Samsung Blu Ray Players – The BD P1600
Specifications: The Samsung BD P1600 is a Profile 2.0 Blu-ray player that decodes both Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD audio onboard. This eliminates the need to get a separate audio receiver. It is also wi-fi ready, but to take an advantage of the wi-fi connectivity, you will need to get a separate USB wi-fi device that is sold separately. This Samsung Blu ray player is considered an entry-level model.
Design: At a glance, the Samsung BD P1600 looks very sleek. It has a jet-black glossy front panel with a LCD display beneath. The control buttons and disc tray is nowhere to be seen. This is because they are hidden behind the glossy panel. To load a disc or to access the control buttons, you will need to flip down the front panel. The layout behind the glossy panel is not as attractive, and when flipped down, looks a little odd. There is an USB port on the front and when you have a thumb drive plugged in, you won’t be able to flip up the front panel.
Features & Performance: The image quality of the Samsung BD P1600 is really good and it does a decent job up-scaling DVD movies. Once connected to the internet, you will also be able to access online content like Netflix and Pandora. This Samsung Blu-ray player is very fast, loading movies and skipping chapters at a fraction of the speed on older models. The wireless connectivity is not exactly a plus-point due to its price. After factoring the price of the wi-fi USB device, you might as well get your hands on a more expensive model that comes built-in with wi-fi connectivity. All in all, this Samsung Blu-ray player does a pretty good job for an entry-level model. I would highly recommend it for anyone who is looking for a simple no-frills Blu-ray player.
By: Troy Richards
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A Review of the Best Blu Ray Players
The home movie industry was greatly changed with the introduction of the Blu Ray DVD disc and player. The Blu Ray technology is an optical disc storage medium designed by Sony that provides high definition video with a massive 50 GB of storage capacity. Today there are more than 1500 movies on Blu Ray disc and the players are affordable and easily accessible.
Blu ray disc readers use Blue laser to read and write the data to the disc. This is a shorter wavelength and allows for substantially more data ( 6 times more) to be stored on a Blu-ray disc than can be on a DVD disc. There are two types of discs available, the standard size which is 12 cm in diameter and holds 25 GB on a single layer or 50 GB on a dual layer; and the mini disc which is only 8 cm in diameter and holds 7.8 GB on a single and 15.6 GB on a dual layer.
There are four Blu-ray disc player options available, the audio only player that has no video decoding requirements, and three video player options. It is not a compulsory requirement that the players are backwards compatible but most are capable of reading DVD and CD’s. Making this a standard means more people will be able to pull in their existing DVD library without the additional costs of replacing them in Blu-ray format.
There are many companies who make Blu-ray players on the market today, and Sony is the leader of the pack. Sony players are available in many different structures and you will find a version to fit your entertainment system needs. You will need to decide what you are wanting your cinematic experience to be before deciding on what player to purchase and also what price range you want to stay within.
The Sony BDPS350 is a player that has 1080p high definition picture, a 7.1 surround sound system built in, with 24 p true cinema. It also comes with Dolby Digital plus. The case colour is standard black. The Sony BDPS350 Blu-ray player is considered as close to a cinematic experience as one can get making
The Sony BDP-S350 plays the following formats in discs, DVD + Video R/RW, CD playback and AVCHD playback. It is effortlessly upgraded for firmware by connecting the player to the internet, this will also allow the owner to download studio specific content such as trailers, interviews and other extras. Watching your Blu-ray movies will be almost instant, taking just 6 seconds to start with the quick start up mode. Watching a movie with this player will give the viewer a cinema like experience not gotten from DVD.
The Sony BDP-S550 Blu-ray player is a player ramped up to the next level of entertainment. The S550 Blue-ray player is a complete home entertainment system with 1080p, full high definition and 7.1 surround sound. Besides have the ultimate in sound experience, this blur ray player gives instant access to studio specific content and the precision cinema HD technology allows you to convert standard definition signals to 1080p with the use of a HDMI cable. The remote is backlit so surfing in the dark with the remote will be a breeze.
Sony makes a wide range of Blu-ray players so choosing one will be the hardest part of your shopping experience. The price ranges are easy on the wallet so there is a Sony player for everyone. Blu-ray movies are comparable to DVD in price making it fairly easy to switch over from DVD.
By: Tom Verdi
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History of the Progression to Blu-Ray Players
After the early format wars between VHS and Beta, people were happy to not have to worry about changing for a while. In the audio world, there had already been a few changes from records to eight tracks and from eight tracks to cassette. Then in the mid eighties the digital revolution started and compact disc took over. People had made the change and most people by the early to mid nineties made the jump to CD and digital music.
Not too much later CD domination was under attack with digital downloads, that story is not over yet. But on the video side the VHS had a really steady time on the market for over ten years which was when DVD’s came onto the market. Even with the advanced technology it has taken a while for the public to accept the DVD.
Of course it didn’t help that the new DVD players were pretty expensive and VCR’s had finally become so inexpensive that everybody had a top of the line one. VCR ruled for so long that nobody was really ready for something to take its place. Everybody had a ton of VHS tapes and even the movie industry was hesitant to switch over to a new format.
As high definition televisions came onto the scene and more people accepted them and purchased them, the advanced technology of the DVD became more apparent. On a DVD the video is very crisp and the sound is clear and full, along with the fact that the DVDs have a much longer life than VHS tapes. It wasn’t too long before everyone recognized the superior quality and the purchases increased which caused the prices to drop which causes another round of purchases.
Soon, the manufacturers stopped making VHS tapes all together. Soon everybody had a huge DVD collection, many people had multiple copies of the same movies because the studios kept releasing new version with extra content on the disc. It was getting out of control. They kept figuring out more ways to fit more content on more discs. There were special editions with three and four discs worth of content. Now, with DVD becoming the outdated format, Blu-ray is taking over. BD can fit five times as much information on one disc. There is no more need for multiple disc editions.
By: Jason G Thomas
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The Pros and Cons of Blu-Ray Technology
With the latest Blu-Ray technology storming onto the scene, many of us are wondering if this is the end of the DVD revolution that replaced the VHS players of a decade ago.
You may be wondering what advantages the Blu-Ray technology has to offer over the conventional DVD dics and players. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of the Blu-Ray systems and what you can expect from them.
Pros Of Blu-Ray Systems:
1. With the advent of Blu-Ray technology, a superior resolution ability over the DVD has been noted. Because of this higher resolution (1,920 x 1,080 pixels vs. a maximum analysis for DVD of 720 x 480 pixels), a superior image analysis has been achieved. The Blu-Ray offers a vivid clear image with more detail.
2. The second advantage of Blu-Ray systems is the superior clarity of sound over the DVD. Blu-Ray technology uses an advanced technology, employing high-analysis sound track formats that greatly enhance the sound experience of any movie or musical performance.
3. The latest Blu-Ray technology comes with a number of extra features that DVD does not have. Some examples are:Wifi ready (built in wireless adaptors), 1 GB of built in memory, PC streaming, Video quality enhancement, BD wise, Multi-format playback, 7.1 channel audio out.
Cons Of Blu-Ray Systems:
1. The only disadvantage to a Blu-Ray system is the cost. But even now there are many Blu-Ray players that can be purchased very reasonably by the average homeowner (less than $200.00) that can offer them a superior sound and viewing experience.
2. There is also the issue of a smaller collection of Blu-Ray movie titles to DVD titles at this time. Although this is rapidly changing as more and more videos are being placed in the Blu-Ray format, the beauty of the Blu-Ray system is that it has the ability to play your favorite DVD movies also, enhancing their sound and viewing. So no need to throw away your DVD collection!
Conclusion:
The latest Blu-Ray technology has greatly enhanced the ability of the average homeowner to enjoy a clear, high-resolution viewing experience without compromising the budget. When shopping for a BLu-Ray player, make sure that you look for one that offers multi-capabilities and backs its product with a solid warranty.
By: Eric N. Jacobson
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How Blu Ray Car DVD Players Won’t Change the World Overnight
The end might be nigh for the standard DVD but it is very unlikely that Blu-Ray will be the harbinger of death. Especially when it comes to car DVD players.
At this point in time, the Blu-Ray players are too expensive, the media itself costs too much, and there isn’t enough of an increase in quality between DVD and Blu-ray to entice the average consumer into changing to the new format, especially with car DVD players. However the players aren’t cheap to buy.
What’s worse is that the discs aren’t much cheaper and won’t display their full value on a 7-15 inch automotive DVD screen. The new players are scheduled to go on sale in Japan (only Japan, so far) in the fall of 2009. So if people aren’t looking for Blu-Ray car DVD players what do they want?
Samsung BD-P1600 Blu-Ray Disc Player Review
Dimensions of the Samsung BD-P1600:
Width 16 8/9 inches Weight: 4.9 pounds Depth: 8 1/5 inches Single Disc Player Capacity
Features of the Disc Player:
24 bit Audio D-A Converter Integration 5.1 Channel Output inclusion Audio Output: 1 BD Live Access Component Video Output: 1 Composite Video Output: 1 Dolby Digital Plus Feature Dolby True-HD Feature Dolby® Digital Decoder inclusion DTS Decoder inclusion: DTS-HD Master Audio Energy Star® Compliant Ethernet Port Offered HDMI Connection: 1 High Definition Maximum 1080p Output Resolution Infrared, Standard Remote Control Device JPEG presentations Netflix Streaming Optical-Digital Audio Output: 1 Pandora Streaming Parental Locking Options Playback Formats include: BD-R, BD-RE, BD-ROM , CD , CD-R/RW, DVD-R , DVD-ROM , DVD-RW Progressive Scanning functions Stereo Audio Output: 1 Supported Audio formats MP3 and WMA Supported Video formats: VC-1, H.264, and MPEG-2 Upgradable Firmware Offer USB Port In Front Panel
Expanded Features:
Sounds are enhanced so that they are crystal clear, and colors are intensified via progressive scanning functions in the Samsung BD-P1600. Samsung unifies perfect images with immaculate sounds to make your viewing experience unforgettable. The BD-P1600 immediately becomes an important part of your entire entertainment system since it offers high definition viewing entertainment, Internet connectivity, the ability to playback multiple formats, and accessibility to Internet streaming content. You can view images and photos through the Samsung BD-P1600 too, which rounds off the superlative features and attributes found inside this extraordinary device.
It is hard to believe that the BD-P1600 can offer you so much in the way of features since the matte black casing is ultra-simplistic in terms of design. At first glance you will find that the device offers no instant access to controls until you flip down the seamless, drop down front panel door. Beneath the door there is USB port accessibility and a few controls, all of which remain conveniently hidden when the flip door is sealed. The back of the Samsung BD-P1600 is highly organized making your installation and integration of the device into your entertainment system easy: clearly labeled outputs and color-coding make connections a breeze.
By: Rony WS
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Blu-ray Technology – What It Is And How It Works
A standard DVD contains enough space for a two-hour, non-high-definition movie, plus a few extra features. A Blu-ray disc allows enough space for 13 hours of standard footage or two hours of high-definition video. In addition, Blu-ray discs allow you to skip instantly anywhere on the disc; record one show while watching another; edit and reorder the footage on the disc; and access the web to download subtitles and other extras.
All DVD’s and CD’s store information as a series of grooves on the recording surface of the disc. The grooves are written in a spiral that winds from the center of the disc to the outside edge. On one side, the grooves appear as pits; on the other, they stand out as bumps. To read the disc, a player shines a laser over the bumpy side of the disc. The bumps cause the laser to bounce back and register on a sensor.
Standard CD and DVD players use a red laser to read the information on a disc. Blu-ray compatible players use a blue laser. Blue light has a shorter wavelength than red light. This makes the laser itself more sensitive and capable of detecting much smaller grooves than a red laser can.
Because the blue laser can detect smaller grooves, the information on a Blu-ray disc can be written much smaller than on a standard disc. This is why a Blu-ray disc can contain so much more information than a standard CD or DVD, even though the discs are the same size.
Blu-ray discs are constructed differently than standard discs. These differences in construction eliminate some of the design flaws in standard DVD’s. One of these flaws is birefringence. In a standard DVD, the recorded data is set between two polycarbonate layers. The laser must shine through a layer of polycarbonate in order to reach the data.
Occasionally, the polycarbonate can split the laser into two beams instead of allowing it to penetrate, making the player unable to read the disc. The process of lining up the polycarbonate layers must be done with great precision to prevent birefringence. In addition, the laser beam can become distorted if the disc is not perfectly level inside the player, a problem called “disc tilt.”
On a Blu-ray disc, the data is printed on top of the polycarbonate layer. With the data on top, the laser does not have to shine through polycarbonate in order to read it-and the problem of birefringence is eliminated. This simplifies the manufacturing process, and keeps the cost of Blu-ray discs down. In addition, the data’s location brings it closer to the lens that reads the laser. This makes disc tilt much less of an issue.
Blu-ray stores more data, reads more clearly, and provides interactive features you can’t get on a standard DVD. There aren’t many drawbacks to Blu-ray, but there are a few.
Blu-ray discs require different equipment to manufacture. Despite the ease of making these discs in comparison with standard DVD’s, manufacturers still have to invest in new machinery to make them. This may give a slight edge to Blu-ray’s major competitor: HD-DVD. HD-DVD is another type of high-definition DVD that can be manufactured using the same equipment used for standard DVD’s. It stores less information, but it’s also less expensive.
Blu-ray discs aren’t more expensive than standard discs, but Blu-ray players tend to be significantly more expensive than HD-DVD players. You can buy players that will play standard formats along with either HD-DVD or Blu-ray, but no player can read both HD-DVD and Blu-ray.
Both HD-DVD and Blu-ray have strong support in the market, but neither one has yet gained an edge over the other. Like format wars of past eras, many consumers are reluctant to invest in an expensive new player when they don’t know if the format they choose will survive. However, Blu-ray is a strong contender, and it just might emerge victorious.
By: Georgina Pearce
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Blu Ray Players – The LG BD 390 Blu Ray Disc Player Review
All the hype surrounding the LG BD 390 blu ray disc player is caused by the fact that it is just so much that a good BD player. First of all, it has built-in wi-fi capabilities so that you can connect the device to the internet without the use of any LAN cable. Once it is connected to the internet, you can use it to view a whole array of online streaming content such as Cinema Now, YouTube, Netflix and Netcast.
The good stuff doesn’t stop there. This model has 7.1 analog outputs and online decoding for DTS-HD and Dolby TrueHD sound formats. It also comes with 1GB of memory. On the front of the LG BD 390 blu ray disc player, you will find a USB port. When a USB drive is plugged in, you can view videos, music and images straight from the drive.
The Blu-ray and DVD movie playback was also very impressive. The loading time was fast and the video quality was very good, matching those of much more expensive systems. From the looks of it, you would think that the LG BD 390 blu ray disc player would cost a bomb. At the time of writing, it costs just $299 each, making it a must-have for any new Blu-ray enthusiast.
By: Tim Pecunia
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Sony BDP-S360 1080p Blu-Ray Disc Player Review
Specifications: As mentioned earlier, the Sony BDP-S360 is fully Profile 2.0-compliant and can playback BD-Live features. The player offers on-board decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio Essential along with support for bit stream output. Connection-wise the player offers a HDMI output, a component video output, a legacy composite video output and both optical and coaxial digital audio outputs along with an older stereo analog audio output.
Features & Performance: The Sony BDP-S360’s XMB user interface is fast and easy to use with good and simple navigation. While the player does not offer streaming Internet content, the player does offer full resolution Blu-ray with no excess jagged edges. In full 1080p mode with 24 frames per second output disabled, the player delivers impressive HD video quality for almost all Blu-ray discs. Loading time was above average while DVD performance was just as expected, delivering great performance all-round. Since the player has no Ethernet connectivity you need to download the BD-Live features and plug them into the player via a USB flash drive. All in all, The Sony BDP-S360 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player delivers some awesome quality video, great audio and full Profile 2.0 compatibility. While the player offers less extra value-added features, it does what it is made for extremely well.
By: Tim Pecunia
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Blu-Ray Reviews Of The Sony BDP-S300 Multi-Region Blu-Ray Disc Player
The SONY BDP-S300 Blu-Ray Disc Player is an important product, giving Blu-ray some much needed traction in the affordable player category. Combine that with recent news from rental powerhouse Blockbuster that it is expanding Blu-ray titles in its stores (at the expense of HD DVD in most cases), and the BDP-S300 looks like a no-brainer.
HQV Benchmark Results: The BDP-S300 Blu-Ray Disc Player scored very well with the standard definition HQV benchmark disc, it passed most of the tests with flying colors and was able to lock onto the 3:2 film cadence test faster than many other of the DVD and BD/HD players tested recently.
• Color Bar/Vertical Detail: Pass – Score 10 of 10
• Jaggies Pattern 1: Pass – Score 5 of 5
• Jaggies Pattern 2: Pass – Score 3 of 5
• Flag: Pass – Score 10 of 10
• Picture Detail: Pass – Score 10 of 10
• Noise Reduction: Pass – Score 10 of 10
• Motion Adaptive Noise Reduction: Pass – Score 10 of 10
• 3:2 Detection: Pass – Score 10 of 10
• Film Cadence: Pass – Score (Combined) 40 of 40
• Mixed 3:2 Film, Horizontal Text Crawl: Pass – Score 10 of 10
• Mixed 3:2 Film, Vertical Text Crawl: Pass – Score 10 of 10
• Total Score: 128 out of a possible 130.
And the remote is a good one- it controls both the player and a television.
Unlike Sony’s first-gen BDP-S1 (and Pioneer Elite’s BDP-HD1) the BDP-S300 will play back CDs, either from its analog audio outputs or any of its digital audio outputs, including HDMI.
Once loaded and running, the BDP-S300 performed like a gold medalist. The best Blu-ray Discs looked sensational at either 1080p/60 or 1080p/24. And for those using 720p displays, or displays that will not accept 1080p inputs, the player also performed beautifully when set for either a 720p or 1080i output.
The Sony BDP-S300 Multi-Region Blu-Ray is a sure winner
The Sony BDP-S300 Blu-ray player is a good one, with superb playback quality from Blu-ray Discs, and solid upconversion of standard definition DVDs for your legacy collection.
Description: Everyone will marvel at the stunning sound and picture quality of this second-generation Blu-ray Disc player. With remarkable features and versatile performance, the BDP-S300 is an amazing value.
BDP-S300 Strengths: Picture Quality
Strengths: Great picture and excellent sound
Weaknesses: None for me
Summary: I bought this Blu-Ray player last July to watch movies and it has worked flawlessly for me from day 1. I am not a viewer who will use picture in picture (which this does not have) nor do I play any of the games which are on some of the discs. I wanted a Blu-Ray player which gives me full HD video and great sound. The audio sounds great on my surround sound system when I use it. Sometimes I just use the TV speakers and the audio is excellent. If you are interested in a Blu-Ray player with outstanding video and excellent sound this player is for you.
Strengths: Plays Blu-Ray Discs, upconverts standard DVDs. Full 1080p output. Good array of audio outputs.
Strengths: Great picture when playing Blu ray Disk. Connected all audio connections at once except Coax, and all worked automatically…Great sound.
While the Sony BDP-S300 is an entry level Blu-ray player, entry level doesn’t necessarily mean cheap. You’re getting a capable high definition video player. VD’s is lackluster at best and it only decodes Dolby Digital Plus. If you already have a capable upconverting DVD player and don’t care about the decoding of Dolby TrueHD and the myriad of high definition DTS formats, this may be the Blu-ray player for you.
Summary: Sony has finally come out their second generation Blu-ray player at half the original price of the original! The BDP-S300 looks like a bargain compared to their previous BDP-S1 model.
Besides the cost benefit, you get more with this player. Unlike the previous model the S300 can play CDs in addition to DVDs. In addition, it seems to load slightly faster than the previous model.
All in all, the BDP-S300 delivers what it promises.
The new BDP-S300 model can output 1920 x 1080p (progressive) high-definition video, currently the highest resolution high-definition signal available through an HDMI™ connection. The player supports various video formats, including MPEG2, MPEG4-AVC and VC1.
For those who own an HDTV set without HDMI, an analog component output for 1080i (interlaced) is available as well.
The new BD player is compatible with most standard DVDs and has the added feature of 1080p upscaling through HDMI to 1080p capable HDTVs, improving the picture performance of existing DVD libraries.
Watching PIRATES I and PIRATES II I found the picture striking and vivid with no artifacts. My receiver is a delivers 5.1 DD so I am unable to take advantage of the uncompressed PCM codec. However, the Dolby digital audio track was quite impressive. All things considered, this an excellent player at a very good price.
This is an excellent BD Player for under $500! The picture quality is awesome!
Excellent upscaler quality for DVD movies
Below is mentioned that it can’t be made region free. Only partially true. A California company already sells this model in a Multiregion (multi-region) version. It can play any Region A and B Blu-Ray Disc movie and display it on any TV that has HDMI input, regardless of video standard (PAL-SECAM-NTSC etc.)
This is a unit that we would buy for ourselves if it weren’t for the fact that we couldn’t make it region free, because we have a huge DVD collection with movies from regions 1 and 4. If you are going to play only region-free (”region 0″) or region 1 discs then this unit is a great pick, especially because its cost/benefit ratio: great price and excellent image quality for DVDs – if the relative slowness of this unit doesn’t bother you.
I haven’t gone through all the bells and whistles yet, but the picture quality just floored me. Even my wife who really doesn’t get the whole ‘high def thing’ was greatly impressed. We watched Pirates/Caribbean 2 and couldn’t believe the quality.
Pros: Excellent picture quality, inexpensive for a Blu-ray player, offers HDMI upscaling to 1080p
Anyone looking to experience the formidable pleasures of watching movies on Blu-ray Disc, and at a reasonable startup cost, is advised to check out Sony’s BDP-S300.
This is a magnificent Blu-ray DVD player. It enhances regular DVD viewing and presents Blu-ray discs in full 1080p (if you have a 1080p HDTV).
The video and sound quality is amazing!
Very good product for the money. Well worth getting if you want to get the best picture from your large widescreen HDTV.
“I have owned this Blu-ray player about 2 weeks. I purchased my first Blu-ray movie this past weekend and I was blown away by the full 1080p picture that it produces and the full digital sound is awesome. Be sure to purchase an hdmi cable for this player and you will not be disappointed. It will also upconvert standard DVD’s to near HD quality.”
Have this unit for a week and love it. Bought it for my husband from appliance bestbuys the price was great the units great and I would definitely tell everyone to buy this one if they want a good Blu ray without emptying their wallets.
By: John Dulaney
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