Samsung BD-P1000 Blu-Ray Disc Player Review

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(More customer reviews)I purchased this blu-ray player the day they came out and ended up having to switch it out three times to get one that worked. The first one had a bad drive motor, the second a loose component connector and the third worked but still locked up frequently. The picture quality is only slightly better than many of the "upconversion" dvd players on the market. One reviewer stated that Underworld Evolution and T2 are stunning. While I will admit Underworld looks good, although the regular dvd is not that far behind it in picture quality, T2 has a DTS sound glitch that makes it skip on this player and overall the picture is not much better that the ultimate version out for half the price on regular dvd. The discs at this point are not worth the money, poor transfers overall and few or no special features. Save your money.

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The Samsung BD-P1000 DVD player is the first model from Samsung that plays high-definition Blu-ray Discs, which takes advantage of today's flat-screen HDTVs by playing content at native 720p or 1080i video resolutions. You'll marvel at the clarity and full-color spectrum of the vibrant video produced from Blu-ray movie discs, which provide five times the resolution of standard DVD movie discs. The BD-P1000 also offers backward compatibility for DVD movie and CD audio discs, and an upconverting function that brings your favorite DVDs to near HD quality. It includes one high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) output, which provides uncompressed, all-digital video and multi-channel audio delivered via a single cable (720p/1080p). High-definition signals up to 1080i are also available through the component video output. Note that viewing high-definition Blu-ray Disc content requires an HDTV or HD-ready TV.
The user-friendly graphic interface includes a full-color, hi-def animated menu, with features such as advanced subtitle functions, video scene search and pop-ups--which provide informative tidbits and are embedded in Blu-ray Disc contents. And the unique 11-in-2 multi-format memory card slot displays 3-megapixel and larger images in full hi-def resolution. It's compatible with Secure Digital (SD), MultiMedia (MMC), CompactFlash, MicroDrive, XD Picture Card, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick Duo Pro, Memory Stick Pro, RS MMC, and Mini SD. Other technical features include
Up to 1080p (1920 x 1080p) output through HDMI digital output
Selectable 1080p/1080i/720p video upconversion of DVDÕs through HDMI
BD-RE, BD-ROM, DVD ROM, DVD RAM, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, CD-ROM, CD-R/RW playback compatible
MPEG2, VC-1, H.264, HD JPEG decoding
12-bit/192MhZ video D/A converter; 24-bit/192KHz audio D/A converter

The BD-P1000 provides a full range of audio decoding, including Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby DTS, and MP3. It has stereo outputs as well as coaxial and optical digital audio outputs for 5.1-channel home theater surround sound. It offers the following video output connection options:
Composite AV (RCA): 1
S-Video: 1
Component Video: 1
HDMI: 1

Blu-ray Disc Format The next-generation Blu-ray optical disc format was created by a group of the world's top consumer electronics companies, including Samsung and Sony. This format was intended to meet the demand for playing and recording high-definition content, which far surpasses the video quality DVD can handle. With remarkable high quality video and crisp audio clarity, Blu-ray also offers increased storage capacity--up to 25 GB of content on a single-sided disc and enough space for two hours of high-definition movies or recorded content. (This is over five times the 4.7 GB of data a standard single-sided DVD disc can store.) The name Blu-ray is derived from the blue-violet laser the player uses to read and write to the disc.
Tech Talk HDMI is a lossless, uncompressed, all-digital audio/video interface to link any audio/video source (such as a set-top box, DVD player, or AV receiver) with your TV--all over a single cable. HDMI supports standard, enhanced or high definition video, plus multi-channel digital audio on a single cable. It supports all ATSC formats--standard (SDTV), enhanced (EDTV), and high (HDTV).
Component video (also called Y/Pb/Pr) features a three-jack video input, which provides separate connections for luminance (Y), blue color difference (PB) and red color difference (PR). This results in increased bandwidth for color information, resulting in a more accurate picture with clearer color reproduction and less bleeding than you would get with S-Video or composite (RCA yellow video plug) connections. You will need a separate RCA left/right audio cable for sound.

High Definition Formats: The most common high-def (HD) video format is 720p, which displays video at 720 vertical by 1280 horizontal pixels. The "p" denotes that it is progressive scan, meaning that all video lines are filled at the same time. The 1080i format displays video at 1080 vertical by 1920 horizontal pixels, and the "i" means that it is interlaced (the old-school way of presenting video where the screen scans the odd-numbered video lines first, then the even-numbered lines). The 1080p format has the same pixel resolution as 1080i, but it is a progressive scan format and thus has a constant vertical resolution of 720 lines.

What's in the Box Blu-ray DVD player, remote control (multibrand for TVs; comes with batteries), printed operating insructions

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Philips BDP9000 Blu-Ray Disc Player Review

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(More customer reviews)URGENT UPDATE: INSTALL SAMSUNG 1.9 Driver to the Philips Player To Fix Problems!!!
It's Feb 2009 and this Blu Ray player was having trouble with certain new Blu Ray releases . . . they wouldn't play, etc. I was told this unit would be useless soon and Philips was not updating firmware. I searched and found this thread [...] and it suggested installing the Samsung Driver . . . I was skeptical at first, but was about to scrap this thing . . . so I installed the SAMSUNG 1.9 Driver update . . . IT WORKED!!!!!!!Previous Review Below
Like the reviewer below, I also have the Toshiba HD2 Model for HD DVD. I am using both of these units on a Mitsubishi 55" 1080i HDTV. Using the Impact Component Video Switcher with Optical Audio connections I have been extremely pleased with this product so far. Why would anyone spend more for a Blu Ray Player? At some point I think the details of the output specs don't live up to the cost paid. This unit however, exceeds expectations given the current price point of other Blu Ray Players. Bottomline . . . I feel I made an excellent choice buying both this unit and the Toshiba HD2 HD DVD players rather than spending MORE money for just a Panasonic or Sony Blu Ray player.

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The Philips BDP9000 DVD player is the first model from Philips that plays high-definition Blu-ray Discs, which takes advantage of today's flat-screen HDTVs by playing content at native 720p or 1080i video resolutions. The clarity and full-color spectrum of the vibrant video produced from Blu-ray movie discs, which provide five times the resolution of standard DVD movie discs is absolutely amazing. The Philips BDP9000 also offers backward compatibility for DVD movie and CD audio discs, and has an upconverting function that brings your favorite DVDs to near HD quality through the HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface) output. The player includes one (HDMI) output, which provides uncompressed multi-channel digital audio, digital High Definition video delivered via a single cable (720p/1080p). High-definition signals up to 1080i are also available through the component video output for Bluray discs (standard DVD's are output 480p through component video). Note that viewing high-definition Blu-ray Disc content requires an HDTV or HD-ready TV. The user-friendly graphic interface includes a full-color, hi-def animated menu, with features such as advanced subtitle functions, video scene search and pop-ups--which provide informative tidbits and are embedded in Blu-ray Disc contents. The unique 10-in-2 multi-format memory card slot displays 3-megapixel and larger images. It's compatible with Secure Digital (SD), MultiMedia (MMC), CompactFlash, MicroDrive, XD Picture Card, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick Duo Pro, Memory Stick Pro, RS MMC, and Mini SD. Other technical features include: Up to 1080p (1920 x 1080p) output through HDMI digital outputSelectable 1080p/1080i/720p video upconversion of DVD's through HDMIBD-RE, BD-ROM, DVD ROM, DVD RAM, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, CD-ROM, CD-R/RW playback compatibleMPEG2, VC-1, H.264, HD JPEG decoding12-bit/192MhZ video D/A converter; 24-bit/192KHz audio D/A converter The BDP9000 provides a full range of audio decoding, including Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby DTS, and MP3. It has stereo outputs as well as coaxial and optical digital audio outputs for 5.1-channel home theater surround sound. It offers the following video output connection options: HDMI: 1Component Video: 1S-Video: 1Composite AV (RCA): 1 Blu-ray Disc Format The next-generation Blu-ray optical disc format was created by a group of the world's top consumer electronics companies, including Philips and Sony. This format was intended to meet the demand for playing and recording high-definition content, which far surpasses the video quality DVD can handle. With remarkable high quality video and crisp audio clarity, Blu-ray also offers increased storage capacity--up to 25 GB of content on a single-sided disc and enough space for two hours of high-definition movies or recorded content. (This is over five times the 4.7 GB of data a standard single-sided DVD disc can store.) The name Blu-ray is derived from the blue-violet laser the player uses to read and write to the disc. Tech Talk HDMI: is a lossless, uncompressed, all-digital audio/video interface to link any audio/video source (such as a set-top box, DVD player, or AV receiver) with your TV--all over a single cable. HDMI supports standard, enhanced or high definition video, plus multi-channel digital audio on a single cable. It supports all ATSC formats--standard (SDTV), enhanced (EDTV), and high (HDTV). Component video: (also called Y/Pb/Pr) features a three-jack video input, which provides separate connections for luminance or "black and white" (Y), blue color difference (PB) and red color difference (PR). This results in increased bandwidth for color information, resulting in a more accurate picture with clearer color reproduction and less bleeding than you would get with S-Video or composite (RCA yellow video plug) connections. You will need a separate RCA left/right audio cable for sound or you can use a digital connection like "digital coaxial" or "optical". High Definition Formats: The most common high-def (HD) video format is 1080i, which displays video at 1080 vertical by 1920 horizontal pixels. The "i" means that it is interlaced (interlaced means the screen scans the odd-numbered video lines first, then the even-numbered lines).The 1080p format has the same pixel resolution as 1080i, but it is a progressive scan format and thus has a constant vertical resolution of 1080 lines. The "p" denotes that it is progressive scan, meaning that all video lines are filled at the same time.Another high-def (HD) video format is 720p, which displays video at 720 vertical by 1280 horizontal pixels.It displays the same way as as 1080p except at a lower resolution. What's in the Box Blu-ray DVD player, remote control (multibrand for TVs; comes with batteries), printed operating instructions.

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Samsung BD-P1200 Blu-ray Disc Player Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I received this player yesterday. Connected it to my Samsung 42 inch Plasma 1080i with an HDMI and Fiber optic audio cable to my Yamaha sound system. It took maybe 20 minutes and what a result. Beautiful picture and like wise with the sound! I put Mel Gibson's Blu-ray version of Apocalypto in and enjoyed my home Theater! It seems as if you could walk into the scene.
I had no trouble with the start up or playing of the disk. I also tried two regular DVD's and they were upgraded on the Blu-ray player. So far I am very pleased with the operation and quality of the player. The price was very reasonable for a Blu-ray player on todays market.
It is one week later and I have ordered a second Samsung BD-P1200 for my 50 inch Vizio 1080i plasma. I hooked my first one one to it and what a difference! so now I have two movie theaters one in the bedroom and one in my living room. I think one big difference is the fiber optic audio cable and HDMI cable. I bought both from Amazon for the price of maybe half of one at best buy. I do not believe in those high dollar HDMI cables,that do the same job as the less expensive ones. Great picture and Great sound.
I have to address an item on a lot of reviews as to this unit will not have all the features of the next model. If you wait until they stop improving electronics you would never buy anything. They constantly are upgrading and improving everything. Did consumers wait for DVD's when VHS was popular? If you did you lost a lot of watching movies at home.
After having this player several months,I cannot believe the bad reviews! I bought two of them and so far no problems at all. They have played everything I put in them. Maybe It is my TV's or my luck but so far very good player. 11/21/2007

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Samsung presents the highest definition experience in the world - the BD-P1200 Blu-ray disc player. You will marvel at the clarity and full-color spectrum of every scene, while multi-channel sound puts you in the center of the action. This is the ultimate in movie realism. With its HQV true 1080i to 1080p HD deinterlacing process, the BD-P1200 delivers the sharpest, most detailed HD images possible. There are no jagged edges with the per-pixel motion adaptive algorithm and a sophisticated multi-directional diagonal filter. It doesn't get any better than this for viewing enjoyment.

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Sony BDP-S1 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I am, as a rule, not one to buy first generations of any kind of product. I have a long history of owning problem-free Sony products, so I was willing to risk it with the BDP-S1 once I caught it on sale. Big mistake! While the picture quality is amazingly better than anything I've seen so far in a digital video format, the machine is glitchy as can be. Here's my thoughts:
Pros:
1. Much better audio than with any player I've ever owned. The channels are clearly separate and not muddy sounding as with other players I've owned. Some of that is the Yamaha receiver, but there've been other players connected to it recently and none match the BDP-S1 sound output quality.
2. The picture delivers as advertised when played with the Blue Ray discs. The 1080i upconversion (my TV doesn't support 1080p...another wait-and-see attitude for me) is not remarkable with standard DVDs, but there is a difference.
Cons:
1. Does not play CD audio discs. Not a big thing to me since I never played CDs in any of my previous DVD players, but for the price (see #5 below), this machine should have zero problems handling any previous digital data formats.
2. The boot-up speed is, in a word, awful. It takes a LONG time for the player to get to the point where the tray can be opened to insert a disc.After I'd first bought the player, I pressed the open/close button and, once the player had finished it's boot-up process, it opened and then immediately closed the tray, scratching the disc. I learned to wait until I see the "CLOSE" indication on the player before pressing the open/close button. This con sounds a bit trivial, but after several foot-tapping delays, it becomes insane.
3. The menu access is hit-and-miss with standard DVD discs. Some discs will allow you to go back to the previous menu when the MENU button is pressed on the remote, others will display the message "This operation is prohibitied by this disc" and then you're forced to stop the disc and either restart it again for this power cycle or reboot the entire player (see #2!).
4. Following the argument in #3, if you are able to restart the disc without rebooting the player, this process sometimes hangs the play mode into scan mode. When this happens, it's back to rebooting the player and, you guessed it, see #2.
5. There is no resume function that bookmarks your progress after power is removed from the player. So, if you have to reboot because you tried to access the menu with a standard DVD, you'll have to find where you were at manually once you are able to return to the movie. The resume works only on the current power cycle.
6. Even on sale, this player is enormously expensive.
I broke my own rule of avoiding first generation products based on brand loyalty and performance history. It's why I don't own a 2005 Mustang while I absolutely loved the redesign and my mouth watered every time one drove past. But in this instance, I turned a deaf ear to my better judgment, so I deserve what I got for having ignored my own cardinal rule. Don't make the same mistake. Wait and see what's next. It's my understanding that the next generation of Sony Blue Ray players will play CD audio. Save your money and frustration budget and wait.


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Sony built quality, industrial design, and construction
1080p Full HD Video Output from Blu-ray Disc
DVD up-scaling to 1080p
World-class audio and video components/circuits
BD-Java interactive capability
Blu-ray Disc/DVD playback
Video Codec Format: MEPG2/MEG4-AVC/VC-1
Drive Bracket for stability of drive system
Individual Speaker setting
Off Center Insulator Feet
Pop Up Menu
Quick Setup
FL off/Dimmer Mode
Screen Saver
Mp3 & JPEG Playback
Parental Control
IR in
Multi Brand TV Control Remote
Hightly Tuned Audio Parts
Separated Audio Circuit Board
Multi Channel 192KHz/24bit Audio D/A Converters
Dolby Digital and dts 5.1 Channel Output
Picture Mode Settings
Dolby Digital Plus, DTS-HD, Dolby Digital, Digital Out and decoding capability.
HDMI Output x 1
Component Video Output - x 1
Optical Output x 1
Composite Output x 1

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