Home Theater Review

The BD-HP25U is the entry-level model in Sharp's 2011 line of Blu-ray players, with an MSRP of $179.99. We have not performed a hands-on review of this player, but here is a more comprehensive look at its features. The BD-HP25U supports 3D playback, and it includes Sharp's Web platform, with access to Netflix, VUDU, YouTube, and Pandora. The BD-HP25U lacks the supplied WiFi USB adapter you get with the step-up BD-HP35U and BD-HP75U, but it will work with the adapter, should you choose to purchase it for about $50. DLNA media streaming is available, as is Sharp's AQUOS Pure mode: When you connect the player to a Sharp AQUOS TV via HDMI, it automatically adjusts the image for optimal playback.

Additional Resources
• Read more Blu-ray player reviews from Home Theater Review's staff.
• Find a 3D HDTV in our 3D HDTV Review section.
• Explore LED HDTVs and Plasma HDTVs to pair with the Sharp BD-HP25U.

The BD-HP25U's connection panel includes one HDMI output and one optical digital audio output; there are no analog A/V outputs. The player has onboard Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding, and it also passes these high-resolution audio formats in their native bitstream form over HDMI, for your A/V receiver to decode. The setup menu includes a feature called Super Picture, which is designed to improve the quality of streaming video; no advanced 3D adjustments are available.

The BD-HP25U supports the BD, DVD, CD audio, AVCHD, Divx HD, MP3, and JPEG formats. You can add the player to your home network using the back-panel Ethernet port or by attaching the optional VR-WL25 adapter to the back-panel USB port. The BD-HP25U lacks internal memory to store BD-Live features; you must add a USB storage device via the back- or front-panel USB port, both of which also support media playback. Finally, the player lacks the RS-232 port that you will find on the higher-end BD-HP75U.

Read about the high points and low points of the Sharp BD-HP25U on Page 2.