Resume: The player is based on OperaTV, is extremely quiet, fast, plays a lot of media formats (particularly 50p), though not all (all DivX versions are not), but unfortunately also in the 2015 generation, the Sony typical 50 / 60Hz problem. Not all apps still work completely (but that are safe teething). Hardly an improvement of hardware and software and many childhood diseases, thus "only" 4 stars. Who does not need Playstation Now, is equally well served with the previous generation and is coming off cheaper.
Addendum: Samungs J models (2015er series) are based now on all OperaTV, SmartHub was apparently set. Thus, the Samsung players have software technically no advantage (Bildwiederholfrequenzanpassung, divx) more. The hardware is a matter of taste, the Sony devices are definitely quieter.
The new Panasonic DMP-BDT174EG I have now also been tested (see review there.): Also very quiet, does not have the 60Hz problem, but the screen refresh rate can be set in advance, for many others, annoying little things.
Currently, I ended up at the LG BD 450 (my first of LG, which I can say he is quiet in operation BD!) Which can automatically switch between particular 50/60 Hz.
Actually, I could accurately reflect my review for BDP-S6200 copy & paste here. My hope for a new model was in particular the elimination of the 60/50 Hz problem: ALL network content - regardless of their actual format - reproduced with 60 Hz. In typical in EU 50i / 25p (or 50p newer camcorders) means that there are interpolated intermediate images, which results in micro stuttering. Granted, Sony has really very well under control and you've never seen it, but especially in horizontal tickers. As the player (as well as the 2014er series) but DVDs / BDs reproduces the correct screen refresh rate (ie 24Hz or 50Hz for 24p at 50i), he could obviously technically already. Too bad.
Also, I thought, where Sony now only wants to sell AndroidTV TV, the BD player come vll. Even so, but it was set back to OperaTV (which is judgmental meant).
So How do the devices of this and last year?
Hardware:
1. The BDP-S5500 is when a BD play even a little quieter than its predecessor already soft (neither from Samsung, LG and Panasonic I had ever quieter player, insofar that's really top !!!).
2. The operation and load times are fast, the aging S6200 with dual core indistinguishable, although the S5500 has a single core (model S6500 with 4K Upscalung and Dual Core also is still on the market, but you can save mE, if you do not 4K needs. While still benefited last year from the faster dual core and the S5200 responded somewhat slower, is sufficient in the current model of the processor, no comparison to the jerky Samsung single-core devices (based on Model Generation H and above).)
3. Whether you (on / off to on /,) now prefer on the device (previous series) or on the front (this model) now has the buttons, a matter of taste, just like the whole design. Who behind a USB socket will additionally picks up the old S6200 or have to wait for the S6500. In addition, the previous series had an internal power supply, this one an External.
Software:
4. The menu was restructured: There is no longer the XMB bar (where everything is horizontal etc separately for photos / videos / music and vertically, the individual sources are listed), but it is a new surface superimposed (that there is only one overlay is, one looks very nice when you call the setup), in which each function simply "app" is called. Quite convenient that it now only gives the ONE Media Server icon, what you can get anything (photos, videos, music) from the local network, and not only on photos, then click the server, then you have to photos again. Also, there are on the Start Screen App favorites that you can freely define.
5. Playstation Now: Not yet available, but comes to this model. Who wants to play PS1 / 2/3 games without a console, will get here his delight.
6. It is advertised that mouse / keyboard are supported. In fact, the S6200 shows at the start that an unknown USB device has been discovered, but after working the keyboard in the browser or other apps as well as the S5500, so far nothing new.
That was about it. Bottom line WOULD point 4 and 6 loose nachreichbar by a software update, so far, the models actually differ only marginally. Particularly annoying is that weaknesses in the previous years were not compensated. In addition, many apps do not work properly yet (Tagesschau eg loads, but will start a single video).
For more details, I can actually copy so, nothing new and nothing deteriorated:
Video / audio formats:
Containers: AVI, MPG, MP4, MKV
Video codecs: H264 AVC (even with 1080p and 50fps, which could previously only Sony), MPG1, MPG2, XVID and even different WMVs (versions I do not know, rather older).
Audio codecs: DTS, Dolby Digital, AAC, MP3, MP2, WMA (again Version unknown what older, have little WMVs and know me as well as with the versions not), DolbyAtmos should also go.
Both via USB (FAT / NTFS) and DLNA (tested by Synology DLNA server and Synology Video Station) operate all formats. Very pleasing: with 1920x1080 50p / 60p he plays well from that, even the Samsung's H-generation (currently latest) not!
Unfortunately not the Divx container, and no DivX codec (version 4, 5, 6 tested). This is the only major gripe.
H264 AVC in AVI container is not synonymous, but is also an unusual and technically disadvantageous combination. Who has something it can without loss of quality via Avidemux in an MKV or MP4 container "repack", it works just fine.
Less encouraging: Out of Blu-Rays and DVDs are the players really all 60Hz (60i / 60p, depending on the setting in the setup) from what could (25p / 50i) cause problems especially in this country usual 50Hz (keyword "motion scaling "), ie to" micro stuttering "leads or may lead. I know such "micro stuttering", but here at the Sony they have not yet occurred to me only by a comment I found the problem (which apparently all Sony Player concerns by the way after a little internet research has always been, therefore, you should no hope of making updates).
App-offer:
All important because: Amazon Prime, max cathedrals, Watch Ever, Sat1, Pro7, Cinetrailer, Tagesschau, YouTube, Netflix, [...], of course, many "useless" apps, but also divisions apps like ServusTV etc.
A browser on board, unfortunately, this does not support Flash (but you need in times of HTML5 anyway barely), the browser is Opera-typical good and fast. Mouse and keyboard goes.
The platform OperaTV has, I already really liked on the Samsung BD-H5900 and the Sony BD-Sx200), but there was at Samsung any browser (which has just been surprised in Opera) and no video stores like max cathedrals or Amazon Prime , This should, according to Samsung Customer remain so what more surprises me more is that everything here is Sony doing. The J series from Samsung based now exclusively also on OperaTV and also brings all VOD apps.
Miracast:
Works with Sony Xperia Z2, Samsung and HTC I still need to test.
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