Sony debuts Blu-ray player with built-in wireless networking support

I know I'm not alone in not being able to figure out Sony's strategy from one product offering to the next, and once again I'm scratching my head a bit. At the same time the company is unveiling new networked TVs with Ethernet connections (providing faster speeds but requiring a nearby Ethernet jack or some other workaround like a conversion cable or powerline Ethernet adapter), it's announcing a new Blu-ray player that comes with built-in wireless connectivity.

New Blu-ray players need some kind of network connection in order to make available the interactive features with which BD-Live (Profile 2.0) discs come, but a number of new players are sporting Ethernet connections for that purpose. It's unclear why Sony would offer a Blu-ray player with 802.11n Wi-Fi support, but not make it available on its networked HDTVs. The BDP-S560 even comes with networking-friendly features like Wi-Fi Protected Setup and DLNA support for communicating with compatible devices (though only for streaming digital photos on discs played on the BDP-S560 or via a camera or external drive hooked up via its USB port).

The BDP-S560 will be available this summer for $350, though if you don't care about the network-related features you can save $50 with the BDP-S360, also available in the summer.