Sony BDP-S185

Pros: Packed with features such as video streaming services like Netflix, Amazon, Hulu Plu, VUDU and YouTube. Audio streaming services like Pandora and Slacker. Plackback of most popular formats like MKV and AVI files via USB.

Cons: This model does not feature Wi-Fi and needs to be hardwired via the Ethernet port. Also, this player does not have any internal flash storage for BD-Live. You will need a USB flash drive to enable the use of BD-Live features.

Summary: I bought this player about 1 month ago as a replacement for an aging Sony BDP-S350 in my bedroom. The difference between the 2 players is like night and day. Where the 350 was slow (start-up and disc loading), the 185 is much faster. Disc loading on the 185 rivals that of my PS3 (Blu-ray discs load in 15 to 30 seconds vs. 1 to 3 minutes with the old BDP-S350).

The main reason I bought the BDP-S185 was for it's "apps". I wanted something affordable that would allow me to stream Netflix and Amazon Instant Video in my bedroom. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that this player also supports playback of MKV files via USB.

The player itself carries the same basic audio/video features as most other brand-name, entry-level Blu-ray players. Supports 480i/p,720p and 1080i/p video resolution output. The player can internally decode the HD audio codecs (Dolby Digital+, Dolby True HD, DTS-HD HR and DTS-HD MA).

This model does not feature Wi-Fi and needs to be hardwired via the Ethernet port. This was not a deal-breaker for me, as the Blu-ray player it was replacing was hardwired, so the line was already run. Also, there no internal storage for BD-Live. If this is important to you, you will need to insert a USB flash drive into the player's USB port for downloading/saving BD-Live content. Again, not a deal-breaker as most BD-Live features tend to be advertisements, trailers and gimmicks anyways.

Overall, I am very happy with this player. If you are looking for something packed with features that won't break the bank, and can overlook the lack of Wi-Fi - I would highly recommend the Sony BDP-S185.