264 of 276 people found the following review helpful:
It's not obsolete, just update the firmware!
Not exactly a product review as you already have dozens of them. If you are undecided because of some of the negative things said, let me show you the light. It's blu!
I bought this player with the 2.0 firmware and it was great. Yes, it did take a very long time to load Pirates of the Caribbean - almost 3 full minutes. That is due to the disc heavily using...
239 of 251 people found the following review helpful:
Doesn't quite live up to the Sony reputation, but you get what you pay for.
I recently upgraded my living room to a modest hi-def system to prepare for a larger remodelling of my theater room. To weigh out the results, I purchased a 46" Polaroid HD LCD and a Toshiba HD-A20 1080p HD DVD Player player and the Sony BDP-S300 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player. I wanted to see the results of both Blu-Ray and HD DVD before investing in more expensive units...
This review is from: Sony BDP-S300 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player (Electronics)
Not exactly a product review as you already have dozens of them. If you are undecided because of some of the negative things said, let me show you the light. It's blu!
I bought this player with the 2.0 firmware and it was great. Yes, it did take a very long time to load Pirates of the Caribbean - almost 3 full minutes. That is due to the disc heavily using Java (BD-J) for interactivity. I flash update to new firmware in about 10 minutes. See Sony's web site for the firmware and carefully follow the instructions. They will even provide you with the disc.
Keep in mind these things are essentially customized single purpose computers. The firmware is simply reprogramming them to include more functions, become more stable, etc. It is only limited by the existing hardware.
After the update, it still takes 45 seconds to turn on, but that is down from about 1 minute. Pirates of the Caribbean now loads in 1 minute 11 seconds. All my non-BD-J movies now start up in +/- 30 seconds.
BD-J load times may seem outlandish compared to DVD, But remember, future firmware updates can only improve things. We may or may not see further improved load times and that depends on the existing hardware. Any playback issues with movies will always be rectified by new firmware. Sony is showing great support.
In short, this is a second generation player and minor issues do exist. But you won't have to live with them forever. Firmware fixes all, and helps the longevity of your player. Remember that extended load times is normal for some titles, but within acceptable range for this player because it is "The Tank". It's not obsolete, just update the firmware!
Updated Addendum June 2010: The latest 5.40 firmware update further enhances BD-J, and still supports BD-R/RE playback ability. Fastest load times ever for BD-J discs. Some significantly so, others by seconds. Load times for all BD-J movies should improve. Menu selection has never been this smooth and responsive. The newest feature "Adds Dolby® TrueHD Audio decoding functionality". Fixes playback freezing issues with movies like Wall-E. BEST FIRMWARE YET!
====================================================================
Here is my suggested "Load Time Performance Table".
* Non BD-J loading in 35 seconds or less. Excellent.
* BD-J up to 75 seconds. Very Good.
* BD-J 76 to 90 seconds. Good. (Tolerable Threshold)
* BD-J 91 to 100 seconds. Very Fair
* BD-J 101 to 120 seconds. Fair.
* BD-J over 120 seconds. Poor.
* BD-J over 180 seconds. Very Poor.
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This review is from: Sony BDP-S300 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player (Electronics)
I recently upgraded my living room to a modest hi-def system to prepare for a larger remodelling of my theater room. To weigh out the results, I purchased a 46" Polaroid HD LCD and a Toshiba HD-A20 1080p HD DVD Player player and the Sony BDP-S300 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player. I wanted to see the results of both Blu-Ray and HD DVD before investing in more expensive units.
I must say that the image and sound quality of the Blu-Ray player is quite impressive, but as noted in other reviews - loading (waiting) times for certain discs are very slow. HDMI hookup was easy and the menu system worked great. At first sight the DVD upscaling was astonishing. But... there is always a but...
I also had to upgrade the firmware twice since purchasing, which was less than 3 months ago. Out of the box, it needed a firmware upgrade to play most of the recently released movies. Very recent movies, such as Superbad [Blu-ray], Ratatouille [Blu-ray], and Live Free or Die Hard [Blu-ray] needed a firmware 3.30 - which stalled and eventually crippled my unit with a permanent "NO DISC" display statement to every attempt. The install did not recognize and since then it refuses to play any discs - including standard DVDs, CDs, as well as Blu-Ray Discs. I contacted their 800 number twice and spent about an hour over the 2 days going through system saving steps, unfortunately all failed. Be careful with your firmware updates - they are both necessary, yet another root of other more hazardous problems.
If need be you may want to purchase an extended warranty to save yourself from this kind of problem; this is what I should've done. I was lucky enough to be within my warranty which gave me full protection for parts & labor (not including UPS shipping fees to Sony). But, if this had been after the waranty? This could've been a potentially expensive technological occurrence. And, what about next time?
There needs to be a ethernet port or some other way to access updates online direct to this player, a wireless method possibly? My Toshiba HD DVD player has the CAT-5 ethernet port and it makes updating (not exactly simple) more flexible. Sony's website offers the image (ISO) burn to DVDR method for updating, but this seems unpolished at best. The steps for Sony's firmware update are so precise and drawn out, but ultimately imperfect in design. The mail away disc is easy enough, but this takes at least 7 business days. Expect more and more updates too. I originally called on a 2.6 firmware update disc in September and they were backordered. The expected delay was somewhere between 3-4 weeks before delivery. All of this was right before I found out that a 3.20 and even 3.30 were available soon after.
If you are someone that purchases lots of new movies (I.E. the new releases every Tuesday), then beware that the movie content / security updates are constantly driving the player software updates - which are so hurried that they may or may not have major glitches. You will most likely need an update straight out of the box, so check the Sony website OFTEN.
Currently my player has been sent off for repairs and is at Sony in PA. In the meantime I have decided to fall back on a Sharp Aquos BDHP20U 1080p Blu-Ray Disc Player. I decided to not purchase another Blu-Ray S300, so that should be a big hint to how I feel about buying this unit. For all of the enjoyment I received from it, there was equal anguish. I can neither say it's the worst or the best, but I can say the possibility exists for problems similar to my own. Honestly I wanted to give a 2.5 stars (somewhere in the middle), but I left it at 2 stars instead of rounding up. The Blu-Ray technology needs more trial and error experience, unfortunately we are the $400-per-unit-guinea pigs.
Update as of 12-10-2007 - The Sharp Aquos BDHP20U 1080p Blu-Ray Disc Player that I purchased has restored my faith in Blu-Ray technology. Nothing is ever perfect, but this is proof of progress at least. See my review for details. I really like this player, hands down the better of these two designs.
Update as of 01-09-2008 - My player is unfixable. The firmware update 3.30 somehow ruined the hard drive, so it's unfixable. Sony gave me the choice of waiting a couple of months for a refurbished unit or paying $200 more for a new S500 series player (the next cheapest unit available direct from Sony). I elected (and with protest) to upgrade to the S500, which now is unavailable. What was to be a 5-7 day wait now has gone to over a month. Where does this all end? If I was shopping for a Blu-ray player today, the S300 would be my last choice. The price has dropped on Amazon nearly $80 in the last few months, yet it is still only slightly cheaper than some players designed recently - The S300's drive is an old design that Sony is currently still supporting with firmwares (but for how much longer?). Sony customer reps told me that they have not been producing this unit for some time now, it's a 2006 design - which in this market of ever-changing technology is a lifetime ago.
P.S. - Since my first review at least 2 more firmware updates have released for this unit making at least 5 firmwares changes since September of 2007 that I am aware of.
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This review is from: Sony BDP-S300 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player (Electronics)
I have nothing good to say about this Blu Ray player. In my opinion, Sony's products are usually excellent but this is an exception.
I have gone through 2 of these players in the past month. Both had similar problems, the first unit locked up solid while playing DVD's (several different factory pressed DVD's with no defects). When I say locked up, I mean the player was totally unresponsive and had to be unplugged in order to gain control again. After returning the first player as defective, I got a second Sony unit. The second player had similar problems but also it locked up solid while playing Blu Ray discs as well. I checked to make sure the firmware was the latest on both players and it was.
The lock ups are not the only issue that I had with these players. They are very slow to start up and slow to load Blu Ray discs. Compared to the player that I bought to replace the Sony, the Sony's are extremely slow to respond to commands (fast forward, reverse, chapter skip, etc...) and slow loading.
I purchased this player based on the reveiws here at Amazon.com and my personal experience with Sony products. I was stunned when I had problems with BOTH players. Who knows, maybe it was a fluke and I just happened to get two defective Sony Blu Ray players. I would like to think that is the case. I always had great luck with Sony products in the past and have owned several. In my opinion they just didn't get this one model right for some reason.
If you are in the market for a good reliable Blu Ray player, you might want to consider the Panasonic DMP-BD10A listed here:
That is the player that I purchased after returning the second Sony player and I am VERY pleased with it. It's very responsive and has no issues with freezing or locking up at all. The picture quality of the Blu Ray's is superb on my Sony 50" HDTV.
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This review is from: Sony BDP-S300 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player (Electronics)
I just received the Sony BDP-S300 Blu-Ray disc player. I've plugged it into my Sony KDL-40V2500 40" Bravia V-Series 1080p LCD HDTV, set it up and have watched the movie "Flight Of The Phoenix".
Setting up was quick and straightforward - no problems here. I noticed that this Sony player weighs much less than the Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD player. The Toshiba definitely has a more substantial feel to it. Both players are about the same size and dimensions - slim and trim, easily fitting into my entertainment stand.
But the proof is in the viewing, and the Sony definitely delivers. I am very impressed with the clarity, sharpness and rich color of the 1080p image. The picture is as good and in some ways better than the Toshiba. The reason I say better is because the Toshiba, great as it is, has a picture that occasionally flickers quite noticeably. There's no flickering of any kind on this Sony - it's rock solid so far. And the picture is beautiful.
One other thing I immediately noticed is how whisper quiet the BDP-S300 is. There is no noticeable fan noise whatsoever. Compare this to the Toshiba HD-XA2 fan, which has a sound resembling the whine of a tiny fighter jet. There is simply no reason to have to put up with a home theater component that adds unwanted noise when you can have the quiet, quiet Sony BDP-S300.
Sony's plastic remote is reasonably good. It's well designed and compliments the Sony HDMI HDTV - the remote controls the TV's basic functions too. No more fumbling around for 2 different remotes. The one area where this remote disappoints is that unlike the black aluminum Toshiba remote, the buttons are not backlit. The Toshiba remote stands head and shoulders above all other remotes - backlighting should be a standard feature on these high end remotes, especially considering how complex they are and that they are likely to be used in a dark room. When I say backlighting, I'm talking about button/label illumination by lamps or LEDs, not those pathetically lame glow in the dark buttons.
The startup and control response times compare favorably with the Toshiba. It takes about 30+ seconds after power on for the Sony to accept a disc, then another 8 seconds to load and play the disc. Response times for scan (fast forward/backward) and other controls seem almost as quick as on those of a regular DVD player.
Overall I am very pleased with the Sony BDP-S300. I just wish there were more high quality Blu-Ray discs available at lower prices.
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This review is from: Sony BDP-S300 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player (Electronics)
I own a Toshiba HD AD1 DVD player and really enjoy it! But, it looks like the HD DVD wars are beginning to favor Blu Ray and added to that the HD DVD discs that I'm getting from Netflix are usually abused and scratched and make the player likely to freeze up and the Blu Ray discs have a protective coating to prevent this from happening. This IS a consideration if you plan on renting. Blu Ray discs hold more information. Plus I recently heard that Blockbuster will stop carrying HD DVDs and only carry the Blu Ray. Compitition is good for home entertainment: remember Beta Hi-Fi gave us higher sound quality with VHS Hi-Fi. As I said, I enjoy the image quality and sound from the Toshiba, but this new Sony is even better than that!! I hooked it up to a Sony 46" LCD as well as a Yamaha RX-V2700 receiver and the results are breathtaking. I just watched "Apocalypto" and all I can say is it WAS the theatre exerience! "Chicago" has never looked or sounded THIS good. Even in the theatre! It's really THAT good! "The Fifth Element" is a revelation! (Be sure to get the remastered Blu Ray disc. They had some problems with the resolution on the initial Blu Ray release. If you order from Amazon, be sure to get this new disc, which says REMASTERED). This is the film that will sell many of these machines. Many. PERFECT picture and sound. The uncompressed 5.1 sound on a GOOD system will send you to heaven on earth. If you love this quirky pop and extreme film (which is definitely one of the best science fiction films ever made), you'll never watch your television again in quite the same way. This is actually better than theatre quality. Every red hair on Milla is seen in extreme detail. Every explosions is so extreme! The colors are just amazing! You've never seen anything like this at home. The picture on both machines approach perfection but this is a far quieter machine and sleeker. The upscaling to 1080p of standard DVDs is something that should not be ignored in this upgrade. Both machines do an excellent job of this, altough this new Sony has the edge. I'd have to say that with this upconversion, it's all you'll need for most films. Don't get me wrong, the HD discs are MUCH better but for most viewing... Sound is fantastic, especially in the uncompressed mode. I really never thought that we'd ever have movies of this quality in our homes. Either machine will enhance your life but keep in mind that it was just announced that "Close Encounter" will be released only on Blu Ray (at least initally and because of special mastering will offer all three versions of the film on a single disc. Pinch me!). Today, to get all the HD titles, you need both machines. But now you can get both for the price of the first generation Sony Blu Ray disc player... at this point, still for the videophiles, but you know who you are. This IS the better machine.
Both machines are just exellent! But...this new Blu Ray machine is just superb! (which is beyond excellent). If you have the right equipment (720p or 1080p monitor & HDMI receiver hookup or monitor), you will...not...be...sorry!!!
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This review is from: Sony BDP-S300 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player (Electronics)
Bought this yesterday, along with four BluRay movies. Thought it'd be a simple plug-in and run it ordeal, but that wasn't to be. This product took more to get it working right (reminded me of dealing with Windows drivers, updates, and so on, after buying a new Windows-based computer--I have a Mac, more on this below). It seems that the new generation of movie-at-home entertainment requires more hands-on technical maintenance. >>>This is important for everyone to know, not underestimate, and factor in as part of the 'experience'.<<<
This is not just plugging in a few cables and presto, everything works perfectly. Now, you need to be aware of firmware updates, nuances and so forth regarding, at least, Sony's BluRay BDP-S300 player. Folks who grew up with technology will be annoyed by this but can adapt; folks who grew up in the VHS era will likely have frustrating problems. I can't even imagine many people I know having the patience of figuring out how to download firmware, burn it, run it, and make sure it all works afterwards. Here's the kicker: how would many know to even look for a firmware update? And the bigger kicker--how to do this with an Apple Mac computer (which Sony doesn't support)?
A design flaw? I don't know--I'm new to BluRay. But it's following the reality of where computerization led us. Think about it: for what costs in the $300-$500 range, your responsibility is spending initially at least several hours configuring it and performing a firmware update, and then perhaps an hour every month checking for and running firmware updates yet again...simply because some movies won't work or won't play well otherwise. There's no way I could expect some folks to figure this out.
I happen to know how to do all of this, but it's nevertheless annoying and, frankly, time better spent reading a good book. What follows was my experience with this Sony BluRay player, all to get it working well:
(1) Buy the thing, unbox it, figure out the usual cable interconnects. I decided on HDMI, but Component Video should have worked, too. I went with coaxial digital sound. I already had all the decent cables I needed. This BluRay player has S-video and RCA plugs, but both defeat the purpose of BluRay; I don't even know why Sony includes those. It seems idiotic to include RCA cables with a high-definition product. They should consider including cheap component video cables instead. (0 hours--this was a given)
(2) Position it, plug cables in, make the setup changes on my A/V receiver and plasma display--both top-end, flagship Pioneer equipment from three years ago. (1 hour, as it took me awhile to remember how to reconfigure the A/V receiver)
(3) Things didn't work quite well, had sound issues--read the Sony BluRay manual and make adjustments. (30 mins)
(4) Turn on BluRay player and try it out. My son complained how SLOOOOW it was and how quirky the menus were; got stuck in setup and couldn't get out. Frustratingly mess around with quirky controller just to get the thing playing a movie. (15 mins)
(5) Fiddle around with all the settings on this BluRay player, A/V sound settings, display settings to get things working all copacetic. (15 mins)
I'm into it 2 hours now. Watched a movie last night--looks great! The details of the picture is spectacular! Can see details on hair locks, faint lines on buildings, and text that normally would be blurry on a DVD. Motion is incredible. It's quite the experience!
(6) Next day (today), discover the need for firmware updates, based on reviews posted on Amazon.com and other Internet sites. Some movies won't play or play well without the firmware update. I have mixed feelings of not having read the Amazon.com reviews first. If I had, I might have held off on BluRay until later this year. (30 mins)
(7) Go to Sony site and review the instructions--no Mac support! Good grief! Decide to use VMWare that I have installed on my Intel version Mac laptop; install burning software under Windows XP. Check firmware version on the Sony BluRay player I bought; 2.60 was installed. I wade through firmware installation warnings. (30 mins)
(8) Download Sony BluRay 3.70 firmware upgrade and unpack it. (15 mins)
(9) Find blank CD-R, re-read instructions, load burning software and burn. Cross fingers that this works on my Mac running VMware--it did (kudos to VMware!!!). (15 mins)
(10) Re-read instructions yet again, as the warnings are dire if the process fails. Load firmware update in Sony BluRay player, and start it up. Firmware upgrade proceeds. Watch the strange firmware process; Sony says it'll take 20 minutes. I got bored and did something else. Display on plasma TV goes eventually away. I wait and wait and wait--the final DL OK display never shows as instructions said it would, but the disk tray is ejected and remains that way. Instructions say that the player will appear off and/or ejected but don't do anything to interrupt, and wait until the DL OK shows. I wait until the hour passes. Maybe it got impatient with me? Checked the rear fan, it wasn't going. All indications show that the system is OFF. Instructions say that even if it appears off, don't do anything. Maybe the auto-off kicked in? Who knows. I wait a little longer, then give up and turn on the thing--it immediately shows DL OK. Phew!!!! (1 hour)
After 2.5 hours today, 4.5 hours total, finger-crossing throughout, this product now is running well, I'd say. Navigating through menus are quicker, start/stop/eject is MUCH faster. I'd say that it's in an acceptable mode. Based on what others have written, firmware version 3.70 seems to me the first quality version for this BluRay player.
Anything could have gone wrong in this process. I just can't see many people being able to handle this from start to finish just to get it to run acceptably. Design flaw? I don't know, to reiterate. It is reality that manufacturers have passed on a part of quality control and pre-release tasks onto the consumer. I see this happening often in consumer electronics.
Once up and running? Quality is deservedly terrific. It's fantastic! Like going from VHS to DVD. Blew me away! Sound is terrific, too, just as I would expect. Absolutely stunning (I'm running it at 1080i)! There are no video 'artifacts' and no freezes on the movies played thus far. It now performs as I would expect.
So is it worth it? For me, who could navigate through the frustrating process of Sony's BluRay player, yes...I'd give it 4 stars based only on picture quality. I surmise that other people I know would have returned the product immediately and declared BluRay not ready or not worth it. I'd readily empathize with them. They'd likely say 1 star--2 stars at best IF they got it running. 5 stars overrates it. I'll settle for 2.5 stars, if I could. 3, for benefit of doubt.
So, the pros of this Sony BDP-S300 BluRay player:
(1) Great picture and sound; terrific movie experience.
Cons:
(1) Setup and configuration annoyance.
(2) Will need to check for firmware upgrades periodically and install them.
(3) No true Mac support. For those with Macs, the process to get a free firmware disk from Sony sounds like a hassle and not worth it because they may not ship the most current firmware version (too frequent firmware updates prevents that). It's not worth installing Mac's Bootcamp or buying VMware or Parallel Desktop just to do a firmware upgrade--that's work better spent looking for a friendlier BluRay player, painting a room, or cleaning out your garage.
If you've got a Mac and have no reasonable ability to run Windows, I'd say don't buy this Sony BluRay player; the effort is simply not worth it. You could end up hating the BluRay experience. Consider another manufacturer. BluRay is worth getting the right player for you. And my very personal opinion is that getting this product even for half its original price is probably not worth the hassle for many people, either. Price alone can't make up for the annoying experience. Steep discounts of this BluRay player doesn't ease the frustration.
A final note that, it seems to me anyway, firmware upgrades are endemic with most if not all BluRay players; it's not just Sony. The key is how easy and compatible the manufacturer makes this process. Sony's is not very consumer-focused. I can't speak to Panasonic's or Sharp's. Reviews seem to say they're easier than Sony's.
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This review is from: Sony BDP-S300 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player (Electronics)
I know technology, and I like good quality. I'm like the blu-ray technology, but I'm not impressed with Sony's implementation on the hardware.
I had intended to wait at least six months ago before purchasing a BluRay player, but when my Sony 400 Disc Progressive Scan 1080i output DVD player's motor went out, I was facing $250+ to repair it, $399 for an identical replacement, or $499 for the BDP-S300 player, (or $75-100 for a single DVD player w/ progressive scan & component output). I opted for the BDP-S300, but since I can still return the unit, I just might.
The biggest issue is that the interface is extremely annoying. Expect strange delays in many aspects of the user experience. The responsiveness of the player, whether using the front-panel buttons or the remote leaves the user waiting and wondering if the device is working or not.
The package comes with a "warning" that the initial power-up will take some time, but that in the future, operations will be faster. Faster is a relative term, and it should not be construed to mean fast.
Even after the very slow initial startup, the unit remains very slow. For example, it takes about 30 seconds after pushing the power button before the "power on" display shows up. It takes about 45 seconds from power up until you can insert a disc. Sometimes, after getting NO response to pressing the button, I'm wondering if my button press registered or not, so I'll press it again. Low and behold, the disc tray will open - and close - before I can get a disc on the tray. This is very annoying.
Watching a disc can also be frustrating. Incrementing chapters is inconsistent, and with the inconsistent responsiveness of the unit, it is sometimes difficult to advance to a desired movie chapter.
If you are going from a very old or very cheap DVD player to the Blu-Ray, then you will notice an improvement in quality. If you are going from a high-end DVD player with component output and progressive scan, you will not notice AS much a gain in quality - not enough to justify NOT waiting 6 months to a year before purchasing a sucessor to this player. My advice, wait a little longer - say around November or December 2007.
Mine is going back to the store.
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This review is from: Sony BDP-S300 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player (Electronics)
Terrible product by Sony. Yes the picture is great, but it doesn't outweigh the hassle of >2 minute warmup time, flimsy remote, extremely poor upscaling and very few bells and whistles (didn't even have 'time left' feature).
Spend your hard earned cash on the new BDP-S350. Same price, half the size, better picture, easier navigation, minimal warmup time, etc.
Mine is running on a 52" Sony Bravia and it is incredible!
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This review is from: Sony BDP-S300 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player (Electronics)
I run LG's Super Blu and Sony's S300 next to each other. The Sony is by far the most irritating piece of equipment I've ever owned.
Everything is painfully slow. Walk up to it and press the open button, and you wait about 70 seconds (no exaggeration) for it to open.
Loading Blu-Ray's typically takes anywhere 5 to 15 minutes. Sometimes it will have an error where it justs loads forever (eventually you figure it out). I usually open it up and put a disk in, come back in 5 minutes when the menu is up, then hit play, then come back in another 5 to 10 minutes after the movie has actually loaded and just rewind a little.
The fast forward settings are irritating. It just takes seconds for it to change speeds.
It even takes 9 seconds for my LCD to disconnect from it. I don't know if it's the TV or the player, I just know that everything is painfully slow, as if it were running a poor quality computer inside.
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This review is from: Sony BDP-S300 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player (Electronics)
The picture and sound are great, there's no doubt about that, but this player is slow as a tortoise to do anything.
I actually own two high definition TVs and each one has a Blu-Ray player attached. On one I've got the Sony BDP-S300 and on the other I've got the Panasonic DMP-BD30. There is a huge difference in speed and responsiveness between the two players! Let me give you some very specific examples:
The Sony is powered off because you haven't been using it. You decide you want to watch a movie. So, you push the eject button to open the disc tray so that you can load a movie in to it. Well, after you push the eject button you might as well go pour yourself a Coke... because the disc tray doesn't open for an agonizingly slow 45 seconds after you push that eject button! The Panasonic boots up and opens in less than half the time: just 20 seconds.
OK... so now you've got the disc tray open. Stick in the disc and push the play button. Now wait for anything to show up on your TV screen! I timed it with "National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets" and it took six seconds longer for the BDP-S300 to display the first splash screen than it did for the Panasonic. OK, so now we've at least got a picture on the TV, but we're still not actually watching the movie!
On "National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets", there is a series of movie previews at the beginning of the disc. After the last preview plays, the player actually begins the process of loading all the menus and graphics from the disc and when it's finally read and loaded all that stuff, you see the first actual disc menu on the screen. On the Sony, this process takes an astonishing two minutes and seven seconds! Can you imagine sitting around with your kids, ready to watch a movie, and having to wait over two minutes for the Blu-Ray player to load everything and bring up the disc menu? It's outrageous... especially when you try the same thing on the Panasonic and watch it do the job in just 34 seconds.
It's also frustratingly slow to respond to commands from the remote. Again, using the "National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets" disc as a comparison... if you want to explore the menus on the disc (for example, to see what special features are offered on the disc) things don't happen immediately when you push the buttons on the Sony remote. For example, when you push the up or down arrow to go up or down through the choices in the disc menu, there is a lag from the time you push the button until the time you actually see the menu choices scroll up or down on your screen. It shouldn't be that way! (And it isn't on the Panasonic DMP-BD30.)
Using the BDP-S300 reminds me very much of what it's like to use a very old computer with too little RAM and a very weak microprocessor. Ever used a computer like that... where you click on something and it takes the computer forever to execute the command? And then you do the same thing on a nice new computer with enough RAM and a powerful processor... and it just works? That's what the difference is like in using the Sony BDP-S300 and the Panasonic DMP-BD30.
By the way, in case anyone is wondering... yes, of course, I did do the firmware update from Sony. Everything I said in this review is based on using the latest firmware. Before the firmware update, the Sony would even play some of my Blu-Ray discs. At least now it plays them all... you just have to be really patient as you wait for anything to happen!
Buy the DMP-BD30, it's a MUCH better machine!
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