Samsung BD-P2500 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player by Samsung
|
List Price: Our Price: $149.00 You Save: $200.99 (57%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Television See more digital camera details and other models |
|---|
Digital camera reviews of Samsung BD-P2500 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player
Digital camera Review: Best value. Great Blu-Ray, DVD-upconvert, & Netflix-HD, but no Divx
Summary: 4 Stars
I am using this with Samsung LN52A550 TV (1006.1 firmware) via HDMI at 1080p resolution.
Pros:
*DVD-upconvert quality is great (HUGE difference from Philips DVP-642 regular DVD player, which was fine with regular CRT TV).
*Menu system is logically and attractively laid out.
*Netflix HD streaming is high-quality (720p quality; you have to add movies from a computer, though).
*Firmware update went smoothly via USB stick from ~9/2008 to 12/2/2008 (added Netflix and fixed menu jitter).
*Integrates well with Samsung AnyNet-enabled TV (but no physical skip button on TV remote; have to dig thru AnyNet+ menu in "tools" RV remote button)
*Ethernet connection to Internet for firmware update (9/2008 firmware didn't connect properly, but 12/2/2008 firmware did fine) and BD Live features.
*1 GB (~650MB available) built-in flash for content download.
Cons:
*No Divx support. Samsung DVD-1080P8, which is <$80 has it, so it's a bit disappointing.
*Player's button lights (4-way on the physical player) are a bit too bright, but that's nit-picking.
*Would be great if wi-fi is supported (versus running a physical ethernet cable).
Conclusion:
Overall, this is the best value for a high-quality Blu-Ray player that also has high-quality regular DVD upconvert AND Netflix HD streaming (key component in selecting this player).
Update:
1-6-2009 firmware update (player automatically prompted me to update) adds support for DTS-HD HRA/MA audio decoding. It also does indeed play DVD+R DL (not just DVD-R DL), although the sticker on top of the player said it can't.
Digital camera Review: Beware of firmware updates!!!! Version 2.5 affects analog outputs!
Summary: 5 Stars
I absolutely love this player. I bought it in December and it has worked flawlessly. I am hardwired to the internet through the Ethernet connection on the back, so that I can enjoy Netflix streaming. Well, in the end of April, Firmware version 2.5 (090419XXXX...) was released and I got the prompt to download it. I did download it successully. I didn't use the player for a few weeks except for Netflix viewing, which is 2 channel stereo only. About a week ago, while watching the reference quality Blu-Ray "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", I noticed no rear channels where coming from the 7.1 analog outputs that I use on the player. I went to setup and generated test tones from the player, and sure enough, either no audio from the rear or the rear would be heard faintly through the front speakers. I confirmed that my speakers were working by generating tones from received, and also using the re-encoded bitstream (which sound nowhere near as good at TrueHD or DTS-MA). I went online and chatted with a Samsung tech for about half an hour, and asked if it was the firmware, but got no response. They finally told me that my player is defective and needs service. I was almost sure that it had to do with the firmware update. Well, I went online and through Google found sites that had the old 2.4 firmware (the one that added DTS-MA) and downloaded it to a USB thumb drive. After reboot, the test tones still did not come from the rear, but guess what? When I watched Dolby True HD or DTS Master Audio Blu Rays, the rear speakers are working again! Levels are just like they used to be before the 2.5 update that addresses 'compatibility' issues. I am not sending the player in for service like Samsung suggested. Something funky is going on with the latest firmare update!!!Digital camera Review: Beware serious network hookup problems get thge LG!
Summary: 1 Stars
Don't touch this!! I returned it twice because as hard as I tried I could not get it to connect to my network for the Netflix feature. I now have two LG BD300s with the same features that hooked up to network and Netlix simply within two minutes of setting up. The LG does everything it is supposed to simply and with no hassle - the Samsung was total frustration. I am in the computer business and work with network connections all day. This Samsung is a joke and the Samsung Tech Department just threw up their hands and were not able to help.Digital camera Review: Blu-Ray and Netflix. I'm so happy.
Summary: 5 Stars
I hadn't seen Blu-Ray quality, so I was mouth-dropping pleased when I first booted up the first disk. I agree with others that the load time is slow, but it seems to be worth waiting for.
I lost a couple of days trying to update my firmwear online through the player itself. I got an error message that implied that my router configuration wasn't providing a network signal, but I knew that my router and the ethernet were fine. What to do?!? Finally (thanks to other comments on this site), I updated the player with a memory stick, and instantly the player was working better: the menu popped up more quickly and a Netflix button appeared. I'm happy with the quality of the streaming movies, too--much better than what I've watched on my computer monitor.
Digital camera Review: Blu-ray player at its best.
Summary: 4 Stars
I have had the Samsung BD-P2500 over a month now and its has run flawlessly. The player has gone through two system flashes that downloaded over the internet. The flash process is very easy to do, but the user setup on the system must be re-done after each update. This is my first blu-ray player and I think the picture and sound quality are very good for both blu-ray and DVD playback. The remote is easy to use.
The Netflix option is what sold me on this model. Movie download goes pretty well over a 7MB cable modem. I am disappointed by the limited selection of new movies that can be downloaded from Netflix. Although I like the player, I think I might buy the Samsung BD-P1500 next time because of its lower cost.