Sony BDP-S550 1080p Blu-ray Player | 
 enlarge | Brand: Sony
Category: CE
List Price: $399.99
Buy New: $313.71
You Save: $86.28 (22%)
New (20) Used (1) from $296.99
Rating:  59 reviews
Sales Rank: 17
Color: Black
Media: Electronics
Number Of Items: 1
Batteries Included: Yes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 6.4
Dimensions (in): 17 x 8.8 x 2.4
MPN: BDPS550
Model: BDPS550
UPC: 027242737518
EAN: 0027242737518
ASIN: B001FN3ZRQ
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Bonus View & BD-Live (Profile 2.0) w/1GB flash memory for local storage | | • | Full HD 1080/60p & 24p True Cinema Video Output | | • | Dolby True HD/DTS-HD decoder built-in with 7.1ch out. Quick start up mode. | | • | Dolby TrueHD & DTS-HD bitstream out over HDMI (V1.3) | | • | x.v.Color for AVC-HD |
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Product Description
The BDP-S550 model supports BonusView (Picture-in-Picture) featured on some of the new Blu-ray Disc theatrical releases. This model also features an external port for local storage, so users can add optional flash-based memory. The BDP-S550 ships with a 1GB storage device.The player features 1080/60p and 24p True Cinema output. It is compatible with most standard DVDs and features 1080p upscaling through an HDMI connection to capable HDTV sets, improving the picture performance of existing DVD libraries.The model offers 7.1 channel Dolby TrueHD and Dolby Digital Plus decoding and bit-stream output, as well as dts -HD High Resolution Audio and Master Audio bit-stream output. The BDP-S550 adds dts-HD High Resolution Audio and dts-HD Master Audio decoding as well as 7.1 channel analog audio output.The player supports AVCHD discs encoded with x.v.Color (xvYCC) technology, an international standard for wide color space reproduction. The standard expands the current data range of video by about 1.8 times, allowing the players to output more natural and vivid colors similar to what the human eye can actually see. The player also features compatibility with an array of video formats, including BD-R/RE (BDMV and BDAV modes), DVD+R/+RW, DVD-R/-RW (Video Mode), CD, CD-R/RW (CD-DA format), and JPEG on DVD/CD recordable media.The new model features a slim design with reduced depth and height compared to previous models matching Sony's new home-theater-in-a-box systems, the HT-SS2300 and HT-CT100 T-SS2300, also announced today. Optimized for Blu-ray Disc, the new component systems feature three 1080p compatible HDMI inputs making them the perfect match for a Full high-definition home theater when connected to a new Sony BRAVIA 1080p HDTV.
Amazon.com Product Description
Bring home the future of Blu-ray Disc technology with BD-Live and the BDP-S550 Blu-ray Disc player. The S550 is the step-up model to Sony's BDP-S350. It adds a gigabyte of onboard memory, so you can enjoy expanded Blu-ray capabilities like BD-Live interactive features right out of the box, and dts-HD compatibility for studio-quality sound.
BD-Live takes your movie experience to a whole new level. Download and stream bonus content such as additional scenes, shorts, trailers and movie-based games. Equipped with a built-in Ethernet port, the BDP-S550 makes it easy to access specially created BD-Live content and Bonus View features. A USB port that allows you to add more storage to access the growing number of special features that will be available given the immense storage capacity of Blu-ray discs themeselves. This player outputs a Full 1080/24p True Cinema picture and upscales your existing DVD collection to 1080p when using the HDMI connection. Dolby TrueHD/DTS-HD delivers studio master quality audio which is designed specifically for high definition entertainment. Make the most of all of these features with the icon-based Xcross Media Bar, which provides simple navigation of the player's menu system.
Key Features  Slim chassis- True 1080p Output (Learn more)
- 7.1 Channel Dolby Sound , Dolby TrueHD and dts-HD (Master Audio and High Resolution Audio) (Learn more)
- 1 Gb of onboard memory and a USB Port Allows More Storage for Access to More Special Features, Like Bonus View (Learn More)
- Ethernet connection for BD-Live Compatibility and firmware updates (Learn more)
- Higher Bit Rates mean less video compression (Learn more)
- Emmy-Award Winning Xross Media Bar Interface (Learn More)
- Bravia Sync for Easy Connectivity (Learn More)
Learn More
|  See Everything Your HDTV Can Show You with Full HD.
6 Times the Picture Data on DVDs
See everything your HDTV can show you. Blu-ray Disc's Full HD 1080p resolution produces over 2 million pixels per frame to produce a razor-sharp picture with unmatched depth and clarity that takes full advantage of the capabilities of today's 1080p HDTVs. That's six times the picture data contained on DVDs, which are encoded at only 480p. 24p True Cinema Video Output
Most of all Hollywood movies are shot at 24 frames per second, and Blu-ray Disc movies are mastered at 24 frame per second, so it is only fitting that the Sony Blu-ray Disc Players can output your films at 1080/24p for a true film-like experience at home. Of course, Sony Blu-ray Disc Players can also output at 1080/60p for more traditional HDTV sets on the market. Either way Sony has you covered for the best picture possible in Full 1080p.
Backwards compatible and Upscaling
All existing Blu-ray Disc players will play your standard DVD collection without a problem. And with built-in 1080p video upscaling, they'll look even better. |
 In the digital world, picture quality is not just about resolution, but also about bit rates. The higher the bit rate, the more data that is processed, typically resulting in higher video quality. DVDs have a maximum video bit rate of about 10 megabits per second (Mbps). In comparison, Blu-ray Disc is capable of video bitrates up to an incredible 40 Mbps. The bottom line, higher bit rates allow for the least amount of data compression for HD video that looks closest to the original video source.
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Dolby TrueHD internal decoding and bitstream output via HDMI for the Dolby TrueHD and dts-HD (Master Audio and High Resolution Audio) codes delivers studio quality audio designed specifically for high definition entertainment like Blu-ray Disc movies, with up to 7.1 channels of surround sound that is virtually indistinguishable from the original studio version. 7.1 channel analog output provides connectivity to older receivers, making the player compatible with your existing audio system with 7.1 analog inputs. The BDP-S550 is compatible with Dolby TrueHD, Dolby’s next-generation lossless technology developed for high-definition disc-based media. Dolby TrueHD delivers tantalizing sound that is bit-for-bit identical to the studio master, unlocking the true high-definition entertainment experience on next-generation discs. When coupled with high-definition video, Dolby TrueHD offers an unprecedented home theater experience that lets you enjoy sound as stunning as the high-definition picture. - Delivers enthralling studio-master-quality sound that unlocks the true high-definition entertainment experience on next-generation discs.
- Offers more discrete channels than ever before for impeccable surround sound.
- Compatible with the A/V receivers and home-theaters-in-a-box (HTIBs) of today and tomorrow.
- Dialogue normalization maintains the same volume level when you change to other Dolby Digital and Dolby TrueHD programming.
- Dynamic range control (Night mode) enables you to customize audio playback to reduce peak volume levels (no loud surprises) while experiencing all the details in the soundtrack, enabling late-night viewing of high-energy surround sound without disturbing others.
 Xross (pronounced Cross) is Sony's Technical-Emmy award-winning graphic user interface for Sony WEGA and BRAVIA televisions and PS3 and PSX game systems. The interface features category icons spread horizontally across the screen that organize the viewing options (TV, Music, Internet, Tools, etc...). When a category icon is selected on the horizontal bar, a vertical bar appears showing the viewing options within that category. Using the directional pad on your remote, you can easily maneuver horizontally from category to category, then scroll vertically through individual viewing options to easily navigate through the wide range of programming available on today's televisions. |
 BD-Live is a Blu-ray feature that enables you to access special content via an internet-connected Blu-ray player. Because it's not coded into the disc, BD-Live content is always updated, always fresh. With BD-Live, your Blu-ray disc is different every time you view it.
Check out the latest previews, download special scenes, exclusive features and ringtones, and participate in online communities or games.
As BD-Live continues to grow and expand, even more features will become available, customizing features and content to your location or preferences.
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| Blu-ray Disc has 5x more storage capacity than DVD, which allows more content to fit on the disc. The extra storage capacity also means more room for special features like inline navigation, Bonus View, interactive games, deleted scenes, director commentary and more | Navigate to special features, other scenes, or settings without leaving the content you are watching.
| Bonus View lets you watch special features and commentary inline without leaving the movie.
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HDMI Features x.v Color 
RGB Color Range
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xvYCC Color Range
| Thanks to the adoption of a newly approved international color standard called xvYCC (an option in the HDMI v1.3 spec and which Sony participated in creating), the color space has been greatly expanded.
All Sony XBR HDTVs support the xvYCC color profile (Extended YCC Colorimetry for Video Applications), or "x.v. color" for short. Standard RGB color space allows the display of a portion of the colors that are viewable to the human eye. The next generation "xvYCC" color space actually offers an available range of colors that exceeds what human eyes can recognize. - Next-generation "xvYCC" color space supports 1.8 times as many colors as existing HDTV signals
- Lets HDTVs display colors more accurately
- Enables displays with more natural and vivid colors
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Deep Color  | So, where x.v. color expands the available range of colors your HDTV can display, Deep Color increases the number of colors your HDTV can display within that range, for smoother transitions from color to color.
- Lets HDTVs and other displays go from millions of colors to billions of colors
- Eliminates on-screen color banding, for smooth tonal transitions and subtle gradations between colors
- Enables increased contrast ratio
- Can represent many times more shades of gray between black and white
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 As a leader in products with HDMI connectivity, Sony has created BRAVIA Sync to gobeyond simple audio and video transmission. When combined with a select number of BRAVIA televisions and other Sony audio and video products, in addition to audio and video transmission, control functions will betransmitted via the HDMI cable. With "One Touch Play," operations that took several steps have been reduced to one. Press the PLAY button on the remote, watch the audio and/or the video component(s) turn on then the BRAVIA television turn on and switch to the correct video input–Simple–Easy–BRAVIA Sync.
Inputs and Outputs
- Analog Audio Output(s) : 2 Channel: 1 (Rear)
- Coaxial Audio Digital Output(s) : 1 (Rear)
- Component Video (Y/Pb/Pr) Output(s) : (Y/Pb/Pr) OUtput(s): 1 (Rear)
- Composite Video Output(s) : 1 (Rear)
- Optical Audio Output(s) : 1 (Rear)
- S-Video Output(s) : 1 (Rear)
- Ether port for firmware updates
- USB port for BD-Live External Memory
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Specifications
Weights and Measurements - Dimensions (Approx.): 17 inches x 8 3/4 inches x 2 3/4 inches (430 x 220 x 70 mm)
- Weight (Approx.): 7 lbs 4 oz (3.3Kg)
Audio Features - Dolby: Yes & Dolby TrueHD bitstream out over HDMI (V1.3)
- Dolby Digital plus Decoding: Yes
- Dolby TrueHD Decoding : Yes
- dts Decoding: Yes
- dts Output: Yes
- dts-HD Decoding: Yes
- LPCM: Yes (multi channel decoder): Yes (HDMI bitstream out)
- Dolby True HD bitstream output: Yes
- dts HD bitstream output: Yes
Capability Video Features - BD-R/RE Read Compatibility: Yes (BDMV & BDAV format)
- BD-ROM: Yes
- DVD+R Read Compatibility: Yes
- DVD+RW Read Compatibility: Yes
- DVD-R Read Compatibility: Yes (Video Mode and VR Mode)
- DVD-RW Read Compatibility: Yes (Video Mode and VR Mode)
- JPEG Playback: Yes
- x.v.Color Technology: Yes
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| Customer Reviews: Read 54 more reviews...
 Great Do-It-All Player (Finally) October 12, 2008
Wanderer
340 out of 343 found this review helpful
Well, I just got the player a couple of days ago from Amazon, and since nobody has reviewed it, yet, I thought I'd first provide a comparison to the 350 and then my impressions to give a full overview.
COMPARISON
This is the "big brother" of the Sony BDP-S350 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player. What are the differences (Apart from more than $100 at the time of this writing)? One big one (for some) and two minor ones:
- It does 7.1 ANALOG Audio out. (Big deal for some people, like myself.)
- It decodes ALL next-gen audio formats (the 350 does not decode the one that is not used much, and I am reading that they will upgrade that via firmware, so minor difference).
- It is BD 2.0, which is the newest and for now final Blu-Ray format. (The 350 can be upgraded to it by buying and installing a memory card, so also only a minor difference.)
The last two are nice if you want a player that is future proof without you actualy needing to fiddle around with it. Unless you really hate doing things like firmware upgrades, I don't think they are worth the price difference between this unit and the 350, though.
The real difference is that this player does 7.1 ANALOG Audio out (see my experience below). So IF you have a receiver that cannot be connected via HDMI, but that is otherwise so good (was so expensive) that you do not wish to switch it out, and it has 7.1 ANALOG Audio in (often called "External In" or "Pre In"), you can connect this player via 8 (yes, eight, not a typo) analog audio cables to the receiver, and still receive all 7.1 channels of Audio. I, for instance, own a Denon 5805 receiver (original cost several thousand dollars), which I do not want to switch out. By spending the additional money for this player, I can have pretty much the same experience as if I had an hdmi capable (newer) receiver. So mostly, this only applies to people who are willing to spend a lot of money for a perfect audio experience. One thing to note: You can not get the full 7.1 Audio via either optical or normal digital connection. The audio quality will be downgraded to accomodate that those cable formats can't transport the data fast enough for the full quality. Another thing to note: This does not concern the actual picture quality, just the audio.
BOTTOM LINE: IF THIS IS A GOOD UPGRADE OVER THE 350 DEPENDS COMPLETELY ON YOUR RECEIVER, and is more likely if your receiver is older and was expensive. If it wasn't I would get the Sony BDP-S350 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player.
IMPRESSIONS
So, how does it actually work. I have it connected to a 720p TV via hdmi, and a Denon 5805 receiver via 7.1 analog (I have a 7.1 speaker system).
Installation
Installation was pretty hassle free, except for fiddling with the audio to get it to work just like I wanted it to (took about 1-2 hours, which is normal if you add this kind of component to a system like mine). The non-audio setup was only 5-10 minutes (take it out, plug it in, press a few buttons, ready).
For the analog audio, you can tell the unit which speakers (up to 7.1) and speaker sizes (small, large) you have, how far they are from the listener (in feet, fronts and the surround pairs can only be configured in pairs, hard to configure if your sub or surrounds are far away for some reason), and finally speaker level (per each speaker, front and surround pairs can be seperately configured here). It also provides a test tone. Apparently the bass management is done through how you configured the size of the other speakers, and if you tell it small for all you have to have a sub. I am running configured through the unit so far, even though I have a receiver that can redigitalize the analog audio inputs (which I will probably try in the future once I have listened to it like this for a while, so I can compare better). So my impressions below are for having the Sony do all the processing.
Operation
The unit comes on relatively quickly, and starts playing a Blu-Ray disk in about 30 seconds or so, which was a positive surprise after having read the horror stories about waiting times for the last generation of these players. Still noticable slower than a standard DVD player for DVDs. DVDs start faster in this player, though, and can be upconverted. The user interface is mostly graphical, kind of like the PS3s, and you get used to it quickly.
Video / Audio Quality
I was very positively surprised about the video and audio quality produced by the unit, both for Blu-Ray and DVD. The Blu-Ray picture was sharp with great colors and color gradients, and I did not spot any conversion artifacts in 720p (I had the unit do the conversion). In short, the picture is what true HD picture should be. The sound was amazing. Even though right now the movies I played still have no "real" 7.1, but 5.1, I thought localization was fantastic, and the quality crystal clear. The surround was well defined without drowning out the voices. Caveat: I have only played a few movies at this point, so this might be due to fantastic sound engineering. I was not used to the bass management, though, the Denon does that different (it has automatic room correction), so if your receiver does not redigitize the analog signal to apply its own bass management, etc., you might run into a little bit of a problem here (I thought it still sounded great, but then I am not a bass fan). In the end, the unit does not come with automatic room correction, and the bass is one point where that could make quite a difference depending on your setup / room. (This last part applies more to the audio-nut community, for whom it might be a big deal, though, and who are a large part of the target audience for this player as far as i can tell.)
DVD upsampling looks like a "fuzzy" HD picture. I did not spot any abvious artifacts, but then I only took a quick look (I did not buy the unit for DVD playback / upsampling, but for Blu-Ray). Sound was good for DVDs as well.
BOTTOM LINE: Great unit, better than I thought in both picture and audio. If you need 7.1 analog, and can't/don't want to spend 2G on a Denon or Oppo, buy it. You will get 7.1 analog with good basic configuration options, but don't expect automatic room adjustment level results.
Wonderful unit October 17, 2008
Big Al (Illinois)
23 out of 25 found this review helpful
I just received this unit. It took just a few minutes to plug it into the HDMI port on my Sony Bravia TV and use the quick start menu. The Blu-Ray disk playback is amazing. The older DVD's I have tried look better than my 3 year old Sony DVD that was also connected to the HDMI port. I moved that unit to component video for a backup.
It was nice to have everything go smoothly and have such great quality now.
Great Player October 16, 2008
Wayne A. Morgan (Fort Worth, TX United States)
28 out of 32 found this review helpful
I just received mine yesterday. It was up and running in 10 minutes. This included removing my old DVD player. The upscaled, standard DVDs looked great. I've only purchase on BluRay disk so far, but the picture and audio were fabulous.
I was worried buying the unit without seeing it in the store first after all the complaints about slow boots and loads with last year's models. However, this unit appears to be as quick as my old DVD player when loading either standard DVDs or the one BluRay disk that I have.
Best Blu-ray player on the market yet! October 25, 2008
Irvin M. Haas (Indianapolis, IN USA)
19 out of 21 found this review helpful
If you're looking for a Blu-ray player that can do it all, check out the Sony BDP-S550 player.
It's got a ton of improvements over Sony's (and the competition's) previous models.
It can internally decode all 7.1 next-gen audio formats. This is the player that will easily let you play Dolby TrueHD as well as dtsHD Master Audio soundtracks.
It is Profile 2.0 capable right out of the box. No upgrades required (at least not right now!). With the built-in network port, upgrades are a snap.
Sony's previous players (except the 350) had slow loading times. The 550 is much quicker. You even have the option of a quick start-up mode, even faster than the default standard one which is fast enough.
Most Blu-ray players display total and elapsed time. This player also features remaining time, crucial if you want to know how much time is left on the disc.
The 550 includes a backlit remote, a real improvement if you are using your player in a darkened room.
The best feature of the 550 is its price. Although the $399 price tag may seem high to some, actual discounts are closer to $300-$330, which is about $50 higher than the bottom line 350 model. Considering how many extra features you get, it seems like a bargain.
Only down side is Sony's Xcross Media Bar graphic display is always on except for playing discs. You only need to access this menu when you are setting up your system or making changes. Then you only need to display a neat desktop, not one cluttered with icons.
If want a reasonable inexpensive Blu-ray player that can handle all your options now or in the short-term future, the Sony BDP-S550 is the one to get!
Impressive ! November 2, 2008
Ben Dover (VA)
13 out of 14 found this review helpful
So far so good. I have held off purchasing a Blu-Ray player for about a year simply because of the marginal reviews and substandard performance. The reviews of the 550 seemed to be consistent and has held up well under a significant amount of research. Hook-up and set-up was effortless. The unit has a small footprint. If you stack your components this will most likely need to go on top. I used the 7.1 analog connection for audio and the HDMI connected directly to the TV. The set-up allows you to configure the speaker settings to large or small. I set all speakers to small since this seemed to force better performance from the sub. The on-screen set-up is nice and easy to understand. If you are using the 7.1 analogue, set the audio to "multi". It stated that in the manual but can easily be missed. If you are using fiber optic or coax the set-up is fairly basic.
The picture quality is outstanding and the surround sound was excellent. I was hopeful the unit could properly de-code a SACD formated CD, but no such luck so far. It recognizes it as a music CD and outputs the signal in stereo. At this point I am not sure if there is a work-around. Not a big deal but would have been a nice bonus. It was somewhat of a trade-off because I had to use my analogue inputs for the BluRay so I can no longer listen to my SACD's on my Denon DVD player. Its a disappointment, but worth the trade. I was also pleasantly surprised of the quality of standard DVD. Not as good as my DENON DVD player but acceptable. That really wasn't important to me since I love my DENON and have no intention if using the SONY as an all in one player. That may be important to some. If so, I don't think you will be disappointed. Nice job SONY. This is an excellent player and a fantastic value at these prices. Expect another price drop the closer we get to XMAS. Thank you all for some comprehensive reviews.
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