Sony BDV-E380 review
The smart design, excellent interface, superb sound quality and extra features make this the ideal all-in-one system for anyone who wants something straightforward and compact
Once connected to a display, the PlayStation influence continues with the XMB interface. It’s incredibly straightforward to navigate but it can make finding a particular item slightly tedious if you have to navigate through the whole stack. Ironically, this issue only occurred to us because the E380 has so much extra content. As well as a web browser, FM radio, YouTube video streaming and catch-up TV from BBC and Channel 5, you can also stream movies from LoveFilm and watch the headlines on Sky News and Sky Sports. As far as online content goes, Sony is the clear leader right now.
Sound quality was impressive. Positional audio was highly accurate, although the centre speaker felt slightly overwhelmed in more explosive action sequences as we occasionally struggled to hear speech clearly. Bass was satisfactory, but not strong enough to match the active subwoofers in pricier systems.
A dedicated AV amplifier and passive speakers deliver superior audio quality, but many people will prefer the simplicity and lower price of an all-in-one system. With the BDV-E380, Sony has created a fantastic set that does everything you would want from a Blu-ray player, along with great audio from its 5.1 speakers. If you want something that does it all, this is a superb choice.
Details | |
|---|---|
| Price | £350 |
| Rating | ***** |
| Award | Best Buy |
Connections | |
| HDMI inputs | 2 |
| HDMI outputs | 1 |
| Component inputs | 0 |
| Component outputs | 0 |
| Output resolutions | 480i, 480p, PAL (576i), 576p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p |
| Total SCART sockets | 0 |
| SCART socket type | N/A |
| S-Video input | 0 |
| S-video output | 0 |
| Composite inputs | 0 |
| Composite outputs | 1 |
| Stereo phono inputs | 0 |
| Stereo phono outputs | 1 |
| Coaxial S/PDIF inputs | 1 |
| Coaxial S/PDIF outputs | 0 |
| Optical S/PDIF inputs | 1 |
| Optical S/PDIF outputs | 0 |
| Multi-channel input | yes |
| Speaker configuration | 5.1 |
| Main unit end speaker connection type | proprietary |
| Speaker end speaker connection type | spring terminals |
| Other connections | 10/100 Ethernet, 2x USB2, FM antenna, Calibration mic |
| Wired network ports | 1x 10/100 |
| Wireless networking support | optional 802.11b/g/n |
Playback | |
| Surround sound formats | Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS, DTS-ES, DTS 96 / 24, DTS-HD HRA, DTS-HD MA |
| Optical drive | yes |
| Supported playback disc formats | BD-ROM, BD-R, BD-RE, DVD, DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD-RAM, CD |
| Audio format support | MP3, AAC, WAV |
| Video playback formats | AVCHD, MPEG-4, WMVHD, XVID |
| Image viewing formats | JPEG, GIF, PNG |
| Radio | FM |
Speakers | |
| Speaker configuration | 5.1 |
| RMS power output | 1000W |
| RMS power centre | 167W |
| RMS power front | 335W |
| RMS power surround | 335W |
| RMS power subwoofer | 165W |
| Wall mountable | yes |
| Centre speaker cable length | 2.0m |
| Front speaker cable length | 3.0m |
| Surround speaker cable length | 9.5m |
General | |
| Extras | Remote control, external iPod dock, FM antenna, calibration mic |
| Size | 430x320x75mmmm |
| Subwoofer dimensions | 380x191x330mmmm |
| Centre speaker dimensions | 315x53x59mmmm |
| Front speaker dimensions | 96x96x245mmmm |
| Surround speaker dimensions | 96x96x245mmmm |
| Power consumption standby | 0W |
| Power consumption on | 22W |
Buying Information | |
| Price | £350 |
| Warranty | one year RTB |
| Supplier | http://www.directtvs.co.uk |
| Details | www.sony.co.uk |