By itself, this player has enough features and functions to serve as the centerpiece of your audio/video entertainment system. It does it all, except play games. It's an optical disk player that can handle Blu-Ray, DVD, and CD. It's an internet device that can accept movie streams from Netflix, HuluPlus, Amazon, Sony, and other such services. The machine already has a built-in WiFi adapter as well as an ethernet adapter. To call this machine just a Blu-Ray player will not do it justice. A more accurate description for it would be "multifunction entertainment system". It is, quite literally, a complete package with the ability to deliver entertainment from various sources, in a great many way. It's only competition might be the Playstation 3!
The unit is smaller than it looks on the picture. It's as wide, but not as deep, as your typical DVD player, taking up just slightly more space than a keyboard. And, amazingly, it is very light considering all the functions that it has. The included remote control is made of quality plastics and rubber. Sony, probably more so than your other mainstream electronics brand, really does take aesthetics into consideration when designing their products. This is a good looking machine.
Setting up the machine is fairly easy. However, for most cases, choose the Easy set up option. To connect to your router wirelessly, you will need to provide the access point's security key. That would naturally depend on the security protocol being used on your home network. If you are close enough to your router, you can also go the ethernet option. You will then configure the machine to work with your Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon accounts. You can also play videos and view pictures from your home computer's hard drive.
Let me confess that I have not yet tested the player's 3D capabilities. My current LCD is not 3D.
This player has the ability to improve the quality of regular DVD movies. My first test of the unit involved playing, "The Emerald Forest". Compared to my older DVD player, the picture quality is greatly improved. Both machines are connected to the same television, giving me an opportunity to switch the disk back and forth to test the picture quality. I also noticed the same effect while playing "Resident Evil 4: Afterlife". Audio quality is pretty good.
The quality of streaming material is greatly affected by your internet connection speed. While streaming in the movie "Ghoul", the player would periodically pause the movie and buffer the video, giving a message that the internet connection has slowed down. If you don't like video buffering with high-definition material, then get the Blu-Ray media and avoid streaming. For all but the fastest internet connections, HD streaming may not provide you with a satisfying movie experience. Standard Definition material plays just fine without the need to buffer. And picture quality is very good. Your options will depend on your internet service provider and how fast of a connection they can provide for you.
One unusual design feature of this player is the location of the control buttons. Instead of being on the front face of the unit, they are located on the top, front edge of the "box". Perhaps that might affect you if you plan to stack other audio/video components on top of this unit. Basically, this player is very much like most consumer electronics today in that it was designed primarily to be used with the remote control. The engineers probably assumed that the actual control buttons on the unit itself will rarely, if ever, be used. Now, being an old-fashioned (code for "old man") consumer, I prefer my equipment to have some heft to them. Back in the golden age of stereo systems, the heavier the component, the better the build quality. Back then, a high quality CD player from the likes of Denon and Sony ES would, by itself, weigh fifteen pounds and up. This Blu-Ray player, which has ten times the functionality of a CD player, is much less than ten pounds. I suppose that really does not make any practical difference. My previous DVD player was also a lightweight, and it continues to give good service after seven years. Given a preference though, I prefer audio-video components to have considerable heft, built with a lot of metal in them. Sadly, none of these optical disk players, from any manufacturer, has that robust quality. That is just the way it is in modern consumer electronics.
The dashboard, or main menu, of this system is very intuitive to use. It uses pretty much the same XMB media bar design concept as the Playstation 3, PSP, and other Sony products. Navigation is easy. It's unfortunate that car navigation systems have not applied the same concept to their designs. This is digital ergonomics at its best. The remote control is also intuitive. There's even a button specifically for Netflix!
Now, the big question. Which would you rather have? This Sony multifunction entertainment system (Sony BDP-S590 3D WiFi), or the Playstation 3? Please remember that the Playstation 3 will do all of the above (except 3D) and it will also play video games. If you like playing video games, even occasionally, then the PS3 might be the better choice to build your entertainment system around. Admittedly, it is more than twice the cost of this player. But the additional functionality may be worth it for you, especially if you have children/grandchildren who may be visiting. Another advantage that the Playstation 3 system has over this one is the ability to download the movie to the hard drive, as opposed to merely streaming it while it plays. This is a very big advantage if you have a slow internet connection and you want to play HD movies from Netflix and Sony network. Instead of streaming it in, you simply pick the option to download the high definition movie to the hard drive. Wait for the download to complete, and you can watch the material in all its high-def glory without the dreaded video buffering. The very best way to enjoy a movie is through Blu-Ray disk though. No contest there. And there are just movies out there that are so good it would be a shame not to have it in Blu-Ray. Netflix rents out Blu-Ray.
You cannot go wrong with this Sony multifunction entertainment system. To simply call it a Blu-Ray player will not do it justice. This device is much, much more than that. I highly recommend this product.
| Brand Name | Sony |
|---|---|
| Item Weight | 4.41 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 2.87 x 18.9 x 10.83 inches |
| Item model number | BDPS590 |
| Batteries | 2 AA batteries required. |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Color Name | Black |
| Special Features | 3D |
