Sony BDP-S550 vs Panasonic DMP-BD55K

[Blu-RayLover]

Originally Posted by Tigerbert

I’ve waited this long. I can wait a month or so longer to get the purchase right.

Sony BDP-S550 or Panasonic DMP-BD55K
1. Which one should I buy?
2. Why?
3. Although the PS3 probably builds up too much heat for my cabinetry, is there an IR solution to the Bluetooth remote? I utilize an IR repeater.

Thanks all.

This is a pretty tough one to tackle, so I'll go by the numbers . . .

1.It's probably too close too call as to which player is the best buy. They both are about the same in style and features. While the Sony S550 is perhaps the best technically impressive looking, the Panasonic is sleek and not as bulky as the Sony is in height. It's believed that for surround sound, the Sony has the advantage, while the Panasonic is more user friendly.
2.A reason to say which one of the players is worth having may depend more on one's budget than anything else. So far, the S550 is being discounted from its original list price of 499, now down to about just under 400 dollars and maybe even less! The Panasonic will probably be in the same price range, so here again, there isn't any positive way to say that one as an overwhelmingly solid advantage over the other. There simply isn't any “why” to this question, based on technicalities that are too much the same. It's simply best to try and check out each player for yourself and then decide which one gives you the “best feeling” or how much you like the features and style that are offered.
3.I'm an audio/videophile, so I can't really give any opinions about the PS3. I'm not into any sort of video gaming. If you're a gamer, than by all means, I would consider the PS3 and take it from there. It may have a heating problem, but the results and flexibility the PS3 has are impressive enough to be considered a good contender for anyone wanting to expand into Blu-ray video. One very interesting aspect to the PS3 is that it doesn't have to be placed on anyone's audio/video rack. You can treat the game-console like a PC and place it off to the side or out of sight. With a few wires running here and there, it's easily kept in a corner or placed vertically on its stand, just like a PC.

So that's my take on things, good luck