Sony BDP-S350 1080p Blu-Ray Disc Player

I bought this after I became convinced that Blu-Ray won (I was hoping for a HD win), and I needed a new DVD player anyway. I can say my large collection of SD DVDs look much better on the player and Blu-Rays don't look as quite as good as they do in the store displays. That could be my settings on the TV (its 1080p), and I would not assume that the player is at fault. But Blu-Ray disks on the player look great in my home, just not as dramatic as down at the electronics store. If I had any complaint its that startup time is not long, but it is annoying. I have no mechanical problems and there are plenty of connectivity options.

This player delivers great pictures on my Sony HD TV. Also, a great price.

This is the second time we've bought this machine. The only complaint I have about it is the length of time it takes for the machine to rev up, it's not instantaneous by any means.

Unit played 3 Blu Ray discs fine on the first day. One week later, the unit did not play Blu Ray discs, telling me the discs were unknown. (Tried on the same 3 discs) Tried a system update but no luck. Unit still played DVDs.

I purchased this product after much research and am very pleased with the Sony BDP S350. I have used this player for about a month now and have zero issues to report. In other reviews, I have read statement about long loading times, or freezing problems, or audio issues, I have seen none of these.

Here are what I see as the best attributes of the BDP S350:
1. Ethernet connection - because the formats keep changing, this is a must for anyone that wants a hassle-free bluray experience. Updating the firmware couldn't be easier. During initial setup, the intuitive setup wizard detected that a more recent firmware version was available and automatically prompted me to download it.
2. Upconversion - this player does a terrific job of making standard DVDs look even better.
3. Load time - the player normally displays a movie in less than 30 seconds and this is without the "quick boot" option which leaves the player on constantly so that it can load movies more quickly.

My only minor disapointment is with the audio. I read all of the hype about bluray movies improving the audio experience as much as the visual experience, but I can't say that I agree with any of that. I do have a new (less than 6 mos old) system that cost around $3,000 that does include a Yamaha 663 reciever capable of decoding DTS Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD, but I can't hear a difference in audio quality between bluray and regular DVD movies. I have checked to ensure that I have all of the settings correct as well. This is only a minor disappointment, because the system still sounds AWESOME. My wife still gets freaked out every time she hears glass breaking right next to or behind her. It is great.

In summary, the Sony BDP S350 is an excellent blu ray player for ease of setup, ease of use, and image quality