Sony unveils the BDP-S2000ES Blu-ray player

We saw Sony's new BDP-S500 Blu-ray player at IFA last week, but just in case you felt like dropping more than $700 to get into the high-def media game, Sir Howie's got you covered with the ES model, the BDP-S2000ES. You'll be getting everything in the S500, including HDMI 1.3, 1080p/60 and 24p output , x.v.Color, 7.1-channel Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby True HD and DTS-HD1, as well as separate audio / video boards to minimize interference, and a "rigid drive bracket" to minimize vibrations. The S2000ES should be hitting stores soon for $1300 -- that must be quite the drive bracket.

[humpty @ Sep 5th 2007 9:25PM]

You could buy 3, 8gb iPhones for that amount of monies... or only 2 just 24 hours ago ..lol, poor apple fanboys.

[modified @ Sep 5th 2007 9:35PM]

The only reason they do this is to convince people the PS3 is a bargain.

[Kåre @ Sep 20th 2007 3:29AM]

After I got my first ES product a Sony CDP-X707ES i was sold. I now have a ES DVD player, and I am very pleased.
Last time Sony released a 2000ES, was in 1993 when they launched the DTC-2000ES DAT. It is to day the best consumer DAT ever. It's the bench mark for any hi-fi product.
If the new Sony bdp-s2000es is half way so good it's a bargain.
I'm can't wait to buy a bdp-s2000es.

kW

[Wolfticket @ Sep 5th 2007 9:41PM]

Unless standalone Blu-ray players drop in price pretty sharpish I think a combination of cheap HD-DVD players, the "success" of the PS3 and newer dual format players could mean that it'll be between HD-DVD and Dual Format as to who wins the HD war.

[helluvagood @ Sep 5th 2007 9:42PM]

wow so expensive, might as well buy a ps3 with that thing

[metfoo @ Sep 5th 2007 9:44PM]

why are they focusing so much on the high end. Bluray is doomed if they cannot drop the price to match hd dvd

[Jack @ Sep 5th 2007 10:27PM]

HD DVD is so cheap because they are losing. They are selling the players at a loss and bribing studios to go exclusive to stay in the format war.

[Wolfticket @ Sep 5th 2007 10:46PM]

Since when was selling the players at a loss and bribing studios to go exclusive not the only way to win a format war?

[zargon @ Sep 5th 2007 10:56PM]

Jack stop spreading your FUD?

Care to share a link or two to prove you claims? I doubt that you can, because one doesn't exist.

Just get over it and learn to face the fact that HD-DVD players are cheaper than Blu-ray. It has nothing to do with the format losing or winning for that matter of fact. It just means that HD-DVD players are cheaper to produce, nothing more, nothing less.

If anyone is subsidizing players, it would be Sony and the BDA camp. They have had to drop the price of the players quicker than expected to try to match HD-DVD player prices.

If you want to talk about studio bribing, never mind the fact that no real proof has surfaced to back up this claim for Paramount/Dreamworks and never mind the fact that it is called business. BDA has done the same thing and not just with studios, but with Target and other companies. So how is HD-DVD any worse than Blu-ray, care to enlighten us?

I suspect you with have nothing of value to come back with. You have never had anything of value to post other than FUD and bold lies. You may just want to head to the cesspool known as Blu-ray.com where you and everyone else can believe those FUD and lies.

[Staticneuron @ Sep 5th 2007 11:37PM]

Zargon, I do not know if you have been living in a hole but the New York times were the ones that reported the buy out and even more shocking is that they also put forth the information of an 18 month exclusivity deal.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/21/technology/21disney.html?ei=5088&en=d4e1f285e2f41437&ex=1345348800&adxnnl=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1187698143-B5wO3L/F+4r1NyAsum87vQ

Normally, when companies trade camps they never make public the length of time that they are required to be exclusive. Why... because it negates them being exclusive. For the patient people, they will just wait. How any one supporting HD-DVD, can try to explain away the pay-off (which no companies really deny) and the sheer fact that they let the date loose on the same day, boggles my mind.

You can do a quick search to find other reputable sites claiming the same. Now can you provide me a link that claims that the BDA paid target or anyother company to go exclusive?

And folks, yes sony is the face but they are not above or seperate from the BDA.

[zargon @ Sep 6th 2007 8:08AM]

Staticneuron

The NYT article was discredited day one. It is rumor and hearsay, no one was paid to go exclusive. Recently, Toshiba helped clear the air on this. Paramount and Dreamworks were looking to make the switch. Toshiba will be helping support their move by way of promotion of the format and movies. NYT, like all the crappy media out there just itching to be the first to break a story, jumped the gun on this one.

The rumors that they were paid to go exclusive and the fictional 18th month contract is just FUD being spread by the Blu-ray camp.

As for the Target deal, here is a link.

http://www.betanews.com/article/Target_to_Push_Bluray_Over_HD_DVD/1185464777

This is just one example of Sony and BDA paying off companies for exclusive and end cap space. Also, the movie studios exclusive to Blu-ray would not deny nor confirm if they were paid off with one company saying "no comment." The way they handled it, it really seems like some of those parties are guilty. And when we use your logic... I don't now how anyone supporting Blu-ray, can try to explain away that Blu-ray exclusive studios did not receive money to make that decision.

What it boils down to is the FUD that Sony and BDA are spreading and that all these mindless sheep are just eating it up. I don't get how Sony and BDA have been doing all of this, paying off studios and companies for some form of exclusive deal with Blu-ray, but all these Blu-ray fanboys are screaming blood murder at the potential of HD-DVD doing it.

[staticneuron @ Sep 6th 2007 12:38PM]

Really Zargon?

http://www.avrev.com/news/0707/26.target118.shtml

"While Sony is paying a premium price for the endcap promotion, Sony suggests that it was Target that came to them with the idea."

What makes you think the HD-DVD camp is not paying out the shills?

Let me enlighten you on something. When the BDA board was formed back in 1998, the board contained, and still does contain, 8 out of 10 of the founding members of the DVD forum. You wanna take a guess about how many of the 180+ supporters of BD are also from the 220 associates on the DVD forum.

I highly doubt that all these companies were paid because blu ray has an such incredible amount of support it boggles the mind to think of the numbers that would be involved with purchasing the support. Independant studios, acer and another chinese company has joined in support of Blu ray and daewoo is stepping into the game with the first 2.0 profile player.

I honestly think the HD-DVD supporters are the ones in the deluded camp.

http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Hardware/Sony/CEDIA/Report:_Sony_Says_Blu-ray_Standalone_Players_Out-Selling_HD_DVD/936

Stand alone BR players are outselling stand alone HD players and

"According to the British web site Pocket-lint, studio execs visibly wriggled on stage as they were put the Yes/No only question at yesterday's BDA press conference at IFA 2007 in Berlin, Germany.

Ultimately, execs from Warner Bros, Fox, MGM and Sony all denied having accepted financial incentives from the BDA, while Disney's European Marketing VP responded with a "no comment."

The question came as rumors continue to swirl around Paramount's decision to drop Blu-ray support, with published reports stating that the studio received financial incentives amounting to roughly $150 million in exchange for its HD DVD exclusivity.

For its own part, Paramount has stopped short of denying that it received incentives to make the switch, but has consistently emphasized the HD DVD format's manufacturability, reliability and cost as the key factors in its decision."

http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Industry_Trends/IFA/Blu-ray_Supporting_Studios_Respond_to_Payoff_Question/919

So there is my info. Where is your debunking of HD-DVD's payout?


Even the parmount head dances around the question in an article in PCworld. As for the 18 month deal " As of now it is indefinate"

Dude, whatever makes you feel comfy at night.

[Jeff @ Sep 5th 2007 10:22PM]

People comparing the PS3 to this are totally missing the point.

Any of you guys remember the DVP-S7000? Tank of a DVD player. Best processing in the business at the time. As a DVD player, it would have picked up the PS2 by its eyeballs, ripped them out and stomped on them, then held up its lifeless body and laughed at it.

This is like that. You're talking about an ES component here. If it's *anything* like all of Sony's other ES components, it's in a different class than the PS3.

If you want to buy a PS3 instead to play BD movies, that's fine. I'm not saying it isn't, any more than I'd discourage you from buying a Dodge Caliber over a BMW M6 to get to the corner grocery store. But I'm just saying the two products are not in the same class, and there's nothing wrong with buying the better one if you've got the money and desire to do so. There is a real qualitative difference.

[Rob @ Sep 5th 2007 10:38PM]

I could be dead wrong about this. But, how does Sony expect to win this format war if they won't come down on the pricing? I already have the PS3 and love it. But, I can't consider spending over $700 for a movie player. I support all the features and innovations of Blu-Ray. But come on, why can't they bring the prices down. HD-DVD has the upper hand right now for offering a player for almost $200.

People love features and are willing to invest on their entertainment needs, but hate getting it in the rear at the register.

Again, I could be dead wrong about my opinion. But, I can't see Blu-Ray winning if Sony doesn't bring the prices down.

[Staticneuron @ Sep 5th 2007 11:27PM]

Why are there so many people attacking the price of this device? Why do people continue to think that anything that has to do with blu ray "always" have to revolve around sony?

For those who do not know there are 2 blu ray players priced at $450 and another 5 or so that are in-between $500 and $650. I am talking about stand alone players not the PS3. That other companies that make these devices are Philips, samsung and panasonic. Quite a few more companies are reported to be jumping into the fray and might cause the prices to drop dramaticaly.

[Rob @ Sep 5th 2007 11:41PM]

People attack Sony because the Blu-Ray players are too damn expensive. And Sony is the Big Daddy of the Blu-Ray movement. Sony, and the rest of the Blu-Ray camp, are playing the silly game of being the most expensive format. What's their reasoning? The general public doesn't care what it costs the manufacturer to make a product. The general public cares about what is going to cost them.

Please, I'd like for you to show me a Blu-Ray player to compete with the Toshiba HD-DVD player priced at $200-250. There isn't any. And that's my point exactly. Again, I support Blu-Ray. But at this pace, HD-DVD looks like it's holding the upper hand. The cheapest format will win at the end.

[MTI47 @ Sep 5th 2007 10:52PM]

Is Sony purposly trying to lose this format war? $1300?? Is it even 1.1 compliant? You have got to be kidding, this is outrageous. It's bad enough that all current standalone Blu Ray players will not be able to play BD-J titles, yet no one can seem to make an affordable 1.1 player. Good job Sony, nothing like pricing yourself right out of this war. And for the record, I own a PS3 and no HD DVD player at the moment. But if Sony keeps up this bull, I may just pick one up since it seems that Sony as a whole, is run by a bunch of mindless baboons. How are you going to compete with a format whos cheapest player is a tad over $200 and getting cheaper by the day? Price, momentum, and perception is everything in this war, and sadly, HD DVD has all of those and its perception is climbing more everyday.

[Jimmy @ Sep 5th 2007 11:00PM]

Wow, all of the talk about price on here surprises me somewhat. This device is targeted at a different audience than the $250 - $600 HD/Blu devices on the market. ES devices always fetch a premium. Sony, Denon, and Pioneer all make video players and AV Receivers that start at about $1000 to cater to this market.

I will wait for the videophiles to test this thing but my guess is that if Sony did it well then it will be at or near the top of the list for recommended players among that group. I cannot see myself paying this much for this device but I also would not pay $2,000 per speaker or $10,000 for a projector.

[bop1276 @ Sep 10th 2007 9:49PM]

If people look @ high-end gear..the ES line is actually priced @ entry level...
I will probably add this unit to my set-up...given the audio capabilities. It would be one of the less expensive pieces in my rack...

[primetime4 @ Sep 5th 2007 11:05PM]

Why are people so shocked by the price of this? You can still buy a DVD player for over $1000 if you wanted to.

[vileta2 @ Sep 5th 2007 11:17PM]

1.3k? Thats such a bullshit price; Sony is doing this to sell PlayStations.

[Eh @ Sep 5th 2007 11:45PM]

Since when has Sony non-gaming stuff ever been cheap? Never, thats when. Everyone knows that you pay a premium for Sony stuff, its been that way since the 80's. Its like people have never been to the electronics section of a department store. Are they trying to sell PS3's by pricing their WEGA's and Bravia tv's several hundred dollars more than other tvs with the same specs? This is typical Sony markup on high end equipment, nothing more nothing less.

This is not the only bluray player you can buy, there are other brands that cost less than half as this thing without the Sony brandname markup.

[Magma @ Sep 5th 2007 11:47PM]

Sell playstations? Are you a moron?

[Broo @ Sep 6th 2007 2:37AM]

correct me if I am wrong, but isn't the main purpose of a Blu-Ray player just to take the digital audio/video data from a disc and dump it out to a HDMI cable to be processed (audio data) in a receiver or displayed (video data) on a TV?

If so, how can a $1300 Blu-Ray player be that much better than a $600 PS3?

(I am guessing there is a crazy amount of RCA cable connections on the back of the $1300 that will allow the player to be connected directly to an analog amplifier or something)

[Christopher Boffoli @ Sep 6th 2007 2:48AM]

Forget the price. The question I have about the new models is: Has Sony finally made a blu-ray deck that doesn't take two minutes to turn on and 45 seconds to respond to each button push?

[Onesolo @ Sep 6th 2007 4:55AM]

Some guys just don't get it!!! This product is part of the ES line. Go google it before saying stupidities...

[eddy_88_nite @ Sep 6th 2007 9:24PM]

that is one expensive player. Why are they making them more expensive, i thought the point was to mkae them cheaper.

[bop1276 @ Sep 10th 2007 10:00PM]

Actually it is not...depends on if you want "electric windows, air, cruse, or rolling down the windows and a stick" achieves the same result for you?"

[Don Bingaman @ Sep 13th 2007 7:55PM]

Believe me, the guy that just dropped $ 15,000.00 on a Sony VPL-VW200 SXRD front projector will not blink at spending $ 1300.00 on his Blu-Ray player, if he thinks he will get a (slightly) better picture. If you are annoyed by this price, then you are not a serious home theater owner. This is much less than most high-end DVD players from Theta, Krell, Mark Levinson, etc., and probably much better until they catch up with the format. In addition, if you care about audio quality, the seperate boards make a lot of sense, since the jitter issue associated with HDMI will make off-board decoding and D/A conversion problematic for sometime to come. (Remember, while the visual cortex is an integrator with a maximum frame rate of about 16Hz, the audio cortex is a differentiator with a frame rate above 100 khz and has proven to be MUCH tougher to fool - that is why some people still play LP's).