Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 67
 mediocre at best July 28, 2010
Patricia A. Cravener
I've been using this BD player, mostly to stream Netflix, for about three weeks.
It is slower to connect to Netflix than either PS3 or Roku. It frequently chokes on content (I'm thinking there's something wrong with the way this machine manages cache, but I could be incorrect about the cause), with long pauses and/or video disruption -- large black bars instead of signal, stopped motion, red screen -- in the middle of a movie. Another irritation: although the Netflix instant viewing queue is visible, no management at all is possible with this Sony machine: can't rate items viewed, can't move or remove items currently in queue, etc.
Yes, I checked, using several methods. It is not a bandwidth or other network connectivity issue. The BDP-S570 itself is the source of the problem. For example, once parts of the screen blank out in black bars, those black bars persist with all other Internet content, on DVD movies, and on BD movies. So far, turning everything off and disconnecting power for few minutes resets to normal.
Overall, there is a good reason this machine is being sold relatively cheaply. The price matches its performance.
Bottom line, so far -- three weeks on -- DVD and BD functions work, though, as usual with Sony, with controls that are awkward and counter-intuitive. (Sony, ever heard of the user-testing concept?) So far, Internet connectivity is possible but barely tolerable, not excellent. All other streaming video methods in the house, one within twelve inches of the BDP-S570, work better than this player. So, three-in-one, yes, but not well done.
 Best Blu-ray player out there July 27, 2010
Darth Vadar (Silicon Valley, California)
I did my research on Blu-ray players and this was just what I needed. Now
after using it for 4 months I can surely confirm that.
I use it with Sony 52 inch EX700 Edge-lit LED TV with 2-3 year old Linksys 802.11G
Wi-Fi router.
Consumer Report in March 2010 issue rated this 92 on 100 and is #3 on their
list of top Blu-ray players.
I was looking for
- Best picture with 1080/24p
- Built-in Wi-fi since my cable modem & router are far from TV.
- Best Netflix and YouTube support ( I watch mostly streaming content )
- Wide choice of streaming content providers.
- Best up-converting. I have a lot of regular DVDs and DVD+R.
- USB port
- 3D support (Not a must, since 3D is still a nascent technology and I don't have 3D TV yet)
It supports 802.11N but I use it with 2-3 year old Linksys 802.11G wireless router with 128-bit WEP security enabled. Wireless set-up was easy and I have had no problems streaming Netflix, YouTube and other streaming content
like e-how, epicurious, Michael Jackson channel, etc.
Apart from above, there ae 30-40 streaming content providers like How-To network, Qirosity, flip tv etc.
It regularly does channel update and new providers are added on regular basis.
Based on my research Sony's PS3 have best up-converting technology.
Remember Sony invented Blu-ray disc and standardized the format along with Philips
It has a BD Remote app for iPhone which is a nice convenience.
Power Save and quick start modes are nice features. But remember, Quick start happens
at the cost of losing Power Save.
Overall I am glad to own it.
 wireless issue and not fully Bravia "friendly" July 25, 2010
Dornis (Boston. MA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I purchased the Sony BDP-S570 Blu-ray Disc Player to accompany my Sony Bravia XBR4 and Sony Sound Bar - (HTCT150) hoping to use the Bravia sync feature so that one remote will operate everything. It almost works- but there are some serious glitches. I have a wireless DSL internet router, and when I first turned on the BD player it knocked out my internet connection. After several frustrating attempts to connect I decided I should connect to the router via an ethernet cable, and since the router is far from my BD player I purchased a 50 ft ethernet cable (only $12 from Amazon). Through this wired connection I was able to connect to the internet and downloaded (twice) a software upgrade for the BD player. Afterwards I was able to connect wireless. If I had known this was an issue it could have saved several hours of frustration.
A few problems have gone unsolved: one is that when I turn on the BD player it changes the Sound Bar audio source from CATV to BD. This is fine, but when I turn off the BD player to watch television it does not revert to CATV so I have no audio. I have to use my Sound Bar remote to change the sound setting from BD back to CATV. Another problem is viewing Netflix videos via the BD player. My DSL line is not fast enough for the Netflix data and it stalls after 10-15 minutes. I have a Nintendo Wii that connects to Netflix, but not wireless and not via HDMI, so I am assuming that either the Netflix data rate is too much for my DSL connection, or that Netflix transmits a lower data rate than what the BD player accesses. YouTube, however, looks great via the BD player since the data rate of their Flash videos is lower than the Netflix data rate. I thought of upgrading my DSL line, but probably won't, due to the extra cost, and since I can use the Wii to connect to Netflix.
So the bottom line is that if you're thinking of purchasing the BD 570 for it's wireless capabilities, be sure your internet connection is fast enough for it to work.
Fast, Excellent player!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! July 23, 2010
Joel (Pittsburgh)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I upgraded from a Sony BDP-S550, mainly for the wireless feature. This player is fast, VERY FAST! Movies that took some time to load on the old player are now blazing fast (District 9, Chronicles of Riddick, and others). T2 Skynet still takes forever, though. Overall, I'm very happy with my purchase. Most Blu's (and I have many) load as fast as a normal DVD would load. You are almost immediately at the disc menu upon loading the disc.
I will also say, that the picture and sound seem to have improved. I have this going to a Sony ES receiver via HDMI.
The firmware update was very easy, and also fast.
The wireless was a small problem. I have a Linksys wireless G router. I use WPA 2 security, disable SSID broadcast, and use MAC filtering.
The short version: I had to shorten the length of my wireless key and the player connects and has worked fine since.
I don't have a Netflix account, so streaming I can't comment on. YouTube streaming works fine. The interface for searching via Youtube on the player leaves a little to be desired.
For successful Netflix (HD) streaming, I recommend a Internet connection at least 1.5 Mbps or higher, and a wireless N router.
Hope this helps!
 Never so disappointed in a Sony product July 20, 2010
Doug Pardee
1 out of 6 found this review helpful
I have a Sony large-screen TV that's pretty darned good. A Sony home theater system-in-a-box that's okay. But the BDP-S570 doesn't work. I've spent a month, a lot of time on the phone with Sony, and extra money for networking equipment; I've replaced the unit I had for another, and it's still DOA. I've returned the replacement unit for a refund, and I am d-o-n-e with this thing.
I considered giving it two stars because it didn't catch fire, zap the HDMI port in my TV, or cause any other damage except to my sanity and checkbook, but this isn't a bottom-of-the-line player. There are much less expensive units available, and they could hardly work any worse.
Enough general griping, let's get into specifics.
I bought this unit for two things: watching Blu-Ray movies from NetFlix, and watching Internet video wirelessly. The location of my TV setup is a very poor spot for a wireless router, and stringing 30' of cat-6 cable wasn't going to work, so wireless is a necessity. I'd originally considered the S370, but by the time I added wireless to it, it cost more than the 570.
The wireless doesn't function. The first unit would sometimes run for an hour or so, then declare "network disconnected". But when I went to the network status and diagnostics menus, everything was fine. It showed "connected" with a signal level that ran from about 85-100%. My netbook shows a 5-bar signal for my network at the player's location, and no interfering signals above 2 bars.
I was told, "Oh, you need an N router, a G router just doesn't do the job." So I spent $75 on an N router, and got exactly the same results. Running inSSIDer on my netbook, I'm seeing signal levels of -35 to -40dbm, which is darned strong, and the strongest competing signal sometimes makes it up to -68dbm. There is simply no reason for a loss of wireless connectivity. None of my other wireless devices, including the Wii that is located on the shelf above the S570, have any trouble connecting.
I temporarily took my wireless off the air, moved the cable modem and router down to the TV area, and set up a wired connection (100 Mbps). That worked flawlessly.
I returned that unit with the complaint of "defective wireless" and got an exchange unit. This one basically doesn't connect at all. Every now and again it'll manage to connect for a few minutes, but then loses it. At least this unit has the grace to indicate in the Network Status that the connection is lost.
The internet video content selection is sad, too. Some NetFlix movies that nobody wants to rent, some grossly overpriced movies-on-demand, and total filler junk like movie trailers from 2008, Ford automobile commercials, and home-made travelogues. It will talk to YouTube, but the search feature is limited to something like 15 characters, so each search returns thousands of possibilities; paging through them is very slow. When I read that it had "Internet video", I assumed that there would be access to sites like Hulu and the TV network sites that stream episodes of their TV shows. Ha! Did I ever get fooled.
My Blu-Ray experience has been underwhelming. No, make that unpleasant. Sony was one of the original champions of Blu-Ray, so you'd think they'd be the experts. The picture (46" 1080P) is *maybe* a little better than an up-converted anamorphic DVD, but I have to get pretty close to the TV to tell. It's nothing like the striking difference between analog TV and HDTV. The sound is no difference.
The killer is the lack of control with Blu-Ray. What idiot decided that I didn't want to choose what I was watching? All I can do is stick the Blu-Ray into the drive, wait a couple of minutes while it loads, wait through all of the previews and advertisements, wait while the montage sequence that normally would have a menu times out (I think that's about 5 minutes), and then the movie finally starts--about fifteen minutes after I first turned the unit on. If I stop the movie, I get taken back to the beginning of all of that. The various buttons on the remote control are either ignored or locked out. I asked a guy at Best Buy and he said that Blu-Ray gives people a "simplified load-and-go experience". Pah.
Add to that the continuous hum/whine/yowl of the drive motor for the Blu-Ray, and I've decided that I love the $1 DVDs from Redbox.
So I'm done with it. Now I need to return the N router and downgrade my NetFlix account. I'll find a use for the HDMI cable that I had to buy because Sony decided to only include an analog A/V cable with the unit (???).
Showing reviews 1-5 of 67
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