Now that Sony's BDP-S350 is all taken care of with that BD-Live-enabling update, the focus shifts to its mightier sibling. The BDP-S550, which was announced way back at a Sony event in late February, is finally shipping. Granted, it's still hard to find in some places, but Sony's own website has 'em in stock and ready to ship within a few business days. $399.99 will get you full 1080p BD output, DVD upscaling via HDMI, 7.1-channel analog audio outputs, Dolby TrueHD internal decoding, BD-Live / BonusView support, BRAVIA Sync and a swank Discovery Channel Blu-ray Disc. Can't beat that with a stick, huh?

[Thanks, Ron]

With Panasonic's Profile 2.0 DMP-BD55 Blu-ray player sliding in at $399 (and the BD35 at $299), Panny had to do something with that inflated sticker hanging on its DMP-BD30. When it originally launched back in October of last year, it was one of the fancier decks we'd seen -- evidenced by the $500 price tag. Today, said unit can be had for $259.99 (with free shipping to boot). We know, this is just the natural downward spiral of prices on aged units, but honestly, we think it's more than that. We think the time for lower BD player prices across the board is upon us, and we suspect that'll be magnified on the day after Thanksgiving. Call it a hunch (really, it's a hunch), but we reckon $300 for a Blu-ray player will seem outrageous by Q1 of 2009.

[Thanks, Jason]

While Syntax-Brillian proper is no longer with us, Olevia International Group LLC is (at last check, anyway). Semantics aside, that Olevia-branded Blu-ray deck we heard about way back in May has apparently made it out of the production plant and into Target's supply chain. The BD-100 has finally landed in Target stores, boasting full 1080p output, support for Dolby TrueHD, HDMI / component sockets, coaxial / Toslink digital audio ports and what appears to be a backlit remote. Of note, the unit was slated to launch this month at $299, but first-hand reports have already spotted an entirely more digestible $229 sticker in Target stores. Granted, we're not too sure who'd take a chance with Olevia when a Sony on closeout can be had for even less, but to each his / her own.

[Thanks, David]

If you were hoping to grab a new Blu-ray writer to slap inside of that new tower, you'll be sorely disappointed with Lite-On's new iHES206. The 6x optical drive simply reads Blu-ray Discs, but it will handle writing of blank CD and DVD media. As for speeds, it can digest single-layer BD-R / RE / ROM discs at 6x (dual-layer at 4x) while writing DVD±R at 16X, DVD±R DL / DVD+RW at 8x, DVD-RW at 6x and DVD-RAM at 12x. It's on track for a November release in Europe for a manageable €139 ($189).

[Via CDFreaks]

Jamo is embracing streamlined AV gear with its latest two product introductions -- the IW 827 LCR in-wall speaker is totally new, and the DMR 70 DVD receiver is new to US shores. The IW 827 LCR is a 2.5-way speaker with a 1-inch tweeter, 7-inch mid/woofer and a 7-inch woofer that directs sound ever so slightly downwards, so be sure to place them high on the wall. Once you've hidden the speakers, you can grab a DMR 70 DVD receiver to complete the minimalist look. The DMR 70 adds 5x65-Watts of Class D amplification to the 2-inch high upscaling DVD player. With the IW 827s going for $800 each and the DMR 70 coming in at $449, there might not be too much market overlap here, but putting fashion first can make for some unexpected component matches.

Read - IW 827 LCR in-wall speakers
Read - DMR 70 DVD receiver

The Sonos music system consistently gets high marks for its easy-to-use Sonos Controller remote. But folks who want to control their whole home with a single device can't be bothered by another remote, and they've probably got some money to spend to fix the problem. Make way for the enterprising folks at AVD Australia and QualiFi, who have come up with 2-way communication between Sonos and a Philips Pronto TSU9600 or Marantz RC9001 remote, so you can ditch that now-obsolete $400 Sonos Controller. Up to 8 Sonos areas can be controlled by up to 8 remotes, so yeah, there's room to grow. All this convenience should be available this month, starting at AUD $695 (US $540) for a single remote and zone (Sonos and remote not included).

It's quite curious that Integra chose to showcase its DBS-6.9 Blu-ray player at CEDIA prior to making any official announcement, but those looking for the formal verbiage can finally put their mind at ease. A year after introducing its first HD DVD player, the company is proudly rolling out its first BD deck, which offers up 1080p24 video, bitstream output of the latest high-resolution audio codecs, an HDMI 1.3a output, front panel SD card slot, BonusView support (read: Profile 1.1) and compatibility with DivX / MP3 discs as well. Sure, it's entirely overpriced at $600, but if you bet good money on Seth Petruzelli over the weekend, what's it to you?

The anticipation is palpable, is it not? For those overly eager to learn more about LG's BD300 -- you know, that BD-Live-enabled Blu-ray player that can also stream Netflix content -- have we something for you. The forthcoming unit's specifications sheet has slipped out a touch early, giving us a few more snippets of information to digest before spending / not spending $350 on this thing in just a few days. Aside from the obvious 1080p BD playback, BD-Live / BonusView support, 7.1-channel audio output and unlimited access to Watch Now material, the deck also includes 1080p DVD upscaling, LG's SimpLink (HDMI-CEC) technology, a USB 2.0 port and a rather plain looking remote. Check out the linked PDF for more -- unless you're cool with being patient. Which you aren't.

[Thanks, Christen]

While not nearly as momentous as Sony's BD-Live-enabling update for its BDP-S350 (or Toshiba's latest / last HD DVD update, for that matter), Panasonic's most recent firmware issuance will still interest proud owners of the DMP-BD30. A fresh update has surfaced for users in North and Latin America, though Panny only explains that v2.5 improves "playability and stability." If that's enough detail for you, check out the read link to get started.

[Thanks, Jerry]

Contrary to what LG coerced us into believing at CEDIA, its Netflix / Blu-ray-lovin' BD300 will actually be sold a full $50 cheaper than the previously quoted $399.95. Circuit City has the deck up for pre-order right this very moment for $349.99 (okay, so maybe that's not a full $50, but c'mon), and better still, the retailer is listing an October 10th release date. Now that Netflix has inked deals with CBS, ABC and Starz, there's just one question left: are you in for three fifty?

[Thanks, Joshua]

Not one to be left out, Pioneer has jumped into the fray by bestowing DivX Certification upon its trio of recently-announced Blu-ray decks -- the BDP-LX71, BDP-LX08 and BDP-51FD. This is no DivX HD certification like we saw in UniPhier-packing Panasonic players, but we'd venture to guess it's a slightly more useful spec than Profile 2.0 for most folks. The units should ship with this feature onboard, which might give them a few months of time before a flood of DivX HD Certified devices hits the market and renders the spec "meh;" but we figure that if you're shopping these Pioneer devices that the styling as important as any other feature for you.

For you slugabeds who missed out on seeing the DMP-BD55 get priced and dated, it's probably a bit backwards to start at the review first. Nevertheless, those mildly interested in making this their next standalone BD deck should certainly give CNET's review a glance. Put simply, this unit was deemed "a perfect example [of a solid Profile 2.0 player], hitting almost all the essential features we look for and pairing it up with pristine image quality." That being said, critics still couldn't wholeheartedly recommend it. Why? It's little sibling, the DMP-BD35. The $299 BD35 features all of the same niceties save for 7.1 analog outputs and analog audio enhancements, yet it costs a full $100 less than the BD55. Sure, if you're an analog output junkie, the extra cost will be completely justified, but it seems most everyone else should just snag the BD35 and burn the excess on a few flicks.

Amazon already delivered the pricing information we've been waiting on so patiently, and now the e-tailer has divulged the ship dates. Panasonic's DMP-BD35 and DMP-BD55 Profile 2.0 Blu-ray players will evidently begin shipping on October 25th and 28th, respectively, and pre-orders are being accepted as we speak. 'Tis a shame there aren't any free Blu-ray Disc promotions, but it's not too late to add any in -- you listening, Amazon?

[Thanks, J.D.]

Read - DMP-BD35
Read - DMP-BD55

We won't go so far as to say that this week has been monumental or anything, but we're starting to see Blu-ray player prices (on the whole) inching downward. For starters, two aged BD decks broke the $200 mark this week, and even a few new players are getting MSRPs far lower than what we're accustomed to seeing. We've big hopes for player prices on Black Friday, and even bigger dreams for the run-up to the end of 2008, but given the current market scenario, is $200 low enough for you to finally buy in? How does that compare to your buy-in price for DVD / VHS? Do players still need to drop even lower before the population at large starts sinking their cash into the Blu? Sound off in comments below.

[Image courtesy of Electronic House]

Earlier this summer, Sony promised that it would be pushing out a firmware update in the future that would add BD-Live functionality to its BDP-S350 Blu-ray player. Fast forward a few months, and lo and behold, it has kept its word. Available right this very second, the version 010 firmware adds in BD-Live support and improved BD-Java compatibility / improved sensitivity to the Remote Commander signal while in standby mode. Hop on down to the read link and get that 56.23MB download going -- given Sony's typically slow (and by slow, we mean hosted over a 14.4k modem) servers, you could be waiting awhile.

[Thanks, Dan and Brendan]

Update: Seems as if the URL download has been pulled, though users are reporting that the Network Update directly through the player works fine.