Blu-Ray Disc Player: Excellent picture quality on Blu-ray and DVD; DVD upconversion up to 1080p; HDMI output. Right off the bat everyone in the room noticed the image quality from the Blu-Ray Disc Player S300, it's always comforting when the results right out of the box are at least on par with expectations, surpassing them is of course a nice bonus.
The SONY BDP-S300 Blu-Ray Disc Player is an important product, giving Blu-ray some much needed traction in the affordable player category. Combine that with recent news from rental powerhouse Blockbuster that it is expanding Blu-ray titles in its stores (at the expense of HD DVD in most cases), and the BDP-S300 looks like a no-brainer.
HQV Benchmark Results: The BDP-S300 Blu-Ray Disc Player scored very well with the standard definition HQV benchmark disc, it passed most of the tests with flying colors and was able to lock onto the 3:2 film cadence test faster than many other of the DVD and BD/HD players tested recently.
o Color Bar/Vertical Detail: Pass - Score 10 of 10
o Jaggies Pattern 1: Pass - Score 5 of 5
o Jaggies Pattern 2: Pass - Score 3 of 5
o Flag: Pass - Score 10 of 10
o Picture Detail: Pass - Score 10 of 10
o Noise Reduction: Pass - Score 10 of 10
o Motion Adaptive Noise Reduction: Pass - Score 10 of 10
o 3:2 Detection: Pass - Score 10 of 10
o Film Cadence: Pass - Score (Combined) 40 of 40
o Mixed 3:2 Film, Horizontal Text Crawl: Pass - Score 10 of 10
o Mixed 3:2 Film, Vertical Text Crawl: Pass - Score 10 of 10
o Total Score: 128 out of a possible 130.
And the remote is a good one- it controls both the player and a television.
Unlike Sony's first-gen BDP-S1 (and Pioneer Elite's BDP-HD1) the BDP-S300 will play back CDs, either from its analog audio outputs or any of its digital audio outputs, including HDMI.
Once loaded and running, the BDP-S300 performed like a gold medalist. The best Blu-ray Discs looked sensational at either 1080p/60 or 1080p/24. And for those using 720p displays, or displays that will not accept 1080p inputs, the player also performed beautifully when set for either a 720p or 1080i output.
The Sony BDP-S300 Multi-Region Blu-Ray is a sure winner
The Sony BDP-S300 Blu-ray player is a good one, with superb playback quality from Blu-ray Discs, and solid upconversion of standard definition DVDs for your legacy collection.
Description: Everyone will marvel at the stunning sound and picture quality of this second-generation Blu-ray Disc player. With remarkable features and versatile performance, the BDP-S300 is an amazing value.
BDP-S300 Strengths: Picture Quality
Strengths: Great picture and excellent sound
Weaknesses: None for me
Summary: I bought this Blu-Ray player last July to watch movies and it has worked flawlessly for me from day 1. I am not a viewer who will use picture in picture (which this does not have) nor do I play any of the games which are on some of the discs. I wanted a Blu-Ray player which gives me full HD video and great sound. The audio sounds great on my surround sound system when I use it. Sometimes I just use the TV speakers and the audio is excellent. If you are interested in a Blu-Ray player with outstanding video and excellent sound this player is for you.
Strengths: Plays Blu-Ray Discs, upconverts standard DVDs. Full 1080p output. Good array of audio outputs.
Strengths: Great picture when playing Blu ray Disk. Connected all audio connections at once except Coax, and all worked automatically...Great sound.
While the Sony BDP-S300 is an entry level Blu-ray player, entry level doesn't necessarily mean cheap. You're getting a capable high definition video player. VD's is lackluster at best and it only decodes Dolby Digital Plus. If you already have a capable upconverting DVD player and don't care about the decoding of Dolby TrueHD and the myriad of high definition DTS formats, this may be the Blu-ray player for you.
Summary: Sony has finally come out their second generation Blu-ray player at half the original price of the original! The BDP-S300 looks like a bargain compared to their previous BDP-S1 model.
Besides the cost benefit, you get more with this player. Unlike the previous model the S300 can play CDs in addition to DVDs. In addition, it seems to load slightly faster than the previous model.
All in all, the BDP-S300 delivers what it promises.
The new BDP-S300 model can output 1920 x 1080p (progressive) high-definition video, currently the highest resolution high-definition signal available through an HDMI(TM) connection. The player supports various video formats, including MPEG2, MPEG4-AVC and VC1.
For those who own an HDTV set without HDMI, an analog component output for 1080i (interlaced) is available as well.
The new BD player is compatible with most standard DVDs and has the added feature of 1080p upscaling through HDMI to 1080p capable HDTVs, improving the picture performance of existing DVD libraries.
Watching PIRATES I and PIRATES II I found the picture striking and vivid with no artifacts. My receiver is a delivers 5.1 DD so I am unable to take advantage of the uncompressed PCM codec. However, the Dolby digital audio track was quite impressive. All things considered, this an excellent player at a very good price.
This is an excellent BD Player for under 0! The picture quality is awesome!
Excellent upscaler quality for DVD movies
Below is mentioned that it can't be made region free. Only partially true. A California company already sells this model in a Multiregion (multi-region) version. It can play any Region A and B Blu-Ray Disc movie and display it on any TV that has HDMI input, regardless of video standard (PAL-SECAM-NTSC etc.)
This is a unit that we would buy for ourselves if it weren't for the fact that we couldn't make it region free, because we have a huge DVD collection with movies from regions 1 and 4. If you are going to play only region-free ("region 0") or region 1 discs then this unit is a great pick, especially because its cost/benefit ratio: great price and excellent image quality for DVDs - if the relative slowness of this unit doesn't bother you.
I haven't gone through all the bells and whistles yet, but the picture quality just floored me. Even my wife who really doesn't get the whole 'high def thing' was greatly impressed. We watched Pirates/Caribbean 2 and couldn't believe the quality.
Pros: Excellent picture quality, inexpensive for a Blu-ray player, offers HDMI upscaling to 1080p
Anyone looking to experience the formidable pleasures of watching movies on Blu-ray Disc, and at a reasonable startup cost, is advised to check out Sony's BDP-S300.
This is a magnificent Blu-ray DVD player. It enhances regular DVD viewing and presents Blu-ray discs in full 1080p (if you have a 1080p HDTV).
The video and sound quality is amazing!
Very good product for the money. Well worth getting if you want to get the best picture from your large widescreen HDTV.
"I have owned this Blu-ray player about 2 weeks. I purchased my first Blu-ray movie this past weekend and I was blown away by the full 1080p picture that it produces and the full digital sound is awesome. Be sure to purchase an hdmi cable for this player and you will not be disappointed. It will also upconvert standard DVD's to near HD quality."
Have this unit for a week and love it. Bought it for my husband from appliance bestbuys the price was great the units great and I would definitely tell everyone to buy this one if they want a good Blu ray without emptying their wallets.
