Sony BDP-S360 and BDP-S560 Blu-ray players (and BDP-BX2) - Page 5

i saw the sony 360 at my local walmart. $300.

There is no Netflix, no Pandora, and no amazon on demand in these players. Very disappointing that Sony doesn't have any gimmicks like that. Makes other brands attractive.

Engadget say that DVD scaling has been improved with the BDP-S360 compared with the BDP-S350, how exactly has it been improved?

http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/05/08...s-at-best-buy/

Saw 30 of these at Fry's yesterday. Looked really nice when it was displayed. But no streaming = no sale. Get with the times, Sony!

I seriously cannot keep pace

I know what you mean. However, I'm still pleased with my BDP-S1, and we have a S350 in the den, which seems to work just fine.

I figure when the next latest and greatest audio spec comes out I'll seriously consider upgrading. I'm trying to put my kid through college - that's enough expense as it is....

Is it even technologically possible for Sony to add Netflix via a firmware update?

Heard that the Samsung players have crappy (relatively speaking) upscaling, so I am now considering the 560, but it peeves me that something like Netflix is missing.

According to CNet's review of the S360 its upscaling performance isn't that hot either, and I think it's assumed the S560 is based on the same core design. The 2009 LG's appear to be the worst at upscaling.

I suspect Sony's reluctance in supporting streaming/digital distribution has something to do with it being a major blu-ray proponent and supporter. Sony doesn't want the public to stop buying blu-ray discs and start streaming Netflix.

Its upscaling performance isn't something I've gotten to yet but I look forward to trying that soon. I had a busy weekend but did get to some BDs I'm quite familiar with regarding the PQ and I have to say I'm rather impressed so far initially. The player loads quickly and has played those flawlessly so far.

Just picked up an S360 today, hoping to offload Blu-ray responsibilities from my PS3. HDMI to Onkyo 905, then to 111FD.

I have experienced the same problems as mentioned, plus a few new ones:

- low audio levels. When playing blu-rays on my PS3, I usually have my Onkyo at -24dB for normal listening levels. With the S360, I'm at -12dB, very high.

- I can't get the damn thing to bitstream Dolby TrueHD or DTS-MA to the Onkyo. The 905 shows 2-channel PCM.

The Sony has no setting to choose bitstream/LPCM.

Onkyo has the latest main/DSP firmware versions, from the factory.

Now I love to mess around with any settings I can get to, and the S360's settings are nothing confusing to me. Same with the Onkyo. I've tried everything I could find. No combination of settings will cause my Onkyo to display "TrueHD," "DTS Master Audio," or anything of the sort.

What's the deal?

Try these S360 settings:

Audio Output Priority = HDMI
HDMI Audio = Auto
BD Audio = Direct

There's no setting to force bitstream over HDMI. When BD Audio is set to Direct, the player and receiver negotiate the "best" connection. If the receiver can handle the codec being played, the S360 will bitstream. Otherwise, it will decode and output PCM. The Mix setting forces player decoding.

Thanks for the info. I also couldn't find a way to pick bitsteam or PCM. The only BDs I had a chance to try were the Pirate movies which don't have DTSMA or TrueHD.

The volume on my Onkyo SR605 needs to be turned up higher also than I normally have it with the PS3 for the Pirate movies I tried.

Update: The BDs I tried with TrueHD or DTSMA all worked fine using those settings above for the audio. Gotta like when those indicator lights come on with your amp!

Thanks. The problem was a seemingly unrelated setting in the Onkyo, "HDMI audio out," which allows the audio to pass through the receiver to the TV. I had mine set to "on." It's gotta be off, which in hindsight makes perfect sense.

Does your user name mean Big Islander, as in Hawaii?

Yup, my 905 showed "DTS MSTR" and Dolby TrueHD" for the first time last night. It's good to see these displayed on the receiver, but even better knowing there's hardware decoding in the receiver instead of software decoding in the PS3.

Not to mention finally getting IR control over Blu-ray functions via Harmony One, instead of waiting for the Logitech PS3 adapter.

First of all, I'm pretty sure the decoding going on in the PS3 is handled by a decoder that probably similar to the one in your receiver. I don't think this kind of decoding can be done with software.
Secondly, you didn't have to wait for the Logitech. There have been other options available for a while now. You have gotten your AVR's display to "light" up. Seems like this is important to you. Enjoy.

I just don't get streaming.

Why would anyone want to spend the time downloading and reach their bandwidth caps after just downloading a few titles?

First of all, you're pretty wrong. What do you think makes the PS3 so powerful? It's got more than enough processing power to do advanced codecs via software. The hardware can't even bitstream the latest codecs, and never will.


I'm aware of the several semi-science-experiment options out there. They'd work well enough. I'd have waited for the Logitech simply because it's licensed, fully integrated AND doesn't look like something from Radio Shack.

The truth is, a standalone BD player has several advantages over a PS3. Especially if you've got a great receiver that's not quite realizing its full potential. And yeah, my receiver "lights up," and it's the icing on the cake. I sure will enjoy.

How do Sony players compare to Pioneer in terms of PQ and upscaling?

Sony S360 Versus Pioneer 51FD are the players I've been doing comparisons with.

For BDs, I'd give the better PQ to the Sony S360 but the Pioneer is by no means a slouch.

I'd give the Pioneer 51FD the advantage for upscaling by not by a wide margin. I have a DVD library of 100 or so and I've watched them so many times at this point that I haven't really done so all that much since I got into Blu Ray so it isn't my highest priority. There has been reported problems of layer change delays on some 51FDs but not the one I had.

Sonys players load faster is my understanding but as long as players eventually do with no problems, I'd say that is the most important think. I for one I'm in no real hurry with that to tell the truth.

Can anyone here confirm that a S360 can send a 5.1/7.1 PCM DTS HD over its HDMI output, to for example a Meridian HD-621. Im waiting for the Oppo blue ray player to get released that can do exactly this. But if the S360 can do PCM DTS HD over HMDI I might as well try one until the Oppo gets here?

I'm afraid that the button on the front of the bluray player will break after using it thousands of times. Why didn't they just put an eject button on the remote?

If it is a single disc player they figure you are going to get up. I have had DVD players like that as well and then there are many that do put an eject button on the remote.

I don't like eject buttons on remotes and don't even put ones on my URC remotes, eject buttons are best left for front panel, if you have your gear in a enclosure, rack or cabinet you will figure out why in time

if you do need it and can't be happy without it, I am sure the IR code is out there somewhere

-Gary

What about the people who don't have it in an enclosure or a cabinet? If you have it enclosed, simply don't use the eject button on the remote.

1. An eject button on the remote is much easier to find than on the player itself, especially in a dark room.

2. There's also no harm in having an extra eject button. If one breaks, you still have the other.

3. I don't like to press the eject button on the player and wait for a few seconds for the tray to open. I want to use the eject button on the remote while in my seat, and the tray is already open when I walk to the player.

I still have a Sony VCR that has an eject button on the remote. It was a nice extra because I would do something similar Blu-whale.

Just to answer my own question here. Just for the record, yes it can. Regarding the eject button matter which some find very very interesting. Seems the S360 can be ejected by a remote, just not its own. If you have a older Sony blue ray player remote the S360's tray will open, if you push that remotes eject button. A little bird told me, without reservations. Gives new meaning to "backward compatible", does it not.

Just picked up one of these today so I don't have to use my PS3 as a Blu-ray player. I'm liking it so far. My only complaint has been voiced already - the lack of an eject button on the remote. Otherwise, it seems pretty good. WiFi would have been nice, though I suppose that's a bit much to ask for at this time and price.

Edit: Now that I've spent some more time with it, I've got to say that the remote is the weakest part of the package. Definitely inferior to the Blu-ray remote for the PS3, especially in button layout. And it really is strange not to have the eject button.

is it the remote from the BDP-S1? or the BDP-S350...