The cascade of new high-definition video disc players continued this week.
Sony showed off two new Blu-ray models that will be available this fall – the BDP-S2000ES that will retail for about $1,300 and the $700 BDP-S500.
Sony calls the BDP-S2000ES part of its “Elevated Standard” (ES) line.
Both offer full high-definition 1080/60p and 24p True Cinema output. They support 7.1 channel linear PCM and Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus and as well as dts-HD high-resolution audio bitstream output via HDMI version 1.3.
“The new models are targeted to satisfy the demand of those who crave an even greater level of entertainment and performance,” said Chris Fawcett, VP of marketing for Sony Electronics’ home product division.
The BDP-S2000ES has dual-shield construction, which prevents dust from collecting on the BD drive, and a rigid drive bracket to minimize vibration. The player also sports a rigid beam chassis that reduces internal vibration, improving playback.
Similar to other Sony ES products, the unit’s aluminum insulator feet help isolate the player from external vibrations, while separate audio and video boards deliver better sound and picture quality.
Both models are compatible with most standard DVDs and feature 1080p upscaling through HDMI to capable HDTV sets, improving the picture performance of existing DVD libraries.
The players are also compatible with BD-R/RE (BDMV mode), DVD+R/+RW, DVD-R/-RW (Video Mode), CD, CD-R/RW (CD-DA format), MP3, and JPEG on DVD-recordable media.
Meanwhile in Japan CNET reports that Sony announced plans to launch four new Blu-ray Disc recorders in November and Toshiba said it will add a new triple-layer, 51GB capacity HD DVD disc.