Sony unveils US$600 Blu-ray player

By Clement James on Mar 1, 2007 8:15 AM
Filed under Hardware

BDP-S300 can output 1920 x 1080p high-definition video.

Sony has set its sights on a wider market with its second Blu-ray disc player, which is expected to hit the shops with a price tag of around US$600.

The BDP-S300 model can output 1920 x 1080p (progressive) high-definition video, currently the highest resolution high-definition signal available through an HDMI connection.

The player supports various video formats, including MPEG2, MPEG4-AVC and VC1.

An analogue component output for 1080i (interlaced) is available for those who own an HDTV set without HDMI.

The Blu-ray disc player is compatible with most standard DVDs and has the added feature of 1080p upscaling through HDMI to 1080p capable HDTVs, improving the picture performance of existing DVD libraries.

The device supports BD-ROM, BD-Java, AVC-HD and DVD playback from DVD/DVD+R/+RW encoded discs, CD playback, as well as MP3 audio files and JPEG images stored on DVD recordable media.

The model also supports AVC-HD discs encoded with xvYCC technology, a new international standard for wide colour space, which Sony has branded as x.v.Color.

The new unit incorporates Bravia Theater Sync using HDMI connectivity, which integrates the operation of the player with a compatible Bravia flat-panel LCD television or audio/video receiver.