Sony BDP-S360 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player (2009 Model)

After thoroughly enjoying my HDTV and the high-quality of video and sound associated with HD from my cable/satellite and DVD upconverter I was eager to upgrade to see my favorite films on blu ray. I waited for several things before purchasing my first blu unit...for a couple of features I wanted to be available at my price point, for the blu ray/HD DVD battle to be settled and for the versions of firmware to be more universal. Once that was done all of my needs pointed to this unit and I have been happy since. Up front I will say there are several things that drew me to this unit. One was the Sony brand (I am a loyal Sony user but I am also not a blind follower). Second was the fact that I also needed a new sound system to handle the quality of the blu ray sound and this Sony blu ray player was a companion to the Sony sound system I wanted to get (the HTSS360). The two look great together with identical black color, faceplate size and design. For both the blu ray player and the sound system for under $500 it was an easy sell. The one other very important feature this unit had for me was the on-board processing of the True Dolby HD and HD DTS soundtracks. Having the blu ray player itself process these means you do not need to have the HD sound processed by your sound system-you can have these sent through the PCM channel and they are a definite upgrade from the regular 5.1 soundtracks. To explain, it's like the difference between a HDTV that is HDTV 'ready' and one that has a built-in tuner. In this case the receiver or sound system (with the PCM) is 'HD sound ready' and the blu player acts as the tuner. So you do NOT have to have a receiver or sound system that specifically processes HD audio to enjoy it. This player was simple to set up with the connection of the HDMI cable and the nice-looking, user-friendly, on-screen menu it offers. The on-screen menu is used for a quick set-up and can easily be accessed to make any changes to your settings. As for performance, the loading time for this unit is much quicker than I expected as a first-time blu user. It takes just a couple of seconds longer than my DVD upconverter but the video and sound quality are worth the wait of 2-3 extra seconds. Other people who have earlier blu models say the loading time on this unit is pretty quick comparatively. As I said, the picture produced and the HD sound are spectacular and make me very happy making the blu upgrade. Other thoughts: Yes, as others have mentioned there is no 'eject' button on the remote and it would be nice to have one. Otherwise, the remote has every function on it I would want. I love being able to pull up menus for the discs while the film is in progrss rather than having to stop playback to get to the menu. It does not have the built-in wi-fi that is now available on other units but firmware updates can be done by connecting an Internet connection (or you can even download updates from Sony's website and update the player with a disc). I almost spent the extra money on the S560 player with the built-in wi-fi but from what I have heard it does not support streaming Netflix (which would have been my main reason for wanting the built-in wi-fi to begin with). I have not seen any BD live content that seems (to me) worth connecting to the Internet for. So far every disc I have watched (both new releases and older ones) loaded with no problems and played seamlessly. This unit does indeed upconvert DVDs but I didn't see any improvement over the Sony 5-disc upconverter I already have and plan to continue to use the upconverter for my DVDs and just use the blu player for the blu discs. I do wish there was a 5-disc changer available but as of yet there is not one to my knowledge. I planned to wait for a 5-disc changer but with blu ray you don't normally have a movie split over two discs as you did with standard DVDs so I decided to go ahead and purchase this blu unit and I have thoroughly enjoyed it and have no reservations in recommending it.

I'll start with the bottom line about this player-it just works! If you're looking for a nice, fully functional Blu Ray player that's going to just WORK as you'd expect it to, on anything you throw at it, this is a nice, safe buy. You'll have no problems upgrading from a normal DVD player to it. Like a lot of people, my first Blu Ray player was my Playstation 3, which I bought last year. If you don't already have a PS3, that's worth considering instead of a stand alone player, because it doesn't cost much more, handles Blu Rays (and DVDs) well, and of course plays Playstation 3 games. I even toyed with getting a second one, but decided a stand alone player would be a bit cheaper, and I didn't really need the second Playstation 3. (I've also since bought a Blu Ray drive for my computer, so I can watch Blu Rays on it too.) Impressions of the s360: -Audio and video are excellent. I can't notice any difference from my PS3. -The unit is physically SMALL. It's actually smaller than my two stand alone DVD players (though is the same width as normal stereo components, so fits in fine) -The unit is very quiet in operation-quieter than my two stand alone DVD players in fact. I don't think I can hear it at all except when it's first starting up, loading up a disc (and that only if the room is dead silent). Interestingly, the disc drive's seek sounds sound IDENTICAL to the drive in my Playstation 3! I'd be shocked if it's not basically the same drive. -Remote is decent-I mean no remotes aside from Tivo's are particularly good, but this works as well as any other (the oft-noted omission of an eject button is a bit surprising, but not really missed, since you have to get up anyway, and the eject button on the unit is pretty large). (And thankfully unlike the PS3 remote, it's normal infrared, not Bluetooth.) -Performance is very good. I think it takes SLIGHTLY longer than my PS3/PC to load the fancy interfaces some discs use (some discs replace the normal fast forward/rewind interfaces with their own themed interfaces, and loading that interface adds a few more seconds before the disc's ready-so far I've only run across this on two discs, and it's kind of pointless, but this player DOES seem to handle them just fine). Rewinding/fast forwarding on this isn't quite as smooth as my Playstation 3, but it works as you'd expect a normal DVD player to. -Power usage is very low-the unit says it draws a *MAX* of 22 watts in operation -Boot time takes...well I haven't timed it, but I'd guess maybe 15 seconds. To me that's plenty fast, but that can actually be cut by setting the player to use more power when it's "off" (essentially it presumably actually stays on, so it appears to boot faster). Players that claim they have faster boot times are probably just doing that same thing, without giving you the option of actually shutting the unit off. -It has all the features and ports you'd expect from a unit like this, and has an excellent menu system, that's ripped straight off of the Playstation 3 and Portable (of course once you've set it up with the settings you want, you'll probably never really use the menu again, but it's easier than any DVD player's menus I've ever used). -Unlike some players, it doesn't have internal memory to store "BD Live" internet features, but it does have a USB port where you can connect a USB memory device to enable those features. I have a spare one lying around, but haven't bothered hooking it up because I never use those features. I mean Blu Ray has some great additions over DVD, like the pop up menus that can adjust settings without going back to the main menu-but the internet features are pretty gimicky to me, and I've never used them. Still, this player does support all of that if you care. (Also unlike many of this year's players, it lacks support for online services like Netflix's streaming service, etc. I don't use those (I just use Netflix's disc service), and if I did use them I already have other devices that connect to them, but if you check reviews, the s360 is a better BLU RAY PLAYER than those other devices-and I'm buying this to be a good Blu Ray player. I'm probably forgetting something I'd like to mention, but honestly I could have quit after the first paragraph. If you're like me and just want something that WORKS without hassle, this is a great choice.

Initial thought: I recently purchased the Sony bdp-s360 after already owning a PS3, and two Sony bdp-s350's. The difference I have noticed between this player and the previous 350 is the sound quality on the 360 which is much better. The build quality of the 360 is great but so similar to the previous 350 that I can't rate it spectacular. The entire front face covers the disk slot and flips down to open. I immediately noticed how SONY made cut backs like on the remote, "No Eject" button, and also eliminated a few other buttons on the remote. The player is fully functional and will accept signals from a universal remote or previous 350 model remote with all the functionality on it just incase u want to use the eject from remote features, etc. You can always purchase the remotes indicated if you cant live with the 360 remote. Video Quality: The bluray playback is Excellent, appears to be identical to the previous 350 model. The DVD upscaling to me is just "O.K.", again looks identical to the 350, so I dont see any visible improvement with the new Precision Drive that Sony is promoting. I have noticed that the dvd video quality is improved if the video output on the player is changed from "Auto" to "480" when playing standard dvd's. The player also plays movies copied to dvd-r disks flawlessly. The 360 has played every disk i've put in it from bluray, to dvd, to movies burned on dvd-r's. Options/Extras: This player does not support any NetFlix, Pandora, Amazon, or any other streaming video features. Also, the Player does not have an internal wifi for updates or bd live. If u want internal wifi then you have to wait for the SONY bdp-s560. Summary: (Good) The Sony bdp-s360 is an excellent bluray player if you are looking for a solid great looking player with execellent bluray quality play back and built in Dolby True-HD & DTS Master Audio through hdmi. No lipsync issues, jaggies, or other. It will play everything u throw at it flawlessly including copied dvd's. Add an audio reciever with HD and u have a movie theater in the making! (Bad) Standard DVD playback quality is good but not the best. I compared it to my previous Toshiba HD DVD A35 player, also my Xbox 360 and both were superior to the 360 when it came to dvd quality playback. Remote has no eject feature and also missing other minor functions. (Bottom Line) The Sony bdp-s360 is a great bluray player, but with all the competition out there that offers more bells & whistles it's hard to recommend it. However, if you are just looking for a solid, great looking player with excellent Bluray video quality, great sound, good dvd upscale quality, and no eject feature on the remote then this player is for you. I personally prefer Sony movie disk players thats why I made the purchase. I WOULD HAVE RATED THIS 5 STARS, BUT IT ONLY GOT 4 STARS DUE TO THE BASIC REMOTE CONTROL WITH LACK OF THE EJECT & MUTE BUTTON(S). Note: The LCD used for this review was the 52" Samsung A650 120hz.

This was my first blu ray player, and I wasn't sure what to expect from it. I was waiting for the players to lower in price, and when this model became available for less than 125 bucks, I couldn't pass it up. Setup was simple and straight forward. Initially I had the player installed via a standard video out line, and connected to my 52 inch plasma it was pretty horrible. In fact I would say that the video quality was worse than my cheapo HTIB unit played DVDs. However, after upgrading to a 5 dollar HDMI cable, this thing came into its own! The standard DVD upscaling was simply majestic. Colors were vivid and bright and objects appeared to jump out at me. I popped in a blu ray and wow.. I won't go back to DVD anytime soon, if ever. I don't own a playstation, but from what I've seen on TV, the setup screen is identical to that of the PS3. If one can navigate the PS3 menu, this one will be simple as well.. An added positive note to this guy is its ability to play pretty much anything I've thrown at it, copied DVDs and blu rays, "fake" blu rays burned onto a DVD-9, etc.. It simply works.. Others have listed that this player has slow load times, but I don't find it too painful. I install the disk and let it load while I'm getting situated in my chair. Others have complained about the lack of an eject button on the remote, but I think that's pretty pointless as well, considering I have a wife, and she can change the disc just fine. (Sarcasm alert) The load times are drastically quicker if the "quick load" function is enabled. This basically keeps the player in a low power state all the time.. Bottom line, I love this player. Sony has never let me down, and this unit is no exception. I have been tempted to buy a 2nd unit for the bedroom, but my wife already complains that I spend too much money on electronics and has begged me to hold off on that! Maybe it will drop to below 100 bucks soon, and then I will buy at least 1 more of these. I don't see a need to spend money on a more expensive unit...

We got the exact same model DVD/Blu-Ray player about a dozen years ago from a brick and mortar store. It plays so nicely that when we wanted one for another room, I got the same model thru Amazon shopping. I am not disappointed. This is still a fantastic unit. I had to purchase an HDMI cable separately, but once I hooked it up, it was a cinch to use. Many reviews complain about not having an eject button on the remote. This does not bother me at all. I figure I have to get up and take the movie out of the unit anyway, so pressing an eject button on the unit itself is no big deal. I don't want all the bells and whistles in a unit.....just something that is easy to use and plays a movie with good sound and clarity of picture. And that is what I got. Would recommend to others, and am glad I purchased this again. Have not used any tech support, so did not rate on that.

There are lots of new Blu-Ray players coming out with advanced features like network streaming of videos. But I've already got an Xbox360 hooked up to my home theater, and several PCs available as well, and all of them can handle any video streaming needs I may have. All I really needed was a Blu-Ray player that would do a really nice job playing Blu-Ray discs and my old DVDs. Thanks to the new players, the price on this one has really dropped, so I pounced. I had one small glitch hooking it up. My HDTV is an older Sony 34" CRT that handles 480i, 480p, 720p, and 1080i, but not 1080p. I hooked the Blu-Ray player up through my Onkyo receiver using an HDMI cable, which then handles the connection to the TV. When I told the BDP-S360 to use the HDMI connection, all I got was a black screen. I ended up having to use the composite video cables that come with the player to get a picture, and then told the player to use 720p output. Everything then worked fine. So something in the handshake between the TV, receiver, and player thought 1080p was supported, but once forced to 720p everything was fine. Disc loading times aren't bad, taking about the same time as booting up my Xbox360 or turning on my 400-disc DVD changer, so I really didn't notice them. The picture, even at only 720p, is FANTASTIC, showing details I just never noticed before and really enhancing the picture. An example here is that with Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure (yes, most of my viewing is for the kids), the pixie dust effects on the DVD have a lot more "glow" to them, while on the Blu-Ray they are individual sparks that don't cover the background as much. The detail improvement is really impressive. Updating the firmware was pretty trivial. With the Xbox360 and a Wii I already have ethernet running to the entertainment center along with a hub, so I just hooked up another cable and it downloaded and upgraded easily. So far I'm very happy. If you really want video streaming you may need to look elsewhere, or if you need a WiFi network connection, but since I did not need either this was a perfect fit at a very good price.

I bought this Blu-ray player along with a Sony HTSS360 5.1 channel Home Theater System about 6 weeks ago. Both are connected to a Sharp AQUOS LC52LE700UN 52-Inch 1080p 120Hz LED HDTV via HDMI cable. The picture is beautiful. It is crisp, clean and of the highest quality I have seen on any TV with any Blu-ray player. This Blu-ray Disc player is easy to set up and use and has most of the features of the newest players at a much lower price. This player does not support Netflix online, Pandora, or other such features, so if those are required features for you this is not the right player. Many reviews also mention that the remote lacks an eject button. My thoughts on that are simple: get over it! Can you take the disc out and put it away, or put in another disc sitting on the couch? An eject button on the player is sufficient for me. My bottom line is this: If you're looking for a less expensive Blu-ray player that plays Blu-ray discs and DVDs with fantastic picture quality, fast load times, and all of the basic features, I recommend this model hands down. I recommend it for family and friends, and I would buy it again for myself in a heartbeat!

Cons: ----- - Can't play a disc from front console. Instead you must use the remote control to start the disc. This is very annoying for our 2 year old and 5 year old kids who previously (which our Philips DVD player) didn't need to know how to use a remote control. - Will only play burned discs if single layer DVD's are used and will not play movies burned on CD or DVD DL (dual layer) discs. - No HDMI cable included. - Poor upscaling. This is perhaps my biggest beef with this player. - Home button. There is a really big button called "Home" which, when pressed, takes you to the BDP-S360's built in media/settings menu. If you accidentally press it during a movie you will lose your place in the movie and will have to restart the movie again (and wait for the Blu-ray movie to load again). - Out of the box, the player takes about 25 seconds to turn on after you press the power button. There is a setting for fast start up which reduced the time to about 5-10 seconds. Pros: ----- - Blu-ray movies look excellent - The player will figure out if you have a 16x9 movie on DVD (not Blu-ray) and upscale it to full 1080p (with no letter or pillar boxes).