Why the 2015 Sony Blu-ray Players Are A Big Deal

At this point, we take Blu-ray players for granted. While 10 years ago when they launched (which is crazy to think about), they were all the craze and came with some hefty price tags, the market is now all but saturated with units starting around $30. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t models with considerably more features which equally command a larger price tag. Instead, it’s that we take the technology and what it offers for granted. Because of that, we tend not to cover them, as nothing exciting has happened with Blu-ray players other than the addition of 3D playback and 3D conversion a few years back.

CES 2015 changed all that when Sony introduced a series of new Blu-ray players that are not only worthy of your attention, but potentially your hard earned dollars as well. After the jump, we reveal what these new Sony Blu-ray players are kind of a big deal.

At CES 2015, Sony introduced 4 new Blu-ray players: the BDP-S6500, BDP-S5500, BDP-S3500, and BDP-S1500. While all 4 players allow for 1080p playback and up-convert DVD to Blu-ray like quality, all four models can also connect to the internet and access what Sony claims is over 300 applications like Netflix, Video Unlimited, Hulu, and more. Again not all that interesting right? Well what if I told you that the S6500 and S5500 can can not only play back 3D but can convert 2D to 3D (which of course requires a 3D television) as well? Better, right?… But still nothing new. So surely it’s that the S6500 can also upscale your 1080p Blu-ray films to 4K, thanks to the onboard dual-core processor. This alone makes the S6500 a must have for those who own a 4K TV that might not have the most robust up-conversion technology but still, it’s not why I’m excited.

What has me excited about the 2015 Sony Blu-ray players is the ability for them (excluding the S1500) to access PlayStation Now. This means that a singular box which is even smaller than the PS3 Slim can give you access to DVD and Blu-ray titles, among all the shows you can find on streaming services and play hundreds of PlayStation Now titles. Whether you’re a monthly PlayStation Now subscriber or looking to pick your games individually, these new sleek models can give you a host of new entertainment options. These alone can be the perfect companion for other parts of the house that you may not want to put a more costly PS3/PS4 but you can do so much more.

Don’t want to ever be bored again at your parents’ house on Thanksgiving? Hello PlayStation Now, along with access to all sorts of media, be it physical discs or streaming. With the inclusion of PlayStation Now, Sony is also in a unique position to bring gaming to a considerably wider audience who may otherwise shy away from gaming and the PlayStation brand. While Blu-ray players have before now been directly tied to physical discs with streaming services as an afterthought, these mark a whole new generation of players that happily connect our desire to be entertained on a massive scale by giving us access to physical movies, be it on DVD or Blu-ray while giving us every streaming service we could want. Obviously the cherry on top of it all is PlayStation Now.

The BDP-S6500, BDP-S5500, BDP-S3500, and BDP-S1500 will be available in Spring 2015 for prices that have yet to be announced.