Sony Bdp-s560 Review - (go Wireless With Your Blu-ray Player)

y 2009 Sony released the BDP-S560 Blu-rayhave multichannel analog audio outputs, so a HDMI
Player. It is a Profile 2.0 player that supportsconnection is needed to pass decoded high
BonusView/picture-in-picture playback and BD-Liveresolution audio formats.
content. It has a Quick Start Mode which allowsOne great advantages of the BDP-S560 that sets
Blu-ray Discs to start within seconds. It canit apart form othre entry level players, is its
support high resolution audio formats and has abuilt-in Wi-Fi. It supports the 802.11n/g/b/a
built-in 802.11n for a wireless internet connection.frequencies and eliminates the need to use a cable
It is basically a step up from the entry levelto connect to the internet. Of course an Ethernet
BDP-S360 Blu-ray Player.Port is available if you are unable to use the
The BDP-S560 has an attractive design with awireless feature. Once connected to the internet
black gloss exterior and touches of dark gray onyou can access any BD-Live content you might
the top and bottom of the player. The Openfind on selected Blu-ray Discs. The BDP-S560
Close button is located on the left at the topdoes not have any internal memory storage,
corner and will open up the dark blue front paneltherefore a USB storage drive is required if you
revealing the disc tray. The power button is foundare downloading any BD-Live content. A USB Port
on the opposite side near the top corner. Othercan be found on the back and front of the player.
playback controls are just limited to the Play andThe USB Port on the front will supports photo
Stop buttons. Therefore, the remote control willplayback, but not music or movie playback. This is
be needed for most playback functions. A USBtrue for any DLNA compatible devices, such as a
port is located near the bottom right corner ofcomputer. Photos can be streamed from your
the player. All other connections are on the backcomputer to the Blu-ray Player; but no Music or
of the Blu-ray Player.Movie files can be streamed.
Video Quality: The BDP-S560 has a number ofTHE PROS: Sony's BDP-S560 has great video
video connections. They include the HDMI Output,quality and supports 1080p/24 playback on blu-ray
Component Video Outputs, S-Video Output anddiscs. It has internal audio decoding of Dolby
Composite Video Outputs. It supports 1080p/60TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. These HD
and 1080p/24 output resolutions through theformats can be transmitted in bitstream form via
HDMI connection. This will provide you with theHDMI. It is a Profile 2.0 so it supports BD-Live
best possible picture when playing back blu-raycontent and Bonus View. Access to these
and DVD discs. DVDs are also up scaled to nearfeatures are made easier with built-in Wi-Fi
high definition levels via the HDMI connection.wireless network capabilities (802.11a/b/g/n). And
In addition to three types of noise reduction, youit can stream photos from any DLNA compatible
have the option of choosing between threedevices. Also has a Quick Start Mode that allows
preset picture modes. They are Standard,most Blu-ray discs to start within seconds.
Brighter Room and Theater Room. The BDP-S560THE CONS: Unfortunately, the BDP-S560 does not
also has x.v.Color and 24p True Cinema features.have multi-channel analog audio outputs. If you
The x.v. Color output allows for AVCHD formathave an older A/V receiver, you may want to
discs while also providing twice the amount oflook else where. No internal memory so a USB
colors as standard RGB color sources, producingdevice is needed to download BD-Live content.
more spectacular images. The 24 True CinemaThe DLNA function does not support streaming
features allows you to view a movie as it wasof Music or Videos.
original intended to be seen; at 24 frames perTHE FINAL WORD: Sony's BDP-S560 has all the
second.great features of a good Blu-ray Player. It has
Audio Quality: The BDP-S560 audio outputs include1080p/24 output, giving you great image quality.
the HDMI Output, Optical and Coaxial DigitalIt has internal High Resolution audio decoding and
Outputs and 2.0ch Analog Outputs. It has internalbuilt-in Wi-Fi. It does not have streaming media
audio decoding and bitstream output for Dolbyfeatures that some other Blu-ray Players offer. If
TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. Which meansyou can overlook this lack of streaming Media
the Blu-ray Player can decode these highServices than the BDP-S560, with its Wi-Fi
resolution audio formats or you can pass thesesupport and DLNA Photo streaming, would make
formats via HDMI to your Audio/Video receivera sound choice. -- Price you should look for when
to decode. Unfortunately, the BDP-S560 does notpurchasing -- Under $250.