Sony high-end BDP-S500 player coming late 2007

[HDTV1080P]

According to the Twice March 12th newsletter, Sony plans on releasing a high-end BLU-RAY player with the model number BDP-S500. The BDP-S500 will be better quality then the BDP-S300 and is planned on being released late 2007. Sony later in the year will announce the exact features and pricing for this high-end BDP-S500 player.

[ProvenFlipper]

Hopefully this will be the player most of us have been waiting for. I'm waiting for a player that does decoding of all audio codecs, PiP, BD-Live, and 1080p/24. If this one delivers the goods, then it will be mine.

[BTBuck1]

Originally Posted by ProvenFlipper

Hopefully this will be the player most of us have been waiting for. I'm waiting for a player that does decoding of all audio codecs, PiP, BD-Live, and 1080p/24. If this one delivers the goods, then it will be mine.

Ditto

[marine92104]

Will it have the advanced codecs on it? It's cool to call it a high-end player because it has HDMI 1.3 but I'm hoping if it's a high-end player it will have the advanced codecs.

And by the way HDMI 1.3 has 24 bit color designed in the HDMI 1.3 design. It doesn't make it a high end player. That's the way HDMI is designed. If it has the advanced codec support with 24 fps & HDMI 1.3 then I would call it a high-end player dependant on the picture quality & also if it has 7.1 analog outs like the Panasonic player.

But then again you're dreaming of a perfect player & companies don't always release what consumers want.

[Maximus]

Maybe this will use the new Sigma chip which will enable DTS-MA decoding, I might wait it out until this one is released to replace my quickly ageing Samsung.

[Blackraven]

How would this be better than the PS3?

With upcoming firmware updates, the PS3 can have whatever this new Sony player could have.

FULL DTS support as stated in the DTS logo on the PS3 (with support for up to DTS-HD Master Audio), 1080p/24fps, DVD upscaling, PIP and PAP, BD-Java support (well it's already built-in anyway), BD-Live, further-improved SACD playback............

So unless they price this player at like 500 American dollars or less (100 less than 60GB PS3), I can't see on how this new player could perform better than the PS3 in each and every aspect?

???

[Maximus]

Originally Posted by Blackraven

How would this be better than the PS3?

With upcoming firmware updates, the PS3 can have whatever this new Sony player could have.

FULL DTS support as stated in the DTS logo on the PS3 (with support for up to DTS-HD Master Audio), 1080p/24fps, DVD upscaling, PIP and PAP, BD-Java support (well it's already built-in anyway), BD-Live, further-improved SACD playback............

So unless they price this player at like 500 American dollars or less (100 less than 60GB PS3), I can't see on how this new player could perform better than the PS3 in each and every aspect?

???

It is quite likely that they will hold features back on the PS3 (BD-Live/DTS-MA/1080p24/DVD scaling) for a while until standalones catch up with the feature set and price point.

[WriteSimply]

Originally Posted by Blackraven

How would this be better than the PS3?

With upcoming firmware updates, the PS3 can have whatever this new Sony player could have.

That may be true but firmwares are needed for each new feature that the PS3 is supposed to do. I doubt that Sony Consumer Electronics would allow Sony Computer Entertainment to undercut the higher end BD player by that much.

The PS3 delivered great BD playback capability, the best so far I reckon. Hopefully it'll deliver more with March's update - 1080p24, DTS HDMA support - and perhaps July/August with BD-Live. It's purpose is for a media center eventually but not as a high-end BD player.

Of course, I've been known to be wrong. It could also be that those who shudder at the PS3 as their main BD player would get this new Sony BD instead. Regardless, I want that Blu future. I want everyone to get the Blu.


fuad

[Konrad]

Originally Posted by Maxpower1987

Maybe this will use the new Sigma chip which will enable DTS-MA decoding, I might wait it out until this one is released to replace my quickly ageing Samsung.

Exactly same here!