Review on Sony BDPS1700 Streaming Blu-Ray Disc Player (2016 Model) - WIRED Connectivity for Ultimate Viewing Experience by Adam Browning

I have owned a Sony DVD/VHS combo for over 10 years and have been very happy with it. I recently had trouble playing a TV series on a disc released by a small studio. After my replacement kit still didn't work properly, I read a Revain review that the discs wouldn't play properly on an older machine due to the way they were encoded. Long story short I didn't want to buy another DVD player because I was happy with mine so I decided to get a Blu-ray player as they play both DVDs and Blu-rays and I don't have one yet . I chose Sony because I really liked some of their products and their long-term reliability. This unit was relatively cheap and compact, but if you don't already have an HDMI cable, you'll have to work hard because it doesn't come with it (mine was $11 at Wal-Mart). In general, I am very satisfied with the performance of this player. Image colors are very bright and vibrant, and they're a definite improvement over my old non-HDMI set. I mostly watch old DVD series from the 60's-80's and this player really improves the picture quality, even on sets that haven't been remastered. I also had to turn down the volume on the TV as it seemed louder too. My only complaint is that the remote control is very small for my slightly larger hands, making it difficult to get used to the new remote position easily. buttons compared to my old set and the fact that I usually watch TV in the dark. There is a slight lag in the response time when turning the device on/off, it doesn't matter once you get used to it. I also miss the timer/clock. I suspect this is an oversight that saves space and money, but I enjoyed watching how long the show ran to get an idea of how close it was to the end. Sony still includes it in its high-end model, but it costs over $300! Now I can just look at the clock on my old device underneath when I start the show, but I don't always remember it. Finally, when playing some discs, I noticed vibrations that were audible from about 10 feet away, even when playing sound. It was quite annoying and became more and more evident over time. As mentioned, I mounted the device on top of other metal electronics to elevate it. I took a small towel and cut off a piece big enough to fit under four legs but not visible and that eliminated 99% of the noise. It's almost quiet now. Overall I'm very impressed with a few minor flaws that aren't too distracting. There would be vibration, but it was easy and free to fix! Admittedly, I'm only using part of the capabilities of this device, but it does the job I needed quite efficiently and so far without any major issues. I just hope it lasts as it doesn't seem to be as durable as my old block.