DVD Player Reviews and Prices

3D Technology Checklist This product is 3D related. To assist you get a great 3D experience, use the checklist below to ensure you have everything you need. 3D looking at requires: A Display
First, you will need a 3D ready display whether it is a 3D HDTV, 3D projector, or 3D computer monitor. These displays have more processing power than standard 2D models for showing 3D pictures in fast succession. A Source
Your display can be prepared for 3D playback, but you will still need a device to read 3D content. This may be a cable box with a subscription to a 3D channel, a 3D Blu ray Disc player, or a PlayStation three system. 3D Content
3D content the real entertainment, in other words will be played using the source mentioned above, if it is a 3D broadcast from your cable provider, a 3D Blu ray Disc, or a 3D video game. 3D Glasses
For now, the vast most of 3D HDTVs require glasses for 3D looking at. Many use powered “active shutter” glasses, others polarized “passive” glasses. You will need one pair per viewer, and they will must be matched with your display, if they are the same brand, or a pair of “universal” glasses intended to work across brands. HDMI Cable
To connect your source (such as a 3D Blu ray Disc player) to your display, you will need a high speed HDMI cable. Cables with this designation feature bandwidth speeds up to 10.2 Gbps (gigabits per second), for carrying the 3D signal without any loss of quality.
If you want to get more info about 3D, shop our 3D merchandise, watch videos, or interact with other customers, we invite you to visit 3D 101, our buyer center about everything 3D.

68 of 70 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of five stars Excellent Blu ray playback, and so Smart TV…, March 17, 2011
By C. Luckenbach (Los Angeles,CA) See all my reviews
(REAL NAME) This review is from: Samsung BD D6500 3D Blu ray Disc Player (Black) (Electronics) I required to replace an maturing Panasonic DMP BD35K, which had decided to become selective as to which BD’s it could play( usually newer titles would not load, I am not sure if it is a question of a lack in newer firmware, of which Panasonic has not released an update in about two years, or if it just is not working any longer.).
I had researched greatly on the buy of the Panasonic reading many reviews from some number of websites, but on this buy I just decided to take a chance with Samsung. I do own a Samsung TV which I really like and the reviews of Samsung’s 2010 Blu ray player were also good. Almost as good as the ‘King of the hill’ Oppo( as indicated by cnet video test scores. ). I was aware of the many negative reviews of the 2010 BD C6500 and I also noticed that they were usually in regards to the web enabled apps, and not in regards to video playback. I have an Apple TV which I use for Netflix streaming( it does an excellent job of that, 720p only, but no biggy for me ), and I do not really have any use for the other apps.

So in comes the BD D6500, I unpack it and connect it in about five minute. The set up is basic with many of the menu selections being ‘Auto’. I am still playing with the set up to see if anything looks better/more correct. I pop in a disc( Avatar ) and wow, it just looked better. I start going through some number of BD’s and they all look great. The blacks are darker without an over zealous increase in contrast. I run it at 24Hz and it appears to do that better as well( it was generally so so on the Panasonic. ). The Imax shots in The black Knight look awesome. And all the while as I’m going through some number of BD’s I notice how fast this player loads the discs. Really fast in comparison to the much older Panasonic.
I’m really impressed by this player. I also played many old DVDs to see how well it upscaled and it did a great job. Again it obviously out performed the Panasonic.

Now as far as the Smart TV apps are worried I did attempt to watch a movie on Vudu as it gave me a free rental, and after I selected a movie( Machete ), the player locked up. Maybe it did not like the movie I picked, but it still should not have done that. I did notice that after I registered the player, the Vudu, with the other apps that I went through seemed to work. Possibly I required to register the player before I was able to use the apps? And there is not any fitted memory for BD Live which is kind of lame. You have to use an external USB drive.

In the end I’m happy with this buy and to be totally honest, a part of me hoped that this player could sucked just so I could justify the $500 buy price of the Oppo BD 93. But it does not. It is just a really good Blu ray player and that is what I wanted. If your not too worried with Smart TV apps( which are now working for me ), or too worried about playing files off of your PC( which I think it does, but I have not a use for. ) then purchase with confidence, as I’m sure that once the different review sites get their hands on the this new BD D6500, the results will be stellar.

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22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of five stars Great Picture and Colors, Features good When They Work, May 14, 2011
By Aviator See all my reviews This review is from: Samsung BD D6500 3D Blu ray Disc Player (Black) (Electronics) I been using the Samsung BD D6500 unit for a month now and found the picture and color rendition to be great. 3D looking at through my Samsung 3D prepared HDTV and optional 3D glasses works well. The wired and wireless connection work but I found myself resetting the unit’s network interface on occasion to get the unit to function. I strongly recommend using the wired connection for speed and dependability. The standard remote control works good but the “EXIT”, “RETURN”, “INFO i” and “TOOLS” buttons are crammed too tightly around the navigation buttons causing inadvertent button depressions. As well, I could have favored if the “EXIT” and “RETURN” buttons where interchanged. The “Smart Hub” Internet applications are good when they work. I have found that the “Netflix” application interface is restricted in comparison to the “Netflix” PC interface. If you’re planning to use the “Smart Hub” applications greatly you may want to think about buying the optional “QWERTY” remote control. The BD Live feature was a challenge to setup and I have still to get it to work reliably without hanging up the unit. Information on how to get the BD Live feature to work are spares and unclear. But, it’s a feature I can live without and of questionable use and value. You’ll need a thumb drive or external hard drive to get the BD Live feature to work. As well, you have to let the unit know that you’re using the external drive for this function. Attempt the “Digital Data Management” function on the on screen menu for this.

Overall, if you own a Samsung 3D prepared HDTV and 3D looking at is vital to you think about this unit. The picture and color quality is great. Otherwise, if 3D looking at isn’t vital think about other Blu ray (BD) units that may do a better job of network applications. Note, this unit doesn’t supply for direct 5.1 speaker connections.

Now for the tips!

As soon as you connect your unit out of the box and configure your network performed a “network” firmware update! Look in the manual for information or under the “Settings” then Support menu on screen.

If you find yourself resetting the unit’s network or having network problems attempt manually assigning a static IP network address above your router’s DHCP addresses or range. To do this 1st perform a “Network Status” on your unit and note the submask, gateway and DNS server addresses. Now “login” to your router and find the range of the dynamically assigned DHCP addresses. As an example, on a Linksys router it’s typically 50 addresses starting from 192.68.1.0 to 192.68.1.49.
Pick any address above this range, say 192.168.1.160 as an example. But, any address above the DHCP IP address range will do for your particular router. Next, return to BD D6500 and press the following sequence of remote control buttons for a wired connection: “Menu”, choose Settings on the screen and “Enter”, choose Network and “Enter”, choose “Network Setting” choose Wired and “Enter”, choose IP Mode then choose Manual and “Enter”.
Finally, enter the IP 192.168.160 , then enter the noted submask, gateway and DNS server addresses your recorded earlier. , press “RETURN” your done. Wireless connection is alike to the above press “Wireless” for “Wired” above. You may want to perform a “Network Status” to be sure all is well.

If you unit is hung after using the BD Live feature or a “Smart Hub” application attempt the following:
1. Power off the unit. 2. Disconnect the Ethernet wire from the unit if using a wired connection. 3. Unplug the power cord of the unit. 4. Press the “Power” touch button on the front of the unit and hold in for 20 seconds. 5. Release and reconnect the Ethernet cable , then re plug the power cord.

If you used the “Netflix” Smart Hub application you may have to re activate it after resetting the network on the unit.

Hope this help! If not, contact Samsung and alert them of problem you’re experiencing with the unit. I have been able to reach Samsung support in some number of instances without much delay.

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25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of five stars great mid range internet blu ray player, May 28, 2011
By atlantaeuph See all my reviews This review is from: Samsung BD D6500 3D Blu ray Disc Player (Black) (Electronics) I bought this after returning a sony google tv blu ray player. After opening the box, I had the basic set up finished inside about five minutes. The set up of the blu ray player took a bit longer because I had to create new accounts for samsung smart tv, not a big deal just takes many time to finish. Once set up, I loved it!

PROS:
1. GREAT content offered: Hulu plus, netflix, blockbuster, vudu, MLB network, local event listings, tv listings, and much more!
2. Easy to navigate user interface. Lots of graphic content, big print, things are grouped in a logical order so you may be able to find them easily.
3. Good basic search feature
4. Picture quality on netflix and hulu plus is excellent
5. Price.Compared to the sony google tv, which has less content and a higher price, I was happy with this price tag.
6. Sleek design, front loading dvd player without a tray. As well, it’s lightweight and doesn’t take up much space in my entertainment center.


CONS:
1. No QWERTY keyboard slows down your typing a little, not a big deal though
2. Answer time in the user interface and for loading features like apps and netflix is a little slow, but again this isn’t a big deal.
3. The unit did freeze a couple of times on me, but a simple shutdown and reboot looks to crack this
4. The remote included can function as a basic common remote, but the codes didn’t include my tv model so I had to go through all of them till one worked. Cumbersome to achieve, but finally I found a working code.Again, not a big deal.
5. Doesn’t come with an HDMI cable. Based on what you’re connecting it to you’ll need at least one HDMI cable, or as many as three if you’re like me: blu ray player, cable box (I am dropping cable service now that I have this), TV, and an AV receiver.

I know that isn’t the Porsche Boxter of internet blu ray players, but I feel good about this buy and the content offered.

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Internet Ready Devices

115 of 118 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of five stars A respectable replacement to the BDP S370, March 22, 2011
By Peter (Jamestown, ND, United States) See all my reviews
(REAL NAME) () This review is from: Sony BDP S380 Blu ray Disc Player (Black) (Electronics) I just bought two of these one for myself and one for an out of state friend. I am using mine with a Sony Bravia 1080p flat screen; my friend is using hers with an older 30 inch CRT TV (4:3 part ratio) till she gets around to taking her flat screen out of its box.

I thinked about to get a unit with fitted WiFi, but before making the purchase(s), I did many research online and heard (read) many horror stories about streaming via WiFi that were, let us somewhat less than complementary (glitches, disconnects, freezes requiring reboots, etc.), so I decided to buy this unit BECAUSE it did not have WiFi (why pay for a feature that I am not going to use?). I already have a Sony BDP S370 (using it with a Samsung flat screen) and like it a lot; I could bought two more of them, but they were not available directly from when I ordered, so I got these I favor purchasing from for their returns policy. As well, the BDP S380 supports ‘vudu’ AND it has an on screen digital throughput speed readout (in Mbps) which appears when streaming is starting up both welcome additions!

My setup took about 15 minutes from the time I opened the box till I watched discs, VOD, and Netflix (the only ones that I have set up so far). I connected the BDP S380 to my TV via HDMI, and my LAN via Ethernet cable and everything just worked (of course, I had to set it up for my and Netflix accounts, but that took less than five minutes each). After going through the on screen fast start menus, the unit told me that there was a firmware upgrade available, so I told it to do it, and some minutes afterward, it finished and turned itself off (normal when upgrading firmware).

My friend’s setup took a bit longer, since she had never set one up before and I could not see what happened while I tried to talk her through everything (from memory). She connected to her TV using the (supplied in the box) AV cable. Because her TV was 4:3 part percentage, many of the menus did not display legibly, which is most likely what made things take a bit longer. Nevertheless we got everything working properly inside about 20 25 minutes.

One thing of note I could like to talk about is this: all BD players made after 01/01/2011 have DRM firmware which prevents HD signals from using any output other than HDMI. For me, that was no problem since I used HDMI; since my friend used AV, everything has been displayed on her TV in SD (not really a problem since that’s all it is able of showing nevertheless and she will be using HDMI if she ever sets up her flat screen .

I’m happy with this unit (and so is she). Its outputs are crisp and hard, its user interface is staight forward and easy to understand, and its physical size, form, and look should fit in anywhere.

Certainly a 5 star device.

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NETFLIX Note (04/15/11):

It looks that Netflix is not limiting selections to your Instant Queue! there’s now a choice entitled “Top Picks For You” as well, you may be able to now press “Options” on the Remote and when you choose “Categories >” you’ll be presented with a group list from which you may be able to search and choose movies! Yay!!

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54 of 58 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of five stars Great Blu ray player but the streaming needs help, April 18, 2011
By Ryan See all my reviews () This review is from: Sony BDP S380 Blu ray Disc Player (Black) (Electronics) I bought this to replace an older blu ray that had trouble commuinicating with my receiver. It was 1st gen and I could not wait but it still had many bugs.

So far at playing discs this was awsome, the sound and the picture quality could not be better. The load time is much faster than with the older players.

If you are looking for streaming then I think we have to give these guys a couple more years to work out the bugs. Before I bought this I bought the best rated top of the line model that has been supposed to be the best at streaming and I has been dissappointed. So I waited six months, bought this and the streaming is a little improved but don’t expect to sit through anything uninterupted from Netflix or Hulu. So I still default to my labtop for anything streaming.

Anyway I’ll not return it as I’m happy with the way it handles my blu rays.

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37 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of five stars 1,080 P’s of Awesome., April 8, 2011
By J. K. Ashbreck (Caro, Michigan USA) See all my reviews
(REAL NAME) () This review is from: Sony BDP S380 Blu ray Disc Player (Black) (Electronics) I really like this player. I have had it about a month now and can not think of anything I dont like about it. It is nice and calm. Great picture, looks to upconvert well enough. It loads quickly with the “quick start” turned off. I have it hard wired to the internet so I dont have wireless problems to speak of. Its thin, sick and shiny; goes great with my Sony Bravia LED. I have a PS3 so the whole Netflix “in queue only” thing that others complained about does not annoy me. The other internet apps are just a rehash of whats already on my Bravia. But, Oh Well. I bought it to play Blu Rays and that it does just good. This player really replaced a Samsung BD C6500 that I had in my ownership for less than an hour before taking it back to the store. It was scary terrible. Seriously. In general, I’m pleased and really will be purchasing another soon for my bedroom. I dont have problems giving this five stars and could recommend it to my friends and family. If your looking for an inexpensive, quality, entry level Blu Ray player, look no more, you just found one.

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