14 DAY TRIAL // After several delays, Sony's BDP-S1 Blu-ray player is finally available. The standalone drive should reach the stores by the end of this week, making it an interesting choice in case you were looking for an alternative to your older DVD player.
Sony's BDP-S1 has 1080p and HDMI outputs and can render 1080 progressive natively, along with the ability to play back all Blu-ray format discs that exist as well as traditional DVDs. The product integrates in Sony?s full HD 1080 line of products, which ranges from BRAVIA? flat-panel LCD TVs and Grand WEGA SXRD? rear-projection televisions. You can also include here the new PlayStation? 3; Blu-ray Disc enabled VAIO computers, PC drives and even recordable BD media.
?I?m thrilled that it?s here just in time for the holidays. Combining a Sony 1080p HDTV set and our new BD player with an HDMI?-enabled A/V receiver and surround sound speakers provides the epitome of the high-definition lifestyle,? said Randy Waynick, senior vice president of marketing for Sony Electronics.
1080p is the highest resolution HD signal that can be outputted through an HDMI connection. The player supports various high quality video codecs, including standard MPEG2, MPEG4-AVC and VC1. And just in case you don?t possess a TV set capable of inputting a 1080p HDMI connector, an analog 1080i (interlaced) output is also possible with Sony?s Blu-Ray player.
The model is also compatible with standard DVD playback but will upscale the SD content to full 1080p HD resolution providing a richer experience even when you play non-HD videos. Aside from the video capabilities, the drive outputs 5.1 audio content through analog or digital connectors. The drive also supports DVD+-R/RW playback and can decode mp3 and jpeg files. The projected price tag will be $1000.