Blu-ray disc can store up to five times more in detail than DVD, which incurs that you will see more of the picture than before. You can enjoy movie as director intended with the 24 -frame output option.
At the very initial stage, Blu-ray DVD Players may have popped out as a mess, with befuddling “profile” and distressingly very slow load times. But this is the first year, the standalone players have finally kept together their efforts to bring out an excellent player. The following review is on Sony BDPS360B Blu-ray player and let us see if this player lives up to the expectations.
Sony BDPS360B is the entry level Blu-ray player which is distinctive among the new breed of Blu-ray players. Even in the BDPS360B the rudiments are covered with Profile 2.0 support and on board decoding for DTS-HD Master Audio Essential and Dolby TrueHD. Besides all the rudiments, Sony BDPS360B does not have much to offer. Like its rivals, Sony BDPS360B is not able to deliver any streaming of internet content, such as Amazon video on demand, Youtube, Netflix or Pandora. The model lets us down because of some stumbles in the design like the recessed USB port and the deficiency of eject button on the remote.
On the positive side, the player has an occupying feature in the interface that is of great interest to the purchasers, the polish that went into BDPS360B’s XMB inspired menu system. Sony BDPS360B Blu-Ray DVD Player, indeed has got a very stylish exterior design and also offers an authentic Blu-ray playback.
Design:
Front Panel Design:
The Sony BDP-S360B attains an excellent balance between the tacky gloss of Samsung players and the more conservative balance of Panasonic players. A glass like shimmering look is given to the design, with the front panel’s dark and semi transparent appearance. Similar to Samsung’s BD-P1600′s design, when tried to open the disc tray the entire front panel flips down, but it is found that Sony’s implementation is less clumsy. The BDPS360B’s dimensions are also appreciable giving it a very small footprint, a slim 16.9 inches wide, 22 inches high and 8.1 inches deep.
Back Panel Design:
Normally there is nothing much to criticise about design of a disc player’s back panel, but the unusual USB port in the design of BDPS360B’s is worth pointing out. Surrounded by a plastic wrap, the port is deep-set into the unit, however the small opening may not hold some of the fatter USB thumb drives which lie around.
The Remote Control:
The remote included in the pack has a great layout and a very simple design, but it is lacking the open/close button to operate the disc tray which is a disastrous flaw to it. If you are one those people who pops open the disc tray before you get off the couch to change discs, you will find it quite foiling. It could be overcome by purchasing a quality universal remote, as BDPS360B is capable of receiving an open/close IR command.
Sony’s XMB User Interface:
Sony’s own XMB user interface is used by BDPS360B, which is now available on almost all Sony products with a video output. There is no problem zipping around the BDPS360B’s menus, but everyone may not find the layout interesting. If you are not used to Sony’s XMB interface, it is not irrational as said, the large icon’s on the LG BD370′s menu system, the learning curve is not very hard. Apart from the graphics, the polished feel of BDPS360B surpasses the other Blu-ray players. Also the minor tweaks done is fairly appreciable like the screen waning to black with a movie being stopped and the player navigating quickly among the menus.
Features:
BD-Live:
Like almost every other 2009 model player, this player is compliant with Profile 2.0, and is equipped to playback BD Live features that are available on select Blu-ray movies. BD Live features must be downloaded from the Internet for which you need to establish the Ethernet connection along with plugging in the USB memory drive if you wish to save it. The BD-Live content is not very obligating, even though the technology is relatively new.
On-board Decoding:
Check out the onboard decoding featured by the Sony BDPS360B for both the DTS-HD Master Audio Essential/Dolby TrueHD that brings out a gratifying soundtrack support. Simply put, this can decode just about any soundtrack format, such that it can be played back on any AV receiver that is HDMI-capable. It supports bitstream output too if you wish for the decoding to happen in the AV receiver. DTS-HD Master Audio Essential varies from the conventional DTS-HD Master Audio, meaning it would not be able to decode for certain DTS/DVD soundtrack formats like the ES and ES Matrix, DTS 96/24 and Neo:6. Then again, it manages to decode all HD DTS soundtracks.
Output Capacity:
The BDPS360B has a standard collection of outputs namely the HDMI output that outputs Blu-ray videos at 1080p along with upscaling conventional DVDs to a 1080p. Despite you possessing an older version of a HDTV, the component video output handles DVDs at a 480p and Blu-ray at a 1080i. It also has a legacy composite video output, which is bounded to 480i standard-definition resolution.
Audio Features:
As aforesaid, the player has HDMI output for high resolution; multichannel audio can be used for an effective sound. BDPS360B consists of both the types of digital audio outputs optical and coaxial, which is really a nice bonus, as many Blu-ray players only include optical. If you have an older AV receiver there is a stereo analog audio output, but there is no multichannel analog output in this model.
Internet Streaming:
Like the other entry level players from Panasonic, Samsung and LG, the BDPS360B does not offer any streaming internet contents, such as Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Video on Demand, Pandroa or CinemaNow. The output quality is adding a lot of value to BDPS360B, especially it is significant for people who do not feel the image quality leap from DVD to Blu-ray. It is storming that why the Sony’s Bravia Internet Video Link which is providing similar functionality is not added into the new Blu-ray players.
Brilliant Picture Quality And Master-Quality Sound:
The unbelievable detail delivered gets further enhanced by the x.v. Colour technology, which seems to amplify the range of colours before they are precisely produced onscreen. Thus you get to see true natural colours like the vibrant reds, flamboyant blues and greens bringing forth amazing brilliant life-like images. You will be able to see how close the pictures match in real life by just plugging the BDPS360B Blu Ray Player into HD ready TV using HDMI cable. The same applies in the case of audio. The player also supports a whole host of audio formats, right from stereo to uncompressed multichannel 7.1 that brings forth a supreme quality of sound and music via playback.
Bravia Theatre Sync:
The “one-touch play” feature of the remote control allows you to manage easy selection of BRAVIA TV’s/Sony HDMI audio/video components.
Multi-format Versatility:
BDPS360B plays Blu-ray discs of formats BD-ROM/R/RE, DVD, DVD+R/W, CD, CD-R/W, MP3 AND JPEG. The player allows you to playback all your favourite DVDs in high resolution as it is backward compatible.
Component Video Output:
When player is connected via component output to your projector, plasma and/or LCD/CRT televisions it achieves greater colour accuracy and high resolution playback capability.
Expanding Technology:
The new model integrated rigorous licensing control, powerful encryption and other content protection. The Blu-ray disc Technology provides power to copy its data-content to your compatible components. And also to enjoy music and movies on your PC it offers flexibility to make managed copies across a home network.
Quick Start Mode:
This device provides faster loading times by using the Quick Start Mode. By using this mode you can operate BDPS360B within just 6 seconds from the moment it is powered on.
Parental Lock:
The BDPS360B’s menu features a parental lock and rating system adjustment for parents who wants full control of media content played back through player.
Full Featured Remote:
A full feature remote is included in the pack which has the capability of executing every command from any angle up to ±30°.
Performance:
Blu-ray players incline to provide similar quality and are far beyond comparison with DVDs, but definitely, you tend to find some difference in the entry-level spinners. If BDPS360B is connected to Sony KDL-52XBR7 through the HDMI and set to a 1080p mode with 24 frames/second, the output is disabled.
Video and Film Resolution Tests:
If you pop in Silicon Optix HQV test suite to browse the test patterns, the initial Video Resolution Test looks okay in full resolution with no extra jaggies on the revolving white line. The BDPS360B also comes out successfully the other two jaggies tests, without showing any of the jagged edges we sometimes notice on budget players. Even in the film resolution tests, BDPS360B does not show any shortcomings.
Operational Speed Test:
Some tests on the operational speeds of have already commented on how fast BDPS360B is at navigating menus, which brings high hopes on its disc-loading performance. Unfortunately, BDPS360B came out as the slowest of the new 2009 models, when tested by loading “Mission: Impossible III”, it played in 23 seconds with the player already on, while the LG BD370, Samsung BD-P1600, BD-P3600 loaded the same 16 secs or less, and the Panasonic DMP-BD60 takes 21 seconds. Discs with elaborate menu systems like “Spider-Man 3” and “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” took 1 minute and 28 seconds and 1 minute and 56 seconds respectively to load which is same as the DMP-BD60. The Samsung and LG players loaded these titles 30 seconds faster.
Standard DVD Performance:
As most of the home theatre friends will pile up significant library of DVDs, we will go through the results of standard DVD test suite. The BDPS360B passed the initial resolution test, clearly showing all the resolution in the test pattern, but some image instability is noticed. In the video based test, plenty of jaggies on a rotating white line were noticed along with three pivoting white lines. In the part of high concern, the BDPS360B passed the 2:3 pull down test, with no wavy surfaces visible in the grandstands as the race car drove by.
BDPS360B Pack Details:
The pack contains the Sony BDPS360B Blu-ray Player (Profile 2.0), commander remote, Mains lead, R6 AA batteries x2 fand the Owner’s Manual.
Warranty:
Limited warranty is provided for the parts and labour for 1 year.
Verdict:
Sony BDPS360B holds Blu-ray basics with ease and with its added new features, like Profile 2.0-compatible, onboard decoding for Dolby TrueHD/DTS-HD Master Audio Essential, its excellent video and sound quality on most of the Blu-ray movies compared to its competitors, its sleek design proves that it is an excellent value for the money paid. Though there are some disappointments, they are quite minor. It is simple and fast set up. It got good connection options, simple controls and menus. It works extraordinarily with Sony Television. It is a best choice for a shopper when looking for a compact, portable, affordable Blu-ray player with modernised features, excellent sound and video quality.
Sony BDPS360B Blu-Ray Disc Player – Technical Specifications, Features
| Manufacturer | Sony |
| Model Name | Sony BDPS360B Blu-ray disc player |
| Form Factor | Tabletop |
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 2.2 x 16.9 x 8.1in |
| Weight | 4.6 lbs |
| Media Types supported | CD, DVD, BD-R, CD-R, BD-RE, CD-RW, DVD+R, DVD-R, BD-ROM, DVD+RW, DVD-RW, DVD+R DL, DVD-R DL. |
| BD Profiles | Profile 2.0(BD-Live), Profile 1.1(Bonus View) |
| Video D/A Converter | 12bit/148.5MHz |
| Built-in Audio Decoders | Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD |
| Media Load Type | Tray |
| Upscaling | Yes ( up to 1080p) |
| Supported digital video standards | AVCHD |
| Supported digital audio standards | MP3, PCM |
| Parental Lock | Yes |
| Additional Features | JPEG Photo playback, x.v. Colour, Progressive Scanning, technology |
| Sound Output Mode | Stereo |
| Digital Audio Format | DTS Digital output, Dolby Digital output, DTS-HD digital output, Dolby Digital plus output, Dolby TrueHD digital output. |
| Remote Control | Yes, Infrared technology |
| Connector Type | 1X audio line-out( RCA phone X 2) – Rear, 1 X SPDIF output ( RCA phone) – Rear, 1 X Component Video output ( RCA phone X 3) – Rear, 1 X Composite Video output ( RCA phone) – Rear, 1 X SPDIF output( TOSLINK) – Rear, 1 X HDMI output (19 pin HDMI Type A) – Rear, 1 X Ethernet(RJ-45) – Rear |
| Power Device | Power supply |
| Package Details | Sony BDPS360B Profile 2.0 Blu-ray Player, Mains lead (x1), Remote commander (remote) (x1), R6 (size AA) batteries (x2), Owners Manual, warranty information |
| Warranty | 1 year limited warranty |
