Sony BDP-S570 Blu-ray Disc Player

Good but the Internet Belongs to $ony 2010-09-08

Reviewer: David E. Hartman

This could have been a very cool game changer for the TV owner who doesn't want a Playstation but wants Blu-ray and streamed content from their PC or Mac to their bedroom TV. Sony's player is very nice, and wi-fi streaming looks almost identical to what you'd see with an internet-enabled Playstation/TV. You get links to Netflix (although you have to choose the movies etc., on your computer) and a variety of other streaming services.

BUT. . . .as far as I can tell, you can't pick your own websites to get streamed content. For example, you can't just tell the player to find plain-vanilla [...] and choose a show to watch (if you can, it's not at all obvious). So you are wi-fi'd but ONLY to Sony's (usually) pay-for-view content.

This is not all that unusual for Sony, which keeps trying to make technology that only it can produce - and which is usually ignored and dies; witness the Memory Stick. They scored their one Big Victory with Blu Ray, but their new player will lock you into the Internet As Sony Wants You to See (and Pay for) It by making players that lock out non-Sony-approved media. Most of the visual media sites are pay sites and of course, it's a G-rated universe.

So all in all, this is a high quality player and the wi-fi will deliver Netflix, Pandora, etc., but unless the firmware is changed, Sony is the Gatekeeper of the Web, not you. You want the web? The Godfather at Sony says .it'll cost ya. . . .

Blu-ray by Sony 2010-09-07

Reviewer: Reginald Oka

This product worked well with my Linksys Cisco wireless router which was located in another room approximately 50 feet from the player. I positioned the player under my 6 years old 50" DLP TV and I had no problems programming the player to detect and accept the wireless signal. Following the Netflix instructions and the Sony BDP-S570 player instructions, it took me (not very technical) 30 minutes to figure things out (after I read the instructions). The player has great HD images and playing Blu-ray discs make for great viewing. Watching instant Netflix video although not in Blu-ray is great since if I don't like the movie, I just delete it from the instant movie list and move on. I am very pleased with the Sony BDP-S570 Blu-ray disc player and it is well worth the price.

A querqy Sony 2010-09-05

Reviewer: Nicholas L. Buckeridge

A disk drive for the demanding, but also patient. Its operation is querqy and on the slow side.

Very happy!!! 2010-09-01

Reviewer: R. Brusca

This is my first Blu-ray player. I waited three years for the price to come down and the profiles to reach a stable 2.0. The Sony BDP-S570 has everything I wanted. It is as fast as the top rated Oppo BDP-83 and one third the cost if you include the Oppo wireless bridge. The only player to compare it to in price and features is the Panasonic DMP-BD85 that seems to have mixed reviews. I chose the Sony because of the better specs and reviews and my personal history using Sony products. I don't plan on watching 3D movies or using DLNA to stream photos or videos. I have a HTPC hooked up to my TV to view my videos and photos. The wireless setup was a breeze. It went through two network upgrades and then brought up all the available content. Even though this player costs around $200 it is well worth the cost. Yes, you can find players under $100. They won't be as fast or have built-in wireless. And speaking of accessing the internet, why wouldn't you buy a player with built in-wireless? Who in their right mind would run a cable to the back of your player? If you want a player with profile 2.0 (BD-Live) you also need built-in wireless. It just makes sense. I highly recommend the Sony BDP-S570 to anyone looking for a new Blu-ray player.

Costco members take note. 2010-08-30

Reviewer: Michael D. Perry

This is my first BD player, so my knowledge of the format is fairly limited. Picture Quality of Blu-Ray Discs played on this Sony is very nice (comparable to the now defunct HD-DVD). This unit is amazing for streaming media from my Win 7 computer and I love the YouTube implementation! The controller is a bit of a disappointment feeling a bit "cheap" and not backlit. Typing in search strings with the remote is a pain in the butt and takes longer than the actual finding and begin streaming of the YouTube video itself.

*Note* it's dialed into my N wireless network with a 50Mbps connection, so HD content streaming is probably faster than those with "G" wireless and/or slower internet speeds. I've only had the unit for 1 day and have not had the chance to demo the upconversion of a DVD yet.

Costco has this unit bundled with an HDMI cable for 189.00 - quite a good deal.