Sony BDP-S380 Blu-ray Disc Player (Black)

• Enjoy Blu-ray Disc movies in brilliant high-definition resolution or upscale the quality of your DVDs to near HD
• Instantly stream a wide variety of movies, TV shows, live sports, videos, and music from Netflix, YouTube, Pandora, Hulu Plus and many more
• Free, downloadable "Media Remote" app for your iPhone, iPad, or Android phone turns it into a versatile remote
• Connect your digital camera, USB-enabled MP3 player, or USB storage device to enjoy videos, photos, and music on the big screen
• Add a Sony USB Wi-Fi adapter to easily connect to your wireless broadband network, or connect via standard Ethernet port

I just purchased two of these one for myself and one for an out-of-state friend. I'm using mine with a Sony Bravia 1080p flat screen; my friend is using hers with an older 30 inch CRT TV (4:3 aspect ratio) until she gets around to taking her flat screen out of its box.

I was thinking about getting a unit with built-in WiFi, but before making the purchase(s), I did some research online and heard (read) some horror stories about streaming via WiFi that were, let's say, somewhat less than complementary (glitches, disconnects, freezes requiring reboots, etc.), so I decided to purchase this unit BECAUSE it didn't have WiFi (why pay for a feature that I'm not going to use?). I already have a Sony BDP-S370 (using it with a Samsung flat screen) and like it a lot; I would have bought two more of them, but they weren't available directly from Amazon when I ordered, so I got these I prefer buying from Amazon for their returns policy. Also, the BDP-S380 supports 'vudu' AND it has an on-screen digital throughput speed readout (in Mbps) which appears when streaming is starting up both welcome additions!

My setup took about 15 minutes from the time I opened the box until I was watching discs, Amazon VOD, and Netflix (the only ones that I've set up so far). I connected the BDP-S380 to my TV via HDMI, and my LAN via Ethernet cable and everything just worked (of course, I had to set it up for my Amazon and Netflix accounts, but that took less than five minutes each). After going through the on-screen quick start menus, the unit told me that there was a firmware upgrade available, so I told it to do it, and a few minutes later, it finished and turned itself off (normal when upgrading firmware).

My friend's setup took a bit longer, since she had never set one up before and I couldn't see what was happening while I tried to talk her through everything (from memory). She connected to her TV using the (supplied-in-the-box) AV cable. Because her TV was 4:3 aspect ratio, some of the menus didn't display legibly, which is probably what made things take a bit longer. Anyway, we got everything working properly within about 20-25 minutes.

One thing of note I would like to mention is this: all BD players manufactured after 01/01/2011 have DRM firmware which prevents HD signals from using any output other than HDMI. For me, that was no problem since I was using HDMI; since my friend was using AV, everything was displayed on her TV in SD (not really a problem since that is all it's capable of displaying anyway, and she'll be using HDMI if she ever sets up her flat screen *:^).

I'm very pleased with this unit (and so is she). Its outputs are crisp and solid, its user interface is staight-forward and easy to understand, and its physical size, shape, and appearance should fit in anywhere.

Definitely a 5-star device.

======

NETFLIX Note (04/15/11):

It seems that Netflix is no longer limiting selections to your Instant Queue! There is now a choice entitled "Top Picks For You" -also, you can now press "Options" on the Remote and when you select "Categories >" you will be presented with a Category list from which you can search and select movies! Yay!!

Buy Sony BDP-S380 Blu-ray Disc Player (Black) Now

I purchased this to replace an older blu-ray that had trouble commuinicating with my receiver. It was first gen and I couldn't wait but it still had some bugs.

So far at playing discs this has been awsome, the sound and the picture quality couldn't be better. The load time is much faster than with the older players.

If you're looking for streaming then I think we need to give these guys a couple more years to work out the bugs. Before I purchased this I bought the best rated top of the line model that was supposed to be the best at streaming and I was dissappointed. So I waited six months, bought this and the streaming is a little improved but do not expect to sit through anything uninterupted from Netflix or Hulu. So I still default to my labtop for anything streaming.

Anyway I will not return it as I am very happy with the way it handles my blu-rays.

Read Best Reviews of Sony BDP-S380 Blu-ray Disc Player (Black) Here

I really like this player. I've had it about a month now and can't think of anything I dont like about it. It's nice and quiet. Great picture, seems to upconvert well enough. It loads very quickly even with the "quick start" turned off. I have it hard wired to the internet so I have no wireless problems to speak of. Its slim, sick and shiny; goes great with my Sony Bravia LED. I have a PS3 so the whole Netflix "in queue only" thing that others have complained about doesn't bother me. The other internet apps are basically a rehash of whats already on my Bravia. But, Oh Well. I bought it to play Blu-Rays and that it does just fine. This player actually replaced a Samsung BD-C6500 that I had in my possession for less than an hour before taking it back to the store. It was scary awful. Seriously. Overall, I am very satisfied and actually will be buying another in the near future for my bedroom. I have no problems giving this 5 stars and would recommend it to my friends and family. If your looking for an inexpensive, quality, entry level Blu-Ray player, look no further, you just found one.

EDIT: Wow! It's already been two years since I've had this player! I just wanted to update my review to let everyone know that it is still going strong. I use it all the time, practically daily, and have not had a single issue with it. It's a great little piece of equipment and am extremely happy I chose this player over all the other options.

Want Sony BDP-S380 Blu-ray Disc Player (Black) Discount?

I was the happy owner of a BDP-S350, which was an excellent little Blu-ray player which performed seamlessly, even though it was one of the early generation players. The BDP-S380 was purchased because the S350, even though it can connect to the internet, can not stream Netflix. The S350 has an ethernet slot for receiving network upgrades, but there is no firmware update that allows it to stream. Perhaps it doesn't have the requisite hardware. Anyway, the S380 purchase solved the problem and the S350 is now on Craig's list looking for an adopting family.

The S380 is a very small, very light machine. Aesthetically, it looks beautiful. The main external difference to the S350, aside from its tiny size and miniscule weight, is the fact that it offers a coax digital audio output compared to the optical audio output of its predecessor. Of course, you can also output sound to HDMI, but in my setup I send video directly to the screen and the audio directly to the amp, without using the amp for pass-through of the video signal. My amp has a digital coax input, so this wasn't an issue for me, but if you want a digital optical out then this would not be the player for you. A digital coax cable is not included, but I simply used one of the cheap and nasty RCA connectors supplied and this seems to work fine. If I have any problems with the sound, I will spend the $15 or so on a dedicated cable. As a final comparison, there is more plastic in the case and the power cable does not detach, unlike that of its predecessor.

The remote control is OK, but I use a Harmony 1100 universal remote anyway, which worked fine after a few setup problems, so the supplied remote was simply tossed into the remote control drawer to join so many others. It's a markedly smaller remote to that of the BDP-S350 plastic, but nicely constructed.

I use a wired connection for internet access to the player and have a 100 mbps Comcast cable connection, which probably explains why streaming is so magnificent. You can buy a Sony wireless adaptor for the unit for circa $75 if you need wireless connectivity or, alternatively, buy a more expensive Sony Blu-ray player which has this incorporated into the internal circuitry. I don't need wireless, but it is good to know that there is an upgrade path available if I need it. I simply split my Comcast coax into two, using a T-splitter, with one of the coax leads coming out going to my Comcast box, and the other into my modem.

Setup of the S380 was really simple. The screen interface is Sony's unique crossbar system, which takes some getting used to at first, but which is actually very efficient after a time. I hated it at first, but grew to like it very much after a few days.

First of all, on power-up, the machine worked out that it could use some updated firmware. This downloaded without any problem and took less than five minutes. Obviously, when you do this, you need to ensure that the power and internet are stable and you need to leave the process to complete, otherwise you will be that idiot who "bricks" his player before you're even started. But the firmware upgrade is really simple, quick and completely automatic.

With the firmware upgraded, it was time to register for the various online streaming services. This was really very simple even though you have to go through a registration procedure for every site separately which is mildly annoying. Fortunately, Sony has set up customized portals to the online services, so this is also really very simple to do. I probably spent fifteen minutes doing this.

Upgrading the Harmony remote was a bit painful (which is not at all the fault of Sony). I found the answer to the Harmony's problems was to power down my laptop, make the USB connection from the remote to the laptop, then boot up my PC. I spent maybe an hour messing around with the Harmony (disabling firewalls, anti-virus, taking the battery out of the remote, trying different cables and so forth) before I realized that the power-down, connect, power-up sequence solved the problem. So, the biggest pain in the S350 to S380 transition was actually down to Logitech, not Sony. I love the Harmony, but it is crazy in this day and age that it can't effect a USB connection on the fly.

At this point, I am now up and running. Sound and picture quality are magnificent. The player is completely silent in operation. Streaming is wonderful and I get top of the range 5.1 sound. It's just fantastic and a film buff's dream.

Some reviewers comment that the Netflix interface is only so-so. For me (and I guess most people) I simply choose my Netflix movies on my laptop and add them to my queue, and they simply appear on the Sony Blu-ray ready to play. So, I don't honestly know what the big deal is here.

On final point as I sometimes watch Japanese and UK DVDs and Blu-ray disks, it would be helpful to hack the S380 to perform as a universal, all-region player. With the S380 this requires a professional hack it needs a pro to physically hack into the surface mounted chips, so it is a $100 $150 cost, which I will probably go for at some stage. With the S350 there was a software hack, but this is not the case for the new machine. For now (until I get the hack done) I will keep my hacked cheap and nasty Chinese DVD player (all of $30) to play my Japanese and UK DVDs. It's annoying that Hollywood continues to enforce this anti-competitive nonsense which is a serious pain to anyone who is multi-lingual or who wants to watch British or European sourced content. It seems Hollywood may be waking up to this, as most Blu-ray disks are now shipped without this ridiculous regional coding.

In summary, a tremendously good, near-perfect product. Messrs Morita and Ibuka must be looking down proudly from the heavens seeing that Sony is still producing such outstanding consumer electronics.

Pros:

Cheap amazing value for money.

Setup extraordinarily simply.

Aesthetics it's small, beautiful and light.

Picture and sound extraordinarily good.

Streaming magnificent.

Firmware upgrades simple, quick and efficient (though don't be that winning dude who disconnects his player during a firmware upgrade duh or you will "brick" your player).

Cons:

Build quality probably not quite as good as the S350 with more plastic used.

Optical output there isn't one, so if you need this, the S380 is the wrong player for you.

WiFi network connectivity you can't do this out of the box you need a $75 adaptor so you should consider buying one of the more expensive Sony players which has this incorporated already if this is important to you.

Multi-region capability this requires a specialist to do a hardware hack of your machine at a $100 $150 cost, it can't simply be hacked through software.

Boy am I behind times. Finally, a way to watch TV the way you should; when you want to and what you want to watch. Yeah, I'm talking about the "streaming video" feature of this player. Not only is the DVD quality great, but the streaming is awesome! After just 30 minutes of trying this player out, I returned my cable box, canceled all my channels, and for a fraction of what I was paying for cable, that I never watched (due to such lame channels) I'm watching all the programs I want, either via NetFlix or even better, via Amazon's Prime service. To anyone wondering if the Prime is worth it, I can say, YES. Not only do you get free two day shipping, you get a ton of free streaming videos. Movies, TV shows and the such, and many are in HD.

Some may say "what does this have to do with the DVD player", but if you read the description, you will find that this is way more than just a DVD player.

The only fault I have about the player, as of now, is that the remote is so darn small!! Yes, I have fat fingers and the "home" button and the "arrow down" button are so close together that I often hit the home key trying to scroll down and hence, I have to start all over again. ARG!

Other than that, again, WOW!

OH yeah, I forgot.... my first month's savings on cable will pay for the cost of this product...

I recommend this to anyone that is tired of paying outrageous prices for cable when what you really like to watch is either free or really cheap via the Internet and a device like this.

Update 06/12/11.. Beware of replacing your cable with Netflix. Seems they are the masters of "bait and switch". Yes, for three weeks, the streaming was great, now all they will stream me is very LOW quality. Even if I choose a HD movie. They will blame it on your ISP, even Sony, but if you Google them, you will find that they "down stream" all their video, and not just in Canada.

Buyer beware of Netflix if you want to use them to stream video. As of today, Amazon's Prime still streams flawlessly!