SONY EUROPE LIMITED BDPS580B BLU-RAY DISC PLAYER 3D

Really pleased with this Sony BDP-S580 Blu-ray player. Being the mid-range device it has dropped to a very good price point. I preferred this over the entry 380 model as it has built in WiFi. Although I plan to use this on a wired Ethernet connection it's good to have the wireless facility in case I want to revamp the setup or move it to another room. (The 380 requires a separate dongle purchase to enable WiFi - but this sticks crudely out of the back and could be prone to breaking.) I did not really see any benefit in going for the higher priced 780 model. All the Sx80 models are Sony's 2011 range of players.

My main reason for choosing this over other Blu-ray players was because of the interface. It uses the familiar XMB (cross menu bar) menu system as seen on the PS3 and PSP devices, so no new learning curve there. In terms of the actual Blu-ray disc playback I didn't worry, as at this price range all the main manufacturers probably produce a decent enough player that will give acceptable results in the home; so this player won me over on the other features.

The media streaming is perfect. It seems to stream all my files in varying formats including ones that used to show up on the PS3 as "unsupported data." I have a NAS drive (networked hard drive) to which I have copied my music and film collection to, and so far everything has streamed great, with no stuttering or freezing whatsoever even on the higher quality HD larger files. Also when streaming over my network it seems to start playing quicker (and buffering quicker) than the PS3 did.

Blu-ray playback is excellent - I am very impressed with the output onto a 37" screen and I have this coupled with a Sony surround speaker system again with excellent results and great quality.

Other features include things such as BBC iPlayer and Channel 5 on demand. Both stream well. There is also a Lovefilm app so if you are a member of this (and their streaming service) you can enter your details to log in and away you go.

I haven't tried the other services (some are paid such as Qirocity/Mubi - Sony based services as on the PS3...) but with future software updates there will no doubt be more added (ie. hopefully Channel 4OD or ITV Player.)

DVDs seem to upscale OK. It all depends on what you are playing back and what you are viewing it on. A few looked no different, and a couple did seem better, or more smooth, but without a side by side comparison it's hard to give a definitive result. Also I have only tested a few DVDs to date. However it's safe to assume the quality would not be less than a standard DVD player.

The player itself has a small footprint, it's very lightweight and both smaller in width and depth over most standard "below the TV" media equipment.

The remote is easy to use (especially if you've ever had a Sony TV or official PS3 remote) and takes 2 x AA batteries (Not Included!)

I have noticed no extraneous noise from the player, it seems quiet on start-up and quiet when playing a disc, with no noticeable hums, clicks or anything annoying.

I have completed one software update over the internet so far, and was carried out quickly and easily with on screen instructions.

Digital Optical Out is via the Coaxial type cable (orange plug port - as also found on the newer Sky+ and Sky+ HD boxes) however unlike the Sky boxes there is no TOS optical out which is a shame as the choice of both would better support various receivers, especially to those who have multiple devices connected.

The only downside I could find so far was that the interface can be very slightly sluggish, leading to the occasional repeated press of a remote button thinking it hadn't registered only to find the menu whizz by a couple of options as it catches up. Things like the internet browser and iPlayer can also be slow navigating - similar to the PS3 browser being a little clunky - but this is more down to the way the interface is programmed, hopefully will be improved or rewritten with future updates.

I would recommend this player to someone who wants something easy to operate and use (menu is intuitive and I didn't refer to the manual once), and who is perhaps familiar with or prefers Sony equipment. It's also currently a good price for the features.

I bought this player to go with a new TV a Samsung UE40D7000. Both are 3D capable but I doubt if I will use that very often, so I was more interested in the 2D ability of the equipment. The player quickly found my wi-fi and updated its software. The pictures from Blu-ray discs are as good as I have seen and the upscaled pictures from DVD's are very good, nearly on a par with HD. The X-bar menu is cluttered and Sony need a rethink on that, but in normal use you don't need it so it isn't a big issue. The only downside is that the digital audio out is only coaxial and I have had to buy a coaxial to optical converter as my cinema system only has optical inputs. I think that manufacturers should provide both options to ensure compatibility. That aside, I am very satisfied with this unit and it has many features that can be explored by the adventurous and some which are very useful like the BBC iPlayer.

Bought this player specifically to have the wi-fi function on my TV without any more boxes sitting underneath. I would absolutely recommend this unit, picture superb and no problem streaming from the internet, my connection is always around 7mB so HD on Iplayer is no problem. This is my second BDPS580, the first one automatically upgraded the software a short time after switch on and something happened to BBC Iplayer, it was exchanged and no problem since. After having a BDPS350 I was very pleasantly surprised with the speed of start up, warp speed by comparison.
All in all for me a good buy, the only reason for four stars are the fact that I had to have the unit exchanged and the fact that the Wi-Fi connection does not have channel 4 on demand or ITV player because of the lack of flash player which I understand cannot be installed.