Entry-level Blu-ray Players, like the BDP-S380, do not possess all the bells and whistles of their higher-end counterparts. Their appeal lies in their budget price while still providing excellent playback on Blu-rays and DVDs. The BDP-S380 is no exception. Ranging in price from 0.00 to 0.00, this new player from Sony has stunning Full HD 1080p images and support for high-resolution audio formats. Sony has also, equipped the BDP-S380 with a number of nice extra features that will surely make this model one of the better budgeted players available in 2011.

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The slim, black glossy look of the BDP-S380 is a very simple and classic design. While the design may not win any awards for innovation or style, the look is clean and modern and should fit nicely into anyone's Home Theater. Basic control buttons can be found on the front, along with a USB Port, the display screen and disc loading tray. All other controls and connections are found at the back of the BDP-S380.

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VIDEO QUALITY: As stated before, the BDP-S380 is capable of Full 1080p Video output on Blu-ray discs. It can up-scale your old standard DVDs to near HD levels. So there is no need to replaced your old movie collection. Video can be connected via the HDMI Output, Component Video Output and Composite Video Outputs. Video output for the Component connection is only SD. All manufactures are required to exclude any HD capable component video outputs. This should not cause any problems,given that most of us will be using HDMI connections anyway. HDMI connections supports both 1080p/60 and 1080p/24 output resolutions. Preset picture modes and engage noise reductions are included, as well as IP Noise reduction to help with improving the quality on online streaming video.

AUDIO QUALITY: The BDP-S380 has support for on-board Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding and can transmit these audio formats to any A/V receiver with a HDMI input to decode. There are no multi-channel analog outputs on the BDP-S380 player. Only 2.0 stereo analog outputs. The other audio connection is a coaxial digital audio output. The BDP-S380 should provide you with great 7.1-channel surround sound.

The playback of many media types and media files are available, including BD, DVD-Video, CD audio, SACD, AVCHD, WMV, MP3, WMA, AAC, GIF, PNG, MKV and JPEG. There is an Ethernet Port located on the back of the player for connecting to the internet. It is WI-Fi 'Ready', meaning a Wireless LAN Adapter can be purchase if you want a wireless connection. However, if you want a wireless internet connection, your best option is to purchase the higher-end model like the BDP-S580. It has a built-in Wi-Fi connection.

Once connected to the internet you can access online streaming services such as Hulu Plus, Netflix, Pandora, Picasa or YouTube. You can also get access to Gracenote technology which provides information about the actors and movies you are watching. Finally, the BDP-S380 has support to turn your iPhone, iPad or Android phone onto a remote control. This free app can be downloaded so that basic remote functions and a full QWERTY keyboard can be used to control your player.

THE PROS: The Sony BDP-S380 is a Sony entry-level blu-ray player. It provides great video and audio quality with Full 1080p video resolution on Blu-ray discs and Dolby TrueHD and dts-HD (Master Audio and High Resolution Audio) support. Comes with Bravia Internet Video for access to streaming services like Netflix, VUDU, HULU Plus, Twitter, YouTube, Pandora and many more. It is Wi-Fi 'Ready' so you do not need an Ethernet cable to connect to the internet. Equipped with a USB Port that allows for playback of videos or photos on your big screen and a Quick Start/Load feature.

THE CONS: Unfortunately, there is no internal memory provided in the BDP-S380. Therefore when accessing BD-Live content you will need to connect a USB Flash Memory device if you want to download any material. It also does not provide DLNA services, which allows you to access videos from your computer. While it is Wi-Fi 'Ready', the USB adapter is not included, you would have to purchase this device separately.

THE FINAL WORD: Overall the BDP-S380 from Sony is a very good blu-ray player. Offering you the standard blu-ray functions and many extra features you will surely use such as internet streaming and Gracenote™ Metadata. It does not have some extra features you will find on higher-end players, but with a very reasonable price, the BDP-S380 is one of the best budgeted players you will find. - Price you should look for when purchasing - Under 0.00

BDP-S380 - A Brief Overview of Sony's New Entry-Level Blu-Ray Player

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