The BDP-CX960 MegaChanger is a Blu-ray player capable of storing and changing up to 400 Blu-ray discs. Part of Sony’s entrance into Blu-ray changers, the BDP-CX960 is the more economical of the two changers released. Up to 400 discs – CD, DVD and Blu-ray – can be stored and played in the CX960. Blu-ray discs are displayed in 1080/24p while standard DVDs are upscaled to near HD resolutions. Sony’s newest MegaChanger does offer support for BD-Live, though an external USB drive for storage is required.
The included Ethernet port on the BDP-CX960 is used for more than just BD-Live. By tapping into Gracenote, the CX960 is able to download cast information, jacket artwork and more for each DVD or Blu-ray disc. By displaying this information on screen while searching through discs, the CX960 makes it a bit simpler to find the one you want.
The BDP-CX960 supports decoding and bitstream of HD audio formats such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. Sound can be sent out through optical outs, a two channel analog output, or a seven channel analog output. Sony’s newest MegaChanger lives up to its name by being a fairly big unit. At 17” high, 9.5” wide and 21.1” deep, it may be too big for many users to fit comfortably in their entertainment center.
Sony’s BDP-CX960 adds an item they call the “Rental Slot” to the equation. Reserved as space number one in the rotation, the rental slot provides ease of access. One touch access means a search through your 400 DVD collection isn’t necessary to load or eject the rental slot DVD. While the BDP-CX960 doesn’t have all the features of Sony’s BDP-CX7000ES – such as super bit mapping, support for deep color, and an RS-232 port for control systems – it does have much of the video and audio capability.
The BDP-CX960 sells for $799 direct from Sony, or through a variety of online and brick and mortar retailers.
