Samsung BD-P1500 1080p Blu-Ray Player With A 1-Year Extended Warranty Service Plan & High Speed HDMI Cable (2 meters)

This Blu-Ray player might be OK. I wouldn't know. Since the beginning, the sound would drop out for 5 or 6 seconds every few minutes. With both DVD and Blu-Ray discs. Best Buy says its a "firmware upgrade" issue. Not really. Firmware deals with the Blu-Ray media - not DVD. Blu-Ray is not as stable a media as standard DVD. Anyway, just to be polite, I tried a firmware upgrade. No dice, same issue persists. Factory reset? Same issue. I send the player back to Samsung for their technical expertise. Player returned to me after a week worse than before. Now it doesn't even play regular DVDs? I called 1-800-SAMSUNG. Guess what - they have no idea. The most informed response to my call was "it must have been damaged during shipping. It is a delicate machine. They test everything before it goes out." It was shipped back in a box that was two sizes too big. What did they think was going to happen? Not only does their product stink - their repair and customer service smells just as bad. I'm going to give this thing back to Best Buy and upgrade to a high-end DVD player. At least I know they still work. BTW - the crisp image and brilliant sound doesn't impress me that much. Its not worth all the hassle - firmware upgrades every few months, etc. I think Blu-Ray is a half-baked idea that needs to go back to the R&D department for more testing. Buy Samsung BD-P1500 1080p Blu-Ray Player With A 1-Year Extended Warranty Service Plan & High Speed HDMI Cable (2 meters)!

Philips Blu-ray Disc Player, BDP7200/37

I am like another reviewer who feels like I have to defend this product. Almost could not believe it when I saw the average review of only three stars as I write this. Did a lot of homework before buying this and when I saw it on sale for just under $200.00 at a competitor of Amazon.com, I had to pull the trigger. I am very glad I did, because the very minor flaws I have encountered thus far (after three weeks of ownership) seem insignificant to me.
Don't compare a player in this price range to one that has double the retail price. To me that is unfair.
I am a guy who has a decent Dolby Digital 5.1 sound system. I don't care if this does not have the latest Dolby TruHD or DTS HD decoders built in, because I am not going to take the plunge into a new AV Reciever thank you. The 5.1 sounds excellent via the optical input. I have a feeling that Philips knows who they are building these things for.
As for Picture quality, I could not be happier. I have it hooked up via HDMI (with the audio off so I can send that via Optical) to a Panasonic 42" Viera plasma (which accepts 1080P24 signal). Blurays look absolutely stunning if you have a TV that can accept 1080P24, and I have not had any of the freeze issues that some others talk about after viewing approximately a dozen bluray titles so far. DVD's look excellent as well (maybe not as good as Oppo), but MUCH better than my previous Samsung DVD player ever produced. Another selling point to me is the fact that it plays all DVD formats. Not just the minus only, some others in this price range. If you have any family stuff, home movies, etc recorded on Plus format dvds, watch out. You might end up not being able to watch them on your new player.
Lastly, If you look at some "big time" reviewers like CNET for example, you may be wrongly swayed against buying something that is not at the absolute top of their list. That would be a shame. I think they got it wrong when they gave this one an average rating.
I really like mine a lot, and I can't imagine that most people would not feel the same way if they picked one up. Buy Philips Blu-ray Disc Player, BDP7200/37!

Samsung BD-P1400 1080p Blu-Ray Disc Player

Item malfunction from the very start and stop working after the first use. Lesson for all of us/you is: Don't buy electronics over the internet. You don't know what you are getting and eventually will lose your money. I learned my lesson.Buy Samsung BD-P1400 1080p Blu-Ray Disc Player!

Samsung BD-P2550 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player

We bought this blu-ray player -- our first and only -- in early December 2008 after lots of reading and shopping. I wanted a player that would not only render blu-ray discs beautifully (as probably most 1080P-capable players do), but which would also keep our DVD collection as pleasantly watchable as possible, even by way of comparison. Concerning blu-ray, I hoped to avoid the compatibility issues which I had heard plagued other offerings out there, and I hoped to find a machine that would offer bearable load times for blu-ray titles.

Finally, as a Netflix customer, I was interested in the instant viewing aspect of the machine. But here, I had no idea what to expect, and did not let this feature weigh heavily in my decision to buy. At best, I thought it to be a bonus. At worst, it would simply go unused.

Over the almost 3 months we have owned it, this machine has surpassed all my expectations. Concerning standard definition DVDs, this unit's DVD up-conversion works extremely well. Almost all of our DVDs look very nice now, so good in fact that I am far less inclined to update our collection to blu-ray than I thought I would be. If that's important to you, then this machine is a winner. In fact, we don't use our old DVD player at all now.

Not surprisingly, blu-ray discs are breath-taking on our 52" LCD display. Load times are plenty fast, and system upgrades are flexible and easy if you have any kind of internet access. Significantly, we have had no compatibility issues with any disc.

While the quality of instant offerings from Netflix would not fare well in a brutal shootout with disc-based products, they are usually very watchable, and a pleasant way to spend an unexpected corner of time relaxing. (If the comparison helps, the quality is usually better than standard definition AppleTV, but never as good as AppleTV HD.) Thus, for us, Netflix compatibility has been a very pleasant surprise. Just remember that both broadband internet and a Netflix account are prerequisites for its use.

Likewise, we have enjoyed using Pandora's internet-based music catalogs far more than I thought I might. (With apologies to the Pandora people, I didn't even know what Pandora was before this purchase.) While we haven't used this feature frequently yet, it's a bonus we appreciate.

Bottom line: we are very pleased with this machine, and highly recommend it for your strong consideration.Buy Samsung BD-P2550 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player!

Onkyo DV-BD606 Blu Ray Single Disc Player (Black)

Outstanding player. Picture quality for Blu-ray is as good as it gets and the up-conversion on DVD's is excellent...cannot ask for better. Onkyo must have used some magic here; since it has played every Blu-ray and DVD put in it. Have played well over 100 DVD's, including DVD-R's. As for Blu-ray...around 60 to 70 - All four Rambo's, Die Hard's, three Matrix and both Underworld movies, Iron Man, Incredible Hulk, Wanted, Indiana Jones Kingdom, Fifth Element, Ghost Rider, Dirty Dozen, Eraser, Rocky Balboa, Stargate...etc. All played perfectly without any firmware update. As for BD Live 2.0 ... simply put; it is another way of control and to send commercials.Buy Onkyo DV-BD606 Blu Ray Single Disc Player (Black)!

Denon DVD-3800BDCI Blu-ray Disc DVD/CD Player

This has been an awesome purchase! Fantastic picture quality, and easy to use. I had a Sony Blu-ray player (and I typically love Sony products), but this Denon is far superior. The load times for movies is significantly faster as well.Buy Denon DVD-3800BDCI Blu-ray Disc DVD/CD Player!

Sony BDP-S300 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player

As an avid film fan, I considered it essential to get on board with the HD technology, which I did shortly after the format war was over. In a hurry to be a full participant, I went for a middle-priced BDP and settled on Sony's BDP S300. After six months of use, I can't say that I share the seething contempt for it I've seen elsewhere among these reviews, but I can't recommend it either, especially now that prices are coming down.

The first problem is, it's not fully functional in playing all the features on Blu-ray discs. A common bonus feature on the bigger titles -- and becoming more common all the time -- is the ability to access a PIP commentary while the movie is playing. The Sony BDP-S300 doesn't permit this capability. It never even occurred to me that a BDP wouldn't provide access to all that a disc offered, and I'm sure it never occurred to other people as well. I believed that the machines might load at different speeds, and default screens might look different, but I believed the features on discs would operate the same. It's quite stingy of Sony, really, to not provide this capability, since it's just a matter of a firmware update. I don't know if all manufacturers are committing the same rationing of features, but I know what to look for in the future.

Here's another problem. In the BDP's audio/video setup menu, you're provided a video output option of 24p. This puts the player and HDTV in sync with the 24-frames-per-second strobe rate of filmed material. If you have a 1080p HDTV, this would be the preferred setting. After I selected 24p, the player stumbles between functions, such as going from the static main disc menu, which does not use the 24-frames-per-second output, to the start of the film, which does. There's a data dropout during the switch, as the BDP adjusts to the different types of source material, a dropout that's registered by a brief display of a blank blue screen and the HDTV's default notices. This is not a TERRIBLE bug, but it's a bug nonetheless. I'm not sure a firmware update can fix that, but I informed Sony of it just the same.

Because I'm not highfalutin when it comes to special features, I'm not bothered much about the lack of access to those cuter extras. As for the dropouts, those sudden bright blue stabs in the eyes occur only during transition between modes, so they remain only as a minor annoyance, mostly as a reminder that I paid too much for an inferior machine. But it delivers the hi-def image as good as any other, and there's been no Blu-ray discs it wouldn't play, though two of them required I install the firmware updates. I downloaded the updates directly from the site, which was a problem the first time because the instructions are wrong (they say to burn it to CD instead of a DVD; the BDP won't read the CD). The bottom line is that I got what I wanted most, so I won't rail against this machine like others I've seen here. However, if Sony doesn't come up with firmware that permits full access to all features on a mainstream title, and if I have to buy a different machine to achieve full functionality, that machine won't be a Sony, just on principle. Prior to this purchase, I trusted that the Sony brand always meant quality. I'm not so sure now, so I'll give another manufacturer a try. Buy Sony BDP-S300 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player!

Sylvania NB501SL9 1080p Blu-Ray Disc Player

This is the Rodney Dangerfield of Blu-Ray players: it gets little or no respect. Most people don't even know that this player exists. They would prefer to spend the extra money and buy a Sony/Panasonic/Samsung Blu-Ray player. But this player does a comparable job.
Set up was simple. I just connected a high powered Mediabridge HDMI cable (which I bought through Amazon) from my Sony Bravia Z series 40" HDTV to the Sylvania 501SL9 and then connected the Sylvania adapter from the back of the player to a wall outlet.
Initially, I had a problem getting the remote to respond. But once I put in the included Panasonic batteries properly, the remote responded well. Load times are quick (10 to 15 seconds). I pressed the set up button on the remote to configure the player properly for audio and HDMI resolution (1080p24). It is important to go into the settings and make this change as the default HDMI display resolution is 720p. I also changed the audio to deep surround sound, which I like better.
The only thing I did not like about the Sylvania remote was that I had to use my Sony remote to change the sound volume. I could not find that feature on the Sylvania remote.
It should be noted that this player does not have an ethernet or USB port so if you need to upgrade the software, you will have to call customer service at Sylvania to send an upgrade disc unless you already possess some advanced CD burning software for a bin file.
I've only had the Sylvania Blu-Ray player for 4 days, but I've already watched 2 blu-ray movies and loved it; it was a tremendous experience with no problems whatsoever.
So, if you want to pay considerably less than the name brands and get a great Blu-Ray player, consider the Sylvania 501SL9.



Buy Sylvania NB501SL9 1080p Blu-Ray Disc Player!

Magnavox Blu-ray Disc Player NB500MG9

I purchased this BD player from WalMart when it was $299.00. It was well worth the price! The load times really surprised me. I haven't waited more then 30 seconds. Experience the superior picture quality of Blu-ray movies in full 1080p high-definition on your HDTV. DVDs will also look their best thanks to 1080p upconversion on compatible HDTVs that have an HDMI port. The NB500MG9 can play CDs and JPEG photos that have been burned onto CD-Rs, too. Additional highlights include component video output and a digital coaxial output for connecting compatible surround sound systems. You sure can't go wrong for the $$$!Buy Magnavox Blu-ray Disc Player NB500MG9!

Sony BDP-S500 1080p Blu-Ray Disc Player

Blu ray is great, but the device isn't as good. It takes too long to open/close the DVD holder and the remote is somewhat picky. The Playstation version of the blu-ray works much better.Buy Sony BDP-S500 1080p Blu-Ray Disc Player!

Denon DVD-2500BTCI Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Player

I cannot say anything else but WOW what an excellent Bluray player this is. Denon went all the way as far as performance and quality. It makes your Blu-ray movies come alive even more. I am using a Denon AVR-2808CI receiver and both work like magic together.
If you want a very well built Bluray player for the amazing price of under $500 this is the one for you.
Highly recommended to anyone who wants the best in bluray playback.Buy Denon DVD-2500BTCI Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Player!

Sony BDP-BX1 1080p Blu-Ray Disc Player with Bonus HDMI Cable

Blu Ray playback is very good, but have to keep the
old DVD player powered up to play other media types.
Buy Sony BDP-BX1 1080p Blu-Ray Disc Player with Bonus HDMI Cable!

Sharp Aquos BDHP20U 1080p Blu-Ray Disc Player

We purchased the BDHP20U as part of a package deal with the HDTV. Our first player would lock up within the first minute of loading any movie. I returned the unit to Best Buy thinking I was unlucky with the first unit.

The problems started when we attempted to play a newer HD movie (Horton hears a who). The movie required a firware upgrade. The process is pretty simple. I downloaded the files, extracted them to a good USB stick and started the process.

The unit basically said it could not read the firmware file. I decided to try a smaller USB drive (512 MB ... initial one was 2 GB). Same problem. Since I downloaded the software using Vista I went to an XP box and redownloaded the firmware file. Still no luck.

I decided to call Sharp support. The person on the phone was nice, but basically walked me through the process I already tried. After aobut 15 minutes he recommeded a system reset. That did not work. He then recommedned a unplug the unit, wait 5 minuntes, try again. I hung up, tried the process ... NO LUCK!

I called Sharp again. The lady told me the process always works and that I was doing something wrong. Not the best way to treat a customer. She told me the process ... again ... and that I'd have to pay Sharp to do the upgrade.

At this point I'm pretty ticked. The USB port was never tested in the original unit. So I am sure it is bad. I calmly discuss this with the service rep. She tells me that I am doing something wrong with the upgrade. I finally ask for someone that can give me a RMA number and waive all repair costs.

I get passed on to a new phone system. I wait for 45 mintues ... I hang up. Furstrated! I add my Case # to an email and finally get a contact through email. The person says I can return the unit and it will be fixed.

I read that it will be fixed at no cost. I guess I am an idiot :) AS it turns out the unit costs $425 to repair. Let's see a new unit is less than $400. I may be stupid, but not that stupid.

So, we have a broken BluRay. The problem is the USB Port. The USB has never been tested so Sharp can not prove that the port ever worked. I claim this MUST be fixed under warranty for NO cost. Sharp tells me they will not fix the unit and there is a $50 charge for the evaluation!

Amazing. This is absolutly the worst customer service I have seen. I work in the computer industry, so I've seen bad service.

Stay away from Sharp. No bailout here. Bad business practice should hurt.Buy Sharp Aquos BDHP20U 1080p Blu-Ray Disc Player!

Panasonic DMP-BD30K 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player

I have owned this for two months and have nothing but good thigns to say about it. Load/start-up time is MUCH quicker than my other blu-ray player (Samsung BDP1400) and from what I have read, much quicker than most blu-ray players. i would say that it takes about 15 seconds to get going, which is not bad at all. The upconversion from SD dvd's is amazing and the Blu-rays look out of this world.

The only complaint I have is that the remote is not backlit and when you are watching TV in the dark it can become annoying.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this player to anyone looking to buy a stand-alone.Buy Panasonic DMP-BD30K 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player!

LG BD300 Network Blu-ray Disc Player

Love this machine. The picture quality is great, and it's easy to use. Prompt shipment. Very satisfied.Buy LG BD300 Network Blu-ray Disc Player!

Panasonic DMP-BD55K Blu-ray Disc Player

I am very pleased with this purchase. Since my home theater receiver is four years old I had to connect the player directly to the television and the receiver. I set it up in mimutes and it connected to my home theater system via the fiber optic audio cable connection and to the television via the hdmi cable. Sounds and looks great. It would have been nice if the blu-ray player had a wireless connection similar to TIVO but I am working on the wireless bridge that has been described in other reviews.Buy Panasonic DMP-BD55K Blu-ray Disc Player!

Sylvania NB500SL9 1080p Blu-Ray Player with HDMI Cable

It was very easy to hook up and we have been extremely pleased with the picture quality.

Buy Sylvania NB500SL9 1080p Blu-Ray Player with HDMI Cable!

Sharp Aquos BDHP21U 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player

Unfortunately, despite Sharp having upgraded the firmware for this player in February, this machine doesn't play all of the latest blu-ray discs. We tried two different copies of "Australia" - the player couldn't get past the loading stage. The next upgrade won't be for "months."

Customer Support told me that this is a problem with the disc manufacturers changing the requirements for what makes discs playable. How is this possible? How is it possible that the blu-ray format has not been standarized? Maybe Sharp is to blame, maybe the disc makers, maybe Sony. All I know is, even when we had a Beta video player, at least you knew that if you rented a Beta video, it would play when you got it home. I would have to say: skip this player, and if you haven't made the jump to Blu-ray yet, wait a couple of years until the format is truly standardized.Buy Sharp Aquos BDHP21U 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player!

Panasonic DMP-BD35K 1080p Blu-ray Player

Panasonic will be announcing their 2009 line of blu-ray players soon- the BD60 and BD80. So, don't pay an outrageous amount of money for a 2008 player.Buy Panasonic DMP-BD35K 1080p Blu-ray Player!

Pioneer BDP-51FD BonusView Blu-ray Player

This particular Pioneer is a great buy right now, as it has some of the best upscaling capabilities of ANY player. This model is nearly the same as the Elite model, and unless you really need the fancy faceplate and gold connectors, buy this model instead and save yourself a few hundred bucks. The 51fd is a tweaker's player, giving you quite a few options for optimizing your sound and video output, and is a world-class CD player as well with it's terrific Wolfson DACs. The GUI is very refined and easy to use.

The downsides to this product are lack of ethernet and profile 2.0 support, but that's a mixed bag if you ask me. Pioneer has been fairly supportive in firmware updates for this player, which have markedly improved load times and upscaling performance. DTS-MA is still coming down the pipe purportedly, but with Pioneer's sketchy DVD player support in the near future, we shall see if that ever gets released.

The new Pioneers (120, 320, and 23fd) should offer similar performance, but are not built as well as this player. They will also offer ethernet capabilities, and come in at lower msrps.

In short, this player is quite a bit better than any of it's 2008-release, under $1k brethren, and still better than most of the 2009 products as well.

The only player I would consider above this would be the new Oppo, and maybe some of the high-end Denon and the Pio 09fd.Buy Pioneer BDP-51FD BonusView Blu-ray Player!

Sony BDP-S350 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player

In the digital world, picture quality is not just about resolution, but also about bit rates. The higher the bit rate, the more data that is processed, typically resulting in higher video quality. DVDs have a maximum video bit rate of about 10 megabits per second (Mbps). In comparison, Blu-ray Disc is capable of video bitrates up to an incredible 40 Mbps. The bottom line, higher bit rates allow for the least amount of data compression for HD video that looks closest to the original video source.
Buy Sony BDP-S350 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player!

Sony BDP-S550 1080p Blu-ray Player

My unit was defective out of the box (it would not output video using the HDMI output). I contacted Sony's technical support and spoke with 4 different technicians. They concluded that the unit was defective out of the box.
Buy Sony BDP-S550 1080p Blu-ray Player!

Samsung BD-P1500 1080p Blu-ray Player

Bought it yesterday. Arrived and unpacked today. Was disappointed as soon as I powered it on.

The noise this thing makes when loading up a disc is just absurd. It reminded me of a VHS player from the mid-80s. Utterly ridiculous in 2009. The 8yo DVD player this unit replaced was quieter than the BD-P1500. It almost sounded like some mechanical gear was moving the laser around.

Second, the display is way too dim for home-theater use.

Third, the communication speed between the remote and the unit is awful. I could press a button and the unit wouldn't respond for 1/2 to 3/4 of a second later. It was a very noticeable delay. I even held the remote directly in front of the unit but the delay was still there. Not sure what is happening but again, "absurd" comes to mind.

Finally, powering off this unit takes upwards of 10-15 seconds???? Are you serious? What is it doing when I press the power-off button? Thinking about shutting down? The disc was removed before I pressed the power-off button so what was it doing?

It managed to play a Blu-ray disc and a standard DVD disc without error so I'm giving it one star for each.

Utterly disappointing is how I describe this unit. Spend a little more money and get a proper unit. This one is seriously flawed. I should have known something was up when I saw the list of supported disc formats. The list of disc formats the BD-P1500 doesn't play is longer than the list it does play!

I'm debating whether I want to return it. Buy Samsung BD-P1500 1080p Blu-ray Player!

Samsung BD-P2500 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player

This is my first Blu-ray. I do like it. The quality is great, sound great, pictures are great!! It's an easy set up. The reason I chose this was for the netflix download feature. It works fine, a little slow on the download, and it is a little cumbersome if you have a lot of movies in your que. Aside from that and the choice availiable from netflix (a netflix problem) I really like the feature. I can have many movies available to me right now. That is nice!!Buy Samsung BD-P2500 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player!

Samsung Q1 16 GB Video MP3 Player with Lighted Touchpad (White)

When I read the reviews on this product I did not pay attention to those who cited the control function as being poor. I thought how hard can it be to press a directional control up or down? It is a beautifully stylish player, however upon trying to use it I exclaimed OMG...you have got to be kidding me!!! No matter hard I tried to precisely press the directional control it just failed to do what it was designed to do. I found that it was completely unusable and had to return it to Amazon. I did not even get a chance to judge it on all the other features that people loved about it.
Maybe next rev for this one!!!Buy Samsung Q1 16 GB Video MP3 Player with Lighted Touchpad (White)!

Transcend T.sonic 610 1 GB MP3 Player (White)

Ths is a really great little MP3 player. No complaints so far and I've had it over a year!Buy Transcend T.sonic 610 1 GB MP3 Player (White)!

Samsung Q1 8 GB Video MP3 Player with Lighted Touchpad (White)

When I read the reviews on this product I did not pay attention to those who cited the control function as being poor. I thought how hard can it be to press a directional control up or down? It is a beautifully stylish player, however upon trying to use it I exclaimed OMG...you have got to be kidding me!!! No matter hard I tried to precisely press the directional control it just failed to do what it was designed to do. I found that it was completely unusable and had to return it to Amazon. I did not even get a chance to judge it on all the other features that people loved about it.
Maybe next rev for this one!!!Buy Samsung Q1 8 GB Video MP3 Player with Lighted Touchpad (White)!

Philips PSA232 Active Range Sport MP3 Player with FM Tuner (Silver/Orange)

It's a shame that this mp3 has an incredible poor battery life, because the radio is nice and it has some cool features and design.
The battery hardly lasts 3 hours, that's why I give it only 2 stars.Buy Philips PSA232 Active Range Sport MP3 Player with FM Tuner (Silver/Orange)!

Latte iPearl 4 GB Video MP3 Player (Pink)

It is a cool color but I just got it a month ago and the screen already cracked!! It has good sound quality but pressing the button over and over gets very annoying. its good if you just have it on shuffle. Buy Latte iPearl 4 GB Video MP3 Player (Pink)!

iriver T7 Volcano 2 GB USB MP3 Player (Sky Blue)

The T7 Volcano is not a bad little pen drive like mp3 player it plays ogg mp3 and i think even flac has firmware upgradability but not very recently updated last time i checked their website
If you are a geek this is a great device lots of features but kind of hard to learn all the buttons.
Very nice and bright screen a shame that it doesn't do more but still excellent oled tech and even controls for display time/brightness.
FM Radio excellent as well as Recording Radio not very intuitive interface for either but both work well.
Browser feature is very nice for looking for files on the device and very fast.
Sound is excellent as all iriver products.
Very smooth design is super sleek but not super user friendly buttons sometimes require extra dexterity to use.
Great Battery life approximately 4 hours loud music or 12 hours radio/talk mp3 podcasts.
I feel for the price this product delivers.
Buy iriver T7 Volcano 2 GB USB MP3 Player (Sky Blue)!

Transcend T.sonic 850 4 GB Video MP3 Player (White)

Awsome product, no problems. screen is crystal clear, sound is great. the size is perfect and the interface is easy to use. well worth the $70+ not to get the ipod nano.Buy Transcend T.sonic 850 4 GB Video MP3 Player (White)!