Sony S550 Release Date

[kevinokev]

I've heard rumors as to when the BDP-S550 will be available, but does anyone have a more concrete street date ??

[kevinokev]

I'm hearing anything from October 13 to the 17th...

[garak]

Sony's own website says on or around Oct. 13.

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/...52921665368407

[kevinokev]

I got the new Crutchfield yesterday and it has the player priced at $399 after 9/28. I suppose that is when Sony's BD player prices will offically drop...

But as you said, it seems like it's coming out sometime during the week of 10-13.

[kevinokev]

Also, where was it said that they will release a firmware update to activate DTS-MA decoding internally. I've seen a few posts here, but haven't seen the offical word from Sony...this was supposed to decode every format internally. Not cool as this was part of the large price increase from the 350... Not cool indeed.

[garak]

Originally Posted by kevinokev

Also, where was it said that they will release a firmware update to activate DTS-MA decoding internally. I've seen a few posts here, but haven't seen the offical word from Sony...this was supposed to decode every format internally. Not cool as this was part of the large price increase from the 350... Not cool indeed.

Sony removed that clause from their web page.

That really makes me worried that they've decided to drop support of dts-HD decoding.

I was all set to buy this player, but now since internal decoding of dts-HD appears to have been dropped, I'm not sure. I may reconsider the panny BD-50, wait for the panny BD-55, or ---gulp--- spring for the Denon 3800 or Sony 5000ES.

[kevinokev]

Yikes...I am planning on getting a new receiver in the coming months (Onkyo SR705) which I would then use as my decoder. I've just got this bug in my head to get the 550 since I've waiting so long for it.

Sigh...Grab your gun, I'll bring the bullets.

[BIslander]

Originally Posted by kevinokev

Also, where was it said that they will release a firmware update to activate DTS-MA decoding internally. I've seen a few posts here, but haven't seen the offical word from Sony...this was supposed to decode every format internally. Not cool as this was part of the large price increase from the 350... Not cool indeed.

The language on the Sony Style product description now says the player has "Dolby TrueHD internal decoding and bitstream via HDMI for Dolby TrueHD and dts-MA". That section used to say dts-MA decoding would require a firmware update. But, the firmware language is now gone. It would appear that dts-MA decoding may not be available on this player. But, I guess we'll know for sure soon enough.

[sarge1976]

+1 kevinokev

[garak]

As was mentioned in another thread, you can preorder this player for $351 from abt.com. So at that price I figured what the hell and preordered it.

If it doesn't support dts-HD (or MA) internal decoding, at that price I won't feel too bad. And I'll probably get a pre/pro that decodes dts-HD soon enough anyway.

[johnnyd1]

Originally Posted by BIslander

The language on the Sony Style product description now says the player has "Dolby TrueHD internal decoding and bitstream via HDMI for Dolby TrueHD and dts-MA". That section used to say dts-MA decoding would require a firmware update. But, the firmware language is now gone. It would appear that dts-MA decoding may not be available on this player. But, I guess we'll know for sure soon enough.

Go to ABT and read the spec sheet !

[BIslander]

Originally Posted by johnnyd1

Go to ABT and read the spec sheet !

I generally prefer to get my information from the source rather than a third party. Crutchfield also lists dts-MA decoding as a feature of the S550. That may very well be the case. Or, perhaps not. It is not clear from the Sony literature.

[johnnyd1]

Originally Posted by BIslander

I generally prefer to get my information from the source rather than a third party. Crutchfield also lists dts-MA decoding as a feature of the S550. That may very well be the case. Or, perhaps not. It is not clear from the Sony literature.

I believe ABT has the actual SONY spec sheet from the machine ...

[BIslander]

Originally Posted by johnnyd1

I believe ABT has the actual SONY spec sheet from the machine ...

It sure looks like a release from Sony, although you never know whether retailers are allowed to add anything on their own. The bullet points at the top, the part where it says there's dts-HD internal decoding, are not on the version posted at the Sony Style site. The description of how it handles high res audio and the audio specs listed later on the sheet at ABT do match what's posted at sonystyle.com, including all of the confusing language.

It sure would be nice if Sony would just say whether dts-MA decoding will be included at release, included later with a firmware update, or not at all.

[johnnyd1]

Originally Posted by BIslander

It sure looks like a release from Sony, although you never know whether retailers are allowed to add anything on their own. The bullet points at the top, the part where it says there's dts-HD internal decoding, are not on the version posted at the Sony Style site. The description of how it handles high res audio and the audio specs listed later on the sheet at ABT do match what's posted at sonystyle.com, including all of the confusing language.

It sure would be nice if Sony would just say whether dts-MA decoding will be included at release, included later with a firmware update, or not at all.

I'll let you know when I get it !

[jcarys]

The original press release from Sony made it very clear that this will bitstream and decode DTS-MA out of the box. I have a more recent piece of promo lit from Sony on the deck that says exactly the same. Deep breath now...

[BIslander]

Originally Posted by jcarys

The original press release from Sony made it very clear that this will bitstream and decode DTS-MA out of the box. I have a more recent piece of promo lit from Sony on the deck that says exactly the same. Deep breath now...

Yes, yes. A few months after that initial February press release announcing the S350 and S550, Sony posted the features and specs on its website. That posting said dts-MA would be available with a firmware update. Then, a week or two ago, the language on the Sony website changed again. The current version of the language says the player will internally decode TrueHD and bitstream both TrueHD and dts-HD. But, it's poorly written and may not mean what it says. Sony has been all over the place on this one feature, which is a problem area for most players. dts-MA decoding was the last thing added to the PS3. The new Pioneer players are still waiting for the firmware update. The only player that costs less than $2,000 and actually does dts-MA decoding is the Panasonic BD50. So, this is hardly a slam dunk. We'll know soon enough.

[gral1970]

Unfortunately, it seems that the BDP-S550 will not decode DTS-HD MA internally because the chip which it's based on (Sigma SMP8634) has not enough horsepower according to Kjack.

See this post : https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...&postcount=323

[johnnyd1]

BDP-S550 Sony® Blu-ray Disc™ Player
Key Features
Full HD 10801/24p Video Output4
Upscales your DVDs to near Full HD 1080p
resolution via HDMI™
7.1ch Analog Output
Dolby® TrueHD/dts®-HD internal decoding
Dolby® TrueHD/dts®-HD bitstream out via
HDMI™
Slim, elegant design with high-gloss nish
Backlit remote
Ethernet port for Internet connectivity2
BD-Live w/ 1GB ash drive for local storage2
Bonus View “picture-in-picture” feature
24p True Cinema capable4
BRAVIA® Sync for Theatre (HDMI-CEC)5
Precision Cinema HD Upscale

[slimm]

Sony style shows that it will be available on or about 10/26/2008.