Sony BDP-S590

Reviewers say the Sony BDP-S590's eye-catching design and even more dazzling Blu-ray video playback quality make it one of the best Blu-ray players available, bolstered by a strong feature set. A couple of issues hold it back from being best-in-class, however.

Picture quality

Great Blu-ray images, mostly great DVD conversion. As with virtually all modern Blu-ray players, the Sony BDP-S590 displays stunning imagery during Blu-ray playback. The player's DVD upscaling isn't quite as impressive, however. Reviewers report seeing conversion blemishes artifacts and say the player's noise-reduction abilities are subpar. On the plus side, the same reviewers note that those upscaling image issues are only really noticeable when you're looking for them.

Performance

Slow and steady finishes the race, but won't win it. Critics report that the Sony BDP-S590 boots up and move through menus much more methodically (read: slowly) than its competitors. In some cases, it's almost twice as long, CNET reports. Java-heavy menus slow things down even more.

Usability

A mixed bag. While the Sony BDP-S590 doesn't suffer from any major flaws, testers note that the player's PlayStation-esque menus aren't quite as intuitive and seamless as the menus in other top Blu-ray players, with even some apps having poorly laid-out designs.

Frequent firmware updates are another minor headache. "During my brief time with this player, it required two separate software updates," Rachel Cericola writes at BigPictureBigSound.com. "Both took just a few minutes and were pain-free, but worth mentioning." The sleek remote is top-notch, however.

Features

Packed with value-adding extras. Reviewers love the bells and whistles stuffed into the Sony BDP-S590. It includes Wi-Fi and Ethernet connectivity, 3D video capabilities, a web browser, a wide selection of streaming Internet apps -- including apps for Facebook, Twitter, and lesser-known services like Crackle -- and a useful companion app for smartphones. SACD support is another feature, and one that's a relative rarity in Blu-ray players in this price range. It doesn't, however, include onboard storage for BD-Live content (you'll need to plug in a USB thumb drive for that), and users report that the player's DLNA streaming is very spotty, refusing to display subtitles or even work with many file types, especially .MKV and .AVI files.

Value

Great bang for your buck. The Sony BDP-S590 delivers outstanding Blu-ray performance and a deep selection of Internet apps in an attractive package that would have cost much, much more even a year ago.

The Bottom Line

Though the Sony BDP-S590's DVD upscaling isn't quite as impressive as the technology powering the Panasonic DMP-BDT220 (*Est. $115) or the Best Reviewed LG BP620 (*Est. $120) -- and it loads disc much slower, to boot -- experts say Sony's Blu-ray player won't leave you wanting. Hundreds of users agree.