I caved and bough a Blu-Ray player

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KenMasters

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So last weekend I was out shopping with the wife and came across a great deal on the outgoing Sony S-350 (R 1 500). Being that it was so relatively cheap I bought it on impulse.

So I've had it for a week now and I thought I'd just share my impressions.

First I'll say the sound is fantastic, it's the first time I've heard any of the HD audio formats on my home system and I must say I was blown away. Watching Slumdog Millionaire with DTS Master Audio was a real eye opener. I thought it would sound better but I wasn't prepared for the subtlety of the sound, the extra dynamic depth and the smoother, more articulate bass. Really excellent.

The picture I think is good, definitely a step up from my broadcast HD channels. I do have some issues with the player though. I guess at the price it's to be expected but I'll definitely go higher end with my next player (I consider this one as a sort of tester).

I found the motion tracking on the the S-350 to not be as smooth as I would like. There have been a couple of instances where I've noticed some definite motion judder. Nothing that would bother most but it does bother me. Unfortunately my TV isn't capable of displaying 24fps so I'm forced to watch content at 60Hz. Perhaps if I had that feature I wouldn't have this issue.

The DVD playback on the unit is also not the best. While perfectly acceptable at the price (and perhaps I'm making an unfair comparison) my Denon 1930 does a much better job. motion is handled better, there's more detail in the images and they possess a more film like quality via the Denon. The Sony's deinterlacing is also not that great, with noticeable jaggies. One caveat, I watch DVD's at 576p, not upscaled, so I can't comment on the player's upscaling abilities, only it's SD progressive playback.

The most egregious issue for me with this player is the fact that it's incapable of showing below black information. This really bothers me as in certain scenes the clipping is noticeable. After researching the subject I see this is common on all entry level decks (including the Panasonics). This is definitely something I'm going to watch out for in the future.

Other than those issues, at the price, I'm pretty happy with the players performance. It's quiet, loads quickly and it's simple to use. Another small thing I appreciate about going to Blu-Ray, no more pause during transitions. I've always hated that slight pause halfway through a DVD as the player swaps layers.
 
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