What Hi Fi Sound and Vision
20 OCT 2009
Sony BDP-S760
The 'S760 is a remarkable achievement, delivering peerless performance at a more-than-reasonable price
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Blu-ray player Product of the Year 2009
Could this be Sony's finest moment in Blu-ray? The company's range of models has collected a decent number of five-star reviews of late and, over the past year we've seen budget and high-end Blu-ray players display class-leading credentials.
Now, the BDP-S760 has the chance to nail the middle ground. Take a look at the long list of specifications and you'll soon pinpoint the major highlights.
This is the first Blu-ray player we've come across to offer built-in wireless connectivity, a godsend for owners whose internet connection isn't within reach of their AV system
Built-in wireless connectivity
Yes, some players are compatible with optional wireless dongles, but these cost extra and don't look especially neat. The 'S760 is compatible with the very latest wireless standards, including 802.11n.
The wireless aerial fitted inside the player has been positioned away from the main circuits to reduce the potential for any unwanted interference. Turning on the wireless connectivity is achieved through the player's XrossMedia Bar interface and a couple of quick button presses.
It's a very quick, painless operation and the player should track down your wireless network in a matter of seconds. If it's protected, then you simply enter the encryption key via remote control or hit the WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) button on your wireless router.
Advanced picture processing
But arguably the 'S760's most significant draw is that it offers picture processing technology that, up until now, have been reserved for the company's high-end Blu-ray deck, the BDP-S5000ES.
Sony's HD Reality enhancer allows you to fine-tune the picture on the fly, and tinker with aspects of performance such as grain and noise reduction.
Precision Cinema HD claims to help produce a smoother, sharper image. Finally, the 'S760 also includes Sony's SBM (Super Bit Mapping) technology that helps match the image to your display's bit depth (whether it's 8, 10, or 12-bit).
Of course, the feature-set doesn't stop there. While Sony's cheaper machines can decode HD audio onboard and output over HDMI, none of them feature a set of multichannel analogue outputs.
Although not vital, this feature is useful for owners of older home cinema amps that are missing HDMI inputs. The 'S760 is fully equipped and this added versatility should be welcomed.
Profile 2.0 enabled
As with the rest of the Sony family, the 'S760 is Profile 2.0 enabled, meaning you can access all the interactive BD-Live goodies that you can find on compatible Blu-ray discs.
There are a couple of USB inputs for connecting external devices and the player also harbors a headphone jack – not something you see on many Blu-ray players. You can plug in a pair of headphones and listen to movies in pseudo seven-channel surround sound.
So, this machine's CV is undoubtedly impressive on paper, but how does picture and sound stand up?
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Unbelievably well. Spin the Blu-ray of Fast & Furious, and the 'S760 produces an impeccable image, majoring on detail, edge definition and clarity. The welcome lack of on-screen noise gives the action a sense of realism that eludes ival machines.
Switch to the Fast & Furious DVD and while the drop down from HD to standard-definition is apparent, the Sony still produces a punchy, accurately drawn image.
Impressive in stereo and surround
Sonically, the Sony exhibits a taut, dynamic and insightful sound. The opening chapter to The Dark Knight sounds as good as it looks, the underlying score aided by the player's excellent timing and rhythmic ability.
Although it would be shown up by a similarly priced CD player, the 'S760's efforts with two-channel content is still a fine achievement for a product of its type.
As you can tell, we're quite giddy about the 'S760. For the money, this machine performs to an exceptionally high standard.
Watch our Awards video of the Sony BDP-S760
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