The BDP-S350 (top) will be out this summer, the BDP-S550 (bottom) is coming this fall.
Sony is reinforcing the Blu-ray brand with two new players that will unleash all kinds of interactive goodies such as BonusView and BD-Live.
Both the BDP-S350 and the BDP-S550 support BonusView, which is a picture-in-picture feature that has been popping up on some of the newer Blu-ray movie titles. The BDP-S350 is BD-Live-ready, with an Ethernet port for firmware updates and access to web-based interactive content. The BSP-S550 will be BonusView- and BD-Live capable when it ships.
Each player also has an external port so that users can add local storage; the BDP-S550 comes with a 1GB storage device.
Other highlights include 1080/60p and 24p True Cinema output, 1080p upscaling via HDMI, 7.1 channel Dolby TrueHD and Dolby Digital Plus decoding and bit-stream output, and dts-HD High Resolution Audio and Master Audio bit-stream output. The BDP-S550 also adds in dts-HD High Resolution Audio and dts-HD Master Audio decoding as well as 7.1 channel analog audio output. Also expect support for a slew of video formats, as well as AVCHD discs encoded with x.v.Color (xvYCC) technology.
Both of the new models also feature fancy new slim designs—an easy add to your overcrowded A/V cabinet.
The BDP-S350 will be available this summer for $400. The BDP-S550 is coming in the fall for an extra $100.
“The two new models each feature an Ethernet port”
Welcome to HD-DVD 2006.
Um, HD-DVD, sounds great but it turned out to be one of the biggest confusions out there.
The average Joe often thinks their up-converting DVD player is HD-DVD.
“Up converts to 1080P HD”
They think a HD-DVD disc will work on that machine!!
WIth Blu-ray, there can be no confusion. It sounds SO different from DVD etc etc.
Time to move on people and get with the times.
Sony, Panasonic and ALL the rest came up with a fine name! (Sorry, my fav colour is blue too)
How does SONY come up with this stuff??
Oh yeah, that’s right, they’re still trying to catch up
to HD DVD. Keep plugging away. Now that they are done making them, SONY should be able to!! Maybe they should change the name from blu-ray to something that everyone will know what it is. Like , huh, HD DVD!! That should do the trick!
Cool. Now they just need to come down 200 bucks and I’ll consider purchasing one.
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Electronic House is now available in a digital edition. Learn more.
Rocky, Maybe I can suggest some glasses for you. Blu Ray will always look and… 
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Sony technical support told me that you can’t decode DD Tru HD and DTS MA unless I have a receiver that can decode those formats and you will only get down converted sound to DD and DTS??
So reading your article state the opposite, which is true?
Also can you run me through the set-up for Audio so I get uncompressed multichannel audio? I don’t have HDMi on my receiver but have multichannel audio.
Also why did they make so that you can’t start the disc unless the drawer is closed, the S301 was able to do that without closing the tray?