Hands-On Review: Sony BDP-S380 Blu-Ray Player

The BDP-S380 offers compatibility with popular online content services like Netflix and Hulu, and free video sites like YouTube through a proprietary portal environment called Sony Bravia Internet Link. In addition to the above named content services, this portal also lets you use "widgets" for instant weather, sports scores and the like.

As previously mentioned, this player can only connect to the Internet via an Ethernet cable wired to your home network, or through an optional wireless adapter that plugs into the rear of the unit. Since this adapter costs an additional $79, you might want to think about a step-up model from Sony if you're unable to run an Ethernet cable to this player. Sony's higher-end BDP-S580 ($199) has Wi-Fi built in.

1. Very good Blu-ray picture quality and sound for the money

2. Exceptionally good DVD upconversion for the money

3. The Quick Start feature minimizes a common Blu-ray annoyance

4. The ability to play high-end audiophile SACD discs

5. An excellent value, considering the performance and features

1. No built-in Wi-Fi

2. Can't use standard Wi-Fi adapters, only works with Sony's

3. Sony Bravia Internet Portal only has Sony-curated content partners

4. No optical digital audio jack to use for a secondary audio connection

5. No multichannel audio output jacks for compatibility with older receivers

Sony's BDP-S380 offers an attractive value proposition. Despite its modest price, you get very good Blu-ray playback and DVD upconversion that makes your existing DVD library look almost as good as Blu-ray. While it's not compatible with 3D content, most people don't have a 3D TV, and if we're to believe current sales trends, a lot of folks aren't particularly interested in getting one. In many home theaters and other places where TVs generally live (like bedrooms), people often just want a great 2D picture and surround sound quality that feels theatrical. In this regard, the BDP-S380 more than fills the bill.

While compatible with the popular online services that people are asking for these days, the BDP-S380's lack of Wi-Fi may be a turnoff to many potential buyers. For less than the $79 asking price for the proprietary Sony wireless adapter, you can upgrade to Sony's BDP-S580 or a competing model with Wi-Fi built in. If your home network's router isn't too far from where you'll be placing this Blu-ray player, a simple Ethernet cable solves this shortcoming, but not every home will have that advantage.

There are a lot of Blu-ray players out there that can be had for the BDP-S380's modest $149 asking price (lower at many retailers), but few of them deliver the excellent picture and sound performance of this unassuming box. Sony's done a very good job here on these meat and potatoes basics, and has thrown in a lot of features and functionality for the money. If you've been wanting to get into Blu-ray and have been looking for an accessible player that really delivers the experience without breaking the bank, this player is well worth your consideration.