http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/ Engadget Comments for http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/Jul 16th 2008 7:31PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/Jul 16th 2008 7:38PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/Jul 16th 2008 8:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/Jul 16th 2008 11:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/Jul 17th 2008 3:45AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/Jul 17th 2008 8:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/
$399 flimsy blu-ray player or $399 "future-proof" PS3.... you choose...]]>Jul 17th 2008 8:16AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/
Chuckles: Sony does not OWN BR. There is an association that Sony is a member of. The fee goes to the association. In fact, I am not even sure if being a member excludes you from paying a fee...so perhaps sony pays a license fee too! (or gets a discount!)
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Of course they all pay fees but Sony is winning the most in the fee-paying, because this 'licensing body' is supposed to distribute the royalties to the companies involved (ie. you own most patents, you get most money).

As it stands, Sony is the one benefiting far more than the others (ie. they invested the most in this format, they own most of its patents).]]>Jul 17th 2008 6:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/
Otherwise... no chance.

Yes, I am still bitter about the format war, and yes, I intend to remain bitter for the foreseeable future.]]>Jul 16th 2008 7:33PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/Jul 16th 2008 8:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/Jul 17th 2008 2:03AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/Jul 17th 2008 2:18AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/Jul 16th 2008 7:35PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/Jul 17th 2008 1:41AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/
I'm still waiting for Apollo 13 on Blu...]]>Jul 17th 2008 3:49AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/
And Sony do not own Blu-ray, companies do not have to pay Sony to use Blu-ray. Sony developed the format but DO NOT own it.]]>Jul 17th 2008 5:26AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/Jul 17th 2008 8:11AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/
NO reason at all two formats can't coexist at all... ]]>Jul 17th 2008 8:19AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/
Comparing it to physical products is an unfair comparison. When you buy ice cream, for instance, you can choose form both places, but both places have something similar. You can't find a movie similar to Mickey Mouse because Disney owns the likeness.]]>Jul 17th 2008 8:56AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/
I'm in the Blu-Ray market, and don't care anything about the PS3. I use my 360 as a dedicated DVD player, and hate it. I'd rather not use another gaming console as a video player....but I have no idea what to get.]]>Jul 16th 2008 7:38PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/Jul 16th 2008 8:20PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/Jul 16th 2008 9:11PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/Jul 17th 2008 8:57AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/Jul 16th 2008 7:41PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/Jul 17th 2008 2:05AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/
There are plenty of other companies making quality players. Pioneer, Panasonic, Samsung, but none at a price I would deem affordable.

IMHO the BDP-S350 only has two advantages over the PS3 and those are an infrared remote and bitstreaming lossless codecs over HDMI. I have a PS3, and would trade it for an upgraded version if they included bitstreaming lossless via HDMI.

I can see Sony dropping these to $299 for Black Friday and $349 for Christmas, but that's about it.]]>Jul 17th 2008 11:08AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/
Now I hear nothing from the BD fans. I bought a blu-ray drive for my HTPC for $120, so I don't really mind much, but I thought we'd have a decently priced standalone BD player by now. I mean, one that actually updates so it's not obsolete.]]>Jul 16th 2008 7:52PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/Jul 16th 2008 8:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/Jul 17th 2008 10:55AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/Jul 16th 2008 8:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/
Just like how my PS2 now is so slow at skipping DVDs compared to modern DVD players.]]>Jul 16th 2008 8:22PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/Jul 17th 2008 2:10AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/
It is probably more accurate to compare this to the previous standalone Sony BR players that cost $1000. Compared to that, it is a bargain.

Lastly, remember, Sony can't make up the cost on this one by selling games, so the price reflects the full cost of the player. PS3 is still somewhat subsidized, with the expectation that they will make it back on games.]]>Jul 17th 2008 10:21AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/
I don't and I'm not really willing to replace my perfectly good receiver just for HDMI. A new receiver will cost more than a Blu-Ray player. I think I'm going to wait for the Sony 550 or the Panny BD50.]]>Jul 17th 2008 10:46AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/$2000). Remember that sub-$300 DVD player they made in 2001 that inevitably failed around 12-18 months of purchase due to a design flaw. They never took responsibility for that, and since most players were out of warranty by the time they failed people got screwed. Why people even choose Sony in the sub -$1000 price range is beyond me. You could do a lot better in that range with a Panasonic, Toshiba (my discussion is not only about Blu-ray but consumer electronics in general), or even Samsung.]]>Jul 16th 2008 8:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/
I'd love to hear about boot and load times on this new Sony player. Blu-ray looks great, but in many ways even the newer players feel like first-gen efforts.]]>Jul 16th 2008 8:35PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/Jul 16th 2008 8:53PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/Jul 16th 2008 9:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/Jul 16th 2008 9:25PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/Jul 16th 2008 9:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/Jul 16th 2008 9:31PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/
http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2008/04/14/sony-kdl-xbr6-kdl-xbr7-and-kdl-xbr8-specs-and-release-dates/]]>Jul 16th 2008 9:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/
http://gizmodo.com/photogallery/SonyXBR6XBR7XBR8
]]>Jul 16th 2008 9:48PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/Jul 16th 2008 9:49PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/Jul 16th 2008 9:50PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/Jul 17th 2008 12:31AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/
Why no extra info on the TV, Engadget folks?]]>Jul 17th 2008 4:27AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/Jul 17th 2008 8:18AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/]]>Jul 17th 2008 11:03AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/hands-on-with-sonys-new-bdp-s350-and-other-hd-frivolities/Jul 17th 2008 8:19AM