Sony officially announces $600 BDP-S300 Blu-ray player

That sound you just heard? It was silence -- the silence of thousands of BDP-S1 Blu-ray players sitting unsold on warehouse shelves, gathering dust and wondering why they did to deserve the wrath of the dreaded Osborne Effect. Because unless retailers do some serious price shaving off of the first-gen machines, Sony's official promise today of a cheaper, smaller, and more functional box landing this summer will likely convince all but the most impatient consumers to drop the S1 right off their radar. On the plus side, those of us who haven't yet picked sides in the "format war" will be treated to a much more attractive product in the BDP-S300, from its CD friendliness and Bravia Theater Sync to bonuses like AVC-HD support for playback of conent that employs x.v.Color (Sony's version of the wide color space xvYCC technology). Keep reading to check out the remote that comes paired with the S300, then forward this post to your buddies who blew $1000 on its lonely predecessor.

Gallery: Sony officially announces $600 BDP-S300 Blu-ray player

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[venk @ Feb 27th 2007 4:31PM]

Nice knowing you HD DVD! I'll miss the good times we had together.

[FreeRange @ Feb 27th 2007 5:05PM]

Yes, I'm sure having the players themselves sit on the shelves unsold will do wonders for the sales that will decide the format wars. Seeing as how HD-DVD players have been in this range for a while now, I see this more as an idiotic move than a fatal blow. The writer of the post has the right idea; Sony just told all potential customers to buy a PS3 or wait until Summer. Given that I can't walk into a store around the bay area without tripping over one, maybe that's the idea...

[Jr. @ Feb 27th 2007 5:00PM]

What? You mean you're simply tossing out your HD player because of this? Or are you the typical Sony/BR fanboy type?

[John Doe @ Feb 27th 2007 6:02PM]

We'll ignore the fact that right NOW. HD-DVD players are still $200 cheaper. If you think it won't drop even further by summer you are delusional. Go back to your Sony forums fanboi, you're embarrassing yourself.

[Matt Brundage @ Feb 27th 2007 4:47PM]

A minor gripe: doesn't labeling the four colors on the remote defeat the purpose of color-coding the buttons?

[Mikey @ Feb 27th 2007 4:53PM]

for the red/green color blind? Not an expert, so can't say for sure, but does it really matter?

[ninja @ Feb 28th 2007 8:27PM]

Some people are color blind.

[DEEZNUTZ @ Feb 27th 2007 4:50PM]

Will this player support HDMI 1.3? Assuming so given the use of the expanded color-space XY thingy.

[Scott @ Feb 27th 2007 4:50PM]

I thought it was called a PS3. (Sorry, I had to.)

[venk @ Feb 27th 2007 4:53PM]

Yes, it supports HDMI 1.3 (The color space is the dead giveaway).
Now will someone please hurry up and make a 1080p projector with HDMI 1.3 for < $2K?

If you do, youg et get my money. :)

[bigredend @ Feb 27th 2007 4:55PM]

Not if your colour blind......Like me !!!

[Bun @ Feb 27th 2007 4:55PM]

Sony's sure throwing in a ton of support for impressive technologies that are exclusive to them in that box. I understand some people think Sony is the best and must buy every product they come out with, but it'd be nice if one could get the benefits of Bravia Theater Sync and all with any setup.

I'm not quite ready to see HD-DVD throw in the towel just yet. If they manage to stir up some more good marketing this war will be far from over.

[Dave @ Feb 27th 2007 4:58PM]

That's to avoid ADA lawsuits from color blind individuals.

[Evan @ Feb 27th 2007 5:12PM]

It's still more expensive than an HD-DVD player. And both are still well above the magical $149-$199 consumer-friendly price threshold.

[Ignacio @ Feb 27th 2007 5:14PM]

Horrible remote control design - six rows of buttons with the exact same shape? Who wants to look at the remote to find buttons?

[blackhonda @ Feb 27th 2007 5:46PM]

I am impressed with sony releasing soo many support

i'll have the respect for sony and their products once i know they are also improving quality of their products and more open /friendly customer support system

[jason fargon @ Feb 27th 2007 6:38PM]

wtf is up with sony?
It's called a PS3
they make it and charge people 600 dollars for it.
(maybe they think people will buy this since this DOES come with HDMI cables)
What idiot would get this when the ps3 also has a hard drive and gaming capabilities?

[Bob @ Feb 27th 2007 6:43PM]

If I had to guess, someone who doesn't care about a hard drive and doesn't want gaming capability.

[neil kraft @ Feb 27th 2007 6:40PM]

even this summer why wouldn't you buy a ps 3. you get blu-ray plus gaming. why pay 600 for less functionality

[Wanderance @ Feb 27th 2007 6:58PM]

What's that? Oh its the sound of no one caring about the format war and sticking to their DVD's.

Guess the "cheap blu ray player" PS3 isn't really working out for them.

[Kev50027 @ Feb 27th 2007 7:47PM]

Typical Engadget, being as anti-Sony biased as they can without starting a literal war on the streets. Damn it, Evan..

Seriously, if you're going to even bother reporting things that Sony does, PLEASE DON'T GIVE ME YOUR OPINION. This is not your private blog, this is a NEWS blog. I expect to see facts here, not the bias of some reporter wanna-be who wants to change the world with his words.

[Nicholas Gingrow @ Feb 27th 2007 7:50PM]

Wait... why would you spend $600 on a Blu ray player, when for $600 you can buy a PS3 with a built in Blu Ray player...

[James @ Feb 27th 2007 7:58PM]

For all you PS3 vs. this player people: please think mass market.

The PS3 gets sold in videogame sections in stores. This unit will be sold in Home theater sections. Completely different audiences. While we Engadget folk are so savvy we may know to buy a videogame system for blu-ray, less savvy (and usually more wealthy folk) would just search the DVD player section.

Sony pulls a similar tactic with their high end ES equipment. That stuff gets sold in specialty shops like Magnolia only, but every now and then they'll take an ES component, take off the ES branding, and sell it as a normal Sony product. Why? Because Best Buy carries normal Sony stuff, but doesn't carry ES stuff. It's all about what market they are trying to reach.

[Scott @ Feb 27th 2007 8:38PM]

regarding: "then forward this post to your buddies who blew $1000 on its lonely predecessor."

Um, see the way this works is... new technologies come out, and eventually they get better and cheaper. I will get more than $300. (yes, I got a discount) blu-ray enjoyment out of my player during the December to "summer" period.

[toki9 @ Feb 27th 2007 9:21PM]

So just exactly why are Samsung, Panasonic, et. al. supporting Blu-Ray exclusively when their primary partner seems to be bent on undercutting the market?

[JLL @ Feb 28th 2007 5:17AM]

"So just exactly why are Samsung, Panasonic, et. al. supporting Blu-Ray exclusively when their primary partner seems to be bent on undercutting the market?"

Samsung already announced a cheaper 2nd generation player, and don't you think that Pioneer will have non-Elite players?

[Goebbels @ Feb 27th 2007 10:01PM]

That's why you need competition, prices drop like zepplins.

Bring on the war..i can wait it out 6 months, 12 months, heck I'll wait 2 years unitl it drops below 3 hundred bucks for a player.

Still love my SD DVD's and upconversion dvd player!! The difference is not like it was jumping from VHS to DVD.

Love the battle!

[toki9 @ Feb 28th 2007 10:00PM]

You mean Samsung's BD-P1200 at $799? $600 still undercuts $799. My point was that Sony (the primary partner and backer of Blu-Ray) has anchored the low price point of Blu-Ray segment with the PS3 and now with the new Blu-Ray model, thereby undermining the competitive positions of its partners. Given that, why are the other CE companies so firmly supportive of Blu-Ray (Or are they?)

[Bob @ Feb 28th 2007 7:53AM]

What I find amusing about posts like this and the ensuing comments is that it seems like none of you have ever seen new technology before. It always starts out expensive and then guess what happens...the price comes down.

[KC @ Feb 28th 2007 10:31AM]

I really don't see this hurting the BDP-S1 at all. Sony did not sent out an e-mail to every potential HD Disk player buyer on Earth announcing this.

Plus the BDP-S1 has been out for a few months now anyway, and who doesn't expect new products to come out?

Early adopters know the risks.

Wow, so Sony is actually updating a product from Q4 '06 in Q3 '07. Sounds like what any consumer electronics company would do to me.

By summer $600 is going to be the high end of the Blu-Ray player market like $1200ish is now.

[GhostDoggy @ Mar 1st 2007 5:42AM]

Hmm, I see $1,000 HD DVD players and $600 Blu-ray players. Now the big question is which can support 1080p24 output for less?