March 5th, 2009
Sony debuts Blu-ray player with built-in wireless networking support
I know I’m not alone in not being able to figure out Sony’s strategy from one product offering to the next, and once again I’m scratching my head a bit. At the same time the company is unveiling new networked TVs with Ethernet connections (providing faster speeds but requiring a nearby Ethernet jack or some other workaround like a conversion cable or powerline Ethernet adapter), it’s announcing a new Blu-ray player that comes with built-in wireless connectivity.
New Blu-ray players need some kind of network connection in order to make available the interactive features with which BD-Live (Profile 2.0) discs come, but a number of new players are sporting Ethernet connections for that purpose. It’s unclear why Sony would offer a Blu-ray player with 802.11n Wi-Fi support, but not make it available on its networked HDTVs. The BDP-S560 even comes with networking-friendly features like Wi-Fi Protected Setup and DLNA support for communicating with compatible devices (though only for streaming digital photos on discs played on the BDP-S560 or via a camera or external drive hooked up via its USB port).
The BDP-S560 will be available this summer for $350, though if you don’t care about the network-related features you can save $50 with the BDP-S360, also available in the summer.
Sean Portnoy spent several years as an editor at Computer Shopper magazine, most recently serving as online executive editor. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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