Not everyone wants or needs all the bells and whistles that make up today's modern Blu-ray player. Sony realizes this and has recently released the inexpensive, streamlined BDP-S185 to their Blu-ray lineup. The BDP-S185 Blu-ray player still provides excellent Full 1080p image quality on all your High-Definition movies and up-scales your DVDs. It also provides you with the ultimate 7.1-channel surround sound via HDMI, as it supports the latest high-definition audio formats: Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio and High Resolution Audio. This great stellar combination of audio and video performance gives you a realistic, crystal clear sound and pictures for all your favorite movies.

Of course, because of its budget price, there are a few features that are missing from the BDP-S185. It does not have a front panel display screen which might not appeal to some people. I guess Sony believes this feature won’t be missed and by omitting it from the design it allows them to shrink the player and make it more compact. The rounded black frame is reminiscent of Sony’s PS3 design. There are basic control features at the front, including the disc loading tray and USB port. All other connection are located on the back.

Other features missing that are more significant than the display included DLNA support, 3D playback, WI-FI options and unlike other Sony Blu-ray Disc players it does not playback SACD discs. But the BDP-S185 is not totally without some nice Blu-ray features. You are able to use the USB port to playback media type files such as Xvid, WMV9, MP3 and MKV. While it doesn’t have Wi-Fi, it does have an Ethernet Port to connect to the internet. Here you can access any BD-Live content found on certain Blu-ray discs. However, a USB memory device (at least 1GB) is required if your want to download any online content.

The BDP-S185 is equipped with Bravia Internet Video; which is Sony’s portal to online streaming media services and giving you access to online content. Streaming movies, music, photos and much more right to your TV will open up a whole new world of alternative entertainment options; providing endless hours of enjoyment for the entire family. Radio stations can be personalized with Pandora Internet Radio, you can share YouTube videos, if you have a Netflix subscription you can stream all the latest movies and TV shows. Other online streaming services available include Hulu Plus, Vudu, Amazon Instant and much more. In fact Sony’s Bravia Internet Video provides the largest selection of online services than any other Blu-ray player.

Online streaming has become so popular in recent years, Sony has incorporated I/P noise reduction to the BDP-S185. This feature makes sure that the online images are displayed with the best possible quality. Social media is not forgotten either. If you find something you want to share with your family, friends or to the rest of the world; you can. The BDP-S185 player’s "Socialize" function will allow you to easily share and post information to popular social media sites (Facebook,Twitter).

If you want a Blu-ray player that is capable of great Blu-ray playback, without all the extra features, than the BDP-S185 is a great choice. Its performance, features and functions are equal to that of other entry-level players. This budget Blu-ray player can be connected straight to your HDTV and you will be watching your favorite movies in no time.