Sony BDP-S570 user reviews

Pros + Picture using Netflix
+ Audio using Netflix
+ Upconverting
+ Startup time- 5 stars

Cons - Netflix Playback
- Netflix Menu
- Setup

Summary This is a high quality product and is relatively straightforward out of the box (at least by BR standards). The picture from the player is stunning. Load time for discs is quicker than most players.

The extra features are laid out nicely in the on-screen menu and are easy to navigate. Notably the wi-fi (while not perfect) seems to work much better than the PS3 wifi. (I have the PS3 and the 570 next to each other in the same video cabinet so I have been able to test the wifi side-by-side.)

The Netflix feature is much easier to use on the 570 than the PS3 version (which requires a disc from Netflix) and has better ff and reverse functions. People buying any BR player for the Netflix streaming feature need to understand that although the concept is wonderful, they are still tweaking this type of movie delivery system. Netflix streaming on the 570 is much improved over the PS3 but still a bit quirky. Sometimes it works great but at other times it pauses too much or cannot load the movie or portion of the movie. This seems to be more of a Netflix issue and will hopefully improve over time.

Bottom line: Excellent picture and good features.

I Recommend It, and if you looking for cheapest 570 I suggest at www.amazon.com/gp/*************?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3Fie%3DUTF8%26x%3D12%26ref_%3Dnb_sb_noss%26y%3D16%26field-keywords%3DSony%2520BDP-S570%26url%3Dsearch-alias%253Delectronics&tag=othersitecomment-20&********=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957

Updated on Nov 23, 2011

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Pros Beautiful Blu-Ray with quick start. Easy to set up. WiFi works great. Lots of internet media options. Netflix streams in HD now that I got a new 802.11n router. Quality was poor with 802.11g router. The menus are simple and easy to navigate.

Cons Seems a little touchy about the router you use. Had I not had to chase an X-Box live issue I would not have solved the Netflix issue.

Summary A great Blu-Ray player with excellent WiFi media streaming. I paid $198 for this item and could not be happier with the end result. I was initially very disappointed with the poor quality of Netflix streaming. My son just got a new X-Box 360 and was having issues with the wireless. I finally bought a new router (Belkin Dual Band 802.11n) and that solved both the X-Box Live issues and the Netflix issue. As I write this I am watching "Taxi Driver" in beautiful HD streaming on a 73" screen. I tried to watch it with the old router and it was unwatchable. The user interface is easy enough and all of the setup was simple. My Mitsubishi TV recognized the BR player and programmed the remote automatically so I have not used the Sony remote since the initial setup. Do not let the poor Netflix reviews scare you. You just need to get your wireless network up to snuff. I checked download speeds before and after the router change and it was 6.75mps with both routers. However both the BDP-570 and the X-Box work much better now. I did do a firmware update out of the box and another a couple of days later. That was a painless process over WiFi. It is possible that the second firmware update fixed the Netflix issue. I did the update after setting up the new router but prior to trying Netflix with it. This is a nice little piece of technology that works very well. I would recommend it to anyone.

Pros Nice, simple DVD player that is compatable with my other Sony products

Cons Absolutely horrible for Netflix streaming video.

Summary Like other reviewers, I purchased this unit (actually, 2 of them) for combination of DVD and Netflix support and integration with my Sony LCD TVs. While I had little problem configuring the units for my Airport Extreme WIFI, Netflix streaming video pauses every 2-15 minutes and requires a reload of the video. Netflix blamed Sony who blamed Road Runner who blamed Netflix. I'm an electronics technician and understand troubleshooting. I eliminated all other drains on bandwidth by disconnecting all but 1 BDP-S570. I then connected it directly to the ethernet cable instead of WIFI. The problem persisted. I should note that Netflix streaming videos play just fine on both my hard-wired PC and my WIFI laptop.

I believe that the issue is inconsistent bandwidth. Because of Turbo Boost, my network speed will jump from 12 Mbps to over 20 Mbps. When Netflix sees my speed, they think I have consistantly large bandwith and size the video download accordingly. Then Turbo Boost drops off and lowers my internet speed back down to 12Mbps. While this speed is still quite fast, the significant change cannot be handled by Netflix. The video then freezes.

Because there's no hard drive in the S570, it cannot simply download, buffer and play video with varying network speed. I'm returning these 2 units (sadly) to Best Buy and looking for an alternative.

Pros Fast performance, excellent picture & sound quality, easy setup

Cons Reloads/buffers incessantly while streaming Netflix

Summary If CNET reviewers had to take this unit home and use it, I guarantee it would not get four stars. It's possible that some units are flawed, but judging by the frequency of complaints about streaming problems, it would have to be a LOT of them. I really wanted to make the BDP-S570 work, even to the extent of hard wiring my network connection, but it was not possible. The picture is awesome; so is the operational speed. But Netflix just won't work well even after applying multiple fixes, fiddling with settings (set noise reduction to zero, manually set IP addresses, etc) and even connecting via ethernet cable to my network (cable modem & Dlink DIR655 router). The S570 will start reloading and often will do that about every 30 seconds once it starts. After days of working with it, finally found out it wasn't a WIFI issue by running a hard wire to the network - same problem. It could be that Netflix has bandwidth problems during peak times, but other players don't have this much difficulty, so save yourself the headache and buy something else. Also, the Sony Netflix browser is sub-par, only allowing you to see your Watch Instantly Queue, and the movie icons are so small that you have to select each one to see what it is. Traded for the LG BD570, it works great right out of the box, no streaming problems at all. I can live without 3-D.