I was quite surprised When I found out the new Sony BDP-S370 player could play Bluray and DVD disks, photos/music/video files from a USB drive or shared home network and a wide range of internet video sources including Youtube, ABC iView, SBS TV and Channel 7 – all for less than $200 retail. So I purchased one and have found it very useful.
The reason I was so surprised is because the Sony BDP-S370 bluray player offers a lot of value for money. I would have expected Sony to price an innovative product like this at more like $300 considering all the useful integrated features and the slimline design (less than the height of 3 DVD’s).
Key Strengths Features
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- Sony Bravia Internet TV channels including Youtube, ABC iView, SBS TV, Channel 7 as well as niche content like Moshcam (music concerts)
- Built-in ethernet network port to connect to your modem/router using a network cable. This enables the players internet video features and ability to access shared video/music/photo files (eg: DIVX, DIVX HD, MKV, JPG, MP3 etc) on your Network Attached Storage (NAS), PS3/XBOX etc.
- Can play video/music/photo files (eg: DIVX, DIVX HD, MKV, JPG, MP3 etc) from a USB flash or USB external harddrive.
- Played Bluray and DVD disks of TV shows and movies with ease. Was region unlocked for DVD disks out of the box, tested with USA, UK and AUS DVD’s. Unsure about Bluray disks. Had no issues with NTSC and PAL disks.
- Plays Bluray quickly: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (18 sec to loading bar, 40 sec to Sony pictures logo and music), UP! (16 seconds to language menu)
- Dolby TrueHD internal decoding and bitstream output via HDMI
- DVD upscaling to make them look better on a 1080p Full HD TV
- Free iPhone/iPod/Android touch “BD remote” control application makes it easier to search for internet video using your phone keyboard rather than the players remote control.
- Low power use – 0.2W in standby with quick start feature off. The normal speed for turning the player on is fast enough.
- Very quiet while playing disks, no motor sounds.
Some Weaknesses
- Doesn’t support 3D Bluray disks. However there are hardly any of these available, few people own a 3D TV and most 3D content is inferior in visual quality (colours and brightness) compared to the same movie in 2D. If you must have a 3D Bluray player the BDP-S470 costs about $70 more.
- The Sony BDP-S370 sold in the USA supports even more internet TV and movie services like Netflix and Amazon Video on Demand for BRAVIA. It’s a shame these aren’t available in Australia.
- You’ll need the optional Wifi adapter if your modem/router isn’t near your TV and home theatre system. It costs $75-$99 and unfortunately pokes out untidily from front of player rather than being plugged into the back. Netgear’s Universal WiFi Internet Adapter (WNCE2001) is an option if you want to buy a WiFi adapter that you can plug into the Sony BDP-S370 or other devices like TiVo, PS3 etc.
The Sony BDP-S370 Bluray, media and internet TV player has a RRP of $229 but you’ll probably find it at retailers like JB Hi Fi for $199 or less.
Sony BRAVIA Internet Video Demonstrated and Explained
Other Reviews of the Sony BDP-S370 Bluray Player
Whatever type of disc is being played, the ’S370 is the most potent deck at this price point today. Blu-ray images boast remarkable depth and clarity – the attention to detail during Terminator Salvation is spectacular.
What you have with the Sony BDP-S370 is a fabulous package that combines top-drawer performance, a fine smattering of features and quite incredible value for money.
– What Hi Fi
Sony has been a bit of a trailblazer in allowing people to watch digital media on their TV — the PlayStation 3 has long been the gold standard in playing back and streaming digital media files. But it’s still an expensive beast if you don’t care about gaming.
The Sony BDP-S370 fills in this gap in the market beautifully. It’s an RRP $229 Blu-Ray player which you can find on sale in shops for less than $200 that gives you Blu-Ray disc playback as well as ABC iView, Channel 7 and SBS catchup TV, and all the Sony Bravia TV streaming TV channels.
– APCMAG
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