There's A New Kid In Town

If you're like millions of other high definition television owners, you've waited--if not patiently, well, diligently then--for source technology to catch up with your 1080p display. By night, you've dreamt of getting your hands on some sort of "early release" Blu-ray player; by day, you've scoured the internet, hoping dreams come true. You dare to aspire: you want the best imaginable clarity, all the color, and all the sound. Proof that good things come to those who wait, the Sony BDPS1 Blu-ray Disc Player will make your dreams a reality.

The Award For "Best Picture" Goes To . . .

In the movie world, "picture quality" depends, largely, on the budget you throw at a film. In the digital world, picture quality depends on bit rates. For example, DVDs can deliver 10 Mbps. HDTV broadcasts can reach 19 Mbps. But Blu-ray Disc outshines them all with up to 48 Mbps! Quite simply, Blu-ray is the best home video source. Ever. At the same time, it provides seriously sweet surround sound. With up to 7.1 channels of surround sound and options for up to 32 streams of audio, BDPS1 is an amazing experience for your ears. Blu-ray Disc can deliver concert videos and music videos that will make you want to get up on stage and sing with the performers. To put it in other terms, Blu-ray is like "Gone With the Wind," "West Side Story," "The Godfather," "Forrest Gump," "Titanic," and "Gladiator" all rolled together into one visually captivating, auditorily enthralling feast for the senses.

Make The Most of The Past

Just because you have a new toy doesn't mean you will be forced to neglect all your old favorites. Because the BDPS1, in addition to playing high-definition BD discs, offers complete backward compatibility. You can still enjoy your current favorite CDs and DVDs, no matter the format. In fact, they look and sound better than ever before, because the BDPS1 can take your current DVD library and upconvert it to a near high-definition experience (1080p) via HDMI connection or 1080i via component video. So not only do you get fancy new high definition DVDs, but your old ones get an upgrade through the BDPS1!

The Goodies Inside

Designed for those passionate about their home entertainment experience, the Sony BDPS1 Blu-ray Disc Player unleashes the full potential of your high-definition television. Experience full 1080p high-definition video and surround-sound with depth and clarity like never before. The new BDPS1 Blu-ray Player offers a host of new high-definition entertainment possibilities, most impressively 1920 x 1080p output, the highest HD signal output available through an HDMI connection. Even if your HD-capable television doesn't have an HDMI connection, you can still experience Blu-ray--a 1080i output via component video allows for HD-capable televisions without HDMI to enjoy Blu-ray Disc features. Its ultra-modern blue glass front and low-profile styling will compliment any decor. The Sony BDPS1 Blu-ray Disc Player brings sleek looks and the highest of the HD resolution available--straight to your home. Bring your home entertainment experience to a new level with the BDPS1 Blu-ray Disc home player.

With The Sony Touch

As a principal developer and the leader in HD entertainment, Sony knows Blu-ray Disc technology inside and out. The BDPS1 uses Sony Cinema Tuned Digital Processing to produce cinema-quality surround sound and strikingly true visuals. The BDPS1 adds extra excitement to films and concerts by enabling interactive capabilities with BD-Java--offering development of advanced interactive features, a new dimension in "bonus features." And the BDPS1 is backward compatible with your existing DVD library, creating a better image than a DVD player ever could. With the added feature of 1080p upscaling through HDMI and 1080i upscaling through component video, even old format DVDs are displayed brilliantly. More, in every sense.

The Saga Of A "Laser"

Blu-ray technology is the next generation optical disc format revolutionizing (again) the home entertainment industry. Developed by the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA--whose members include Apple, Dell, Hitachi, HP, JVC, LG, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Pioneer, Phillips, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, TDK, and Thomson) Blu-ray makes a quantum leap forward to make high definition the new standard.

One "Laser," Two "Laser"

In the era of high definition television, home entertainment technology must be able to convey the massive amounts of audio and visual information involved in creating high definition content. Current DVD technology uses a red laster to read and write data on a disc. With this method, the disc holds around 5 GBs of information. Of those 5 GBs, only about 20 percent is the actual movie. Around 40 percent is the audio content, and the remaining 30 to 40 percent is taken up by the menus and "special features." Sadly, this often means that the audio content is only in stereo or 5.1 channel, sometimes DTS. And the video portion is standard definition. In essence, current DVDs don't deliver all the entertainment features viewers would like.

Red "Laser," Blue "Laser"

So BDA engineers developed Blu-ray technology. Using a blue-violet laser, which has a shorter wavelength than a red one, the laser can be focused with greater precision. Data is packed more tightly and takes up less space. In this way, a disc of the same physical proportions that can store only 5 GBs using a standard red laser can store 25 GBs (single layer) or 50 GBs (dual layer) using a blue-violet laser. The proportions of contents are roughly the same (20-30 percent actual movie, 40 percent audio, and 30-40 percent menus and special features). But with that much additional space, everything is expanded. First, the visual content is increased into high definition, meaning the picture is crisp, colorful and rich. The audio can reach its full potential through stereo, 5.1, Dolby Digital True HD, 7.1, and DTS. Sound will be pure and smooth. But the best part may be all the space for special features. Typically, a DVD will include some deleted scenes, maybe some commentary by the director, and possibly some still photos. Blu-ray discs can include interactive menus, any film that didn't make it into the final cut such as outtakes, deleted scenes, and alternate endings, multiple versions of the movie such as widescreen, 4:3, the uncensored version, and the director's commentary version--all of this one side of the disc. And that's only the beginning of the possibilities. Games, music videos, or anything related to the movie can fit on the disc. The possibilities are endless.

So What Movies Are Available For Blu-Ray

Several Hollywood studios are backing the Blu-ray format and providing Blu-ray versions of their movies, including Twentieth Century Fox, MGM, Sony Pictures Entertainment, The Walt Disney Company, Time Warner, and Lions Gate Films. Titles available now include "50 First Dates," "Armageddon," "Batman Begins," "Blackhawk Down," "Crash," "Dukes of Hazzard," "Flightplan," "Glory Road," "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," "Hitch," "Ice Age," "Italian Job," "Legends of the Fall," "Matrix," "Pirates of the Caribbean," "Spiderman," "Syriana," and "Terminator," among many others. Visit www.blu-ray.com for more details about Blu-ray and available titles.

Comparison Specifications

• Dolby Digital Plus (Dolby Digital audio stream only), Dolby TrueHD (Dolby Digital audio stream only), dts-HD (dts audio stream only) Digital Out And Decoding Capability
• Full HD 1920 x 1080p Output
• Blu-ray Disc, DVD, CD, MP3 and JPEG (From DVD Media) Formats Accepted For Playback
• HDMI (720p/1080i/1080p), Component Video Outputs
• Composite, Optical, Coaxial Digital Audio Outputs
• S-Video Output, Analog Audio Outputs
• Pop-Up Menu, Quick Set Up
• Multichannel 192 kHz/24 bit Audio D/A Converters
• Multibrand TV Remote Control Included

Additional Specifications

• DVD Upscaling To 1080p
• Picture Mode Settings
• Uncompressed Multichannel Linear PCM OUtput
• Rigid Beam Construction
• Separated Audio Circuit Board
• Highly Tuned Audio Parts
• Drive Bracket
• Individual Speaker Setting
• Off-Center Insulator Feet
• BD-Java Interactive Capbability

Manufacturer Specifications

• Screen Saver
• Parental Control
• IR Input
• Video Codec Format: MPEG2/MPEG4-AVC/VC-1
• FL Off/Dimmer Mode
• Sophisticated Box Design With Blue Glass Front

Dimensional Specifications

• Dimensions: 16.9" W x 4.1" H x 13.9" D

Sony BDP-S1 Warranty Details

One-Year Parts And Labor Warranty