Looking to help consumers simplify and manage their living room entertainment experience, Sony today announced the new BDP-CX960 and the "Elevated Standard" (ES) BDP-CX7000ES 400-disc Blu-ray MegaChangers.

The company also announced the BDP-S1000ES single disc ES player expanding Sony's Blu-ray Disc line to 13 models offering a broad set of performance and features.

Additional Resources
• Read more Blu-ray player news from HomeTheaterReview.com.
• Learn more information in our Blu-ray Player Review section.
• Find an HDTV to pair with the Mega-Changer.

The Blu-ray Disc MegaChanger models store and play 400 Blu-ray Discs, DVDs, and CDs, allowing consumers to relocate their disc library to a convenient, easy-to-access location.

They also feature the ability to download information from Gracenote's MusicID® and VideoID• products to organize movies and music. When a disc is inserted into the device, Gracenote technology automatically downloads information across an existing Internet broadband service and saves title, director, some cast information, release year, and genre information for most titles, allowing users to easily navigate the library intuitively through the player's xross media bar• menu system.

"Think about all those great movie and music discs in your collection," said Chris Fawcett, vice president for Sony Electronics' home audio and video business. "Wouldn't it be great to instantly play those movies or CDs -- definitely gives a new meaning to the notion of a movie marathon!"

BDP-CX7000ES and BDP-CX960
Leading the MegaChanger line up is the BDP-CX7000ES which outputs full HD 1080/60p and 24p True Cinema•. Designed to integrate with third-party automation control systems, the model features an RS232 connection and IR-in and is built to high-quality ES standards.

It offers exceptional audio quality with 7.1 channel analog output and superior video incorporating Sony's HD Reality Enhancer and Super Bit Mapping technologies. The HD Reality Enhancer technology continually analyzes the original source bit by bit, sharpening edges and reproducing detail, while reducing the effects of film grain. Super Bit Mapping delivers smoother color gradation realizing true 14-bit equivalent color tone from 8-bit sources.

The model also upscales standard definition DVDs to 1080p through Sony's Precision Cinema HD Upscale technology when connected to a 1080p display via HDMI.

Read more about Sony's new products on Page 2.

Precision Cinema HD Upscale uses advanced conversion and processing to
detect image changes at the pixel level, rather than the level of whole
scan lines. Additionally, separate algorithms are used to process the
moving and still parts of an image, resulting in sharp backgrounds with
moving objects that are free from motion artifacts.

Complementing the BDP-CX7000ES, is the new BDP-CX960. This 400-disc
MegaChanger also delivers full HD 1080/60p and 24p True Cinema output
and Precision Cinema HD Upscale technology.

Both the BDP-CX7000ES and BDP-CX960 feature an Ethernet port for
connectivity to a local home broadband network to download metadata
from Gracenote, software updates and to access BD-Live• content. There
is also an external port for local storage so users can add their USB
flash storage device to support BD-Live content.

The models support 7.1 channel Dolby ® TrueHD and Dolby ® Digital Plus,
DTS ®-HD High Resolution Audio, and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding as well
as bit-stream output via HDMI. It is compatible with an array of video
formats, including BD-ROM/R/RE (BDMV and BDAV modes), DVD-+ Video/R/RW,
CD/R/RW, and MP3/JPEG on BD/DVD/CD recordable media and supports
x.v.Color• (xvYCC) technology. The BDP-CX7000ES also supports Deep
Color via HDMI (v1.3).

The BDP-CX7000ES is available this August for about $1,900, while the BDP-CX960 will be available this fall for about $800.

BDP-S1000ES
The single-disc BDP-S1000ES Blu-ray Disc player bolsters the ES line
adding built-in Wi-Fi ® (802.11N/G/B/A) capability for easy BD-Live
access. The model offers full HD 1080/60p and 24p True Cinema• and
upscales standard definition DVDs to 1080p through Sony's Precision
Cinema HD Upscale technology.

The model can easily connect to the Internet through an existing
wireless home network to download and stream BD-Live content from
select titles including additional scenes, short subjects, trailers,
interactive games, and more. It also enables easy firmware updates to
assist in keeping your player up-to-date with the latest Blu-ray Disc
media and features.

While compatible with most wireless routers, the BDP-S1000ES also
supports Wi-Fi Protected Setup•, for a quick and easy connection to
enabled wireless routers. Additionally, the player is Digital Living
Network Alliance (DLNA) ready, allowing it to connect to other DLNA
compliant devices to watch digital photos on your TV.

The model also incorporates Sony's HD Reality Enhancer, Super Bit
Mapping, and Precision Drive HD technology. It supports Deep Color
video output and x.v.Color technology. The player is compatible with an
array of video formats, including BD-ROM/R/RE (BDMV and BDAV modes),
DVD-+ Video/R/RW, CD/R/RW, and MP3/JPEG on BD/DVD/CD recordable media.

The model also is compatible with advanced audio codecs including 7.1
channel Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS -HD Master Audio, and
DTS-HD High Resolution Audio decoding and bit-stream output, as well as
analog 7.1 channel output.

The BDP-S1000ES is available this August for about $700.

Additional Resources
• Read more Blu-ray player news from HomeTheaterReview.com.
• Learn more information in our Blu-ray Player Review section.
• Find an HDTV to pair with the Mega-Changer.