[HDTV1080P]

Sony BDP-N460 Blu-ray Player (March 2010 Home Theater Review link)

Technology changes so fast these days and it sometimes takes several months for a new player to be reviewed. The review of the $250 Sony BDP-N460 was just released and now the player has been discontinued and is on clearance at the Sony website for only $199.99.

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/SearchCatalog?storeId=10151&langId=-1&catalogId=10551&in_dim_search=&keyword=BDP-N460

I did notice that there is one error in this review (http://hometheatermag.com/discplayers/sony_bdp-n460_blu-ray_player/index3.html). The review incorrectly lists the Sony BDP-N460 as having a 1000Base-T Ethernet support. So far only the Sony PS3 and computer based BLU-RAY players has supported 1GB per second speeds. Standalone BLU-RAY players only support up to 100MB per second speed over a network.

According to page 24 and page 65 of the Sony BDP-N460 player manual only has a LAN 100 terminal instead of a LAN 1000 terminal.

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langI d=-1&productId=8198552921665968161#specifications

This Sony BDP-N460 like all pre 2010 standalone Sony players lacks 1GB of built in memory for BD-LIVE. A external USB memory needs to be purchased to use BD-LIVE. The video quality of the BDP-N460 outperforms the $1,900 Sony BDP-CX7000ES. The OPPO BDP-83 is still faster at loading discs and has a better video processor when compared to the BDP-N460. The loading speed has been greatly improved on the BDP-N460 and it is only slightly slower compared to a OPPO BDP-83 when loading discs according to the review.

Here are some select quotes from the Home Theater magazine review

" It doesn’t have any multi-channel analog outputs, so if your AVR or surround processor isn’t HDMI capable, you should look at other options. Other connections include a recessed USB port in order to meet the required 1 GB of storage for BD-Live (not included) and an Ethernet jack for network access."

" Surprisingly, the BDP-N460 outperforms the recently reviewed $1,900 BDP-CX7000ES MegaChanger in our video processing tests. It doesn’t support motion-adaptive HD deinterlacing, which shows up in material from video-based cameras that are used on most concert titles and some HD bonus features."

" In addition to the fast boot-up time, disc loading is extremely fast—even with Java-intensive titles. While it’s not quite as fast as the PS3 or LG’s BD390, it’s just a tad slower than our Top Pick, the OPPO BDP-83. Once the disc loads, menu navigation is speedy, and remote commands react instantly."

" Then I upped the ante and compared the BDP-N460 with the OPPO BDP-83. While the Sony looked very good, the OPPO was a tad sharper in backgrounds and looked smoother and more film-like. Granted, I did this comparison on a 76.5-inch-wide screen. If your display is smaller, the difference may not be as noticeable."

Click here to read the complete review at the Home Theater website