Blue Ray Players

Long back if you wanted to watch a movie with all the effects and perfect visualization, theaters were the only place. But then, now the scenario has changed. You just buy a disc and play it in a player that can give the perfect audio and video at 1080p and as intended by the director, at your home sweet home with all the comforts. The disc that gives this best quality is called the blue ray disc and the player is called the blue ray player. Yes, these blue ray players give classic performance which the normal DVD players can never even think of. Samsung has been giving some good blue ray players. But then, the company has never attained “The Best” tag. With some little faults, the players have been doing well in the market. 2010 saw the release of this BD-C6500, a profile 2.0 player with a number of good features. This is a mid range player possessing almost all the features other than 3D. But how well have these features come out and is it really that worth? Read further to find out.

Design:

If the Samsung BD-C6500 Blu Ray Player scores an outstanding remark, it would definitely be for its design. The player is a rectangular box with a super cool brushed metal look that makes it look amazingly good looking. The front panel with the brushed look has one big advantage, it is not glossy. So the fingerprints will no longer get attracted to it saving the users from cleaning the player quite often. The player is very sleek and is 1.7 inches tall and 8.8” deep. For those who give first preference to the looks of a player, then they would first pick this product because it has the first class look. The body is truly made of plastic. The width of the product is 430 mm; depth is 223 mm while the height is 43mm. The pBD-C6500 layer weighs about 1.7 Kg which is acceptable. The center panel has the LCD display which displays all the menus, the time of play, etc., and the users can easily understand what is on the display even if they are quite distanced because the LEDs are bright glowing. On the right side at the front, there are the buttons like the play/pause, stop and open/close controls. The forward and reverse buttons have not been included in this set. But then it does not matter because there is no use for these controls in the player because it is the remote control which does these operations. Still, the presence would have added up its merit. There is a panel which drops down letting the users to load the disc. Thus the design of this player is one that gives the player an exquisite appearance.

Ports:

The Samsung BD-C6500 is a player with not only great looks but also good number of ports. One very useful port is the USB present right next to the power button. This USB can be quite promising because the users can not only download the BD Live contents on to this drive, but can also play the contents in that particular drive on a bigger screen. The connections available at the back side of the player are LAN, HDMI, Optical digital output, AV Out, Component out and finally the most important and highlight feature, the 7.1 analogue output. The 7.1 audio output system is something that is awesome because Samsung has generously given its users with these features at a price when many of the similar range could not afford, making the company’s saying right, “Imagine the possibilities”. The HDMI port is used to connect to the TV to watch the movies or videos in the home theatre while the LAN is used for wired connection to the internet.

Remote Control:

The package of the Samsung BD-C6500 Blu Ray Disc Player contains the player, remote control, battery, user manual and quick guide. This particular remote is a matte one with a neat layout of the buttons and there can possibly be no complaints while using it. The power buttons are present at the top followed by the numbers and then few more control buttons and eventually the volume and the control buttons at the bottom. This remote can also be used for controlling the TV too.

Amazing Features:

Apart from the design and ports, this player has lots in store for its users. Let us see some of them.

Interface and Firmware Updating:
The present user interface of the player is quite interesting for the users. All the icons take their positions on the wooden grain background and this background gives it an excellent look. All the main menus are present at the bottom while their corresponding sub menus will be displayed on the top row upon selection. This interface is very user-friendly and is easily understandable. One feature which Samsung has invented by itself is the Samsung Apps and this feature has promised to give a whole new side of using the Internet for entertainment.

The choice between Wi-Fi and Ethernet:
As said earlier, the users can download the BD Live contents from the internet by connecting through the wired LAN or ethernet port. But then the machine is already Wi-Fi built in which means that we access the internet and its contents wirelessly. It does not only seem easy but is truly an easy task.

Internet@TV:
Using Internet and watching the required contents on a laptop has become common. But then, extending that concept to the TVs is something incredible and amazing too. Now it has become possible with the blue ray players. The BD-C6500 with the Samsung Apps provides this Internet@TV which offers many well known services like the You Tube, Vudu, NetFlix and Pandora. Samsung promises to extend these services to a higher range and that can be expected in the near future. For now, these services would be good enough considering the quality services that they provide. The highlight with this player is that the program developed by the users for their firmware can be rewritten so that the users can extend their services once they are available on the platform.

Remarkable Audio and Video:
The Samsung BD-C6500 blu ray player is one that is well known for its 7.1 channel sound system. The presence of this 7.1 analogue mark means that the audio function would be exceptionally good. The player can decode even the toughest codes, like the dolby true HD and dts HD master audio. Most of the audio formats will be accepted by the player and the quality of decoding also is wonderful. As regards the video functioning, there is the digital output plugs and the component out. With the DVD upscaling feature, the users can actually enhance the quality of their dvd to about 1080p and watch the movie at high definition scale. Since the player is a profile 2.0, the player supports the features of the 1.1 version player also, that is, this player supports BD view which means that the users can watch video-in-video and with a resolution and visualization as intended by the director to reach the audience.

Energy Star:
The Samsung BDC6500 is energy star complaint and this star means that the product saves energy and is also efficient to use. It does not affect the environment in anyway consuming only a nominal amount of power.

Execution and Performance:

The main downfall for this machine came when it had to be analyzed under the speed category. The Samsung BD-C6500 player has very poor operational speed. The time, of waiting for the machine to load each and every content, was seriously high that the users might feel irritated. The player offers 1GB of onboard memory storage and in addition to that if the users have anything to save, they can make use of the USB 2.0 port present as said earlier. Since the player is of midrange, it has sported a decent performance indeed.

Warranty:

As the same going goes for all the blue ray players in general, this BD-C6500 has a warranty time period of one year. So the users can do all the services for 12 complete months.

Verdict:

The Samsung BD-C6500 is a player with all the features that are vital to make it a profile 2.0 player. It has 1GB of on-board memory, 7.1 channel analog sound system and lots more. This player lacks in nothing that an entry level player can not do. The product has an amazing look too. There are no big issues with the machine that might make you put a cross mark. In fact, for a mid-range player it has all the features that ought to make us put a tick mark. Given the facts, it is now your turn to decide whether this product deserves a tick or cross mark.

Check Latest Blu Ray Player Reviews and other Samsung Blu Ray Player Reviews in this website.

Samsung BD-C6500 Blu Ray Player – Product Specification Details

Manufacturer	Samsung
Model Name	BD-C6500
Dimensions: (W x H x D)	430 x 223 x 43mm
Weight	1.7 Kg
Colour	Black
Connection Type	High speed USB port (only of BD live), Ethernet Port
Video Features	1080p DVD upscaling, 1080p output (via HDMI), Video D/A Convertor
Audio Functions	Dolby Digital and Analogue stereo and DTS HD Master Audio
Playback format	Audio CD, DVD, CD-R, BD-RE, CD-RW, DVD+R, DVD-R, BD-ROM
Output Resolution	1080p output
Audio Decoders	Yes
DVD upscaling	Yes
Connectivity	HDMI port, USB 2.0 port, Component Video Output, Composite Video Output, Digital Audio Output: Optical, 7.1ch Analog Audio Output, Ethernet, WI-FI protocol IEEE 802.11, BD-JAVA, BD Local Storage, BD BONUSVIEW, Full Screen, Internet@TV and All Share
Features	Netflix, You Tube, Cinema Now, JPEG photo playback, Progressive scanning, 1 GB of internal memory
Remote control	Yes

Moving back, few years ago, when people hardly knew what a blue ray was, Philips was already so much into the research of these blue ray players. Yes, Philips is one company which has a strong foundation in the blue ray players as it started its work on these players well earlier than many other companies. Experience always plays a very big role in determining the quality of a product. With such a good experience in this field, Philips has recently launched the BDP7500 blue ray player, a 7000 series player. This player has a great look, excellent features and sports an applaudable performance. To know about it in detail, just catch our review here on the product Philips BDP7500.

Design and Ports:

Design of a blu ray player is a prime point to be considered because; often it is these players that support the TVs or the home theatre. Therefore, the look of any blue ray player can not be just omitted, it is somewhere near the top in the checklist. Any product of Philips has not failed in its appearance, and so has this Philips BDP7500 blue ray player. It has the basic Philips trademark on the front side. Though it is not exquisite, it is obviously good-looking. This player has the aluminium metal chassis which looks great but definitely not out-of-box. The curved edges and the raised lip are the highlights of this product and make it unique. The looks of this product is something that is, though not eye-catchy, is certainly impressive.

The Philips BDP7500 Blu Ray Player has a good number of ports that can be expected from this kind of a player. The front side has a mirrored LED panel which displays the contents. On the right side in the front panel are few touch control buttons, like the play and pause buttons. These buttons may come quite handy when we load the discs. On the extreme right side there is the USB port which can be plugged in at any moment and movies or videos in that drive can be watched instantly. The rear side has few important ports that mark the blue ray player’s rank. This player has the component video out plugs, digital audio out –coaxial, HDMI output, LAN connection for accessing the internet contents, followed 7.1ch audio output plugs and the power plug.

Remote Control:

The remote control of this Philips BDP7500 Blu Ray Disc Player is a simple one that is made of plastic. This plastic make might disappoint some users as plastic remotes are not really valued. This remote control offers an interesting feature, called the “subtitle shift”. With the help of the remote the users can actually shift the subtitle to any desired position. This is a very useful feature since the users can easily move the subtitles to any place they want to in the screen with just few adjustments. The subtitle shifting is particularly very utile when the display ratio is pretty high. Other than this special feature, this remote does the basic operations well and in fact it has two extra buttons other than the normal ones like the home and bonus view button. These buttons make the work a lot easier for the users.

Amazing Features:

The main highlights of thisPhilips BDP7500 Blu-Ray DVD player are BD Profile 2.0 and 7.1 ch surround system. The former might be present in many players these days, but then, the latter one is not supported by many players; it is indeed good of Philips to have blessed the users with this 7.1ch sound system. As for this being a profile 2.0 player, it obviously means that it supports the BD Live contents. Moreover, there is the 1GB internal memory available. This is splendid since this player has not only good looks but also has super cool features to top it and make it a popular product. Let us study some of the excellent features in detail.

Profile, Interface, Firmware updating:

As said earlier, the BDP7500 is a profile 2.0 player. This player supports bonus view which means the users can easily watch the commentaries of the particular scene or any information that the director intends to let the watchers know. To make use of this particular feature, there are two other important features, internet connection and storage area. This player has both, that is, ethernet connection is available and also the player is inbuilt with 1GB of storage memory. The storage facility is further extended by the fact that the users can hear songs or watch videos by plugging in the USB.

DVD Upscaling:

If you have any DVDs that you would like to watch it in blu ray, that is, in 1080p and HD scale, then no worries, there is this DVD upscaling in the player, which improves the quality of the video in the DVD to 1080p and thus makes the whole episode of watching them, a pleasure.

Wired Connection and Wi-Fi ready:

Connecting to the internet is very important and must for a profile 2.0 player since the BD Live contents have to be downloaded. So this player has the LAN port at the back for connecting to the internet. The Philips BDP7500 player is also “Wi-Fi ready” which means that if there is a wireless network or router at your home, then you can connect to the internet wirelessly and enjoy the services endlessly. The internet connection is useful, not only for watching the BD Live contents, but also the services offered by NetTV.

DLNA and EasyLink:

This player is DLNA enabled, which means that the users can access the contents of the electronic devices and easily transfer or share contents from one to another in just few seconds. An even more interesting feature is the EasyLink, where one single remote can be used to control many devices. Therefore it is not only easy to transfer data from PC or other device to the TV, but it is also easy to control their operation using a single remote at the comfort of your couch.

Remarkable audio and video functioning:

CinemaPerfect HD engine is an excellent feature which does the work of noise reduction and also producing quality video. With this engine, watching movies or videos will be great fun and satisfying too since the users will not face any disturbance like noise or poor video playback. The picture setting offers some choices, like, Standard, cool, vivid, action, and animation. This player supports the latest DivX HD format which provides a new and better angle of watching movies. The biggest feature of this player is the 7.1 channel surround system. This feature means that it can play any audio format, right from the easy ones to the toughest playback formats. So, all the music and video crazies are in for this player as it would best suit them.

Execution and Performance:

The BDP7500 gives a stupendous performance in terms of its speed. This player sports an excellent loading time. The loading time is very less. You will only know the flipping in of the DVD and it starts playing in just few seconds. If it plays some blue ray disc, then the users have to wait for few extra seconds to start watching the movie. Its speed is quite high compared to many other products of the same range. Moreover, the users can be excited because Philips has stated that the player would extend its performance to the 3D field also. With some upgrade in the software, 3D would be available in their player and this feature is definitely enticing.

Power:

This BDP7500 consumes 22W of Power under normal situations when we sit back and watch movies in HD TVs or home theatres. But then, for those who want to save power, and never mind about the long time it takes for loading, they can go in for the standby mode where the power consumption is only 0.25W.

Warranty:

The 1 year warranty covers the services for parts and labour during that period of time.

Verdict:

The Philips BDP7500 is a blu ray player that carries a mid-range price tag. Though it is at a reachable height, the features are too good. In short, it is a high-tech player in terms of features and a middle class player in terms of price. There is even 3D performance to be expected. For blue rays players, it is just a beginning not the end. They have a long way to travel and as for this Philips BDP7500, it is a great product. So all those who would vote for best audio and video playback and good performance in the other normal jobs, then you can definitely cast your vote for this BDP7500, it is worth it.

Philips BDP7500 Blue Ray Player – Technical Specification Table

Manufacturer	Philips
Model Name	Philips BDP7500
Dimensions (W x H x D)	245 x 435 x 55.7 mm
Weight	2.85 Kg
Colour	Glossy Black with silver topping
Connection Type	High speed USB port (only of BD live), Ethernet Port
Video Features	Deep Color, x.v. Colour, Video Upscaling, Progressive Scan
Audio Functions	DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby True HD, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS, Dolby Digital
Playback format	CD-R/RW, DVD+R/+RW, DVD-R/-RW, USB flash driveBD Video, BD-R/RE 2.0, DVD, DVD-Video, BD-ROM, Video CD/SVCD
Output Resolution	1080p output
Audio Decoders	Yes
DVD upscaling	Yes
Connectivity	HDMI port, USB 2.0 port, 1 x gold plates of Component Video Output, Composite Video Output, Digital Audio Output: Coaxial, Digital Audio Output: Optical, 7.1ch Analog Audio Output, Analog Stereo Output, RS-232C and Ethernet, WI-FI protocol IEEE 802.11
Features	Netflix, You Tube, Cinema Now, MyMedia, x.v.color technology, JPEG photo playback, Progressive scanning, 1 GB of internal memory
Remote control	Yes
Power Consumption	22 Watts, 0.25W in standby mode

Panasonic is one of those companies which has been doing a lot of research works on the blue ray players and has come out with quite a lot of players each bettering the other in some way. The DMP-BD65EB-K blue ray player is a profile 2.0 player with the viera cast. Viera cast is one interesting technology invented by Panasonic and it has found its place in many of the Panasonic devices like the blue ray players and also televisions. This viera cast actually forms a bridge between the electronic devices and Internet. This Japan Company has given this BD65 blue ray player with the intention of providing the users a basic player with few interesting features. Panasonic has always been approachable since it provides the users, cost-friendly blue ray players. While many companies in the market focus on producing extravagant and rich-looking players, Panasonic sought to produce simple players that will last a lifetime and will do good service till the end. Let us study the product in detail and then you can decide whether this could add more meaning in your life.

Design and Ports:

Black is the colour which most of the electronic goods these days prefer. Especially the blue ray players are all in black, with only few minor differences like the presence or absence of glossy coating or the shape of the box. This Panasonic DMP-BD65EB-K Blu Ray Disc Player is a black colour rectangular box which does not have a glossy coating. In other words, the cover of the player is matte and this means that you need not worry about finger prints making your player look clumsy, though in real, this has never been a problem with blue ray players. The center panel in the front sports the reflective panel where the current status like the time of the movie running or the menus like open, home, etc., are displayed. On the front panel are present two most important slots, the SD card slots and USB port, the uses of which will be discussed later in this review. In the right corner of the front side are two control buttons, stop and play. Panasonic has been wise enough to place minimal number of control buttons in the front side of the player because it is not going to be of much use as the remote takes up its role. The machine weighs 4.2 lbs which is average for a blue ray player therefore not making it very heavy. The width of this player is about 17 inches with 8.1 inches deep while the height is about 1.9 inches.

On the rear side of the machine are some of the interesting and quintessential ports. There is the HDMI port which helps us to connect to the HD TVs. Followed by the HDMI port is the LAN port, the medium through which wired connection to the internet is possible. There are the component and composite video out and also digital audio optical output plugs. To the chagrin of the users, the player does not include 7.1 channel surround system, but then, since it is a midrange blue ray player, this could be digested. Though the options that are available in this player are quite countable, the quality that can be expected out of these options is amazing.

Remote Control:

For any player, DVD or blue ray, the remote control is the heart of the player. Without the remote control the user might not even want to use the player since every time changing the disks or fast forwarding a video becomes a nuisance without a remote. This Infrared type remote is a simple one yet it sports the best performance. The sizes of the buttons are quite comfortable to operate. The main controls like the play, pause, back and stop are present in the centre of the control and the buttons are blue in colour facilitating easy identification. Also, another added advantage with this player is that few of the TV controls are also available. Beside the power button on the top of the remote are the buttons for changing the volume, channel and also the power button for the TV. The users do not have to switch over to the TV remote to make the small changes, two in one.

Amazing Features:

The features that have been included in this Panasonic DMP-BD65EB-K Blu Ray player are not comparable to many other high range players, yet there is a uniqueness and excellence in this player which makes it highly competitive. Just playing the movies in high definition scale alone is not expected out of a player. The standards or the criteria that the blue ray players ought to satisfy are quite high and let us see some of the important features in detail.

Picture Quality:

The picture quality in the Panasonic DMP-BD65 is awesome. This player has been implanted with so many technologies that enhance the quality of the picture to a great extent. The 1080p high definition resolution is common in most of the players these days. The PHL reference chroma processor plus is a new technology that uplifts the picture or the video that is watched to a great extent that the users almost forget that they are watching a video and mistake it to be something really happening in front of their eyes. This technology actually processes the image in a good scale so that the final output is crystal clear. To make this even more effective are the other techniques like the High Precision 4:4:4 and the Pixel Precision Progressive Processing for HD.

There is the deep colour technology and x.v. colour technology which narrows the difference between the colours that we see in our eyes truly and the colours that appear on the screen. The colour and the scenes are perfectly accurate that it makes watching videos and movies a great pleasure and joyful experience. Also, since it is a profile 2.0 player with profile 1.1 features too included, it supports BD live and also picture-in-picture view, that is commentaries on particular scenes by the actors or directors. This is called the Bonus View. Quick start is an excellent feature that has been included in this player. With the quick start feature on, the time of wait is reduced to merely 0.5 seconds making the movie watching time a fun time. Old DVDs are always important for us and would be in standard definition scale. They can be upscaled to 1080p HD scale and watched in the big screen.

Memory Storage:

This Panasonic player does not have on-board memory storage area of 1GB. So to compensate that, the company has provided two memory storing facilities, one the SD card slot and another one, the USB 2.0 port. So the photos from digital camera can be easily watched in High Definition scale by inserting the card into the slot. Also, the SD card supports AVCHD playback. The USB port serves as a storage medium for storing the bonus view and BD Live contents.

Ethernet and Wi-Fi ready:

The Panasonic DMP-BD65EB-K profile 2.0 blu-ray player supports both wired and wireless connection. For the wired connection to the internet, as said earlier there is a LAN port at the rear side of the player. Also, it is Wi-Fi ready, though the adaptor has to be bought separately. With the internet connection, the player offers some features, the description of which follows this.

VieraCast:

The VieraCast is a service created and offered by Panasonic for its users. It is essentially a service which offers access to some of the popular sites. At present, vieracast offers You Tube, Pandora, Amazon video on demand, Picasa and Netflix too. It is a great pleasure to watch our favorite videos in you tube in the bigger screen of our TV and through Pandora it is possible to hear any song at any time. With Netflix service, the users can watch movies endlessly but to avail this feature in this player it is vital to have unlimited membership. The Vieracast is an interesting feature and though only few services are supported, it is completely satisfactory.

Audio and Video Functioning:

The audio and video functions are exceptional in this player. The absence of 7.1 channel system can not be felt much since it supports most of the formats like Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD High Resolution Audio, DTS-HD Master Audio. But one disappointment is that MKV format is not supported. The quality of the video is pretty good.

Power:

The DMP-BD65 consumes about 19W of power in normal mode but there are other power saving options to consume limited amount of power thereby conserving the energy. The consumption of power reduces to 7W in quick start mode while it reduces drastically to 0.1W in standby mode.

Warranty:

The Panasonic DMP-BD65EB-K offers a warranty period for 1 year.

Verdict:

The Panasonic blue ray player may not be one which is comparable to some excellent players like LGBD390 or Sony players. But this player exhibits its features in a perfect way which establishes a very high standard incomparable to the others in its own way. There are few minor flaws like the lack of support of few audio formats or the on-board memory storage. But these features go unnoticed because of some of its features like the excellent picture quality, Quick Start and also the services offered by VieraCast. The Panasonic DMP-BD65EB-K not only brings smile to the face but also brings satisfaction to the heart.

Panasonic DMP-BD65EB-K Blu Ray Player – Technical Specification Table

Manufacturer	Panasonic
Model Name	Panasonic DMP-BD65EB-K Blu Ray Player
Dimensions: (W x D x H)	17 x 8.1 x 1.9 inches
Weight	4.2 lbs
Colour	Glossy Black
Connection Type	High speed USB port (For storing BD live contents), Ethernet Port, Wireless LAN Ready (though not included along with the package)
Video Features	1080p DVD upscaling, 1080p output (via 19 pin HDMI)
Audio Functions	Dolby Digital Plus , Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD High Resolution Audio, DTS-HD Master Audio
Playback format	CD , BD-R, CD-R, BD-RE, CD-RW, DVD+R, DVD-R, BD-ROM, DVD+RW, DVD-RW, BD-R DL, DVD-RAM, DVD-ROM, BD-RE DL, DVD+R DL, DVD-R DL
Output Resolution	1080p output
Audio Decoders	Yes
DVD upscaling	Yes
Connectivity	HDMI port, USB 2.0 port, 1 x gold plates of Component Video Output, Composite Video Output, Digital Audio Output: Optical, Audio line Out, 1 SD memory card and Ethernet
Remote control	Yes
Power Consumption	19 Watts

The Korean Company has been involved recently in producing blue ray players and one among the many players is this Samsung BD-C5500. Samsung has developed this as a major entry level blue ray player. Blue ray players have become a field of interest these days. In the beginning the blue ray players itself were considered something very high and interesting and as the time progressed, the output that was expected out of this little player started mounting and now these players have found great improvement. At present, the users of a good blue ray player can do almost anything related to the media field by investing few hundred pounds on a blue ray player. “Imagine the possibilities”, being the slogan, it extends its imaginations to its possible level and has designed a basic entry level player, the “Samsung BD-C5500”.

The Samsung  BD-C5500 Blu-Ray Wi-Fi Ready Player has all the essential features of an entry level player. Being a profile 2.0 player it supports the BD Live contents which mean the users can enjoy few features. If you want to know in detail about the features of this player and also check whether it would be suitable for you, then read further.

Design and Ports:

Glossiness always adds value to the product and so has the look been enhanced in the BD-C5500. It is completely glossy black in colour with a strip of silver colour on the right side top corner which contains the control buttons. Though the glossy black looks simple and good, the fingerprints are easily shown on the player and this makes maintenance a bit tough. On the silver strip are present four control buttons, Play/Pause, Stop, Forward and the power button. This arrangement is neat yet the placing of the buttons on a separate silver layer might seem unnecessary. These control buttons are not of much use since the remote control is the most easiest and comfortable one. Below the control panel is a USB port. This port is actually used to store the contents of the BD Live, that is, the users can actually download and store in the flash or any other drive by plugging it into this port. Since the player does not have 1GB of on-board memory storage, this USB 2.0 port is the main source of storage area. The design is thus simple and good.

On the back side of the BD-C5500 Blue-Ray Disc player are present few of the most important connections or ports. Beginning from the left most end, there is a port for wireless LAN. This player does not support Wi-Fi. So the users have to buy a dongle as an extra expense to avail the wireless connection. Next to this is the ethernet port for LAN connection. Next is the HDMI port for watching in the big screen. The Digital audio output port, the optical port is present and then follows the AV out plugs. This machine weighs merely 1.6 kg which is good for an entry level player. Moreover, this player has a width of 433 mm, depth of 205 mm and a height of about 43 mm. These dimensions do not make it an ultra thin player, but definitely queues it up in the thinner players’ line.

Remote Control:

The Samsung BD-C5500 package comes along with a remote control included in it. Remote controls usually reduce the work of the man since he no longer needs to get up from his couch time and again to do the basic controls or make any changes in the video or movie or anything that is being played through the player. This remote is an IR type remote control which has a neat layout of the buttons and is designed to be used by the user in a comfortable way. All the buttons, even the numbers and volume and channel control buttons, required are laid out in different nice colours. There is no trouble in using the remote control at all.

Amazing Features:

The most important part of any player is the features that have been included. Features are kind of packages that add value to the product in terms of its quality. Higher the number of good features higher the quality and hence higher the demand. This product has a good number of features and a brief description of some of its important features is given below.

Picture Quality:

5x the original quality – this is what the blue ray players were initially described to have and this is their basic character. The quality of the movies or the images viewed in the blue ray is excellent that at times it might be a little hard to differentiate whether it is real or reel. The blue rays offer the maximum possible resolution, that is the 1080p, which mean that the on-screen object would be crystal clear. The colour perfection attained by the player is extraordinary since it provides the exact colour to the eyes. In short, watching the movies or videos or images would be a treat for the users because of the amazing picture quality. Moving on to the speed or the time it takes for the player to load the movie and start playing, Samsung actually boasts of this ultra fast play, but in real, the time taken for loading is quite high and this increases the wait time. Since the response time is very slow, it adds to a minor flaw in the profile of this player.

The All-Share DLNA:

One of the most interesting and new features is the All Share DLNA. The Digital Living Network Alliance aims to help the people to get the best of the available resources. “Connect and enjoy” is their main logo and with the DLNA, the users can have a whole lot of fun with the other devices that they have. Using the DLNA, it is possible for the users to connect their player to their mobile phones or PC and thus play the contents through the player. This DLNA is actually an evolution in this field because with the DLNA you can do wonders. Any video taken in your iphone can be watched in High Definition and at 1080p with full clarity in your home theatre by just connecting them. The All-share is exactly true because you can share everything, everywhere and at anytime you need to.

Wi-Fi and Ethernet:

As said earlier there is a port on the back side of the player for getting connected to the internet. Though Wi-Fi connection is not available as a ready made it can be made feasible by using an extra dongle, at extra cost of course. Once the connection to the Internet is done, the interesting things that the player holds for us is excellent. Let us study some of those.

Interface and Firmware Updating:

The interface of this Samsung BD-C5500 Blu Ray DVD player is quite simple. There is a wooden grain background and over this background the icons take their positions. In the bottom the main menus like the Internet@TV, Music, Videos, Photos and Settings are present. On the top of the screen, the list of the applications present in the Internet@TV, in other words the Samsung Apps, are listed in a horizontal row. Though only few basic applications have been included at present, Samsung has promises of expanding its range further and for this, time will give the answer. If the expansion really does occur, higher firmwares will be available and they can be easily upgraded since this is a profile 2.0 player and BD Live is supported.

Internet@TV:

The applications that Samsung has included at present are You Tube, Vudu, NetFlix and Pandora. As said earlier, this is expected to increase in the near future though. So, with you tube, the users can watch the videos that they wish to or even upload the videos from their mobile or camera to the website. The presence of the application NetFlix implies that the users can now endlessly watch movies by renting them and watching in the big screen at their home sweet home. For music lovers, the happy news is that Pandora is an included application. Anytime and every time the users can listen to their favorite music with the Pandora. Thus this player offers a good number of options.

Audio and Video Functioning:

The Samsung BD-C5500 does not support 7ch surround sound unlike few other blue ray players. But then, this player can decode the audio files of the type Dolby Digital, digital plus, Dolby True HD and DTS HD High Resolution, DTS HD Master Audio, LPCM, MP3 and WMA. So this means that most of the basic types are covered and the clarity of the audio is pretty good. Moving on to the video functioning, as explained earlier, this device gives a good output at 1080p and as intended by the director.

Execution and Performance:

Being an entry level and a profile 2.0 player, this device supports BD Live 2.0 which means that the users can watch video-in-video, that is, the commentaries on a particular scene by an actor or the director. The audio and video functioning is quite acceptable. But then, one big flaw is the time taken for the disk to load. Apart from this issue, the player has done a good job. In a nutshell, it has executed its potential well, but then the point is that its potential could have been increased further?!

Power:

The device normally consumes 13 watts of power when it is used in the usual mode. But then the amount of consumption reduces to nearly 0.1 watts when it is in the standby mode. The power button on the silver strip of the player glows when the player is in standby mode making the status obvious to the player and reducing the job of checking it.

Warranty:

The Samsung BD-C5500 has a warranty period of 1 year.

Verdict:

The Samsung BD-C5500 is an entry level blue ray player which brings to the users “The Future of Entertainment”. It is obvious that it is a less-cost player with good number of features. There are many other players in the market which offer other features almost at the same rate. So, this is not for those who have different expectations. But then, if the features of this machine suit your choice and expectations, then you can proudly become the owner of this simple Samsung BD-C5500.

Samsung BD-C5500 Blue-Ray Player – Technical Specification Table

Manufacturer	Samsung
Model Name	Samsung BD C5500
Dimensions: (W x D x H)	433 x 205 x 43 mm
Weight	1.6 Kg
Colour	Glossy Black
Connection Type	High speed USB port (For storing BD live contents), Ethernet Port, Wireless LAN Ready (though not included along with the package)
Video Features	1080p DVD upscaling, 1080p output (via HDMI)
Audio Functions	Dolby Digital, digital plus, Dolby True HD and DTS HD High Resolution, DTS HD Master Audio, LPCM, MP3, WMA
Playback format	Audio CD, DVD, CD-R, BD-RE, CD-RW, DVD+R, DVD-R, BD-ROM
Output Resolution	1080p output
Audio Decoders	Yes
DVD upscaling	Yes
Connectivity	HDMI port, USB 2.0 port, 1 x gold plates of Component Video Output, Composite Video Output, Digital Audio Output: Optical, 2ch Analog Audio Output, RS-232C and Ethernet
Remote control	Yes
Power Consumption	13 Watts

Yamaha is an International Company which has produced a number of products in a variety of fields and has got itself established as“Multi-personality”!! Yes, many of the products in different fields like sports, Electronics and above all, the musical instruments carry the tag “Yamaha”. In the field of Blue ray players, it is still a baby though. The company has ventured into the production of the blue ray players, an electronic item whose demand graph has been steadily increasing right from the time it was brought into the market. The BD S2900 is its first trial and it has tried its best to sport this one out successfully. But since it is just a toddler, expectations have to be within the range too. The Yamaha BD-S2900 is a Blu Ray player with very basic features. It might be better than the normal DVD players, but does it out-stand and out-live the other competitive ones? Let us study the product in detail to know whether this is a worthy kit or just another little piece of addition in Yamaha’s book of inventions.

Design and Ports:

Black has become the colour of fashion and interest these days. Most of the electronic items take up the black colour and so does this S2900 model. It is made of pure black and has a glossy outer coating. The player looks simple yet pretty. It has a non-slip base which can come in very handy at times when there is more probability for the player to fall down. On the front side is the reflective panel which displays the current status, like the home menu or open or loading condition. The orange LED display actually gives the player a prominent and a professional look. Moreover, users having other Yamaha electronic products like the receivers, speakers etc., are at the positive side because on purchasing this BD-S2900 Blue Ray Player they achieve uniformity which makes the entire array of products seem meticulous and the room looks good with an unanimity.

The control buttons are present on the front side of the player. Beginning from the left side, there is the standby/on button which is used to switch on the power of the player or can be left in the standby mode. In the centre is the big glossy display. Below the display is the SD card slot. This slot is quite useful since the users can enjoy the virtual package with the SD cards. The SDHC memory card has a capacity of about 2GB. On the right side, there are the buttons like, play/pause, rewind, forward and stop button. The buttons are not of much use since the remote control replaces its function. These are the normal buttons but their presence is obviously important. This black rectangular box is 10 cm in width, 44 cm in height and 32 cm in depth. The player is not really heavy since it weighs 12.8 lbs which is acceptable for a blue ray player. Turn the player to the other side and the users will find some of the important audio and video ports. There is an AC in plug for power supply. At the centre there is the HDMI port. On the right side are the important plugs like the optical/digital, coaxial and component out.

Remote Control:

The BD S2900 Blu Ray Disc Player comes in with a remote control. The remote is simple and has a neat layout of the buttons that facilitates easy and comfortable use. The size of the remote is also of the normal range.

Profile 1.1:

The Yamaha BD-S2900 is a profile 1.0 version 1.1 compatible player and so it has all the features that a 1.0 and 1.1 profile player ought to have. This means that this is the Bonus View player, that is, the users can have the delight of watching video commentary in a small window with the movie running in the background. This is one of the most interesting features since the users can actually watch as well as hear the actor or director talking about a particular scene in the film. This is because the player supports secondary audio and video.

HDMI:

The presence of a HDMI port at the back side of the machine enables the users to watch the contents of the Blue ray discs in a big screen with all the effects of watching the movie in a theatre. In short, the High Definition movies can be watched at the comfort of your couch by playing the discs in your Blue ray player and connecting it to a big screen TV through the High Definition Multimedia Interface port.

DVD Upscaling:

Too many Old DVDs? You can easily upscale them to 1080p with the help of the DVD Upscaling Technology in the Yamaha BD S2900.

Audio and video functioning:

The Yamaha S2900 Blue Ray DVD Player gives the video out at 1080p and 24 frames per second. The movies are generally shot at 24 frames per second and at 1080p resolution. This is the highest quality that can be watched on a big screen. The users can watch the movies or videos as and how it was intended to be in the director’s mind. Also, because of the presence of the SD card slot, the contents of the memory card, mostly images or videos can be watched in 1080p resolution. The deep colour technology has been implanted. Using this technology, colour perfection can be achieved. The 12 bit deep colour technology transmits the colours with such clarity that it is highly impossible to differentiate between the real and the reel. The different shades of a colour can be obtained with good accuracy. Also, there are three illumination modes, bright, dim and auto. By choosing the particular illumination, the lighting of the screen can be adjusted as per requirement. Thus the video functioning is remarkably good. Moving on to the audio performance, the Yamaha BD-S2900 1080p output blu ray player provides full support in decoding the high level signals like the DTS HD and Dolby Digital.

Execution and Performance:

The machine has a Java logo inscribed on its back side. This means that the machine has undergone a number of tests with a positive result. The player is safe to use with a neat design and good quality. But how good is the quality? The audio and video performances are good though not remarkable. There are some audio formats that the player does not support at all, a downfall in that area. But overall the Yamaha BD S2900 has done a good job indeed.

No Firmware updating:

The main disadvantage with this player is that it is not a BD 2.0 player which means it does not support BD Live. There is no ethernet port for getting connected to the internet. The absence of BD Live and ethernet implies that it is not possible to update the firmware or download the contents from the internet. This player is devoid of many features since it lacks the ability to access the BD Live contents. Also, the users have to forget borrowing movies from the services like the Cinema Now, NetFlix or watching the most popular videos of You Tube.

Verdict:

Yamaha is only an amateur in the Blue ray field. It still has a long way to go to get its name carved in the hearts of blue ray lovers! As a baby, yes, definitely it has done a great job! But when other manufacturers have already grown up, this little baby is left stranded in the middle. Well, overall, the BD S2900 is a good model that can play ordinary or blue ray DVDs at a reasonably good audio and video quality. But then, beyond that, there is nothing much to expect. This player is not for those who wish to cross the horizons but it is definitely a good choice for those who would just like to own a simple blue ray player with average performance rate.

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Yamaha BD-S2900 Blue Ray Player – Technical Specification Table

Manufacturer	Yamaha
Model Name	BD-S2900
Dimensions: (W x H x D)	10 x 44 x 32 cm
Weight	12.8lbs
Colour	Black
Video Features	1080p DVD upscaling, 1080p output (via HDMI), Video D/A Convertor 192kHz/24-bit
Audio Functions	Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby Digital Plus and DTS-HD High Resolution Audio
Audio and Video format	BD-Video, BD-R (BD Video), BD-RE (BD-Video and JPEG), DVD-Video, DVD-R/-RW (DVD-Video DVD-VR, AVCHD), DVD+R/+RW (+VR, AVCHD),DVD-ROM (DVD-VR, JPEG, AVCHD) CD, CD-R/-RW(CD-DA, MP3, JPEG) and SD/SDHC (JPEG, AVCHD)
Output Resolution	1080p output
Audio Decoders	Yes
DVD upscaling	Yes
Connectivity	HDMI port, Component Video Output, S-video output, Composite Video Output, Digital Audio Output: Coaxial, Digital Audio Output: Optical, RS-232C
Features	RS-232C interface for custom installation IR In/Out ports Yamaha SCENE compatibility On-screen display with GUI Dolby Digital and DTS decoders Extensive disc/format compatibility SDHC compatible SD Card slot Dialogue Enhancer Dynamic Range Compression 5 Picture Modes (Normal/Soft/Fine/Cinema/User) 3 illumination modes: Bright, Dim and Auto Progressive scanning, colour unsampling Detachable power cord
Remote control	Yes