Sony plans to release its budget-priced BDP-S300 Blu-ray player to the UK in September. The model, which will sell for 399 pounds, will be joined in October by the 599 pound BDP-S500. Buyers of either can avail a free copy of the Spider-Man Trilogy on BD, after filling an online form.

Rachel Banin, Product Manager for Home Video at Sony UK says, "Blu-ray is taking off and the BDP-S300 player is designed to give many more people a way of joining the party in style. Whether you opt for the BDP-S300 or the high-end BDP-S500, you will be able to appreciate the unique fidelity to the cinematic original offered by 24p True Cinema technology, something not currently available from all manufacturers, plus one-touch operation thanks to BRAVIA Theatre Sync."

Both models can deliver 1080p/24 via HDMI, but only the higher priced model offers Dolby TrueHD decoding and a Bitstream output for DTS-HD and Dolby TrueHD. The players are also compatible with AVC-HD format discs with x.v.Colour, CD and DVD. The BDP-S500 will also support BD-R/RE discs.