electronicsme - Electronics / Video Components made easy

Print this page

Sony BDP-S1000ES: Review

Posted to Video Components 2009-11-28

The Sony BDP-S1000ES has been designed specifically with the Blu-ray movie viewer in mind, especially considering its inclusion of 4GB external memory out of the box for storage of Blu-ray live downloaded content. What is also refreshing to see is that Sony has finally come on board with the need for wireless connectivity in a Blu-ray player with the inclusion of an 802.11n capable Wi-Fi chip in the unit.

Audio support is well looked after with support for both Dolby TrueHD and Dolby DTS HD included in the BDP-S1000ES. Sony have also continued to learn from their successes elsewhere in their product stable by ensuring that this player has the xross media bar design which was popular in the PSP (Playstation Portable) handheld. If you have other BraviaSync capable equipment in your home theater the BDP-S1000ES will be able to slot in easily as it has this functionality as well.

Rating:

4.0 out of 5

Features

7.1 channel analog audio output comes with the BDP-S1000ES and you can also stream out the audio via the HDMI connection into your central a/v receiver in you want to be setting up more of a digital focused home theater. SuperBit mapping technology gives reality enhancement to the movies that are coming from the player by analysing each bit that comes from the disc. The S1000ES is 802.11n Wi-Fi capable which means no need for messy cords running around the house and the unit is obviously capable of full 1080p HD video output for optimum image quality.

Ergonomics

The xross media bar inspired inclusion to the interface in this new Blu-ray player has really helped Sony capitalize on other successful interfaces in their technology. Many of their players are now coming with an altered version of this media bar design that categorizes options in a horizontal format across the screen via some icons. It is highly useable and also provides an added dimension to the user interface that doesn't feel like a bulky and hard to navigate menu that many traditional media players have had.

Summary

The Sony BDP-S1000ES is a new release Blu-ray live capable player that has taken some of the best bits of their earlier technology and merged it into this one unit. If you are in the market for a stand alone Blu-ray player this unit is worth a look almost on its Wi-Fi capability alone given the lack of implementation of Wi-Fi that is seen in other units on sale at the moment.

Pros

Wi-Fi Connection
xross media bar
SuperBit map enhancement
BraviaSync Capability
4GB External Memory Included

Cons

There are no cons for this product