remote automatically so I have not used the Sony remote much since the initial setup. Do not let the poor Netflix reviews scare you. You just need to get your wireless network up to snuff. I checked download speeds before and after the router change and it was 6.75mps with both routers. However both the BDP-BX57 and the X-Box work much better now. I did do a firmware update out of the box and another a couple of days later. That was a painless process over WiFi. It is possible that the second firmware update fixed or helped the Netflix issue. I did the update after setting up the new router but prior to trying Netflix with it. We use Netflix streaming much more now that we have the Sony. This is a nice little piece of technology that works very well. I would recommend it to anyone.

I bought this Blu-Ray player based mostly on the fact that it had Wi-Fi built in and was DLNA certified. For those that don't know, DLNA is the acronym for Digital Living Network Alliance and is supposed to create a standard that manufacturers can adhere to in order to build devices that can easily communicate to each other. It would seem that Sony is taking the DLNA approach to the extreme and will only allow you to watch videos that have been Created/Edited/Stored on exclusively DLNA certified products. This would exclude all of the home movies that I've created in the past with my own video camera and edited on my PC because they are not DLNA certified.

I spent hours trying to get my new Blu-Ray player to play movies from my PC. My attempts included altering Sharing privileges, installing Nero Home MediaShare, converting a video to multiple different formats, etc. Finally, I found a forum discussing the very same issues I was having and read one account of a person that recorded video on a Sony camera and edited on a Sony Vaio computer and still couldn't the movie to play on his TV.

Therefore, I'm returning mine and will find a manufacturer that will allow me to watch the videos on my PC just like it says in the product documentation.

I bought this to take advantage of its "DLNA Certified" media player. I have a Netgear ReadyNAS media server on my home network with movies and music, and bought this to stream them to my bedroom. I have a Moxi Mate media player that is able to stream them just fine, so I assumed this Sony would do the same.

Here is what it WILL NOT DO:

From the Netgear ReadyNAS, it will not stream mkv or m4v video files, or mp3 music files, all of which play fine on the Moxi. Each time it says "unplayable file". The instructions show that all of those formats are supported (as they should be), but there is a tiny footnote for the video formats that "the player does not play this file format on a DLNA server". What??? How can it be "DLNA Certified" if it can't play common DLNA media files from a DLNA server?

So I thought I'd try copying some of the files onto a USB hard drive (Western Digital Passport 1TB). It said the device is not supported. I also tried with a SanDisk Cruzer Micro 4GB thumb drive and it also is not supported.

I never was able to get it to play any of my home media, so I'll be returning it tomorrow.

When I bought this player, I didn't know what to expect, as it was my first Blu Ray player. Here are the pros:

1. DVD quality is excellent. While Blu Ray discs look dazzling with it as well, it lives up to the promise of making regular DVDS look very close to Blu Ray quality. I didn't believe this claim on the box, but the player really did prove itself.
2. Interfaces wonderfully with a Sony Bravia TV. I also have a Bravia, and having the two of them connected by HDMI makes things a lot more convenient. Turning the Blu Ray player on (or off) turns the TV on or off automatically, and the TV remote can control the Blu Ray player (I should just get a universal remote, but I just think that's pretty cool).
3. Wireless connectivity works great. Setting up the wireless connection was easy, and it connects almost flawlessly everytime (I haven't seen any device connect completely flawlessly, including my laptop, but this is close enough for my taste.) There are also quite a few wireless "channels" including Netflix, YouTube, Amazon, ehow, and several others I'm still exploring.
4. It can 'pick up where it left off' on a Blu Ray disc, even if it was powered down, and/or the disc was taken out for some reason. Not sure if this is a basic feature of all Blu Ray players, but it is certainly a welcome feature here.

Cons:

1. I'd read that Pandora would be added in July 2010, and as of August 2010 I haven't seen it. I had a Roku player before (which contained Pandora, among other channels) so I miss the Pandora option, at least for now.
2. I compare my Netflix experience with this player to my experience with the Roku player (which of course, doesn't play Blu Rays, LOL) and navigation here is not quite as good as with the Roku. Still though, for a newbie, it wouldn't be an issue probably.
3. On very rare occasions a burned DVD-R disc won't be recognized. This is a small issue though, because each time this has happened, if I re loaded the disc a couple of times, it would finally be read.

I debated between giving this player 4 or 5 stars (Since there was no 4.5 option), but I settled on 5, because the issues I have had with it are very minimal, and do little if anything to detract from the high level of entertainment it provides. Besides, I just moved my Roku to another room, so I can still play with it whenever I want. ;)

Opening up the box was a rather simple process. There was not a lot of real thick tape to have to cut through, there was no special way of opening up the box. One thing that I did notice was a note left by Sony letting me know that there will be an update to the player so it can read the new and upcoming 3D.

The set up was fairly quick and easy, except when I tried to use the systems WEP. I could not get the Sony to accept my "key". I do have a hub sitting right next to my television, so this was not really a problem. I did not spend much time trying to trouble shoot this problem. I have read in many places that the wireless set up is easy, so perhaps it was user error. After connecting the unit to the hub, I instantly went over and down loaded a system update and activated some network enhance features which I think gave me some extra on line content. I went to the Sony web site to register my product to receive the enhanced feature and my model number was not listed. I guess I may have to try again at a later date.
Playing from a USB device. This was a great bonus feature for me that I was really looking forward too. To finally have one device that will play video content from a network, USB and internet could be a dream come true. I plugged my Maxtor 750GB USB drive into the Sony player and the decive was noticed by the Sony. I scrolled over to the device under <video> and... the USB device is not supported. Bummer.
Next I demo tried the Amazon video on demand service. Amazon VOD has been a thorn in my side for some time. I have never been able to find a device that will stream . Basically I have only tried PlayOn. I have twelve movies that I have purchased from Amazon VOD and they all seem to work pretty good. There is a delay as the system buffers and test the bandwidth but not too bad.
Now onto Netflix. After an easy activation process (I hope you have a wireless laptop when you do this) My instant queue was brought right up. Not sure how Netflix knows who I am, but hey it was fast and easy. When starting a movie , the bandwidth was tested and buffered. Video quality is not the best, and only your instant queue shows up so you will need to keep a computer handy for browsing the movie selections.
The internet radio works really well too.
I did not review the play back speed or quality. There are plenty of reviews on that.

The reason for the 3 stars is the fact that I could not play any content from my USB drive, and no streaming from connected DNLA services.

Not a big review writer but I am sitting here after 10pm writing this because the issues I have described below have happened about 4 times in the last hour.

I bought this Player at Sams Club. It seemed like a very good deal at the time.

Yes, I've done all of the updates. Finally.

However, the Wi-Fi connection keeps dropping as does the NetFlix Streaming. It is definitely the player because I have another laptop in my basement streaming NetFlix to my projector with no issues.

By dropping I do not mean buffer issues that other reviewers have mentioned where it simply pauses. I mean a total loss of connection. To further be a pain in the butt the player will not allow you to simply reconnect and resume the movie where it left off. You literally have to cycle the power on/off and wade through complex menus (more on that below) only to have to start the movie over from the beginning because it does not remember where it left off.

The menu layout on this unit is also overly difficult. Every function is nested in menus with goofy icons that really are not helpful at all. It seems like to perform the most basic of functions you have to click 3-4 or even 5 times deep into a menu to get results.

I would not buy this unit again. Between the NetFlix issues and the menu issues you literally have to keep the remote within hands reach so that you can cycle the player on/off to restore the internet connection a couple of times per movie then wade through the menus to try to get back to your movie. There is none of this 'oh honey start the NetFlix movie and come to bed' - it's 'oh honey, don't bother starting a NetFlix movie because it is so darn annoying the third time it stops'.

If you buy it, buy it for the player, not for NetFlix or Wi-Fi functionality.

Netflix streaming is extremely bad quality, even HD movies. Blu-ray DVDs play at quality as expected.