Sony BDP S300 - Expert Reviews

Review summary: If there's one question I get more than any other these days, it's this: "Are those new high def DVD players affordable yet?" "Affordable" is a subjective term if ever there was one, but the short answer is yes, affordable HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc ...

Verdict: Although it's nothing to write home about as a standard DVD player, the BDP-S300 certainly has what it takes to deliver a superb Blu-ray experience. Unfortunately, with the same price tag as a PS3 - also from Sony - comparisons are inevitable. With ...

Pros: Good value for money, great high-definition playback including 24Hz support

Cons: Slightly long lag times with Blu-ray playback and power-up, lack of support for Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD audio codecs

Verdict: The BDP-S300 is an excellent value Blu-ray player, delivering a great feature list for a much more affordable price than most advanced units.

Review summary: Sony's budget blu-ray baby is nothing short of amazing. Sadly, it's also pointless.

Pros: Finally an affordable standalone Blu-Ray player; Pinch-me-am-I-dreaming-ly good picture quality; Great looks

Cons: You can buy a PS3 for the same money; A bit sluggish

Verdict: A decent effort at an affordable player, but most people would be better off with a PS3 instead.

Review summary: The new BDP-S300 is appealingly priced and broadly capable, especially with pictures - but it really ought to be much more than that

Pros: Fine picture performance. Sony-smart styling. Attractive price

Cons: Slow to operate. Limited audio output options are a gigantic pain in the derriere

Review summary: It seems Sony has come up with a winner in the battle to build a less-expensive Blu-ray player. Other than the maddeningly slow menu navigation and one-time near-crash, the BDP-S300 performed beautifully, and it has a nice feature set. Perhaps most ...