Discounted price availability. 1080i output. Good sound reading quality. Easy to understand operating instructions.

Outdated firmware necessating a download, transfer to CD, and installation.

After reviewing the pundits' comments on Blu-Ray versus HD, I selected Blu-Ray. This player was the most economical given its greatly discounted price. I am not sorry that I purchased it, but it had some drawbacks. First, this model's firmware was outdated and did not play all Blu-Ray discs. The ones that did play, played well. I had to download and burn to a CD the updated firmware. The operating instructions warned of this and gave good directions including the download website. Depending on your CD burning software, downloading can be a problem. Roxio9 was problematic because it installed proprietary codes that the Samsung could not read. Nero worked well. Next, it takes an inordinately long time for the tray to open. I assume that upon powering up the unit does self diagnostics, at least I hope this is the reason, but you could almost make a batch of popcorn waiting for it. Last, the picture, following updating, was skewed to the right, requiring a monitor adjustment to compensate.
The unit's overall slim design is attractive, but it requires the remote for any adjustments. It is a great unit, after updating, for entry-level Blu-Ray viewing.

Customer Service

Samsung's website is user-friendly. Download was quick. Also available is the update manual.

Similar Products Used:

None.