Sony BDP-S580

• Average user rating: 2.5 stars out of 20 reviews
• My rating: 0 stars

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• 2 stars

  Horrible for Netflix

  by dna2go on January 3, 2012

  Pros: Fine for blu-ray

  Cons: Netflix playback is terrible I have never watched a full movie without it re-buffering.

  Summary: Do not purchase this is you ever want to use Netflix. If you search Sony support forums or read the comments on this site you will see this is a ...

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  Summary: Do not purchase this is you ever want to use Netflix. If you search Sony support forums or read the comments on this site you will see this is a common issue that Sony, so far, has not fixed.
  
  Each time I have tried to watch a movie after about 15 minutes the player will enter this cycle of re-buffering. Sony support will tell you that re-buffering is occurring because your internet connection.
  
  My player is plugged directly into the router, no wireless.
  
  I have had my connection tested twice and its a solid 10 mbps.
  
  I have tested my connection before, during and after a movie and it was well above an acceptable level.
  
  I have five other devices that play Netflix and every one can complete a movie without re-buffering using both wired and wireless connections.
  
  I have started watching a movie on this device, had it fail, moved to another device and it completed without problem.
  
  I purchased an $89 blu-ray and it will always play Netflix without problem.
  
  I also purchased the extended warranty from Best Buy for this device. When I attempted to return it after a few weeks of frustration they said Sony will only replace it if there is a hardware failure. Further if they sent it to Sony and no hardware defects were found I would be charged $35 for testing.
  
  The moral of the story is do not purchase this device. Sony is not going to support it and it will most likely will never play Netflix as well as a cheaper device.

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  5 out of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 5 stars

  Quick Player with some flaws...

  by Jon Shimamoto on May 28, 2011

  Pros: This player loads Blu-rays and DVDs quickly... Blu-Ray playback is excellent

  Cons: Interface a bit clunky but easy to use... Wireless capability very weak... Only has one antenna (the previous model had two) so reception is mediocre. DVD playback is average.

  Summary: I have the BDP-S570 and the BDP-S580... If you are looking for wireless capability, get the 570... the reception on the 580 is very bad with its single antenna. With ...

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  Summary: I have the BDP-S570 and the BDP-S580... If you are looking for wireless capability, get the 570... the reception on the 580 is very bad with its single antenna. With the player 35 ft away from my router, I can get 4-50% signal strength, with the 570, 70-90% in the same location. One nice feature is a signal strength indicator. Also, the 580 has more internet services available over the 570.
  
  Blu-Ray playback is very good, with no noticeable issues. DVD playback is another story. The picture is not as sharp as my Pioneer BDP-05FD. Also, panning images on the Sony judders while it is smoother on the Pioneer. The Sony has more issues with video compared to film sources with noticeable stair stepping and aliasing with DVDs.
  
  Performance (speed) is excellent. The remote responds quickly and has decent range. However, the Sony has a very narrow angle so you may need to be directly in front of the player. Load times are above average.
  
  HDMI has some issues with my Onkyo receiver (it could be a receiver problem, Onkyo receivers have known HDMI issues) where it occasionally drops the connection with DVD playback (happened twice) for a second or so...
  
  I do not use the internet features too much... I tried Crackle (free movies with commercials) and had no problems, but the quality is average (looks like a bit below DVD quality with higher compression). With the poor wireless capability, i was not able to stream any HD sources without pauses. I now have the unit in another room. The signal strength there is only 5%... it is next to a PS3 and it's signal strength is 50-60%. A laptop in the same room has a strength of 4-5 bars out of 5 bars so you can see the wireless in the 580 is really bad.
  
  Updated on May 28, 2011

  correction... the 580 has a signal strength of 40-50% when 35 ft away from the router... Also can confirm that the wireless 802.11N only operates at the 2.4GHz band, it does not work at 5GHz. The sensitivity does not change when changing between 802.11N or G signals... The routers i have tested with the Sonys are a Cisco E4200 and a Netgear AVR3700...

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  2 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 7 stars

  Great Value Overall

  by jdfilburn on March 23, 2011

  Pros: Setup took less than 30min - most of which I spent installing upgraded cables
  DVDs look great on this device
  Blu-ray picture excellent
  Wi-fi included: no "adapter" required
  Menu system simple to navigate
  Network connectivity for viewing content on PC, net

  Cons: (-0.5 stars) Wi-fi signal might be 802.11n, but it is in the 2.4GHz band. I would prefer 5Gz.
  (-1.0 stars) Playing flash content over the web (outside of YouTube) was an expectation I had when I chose this model. The "error" message states that the Adob

  Summary: I'm normally not the type to buy a model that hasn't been extensively reviewed and tested by experts and consumers, but I made this exception when my old ...

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  Summary: I'm normally not the type to buy a model that hasn't been extensively reviewed and tested by experts and consumers, but I made this exception when my old DVD player died recently. This seemed to have the feature set, reliability, and brand strength at a price I was willing to pay. As my first (and only) blu-ray player, it has exceeded my expectations. I will leave it to others to discuss nuances like color depth, contrast, data transfer tests, audio purity, and the like. Suffice it to say that I am very satisfied with the setup and operation of this product, and would be more so if I could view content on sites that aren't present on the unit's "app" list. If that is incorporated into a firmware upgrade, I'll give this unit the 4.5 stars it probably deserves.
  
  Updated on Mar 23, 2011

  (continuation of sentence from Cons section): The "error" message states that the Adobe Flash player needs to be updated, but that apparently entails a firmware upgrade - leaving me at the mercy of the manufacturer. This largely leaves me enjoying only the content Sony has provided in the included apps.
  
  Updated on Mar 23, 2011

  (continuation of sentence from Pros section): Network connectivity for viewing content on PC, networked hard drives, etc..
  Android app is so-so. It's essentially a blank screen that allows you to use your finger to navigate the menu, which I find no faster or easier than using the directional arrows on the remote. One advantage is that if you need to enter text - like search terms within the apps or website addresses, you can use your Android device's qwerty keypad. That is a LOT more tolerable than the blu-ray player's input method, which resembles older style alphanumeric number pads (2abc, 3def, etc.)

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  1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 1 stars

  Poor Netflix streaming

  by Cottiesaul1234 on January 1, 2012

  Pros: Decent bluray

  Cons: Netflix streaming is choppy.

  Summary: Only bought the device for Netflix. Signal strength is strong but inconsistent to poor streaming. Always rebuffering or shutting off during movies and tv shows. Do not recommend this device.

  Summary: Only bought the device for Netflix. Signal strength is strong but inconsistent to poor streaming. Always rebuffering or shutting off during movies and tv shows. Do not recommend this device.

  1 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 4 stars

  Nice BD playerwith terrible wi-fi networking

  by bengrimm99 on May 7, 2011

  Pros: User Interface is easy to understand and setup of the unit took less than 30min

  Cons: Steps for registration of the unit and various online applications not at all explained. Once you're finally connected to the Sony Bravia content network, good luck returning...the network settings constantly need refreshed and even that doesn't help some

  Summary: I tried with 2 consecutive S580's and got varying degrees in signal strength (from the same location a 30% difference)...when I could get the machine to connect to ...

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  Summary: I tried with 2 consecutive S580's and got varying degrees in signal strength (from the same location a 30% difference)...when I could get the machine to connect to online content, it was great, but getting to that content through the reputedly cheap internal wi-fi card and Sony's BRAVIA network are major hurdles. I'll be returning this one for money back.

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  1 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 1 stars

  The pausing & buffering issue is VERY REAL, DO NOT BUY!

  by kdubs322 on January 2, 2013

  Pros: Sleek styling.

  Cons: Constant pausing and buffering while watching netflix.

  Summary: My girlfriend received two blu-ray players for Christmas. One was a Samsung and the other was the Sony BDP-S185. Despite reading your review, we returned the Samsung and used that ...

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  Summary: My girlfriend received two blu-ray players for Christmas. One was a Samsung and the other was the Sony BDP-S185. Despite reading your review, we returned the Samsung and used that money towards a better TV. Unfortunately, we experienced the same pausing and buffering issue while watching Sons of Anarchy via the Netflix streaming feature. We watched one episode around 8pm EST without problem, but the 2nd episode we watched around 9pm EST was filled with constant pausing and buffering, which was extremely distracting and killed the continuity of the show. I have the player. I've run many speed tests at her place and regularly observe 15+ Mbps download speeds over wireless. You'd expect the wired connection going to the blu-ray player is ATLEAST as fast, if not faster. This is a major disappointment. Unfortunately Sony doesn't seem interested in fixing it so I am going to return the blu-ray player.
  
  DO NOT BUY!

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• 4 stars

  Built-in wifi broke after 365 days (leap year)

  by abbasangel on December 6, 2012

  Pros: Easy to use. Great for Netflix.

  Cons: Built-in wifi unreliable.

  Summary: I love this Blu-ray player. It came with built-in wifi which made streaming netflix a breeze. Little did I know that literally a day after the warrenty expired, the built-in ...

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  Summary: I love this Blu-ray player. It came with built-in wifi which made streaming netflix a breeze. Little did I know that literally a day after the warrenty expired, the built-in wifi stopped working. After 4 hours with Sony Service, they finally admitted the wifi was no longer working and that it would cost $120 to repair. They also hinted that the built-in wifi wasn't for long term use. I'm not sure I can trust Sony again...

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• 9 stars

  My favorite new toy. I Love it, Second best to my DVR.

  by mathis87 on May 3, 2012

  Pros: Netflix plays great. Never had any wireless problems,but my router is close to the system. I enjoy having so many online options on my tv. Love all in one DVD,blu-ray,Netflix,HuluPlus,youtube,Crackle, etc without tv tuner.

  Cons: Hate having to use the number keys to type in my searches for youtube and netflix.Takes way too long. Need the smart phone remote.You can't search actors on Netflix, only movie names. I recommend going online to Netflix and Hulu to set up your Queue.

  Summary: This is a very enjoyable piece of technology. It is an Awsome all in one toy.The remote has been upgraded to include a Netflix button,since Cnet review. The ...

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  Summary: This is a very enjoyable piece of technology. It is an Awsome all in one toy.The remote has been upgraded to include a Netflix button,since Cnet review. The pros outway the cons.The S-580 has more content than other smart blu-rays, and is cheaper. I always wanted to watch Youtube and other online content on my tv screen. A TV tuner was way too complicated for me.I was thrilled to find the BPD-S580, because TV tuners can be expensive. I'm excited because I got a DVD,Blu-ray,and online content all for $125. There are some bugs,like the search options on youtube and netflix,which can be frustrating, especially while trying to use the remote to type in your search. It is very frustrating. But it is understandable for such new technology. The endless TV shows and Movies outway the bugs. I enjoy watching full seasons of old TV series that I missed. I recommend Hulu Plus, because Fox has full episodes on there. Fox does not come in Demand where I live. So, if somebody messes up the DVR, I get to watch my Fox shows on Hulu. If you pay for Hulu Plus and Netflix you are set. The FREE Crackle Channel has some movie and TV content the others don't. This is the begining of smart TV in an inexpensive, multi-use, light-weight set. At $125, it is worth the try. I love my new toy.

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• 9 stars

  Great Blu-ray! No problem

  by sepbone on April 11, 2012

  Pros: I bought it for the WiFi, which does not have a range like a laptop, but does just fine.

  Cons: I don't like the interface very much.

• 3 stars

  Good player, bad streamer.

  by Photast on March 23, 2012

  Pros: Blueray and compact disk startup and play is quite good.

  Cons: Very poor streaming!

  Summary: I was in the market for a Blu-ray player approximately seven months ago and though I had read reviews about the user interface being poorly designed, I decided to buy ...

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  Summary: I was in the market for a Blu-ray player approximately seven months ago and though I had read reviews about the user interface being poorly designed, I decided to buy this player as an upgrade from my DVD player. My purchase was based on the Sony name, touted internet streaming capability, price, and reviews. As a player, this is a decent product; however, if internet streaming is at all a consideration, this Blu-ray player will disappoint, frustrate, and make you want to write a negative review - case in point. A great deal of my decision to purchase this player was based on the perception that I would be able to enjoy viewing Netflix and other internet streaming services - mostly Netflix. I have had the player connected via wired Ethernet to a cable modem on a 12mbps service and have been consistently disappointed with the buffering speed which always seems to suffer in the evenings and especially during the weekend - try to enjoy watching a movie that pauses for a minute or two every three to four minutes. As well, I have experienced this streaming player's difficulty loading and/or displaying streaming service movie menus. Many of the movie image icons don't load - even during a lengthy browse of the titles so that many of the movie titles are illustrated with only a gray box. I have had many Sony products and have never been disappointed - until now. Not being able to take it any longer and after doing some research, I purchased a ROKU 2 XD streaming player. After a 10 minute set-up, the ROKU was up and running. The ROKU's movie menu shows movie icon images much larger than the Sony streaming player, loaded all of the title image icons and, has provided high definition streaming without a single buffering pause. Sorry Sony, you really fell short on this one.

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