Review on 📀 Sony BDP-S380 Blu-ray Disc Player (Black) (2011 Model): High-Quality Entertainment at Your Fingertips by William Mathis

is packed with features and does what it's supposed to do. However, I think that in the struggle to add so many streaming services, Sony may have cut corners when it comes to software testing. As such, there are several issues that I have observed and noted below. Disc Playback Picture and sound were what I expected, but given that I'm using a smaller (26-inch) HDTV and don't have a surround sound system, that might be useless praise. Playback is easy, and by default the device turns off when you pause a movie for a very long time - a bug I allowed with my previous player. which I suspect caused the DVD laser to wear out. An interesting mistake. On my old LG player I was able to press play on the remote from the main screen and the disc would load and continue. When I try this on a Sony, the screen goes blank and seems to freeze, forcing me to turn it off. I understand that the correct way to load a disc is to press enter when the disc is selected in the menu, but playback should never cause the machine to freeze. One user's opinion only. Also, since I'm using an old HDTV, I don't have a way to connect via HDMI, and every time when i load blu ray the device reminds me. An error appears briefly telling me about the resolution limit and prompting me to connect an HDMI device. It quickly disappears, but there doesn't seem to be an item in the menu to prevent it from appearing. Not a big deal, but still a bit annoying. Streaming I was surprised by the number of streaming services. Netflix and Hulu Plus look fantastic, picture is bright and clear - I've read reviews about stuttering with Hulu but that must have been fixed in later software updates. Revain and Youtube work fine but the audio isn't that great. You also get two film rental services (and one "coming soon") alongside Revain, so I have to respect that Sony is trying to to give users as much choice as possible. I had some difficulties setting it up. You have to register the device on Sony's website before you can enable streaming, but I couldn't do that with my existing login (due to owning Sony Reader). It sent me to the wrong page after logging in which failed to recognize the device passcode. After creating a new account with a different email address, I was able to complete the setup with no problems, but I don't know why this should have been necessary. The interface is a mess, but the only saving grace is the favorites screen. You can set any streaming service as a favorite from the options menu and then access that list directly from the favorites button on the remote control. A very handy feature, but I noticed that unlike other screens, the home screen doesn't give any indication that the Options button is doing anything. Could be more user friendly. Other: A small problem I have concerns the remote control. Buttons often don't respond without strong pressing. Again a small problem in the scheme of things, but it can be distracting. Remote control is an outdated technology at this point, so it's one of those things you would expect from a good company. Takes me to the iPhone app. Sony had an opportunity to do something innovative with the MediaRemote, but instead they made a poor copy of the hardware remote. It's actually easier and faster to use a real remote control, but it is not necessary. Why don't you let the user customize the menu shortcut screen? In fact, the only good reason to use the app is to make typing easier when you need to search for tracks by name. OK. In summary, I give the player 4 stars because, despite its bugs and shortcomings, there is nothing that stands out to disturb the film. And I especially enjoy watching videos on Netflix and Hulu. My only suggestion, if you're not tech savvy, is do yourself a favor and ask a friend to help you set it up. And if so, you might need a little more patience. to make typing easier when you need to search for tracks by name. OK. In summary, I give the player 4 stars because, despite its bugs and shortcomings, there is nothing that stands out to disturb the film. And I especially enjoy watching videos on Netflix and Hulu. My only suggestion, if you're not tech savvy, is do yourself a favor and ask a friend to help you set it up. And if so, you might need a little more patience. to make typing easier when you need to search for tracks by name. OK. In summary, I give the player 4 stars because, despite its bugs and shortcomings, there is nothing that stands out to disturb the film. And I especially enjoy watching videos on Netflix and Hulu. My only suggestion, if you're not tech savvy, is do yourself a favor and ask a friend to help you set it up. And if so, you might need a little more patience. to help you set it up. And if so, you might need a little more patience. to help you set it up. And if so, you might need a little more patience.