Compare Samsung BD-P1500 with Panasonic DMP-BD50K Blu-ray Disc Player

Product name	Samsung BD-P1500	Panasonic DMP-BD50K
Price	$214.99 to $399.99	$577.00 to $599.99
Average user rating	(44 customer reviews)	(17 customer reviews)
Release date	May 15, 2008	June 15, 2008
The Bottom Line	As the first company to introduce a stand-alone Blu-ray player, Samsung reinforces its support of the Blu-ray format with the Full HD BD-P1500. An ideal player for anyone who enjoys Blu-ray, DVDs or CDs in their home, this groundbreaking model takes the home viewing experience to the next step and accommodates all of these formats in one unit. What’s more, it can upconvert standard DVDs to 720p, 1080i and 1080p resolutions and offers Full HD video playback capabilities for a crystal-clear picture.	Excellent soundtrack support and Profile 2.0-compliancy make the Panasonic DMP-BD50 the most recommendable standalone Blu-ray player to date, but the PS3 is still better and cheaper.
Features
Additional	BD-Live, Progressive scanning, JPEG photo playback	Parental lock, BD-Live, BonusView, JPEG photo playback
Product Type	Blu-Ray disc player	Blu-Ray disc player
Remote control	Universal remote control	Remote control
Upscaling	Yes	Yes
Product Description	Samsung BD-P1500 - Blu-Ray disc player	Panasonic DMP-BD50 - Blu-Ray disc player
Recordable Media	Info unavailable	Info unavailable
Weight	8.6 lbs	7.3 lbs
Manufacturer Warranty	1 year warranty	Info unavailable
Full contract period	90 days1 year	Info unavailable
Sound Output Mode	Stereo	Stereo
Service included	Labor Parts	Info unavailable
Service & support details type	Limited warranty	Info unavailable
Dimensions (WxDxH)	16.9 in x 10.8 in x 3.3 in	16.9 in x 12.6 in x 2.3 in
Power	AC 120 V	Info unavailable
Audio D/A Converter	Info unavailable	24bit / 192kHz
Built-in Audio Decoders	Dolby DigitalDTS decoderDolby Digital PlusDolby TrueHD	DTS-HD decoderDolby Digital PlusDolby TrueHD
Media Type	BD-ROMCDCD-RWDVD-RWCD-RDVDBD-RDVD-RBD-RE	BD-ROMDVD+RCDCD-RWDVD-RWCD-RDVD+RWDVD-RAMDVD-ROMDVDDVD-RBD-RE
Form Factor	Tabletop	Tabletop

Compare Samsung BD-P1500 with Panasonic DMP-BD35K Blu-ray Disc Player

Product name	Samsung BD-P1500	Panasonic DMP-BD35K
Price	$214.99 to $399.99	$299.95 to $299.99
Average user rating	(44 customer reviews)	New Release
Release date	May 15, 2008	October 25, 2008
The Bottom Line	As the first company to introduce a stand-alone Blu-ray player, Samsung reinforces its support of the Blu-ray format with the Full HD BD-P1500. An ideal player for anyone who enjoys Blu-ray, DVDs or CDs in their home, this groundbreaking model takes the home viewing experience to the next step and accommodates all of these formats in one unit. What’s more, it can upconvert standard DVDs to 720p, 1080i and 1080p resolutions and offers Full HD video playback capabilities for a crystal-clear picture.	The Panasonic DMP-BD35 represents the best value in standalone Blu-ray players, with excellent image quality, a comprehensive feature set, and a price that's significantly lower than the PS3.
Features
Additional	BD-Live, Progressive scanning, JPEG photo playback	Parental lock, BD-Live, BonusView, JPEG photo playback
Product Type	Blu-Ray disc player	Blu-Ray disc player
Remote control	Universal remote control	Remote control
Upscaling	Yes	Yes
Product Description	Samsung BD-P1500 - Blu-Ray disc player	Panasonic DMP-BD35 - Blu-Ray disc player
Recordable Media	Info unavailable	Info unavailable
Weight	8.6 lbs	5.7 lbs
Manufacturer Warranty	1 year warranty	Info unavailable
Full contract period	90 days1 year	Info unavailable
Sound Output Mode	Stereo	Stereo
Service included	Labor Parts	Info unavailable
Service & support details type	Limited warranty	Info unavailable
Dimensions (WxDxH)	16.9 in x 10.8 in x 3.3 in	Info unavailable
Power	AC 120 V	Info unavailable
Audio D/A Converter	Info unavailable	Info unavailable
Built-in Audio Decoders	Dolby DigitalDTS decoderDolby Digital PlusDolby TrueHD	Info unavailable
Media Type	BD-ROMCDCD-RWDVD-RWCD-RDVDBD-RDVD-RBD-RE	CDCD-RWDVD-RWDVD-RAMDVDBD-REDVD-RDVD+RBD-ROMDVD-R DLDVD+R DLCD-RDVD+RWBD-R
Form Factor	Tabletop	Tabletop

Compare Samsung BD-P1500 with Panasonic DMP-BD55K Blu-ray Disc Player

Product name	Samsung BD-P1500	Panasonic DMP-BD55K
Price	$214.99 to $399.99	$399.95 to $399.99
Average user rating	(44 customer reviews)	New Release
Release date	May 15, 2008	October 01, 2008
The Bottom Line	As the first company to introduce a stand-alone Blu-ray player, Samsung reinforces its support of the Blu-ray format with the Full HD BD-P1500. An ideal player for anyone who enjoys Blu-ray, DVDs or CDs in their home, this groundbreaking model takes the home viewing experience to the next step and accommodates all of these formats in one unit. What’s more, it can upconvert standard DVDs to 720p, 1080i and 1080p resolutions and offers Full HD video playback capabilities for a crystal-clear picture.	Blast into the future with your new 1080p DMP-BD55 Blu-ray Disc player. Equipped with BD Live capabilities, you have access to movie extras and games. View family memories from your HD camcorder or digital still camera thanks to the SD card slot. Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD decoders ensure that the DMP-BD55's sound capabilities are as good as its video. A 7.1-channel audio output means your Blu-ray player can be plugged into a 7.1 speaker system for seriously cinematic results.
Features
Additional	BD-Live, Progressive scanning, JPEG photo playback	Parental lock, BD-Live, BonusView, JPEG photo playback
Product Type	Blu-Ray disc player	Blu-Ray disc player
Remote control	Universal remote control	Remote control
Upscaling	Yes	Yes
Product Description	Samsung BD-P1500 - Blu-Ray disc player	Panasonic DMP-BD55 - Blu-Ray disc player
Recordable Media	Info unavailable	Info unavailable
Weight	8.6 lbs	5.7 lbs
Manufacturer Warranty	1 year warranty	Info unavailable
Full contract period	90 days1 year	Info unavailable
Sound Output Mode	Stereo	Surround Sound
Service included	Labor Parts	Info unavailable
Service & support details type	Limited warranty	Info unavailable
Dimensions (WxDxH)	16.9 in x 10.8 in x 3.3 in	Info unavailable
Power	AC 120 V	Info unavailable
Audio D/A Converter	Info unavailable	Info unavailable
Built-in Audio Decoders	Dolby DigitalDTS decoderDolby Digital PlusDolby TrueHD	DTS-HD Master AudioDolby TrueHD
Media Type	BD-ROMCDCD-RWDVD-RWCD-RDVDBD-RDVD-RBD-RE	CDCD-RWDVD-RWDVD-RAMDVDBD-REDVD-RDVD+RBD-ROMDVD-R DLDVD+R DLCD-RDVD+RWBD-R
Form Factor	Tabletop	Tabletop

Compare Samsung BD-P1500 with Sony BDP-S350 Blu-ray Disc Player

Product name	Samsung BD-P1500	Sony BDP-S350
Price	$214.99 to $399.99	$265.99 to $399.99
Average user rating	(44 customer reviews)	(88 customer reviews)
Release date	May 15, 2008	July 15, 2008
The Bottom Line	As the first company to introduce a stand-alone Blu-ray player, Samsung reinforces its support of the Blu-ray format with the Full HD BD-P1500. An ideal player for anyone who enjoys Blu-ray, DVDs or CDs in their home, this groundbreaking model takes the home viewing experience to the next step and accommodates all of these formats in one unit. What’s more, it can upconvert standard DVDs to 720p, 1080i and 1080p resolutions and offers Full HD video playback capabilities for a crystal-clear picture. Designed with fans of multimedia technology in mind, the BD-P1500 easily connects to other digital peripherals through an HDMI 1.3 port with CEC for expanded color delivery and easy home theater control. With its built-in Ethernet connection, users can quickly take advantage of BD Profile 1.1 interactivity. True audiophiles will love the BD-P1500 as it goes beyond standard Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Plus audio playback to include 7.1 PCM, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD High Resolution and Master Audio, Bitstream audio output via HDMI and more - making for a truly immersive viewing experience for movies, gaming, sports and more.	The BDP-S350 models support BonusView (picture-in-picture) featured on some of the Blu-ray Disc theatrical releases. The BDP-S350 models are BD-Live ready featuring an Ethernet port for an easy firmware update and access to Internet-based interactive content features. They also feature an external port for local storage, so users can add optional flash-based memory. The players feature 1080/60p and 24p True Cinema output. They are compatible with most standard DVDs and feature 1080p upscaling through an HDMI connection to capable HDTV sets, improving the picture performance of existing DVD libraries. The BDP-S350 models offer 7.1 channel Dolby TrueHD and Dolby digital plus decoding and bit-stream output, as well as dts-HD high resolution audio and master audio bit-stream output. The players support AVCHD discs encoded with x.v.Color (xvYCC) technology, an international standard for wide color space reproduction. The standard expands the current data range of video by about 1.8 times, allowing the players to output more natural and vivid colors similar to what the human eye can actually see. The players also feature compatibility with an array of video formats, including BD-R/RE (BDMV and BDAV modes), DVD+R/+RW, DVD-R/-RW (video mode), CD, CD-R/RW (CD-DA format), and JPEG on DVD/CD recordable media.
Features
Additional	BD-Live, Progressive scanning, JPEG photo playback	Parental lock, BD-Live, BonusView, JPEG photo playback
Product Type	Blu-Ray disc player	Blu-Ray disc player
Remote control	Universal remote control	Remote control
Upscaling	Yes	Yes
Product Description	Samsung BD-P1500 - Blu-Ray disc player	Sony BDP-S350 - Blu-Ray disc player
Recordable Media	Info unavailable	DVD+R CD JPEG CD-RW DVD-RW CD-R DVD+RW DVD BD-R DVD-R BD-RE
Weight	8.6 lbs	6.39 lbs
Manufacturer Warranty	1 year warranty	1 year warranty
Full contract period	90 days 1 year	1 year
Sound Output Mode	Stereo	Stereo
Service included	Labor Parts	Parts and labor
Service & support details type	Limited warranty	Limited warranty
Dimensions (WxDxH)	16.9 in x 10.8 in x 3.3 in	Info unavailable
Power	AC 120 V	Info unavailable
Audio D/A Converter	Info unavailable	Info unavailable
Built-in Audio Decoders	Dolby Digital DTS decoder Dolby Digital Plus Dolby TrueHD	DTS-HD decoder Dolby Digital DTS decoder Dolby Digital Plus Dolby TrueHD
Media Type	BD-ROM CD CD-RW DVD-RW CD-R DVD BD-R DVD-R BD-RE	DVD+R DVD-RW DVD+RW DVD BD-R DVD-R BD-RE
Form Factor	Tabletop	Tabletop

Customer Reviews on Samsung BD-P1500 Blu-ray Disc Player

Fine, basic player, June 5, 2008 By Kevin Moore (Natick, MA USA)

Source: Amazon.com

I've been using this for 2 weeks now, and it's my first blu-ray player (no PS3). The good stuff: Excellent look, not too loud, amazing picture and sound. Working ethernet and USB port. (I haven't had to download any firmware or code updates, but I'm sure it'll work fine.)

Operations: No fan noise, no noise while playing, but during menu & loading, you hear some track-seeking which is audible at 10'... nothing offensive, though. I just noticed last night, after my 5th blu-ray a little flicker in in the bottom center of the screen during the credits of Juno... not sure if it's a bad disc or a player having a problem. It was repeatable, and the disc seemed clean. Lastly, the load time, eject time, etc seems just fine. Not instant or as fast a nice DVD player, but not noticably slow. I've heard alot about slow disc-loading, and if it is a problem on other players - it's not a problem on this one. Lastly, sometimes when you click on a menu instead of pausing, the screen with show a "progress-bar" for 2-4 seconds while the next manu loads, which isn't completely kosher, but doesn't bother me.

The so-so stuff: I'm giving this 5-stars because it's near-perfect at what it's designed to do for it's price, but it's not perfect. One reason to get a mid- to lower-cost player is to (duh) save money... if you're someone who has an older receiver that doesn't decode the two new DD and DTS formats, and (probably) doesn't decode multi-channel PCM, this player isn't for you. It only has stereo-out analog RCA plugs, not 5.1 or 7.1 analog outputs.

That means you can't bypass your receivers pre-amp to play the newer audio formats and let the blu-ray player decode them. My old Receiver (which I used the player with for a week) only decoded DD 5.1 (no DTS, and only 2-channel PCM to 48khz). This player lets you send a PCM stream to your receiver from an internally decoded DTS 5.1 signal, but this didn't work for me... as my player can't receive 5.1 PCM streams, it only saw it as 2-channel. At least the player lets you downsample 96khz PCM to 48khz, so that I at least got sound (Golden Compass only has DTS 5.1 or DTS HD Master).

With my new receiver, all formats work perfectly, all bitstreamed.

Some people perhaps are holding off for new receivers because they don't want to connect through the player's analog RCA 5.1/7.1 connectors - but this is probably mis-information. What you want to avoid is taking digital sound, converting it to analog, then back to digital, then back to analog... don't worry - you wouldn't be doing this. Basically you would be doing all your processing in the player digitally, then once it is sent out through the pre-outs to the receiver you'd bypass the receiver's processing and it would go straight to the amplifier (which is of course analog anyway).

So my conclusion for thos people with older (but good) receivers - this blu-ray player won't save you any money. The best savings would be to pay a little more for a player with 5.1 analog outputs and continue to use your existing receiver.

-Kevin Moore

Great Blu Ray, Clean and Crisp, October 18, 2008 By GZA/Genius (Canada)

Source: Amazon.com

I currently have this Blu Ray player hooked up to a Samsung LN40A330 40-Inch 720p LCD HDTV. Before this i had it hooked up to a Samsung 1080p LCD but returned it after realizing there is little difference between 720p & 1080p on tv this small and how far away i sit, So why spend more then i have to. But now to the review. This blu ray player has great picture quality, it looks amazing almost life like. This review is really for average consumers who are looking for HD and still dont know much about it like me. So i cant speak much on features, for me its more about thrown in a blu ray dvd, does it look amazing. if the answer is yes then i am happy with the product because it meets my needs. But this player does have flaws, nothing major just that the light is very dim on the display and it is rather loud during loading and shut down. These are not a major problem for me though. Also if you have a Samsung TV i strongly recommend getting the Samsung blu ray because then you can use 1 remote control to operate both and its always nice to keep the same brand on all your components. I do also use a HDMI cable to hook this up to my tv. The picture look's great, i would recommend it for anyone just getting into the world of high def like me

Great player, October 18, 2008 By Vernon "happy_biker" (Rockville, MD)
Source: Amazon.com

This Samsung BP1500 is a great value. It played every type of DVD I put in it. It upgrades the ordinary DVD quality to near HD quality, a great feature. I would recommend this player to a friend, and I have. It plays Blu-ray DVDs to my HD TV with startling clarity. You really need an HDMI cable for the video (DVD to TV) and a fiber optic cable for the audio (TV to Amplifier/sound system). I would highly recommend this player and save a lot of money over other players.

A great inexpensive Blu Ray player!!!, October 17, 2008 By Jason Pumphrey (Falls Church, Virginia United States)
Source: Amazon.com

This is a great Blu Ray player from Samsung!!! Sure, it probably does not have all the bells and whistles as the more expensive models.but it works great for me,actually I have a more expensive Sharp Blu Ray player in my bedroom,but this one is for my living room,and since there is young kids sometimes running around,the cheaper Samsung model was the more logical choice,for me anyway!!! If it get accidentally destroyed,I wont cry about it!,well not to much anyway!!! Kudos for Amazon,I ordered this on Oct 16th,it was delivered to my door the NEXT DAY,faster than a speeding bullet,and that was the FREE Super Saver Shipping baby,be sure to select that when ordering!!!,still can't believe it!!!This is one very happy camper!!! Well,over and out and happy Blu Ray viewing!!!

good quality, October 13, 2008 By Henry Vaughn (usa)
Source: Amazon.com

Samsung BD-P1500 1080p Blu-ray Player Had no problems to date with this player. Picture and sound are as expected. Nice value, I'd would recommend it to others.

Good Blu-ray player but could be much better, October 12, 2008 By Jeff Chambers (Pleasanton, CA USA)
Source: Amazon.com

I have to admit that I was originally an HD DVD proponent. I purchased the amazing Toshiba HD-A35 1080p HD DVD Player in Dec 2007 and by February 2008, HD DVD was dead. Rather than rushing out to purchase one of the many poorly rated Blu-ray players, I waited for something better to be released. I expected the Samsung BD-P1500 to be everything the Toshiba A35 was. Side by side, these two players are comparable in strengths and weaknesses but I'd give the edge to the Toshiba A35 for better DVD up-scaling. Nobody wants to hear about HD DVD players so I'll jump to my evaluation of this player. Overall, I'm moderately satisfied with the purchase and consider it a good buy at $149 (thanks Amazon).

Pros:
- Cheap
- Fast load times
- Excellent picture quality
- TrueHD audio output to receiver
- Ethernet port
- Absolutely no problems with playing discs
- Great hardware control sync via Anynet+ and/or HDMI-CEC
- Changing chapters is very fast with no audio interruption

Cons:
- No bookmarking, even for regular DVDs- bookmarks are only "allowed" on certain Blu-ray discs any they're cleared from memory when the disc tray is opened/closed. Are you kidding me? This makes it impossible to save your place for later viewing - this idiocy is most likely a limitation of the Blu-ray format/DRM but there's no excuse for not supporting bookmarks on standard DVDs.
- High noise levels - definitely louder than the Toshiba A35 or other Blu-ray players that I've seen; some sounds compares to an old 5.25" floppy disc reader. Loud fan too.
- No auto clock set - if connected to the internet, why does this need to be done manually?
- Average DVD up-scaling and nowhere near the Sony DVP-NS700H/S 1080p Upscaling DVD Player or Toshiba XD-E500 Upconverting 1080p DVD Player

If I were looking to purchase another Blu-ray player, I'd probably consider the Panasonic DMP-BD55K 1080p Blu-Ray Player or Sony BDP-S350 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player, albeit at much higher prices than the Samsung BD-P1500. My primary problems with this player are the high noise levels and lack of bookmark support.

Excellent player, great audio options, October 10, 2008 By A. Williams (Fort Myers, FL (formerly New York, NY))
Source: Amazon.com

While I wish the player had analog audio outputs for my 7.1 compatible non-HDMI receiver, I am most pleased with the available audio options on this player given it was under $200. While providing the standard PCM and bitstream output options, I struggled to understand how I would benefit from either of these using the optical output from the player to my receiver. Enter the bitstream re-encode option, which re-encodes the PCM Dolby TrueHD stream into DTS bitstream. It works perfectly with my current 6.1 setup and the audio is crisp and dynamic (In case you are wondering, I use a Pioneer VSX-812 receiver and Bose 201 and 161 speakers). For those of you who are worried that you won't be able to take advantage of the lossless audio with your current setup, take a serious look at this player. It will help you bridge the gap between now and when you eventually upgrade to an HDMI receiver. The audio is notably better than even the DTS streams from standard DVDs. Make sure you set the player to Dynamic Compression OFF as it is enabled by default and significantly reduces the quality of the audio.

Video quality through HDMI as well as Component is excellent with few artifacts on playback. Load times are relatively quick as is menu navigation. The BD Live (Profile 2.0) firmware update is out, and it is only a matter of time before the DTS-HD Master Audio firmware update comes out as well. I can't recommend this player enough, as it is an excellent player for a very reasonable price.

Not bad, October 10, 2008 By Hector J. Morales "DJ Blend" (CT USA)
Source: Amazon.com

Works great and load times are fast if it's not hooked up to the net. I don't care much for the extra's.

Nice Blu-ray player!, October 7, 2008 By Carol Webb "CW"
Source: Amazon.com

Our family is pleased with the Samsung BD-P1500 1080p Blu-ray Player as it works great, is easy to operate and the Blu-ray movies look great! We are satisfied with our purchase!

A great inexpensive Blu Ray player!!! 2008-10-18 from buyzillion.com

This is a great Blu Ray player from Samsung!!! Sure, it probably does not have all the bells and whistles as the more expensive models.but it works great for me,actually I have a more expensive Sharp Blu Ray player in my bedroom,but this one is for my living room,and since there is young kids sometimes running around,the cheaper Samsung model was the more logical choice,for me anyway!!! If it get accidentally destroyed,I wont cry about it!,well not to much anyway!!! Kudos for Amazon,I ordered this on Oct 16th,it was delivered to my door the NEXT DAY,faster than a speeding bullet,and that was the FREE Super Saver Shipping baby,be sure to select that when ordering!!!,still can't believe it!!!This is one very happy camper!!! Well,over and out and happy Blu Ray viewing!!!

Great player 2008-10-18 from buyzillion.com

This Samsung BP1500 is a great value. It played every type of DVD I put in it. It upgrades the ordinary DVD quality to near HD quality, a great feature. I would recommend this player to a friend, and I have. It plays Blu-ray DVDs to my HD TV with startling clarity. You really need an HDMI cable for the video (DVD to TV) and a fiber optic cable for the audio (TV to Amplifier/sound system). I would highly recommend this player and save a lot of money over other players.

good quality 2008-10-13 from buyzillion.com

Samsung BD-P1500 1080p Blu-ray Player Had no problems to date with this player. Picture and sound are as expected. Nice value, I'd would recommend it to others.

Best Player EVER!!!! 09/30/2008 By Malecki from Schaumburg, IL.
Source: bestbuy.com
"This is the very first Samsung player I ever purchased. I wanted an all Samsung entertainment center. I started off with the LCD TV about a month ago. I purchased the Samsung LN45A750, normal DVD's looked good, but any flaw in the video shows big time on this TV. So I figured it was time to upgrade to Blu-Ray. The style of the BD-P1500 case is simple black color with very nice lines. Once I took the unit home, setup was a breeze. Plug the unit in, and take a HDMI cable and plug that right into the TV. Power up and your ready to go. I'm very pleased, and whatever questions I had, the guy at the store was more than happy to ask. He also reminded me to pick up the HDMI cable. Good thing, I would have hated to get home and not hook up the Blu-Ray properly."

Samsung BD-P1500 Blu-ray Disc Player Reviews

Review by modsynergy

The Samsung BD-P1500 Blu-ray Disc Player is competitively priced and creates its own niche.  Someone looking for a solid basic Blu-Ray player on the cheap but doesn’t need the extras like BD-Live may want to place the Samsung BD-P1500 on the shortlist.

The Samsung BD-P1500 is a good basic Blu-Ray player.  It may be a bit limited on its features and a bit slow to respond during operation, but once you get it up and running, image quality is very good for Blu-Ray movies and will do what you ask of it without much problem.

The Pros:

• + Very good image quality for Blu-Ray, actually stunning


• + Very quiet drive under operation


• + No fans makes unit quiet under operation


• + Elegant design simplified


• + About $100CAD cheaper than the competition


• + Takes care of most High-resolution audio formats

The Cons

• - Profile 1.1, not the newer profile 2.0


• - Sluggish GUI system


• - DTS-HD Master Audio decoding not present


• - Standard DVD upscaling


• - I really get annoyed with the sluggish feeling

Read Full Review Here

What I Liked About The Samsung BD-P1500

By Robert Silva, About.com

There is a lot to like about the Samsung BD-P1500, including:

1. Very fast start-up, disc load, and disc eject time compared to previous Blu-ray Disc Players.

2. Very Good Blu-ray Disc Video Playback. Except for a slight over-saturation of reds, the image quality was on par with the other comparison Blu-ray Disc players.

3. Good standard DVD upscaling. Although there could be some improvement, the video upscaling of standard DVDs to 1080p was acceptable in comparison to the other Blu-ray disc players used, but not as good as the Oppo DV-983H upscaling DVD player used as a baseline reference.

4. Excellent audio performance. The audio quality was top-notch. This player also provides flexible internal audio decoding and bitstream output. However, the lack of 5.1 channel analog outputs is worth noting.

In addition, out-of-the box, the BD-P1500 does not provide on-board DTS-HD Master Audio decoding, but does provide a bitstream output for external decoding for this surround sound format by a DTS-HD equipped home theater receiver.

5. Ethernet Connection provides direct access to firmware upgrades. This should have been a requirement for all Blu-ray Disc players from the beginning. Having a built-in ethernet connection makes it much easier to access firmware updates, without having to make or use an update disc made on a PC or ordered from the manufacturer.

6. HDMI 1.3a connectivity. This makes the BD-P1500 up-to-date for any audio and video source codecs now in use, as well as in the near future.

Read Full Review Here

Samsung BD-P1500 Blu-ray Disc Player: Review By Brandon A. DuHamel

Samsung has been steadily releasing Blu-ray players since the format's launch. In fact, it was their BD-P1000 Profile 1.0 Blu-ray player that was the first to market in June of 2006 when Blu-ray first launched. The P1000 rather infamously arrived to market amidst much criticism for having what many videophiles saw as a flawed video processor that had its DNR (Digital Noise Reduction) circuitry turned on by default, thereby resulting in a softened image playback. It didn't help that the first crop of titles from Sony, such as the original BD release of The Fifth Element, were less than spectacular as well.

Now, over two years and a few generations down the product line later, Samsung has released the BD-P1500 BD-Live ready Blu-ray Disc player at a SRP of $299.99, but have they learned anything and improved their video playback?

Read Full Review Here

With the high-def format war between Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD finally relegated to the past, the makers of Blu-ray players have been able to concentrate on smoothing out the rocky path that early adopters encountered with some of the first models. The days when you couldn’t just assume that a given player would play your old CDs (let alone some of your new Blu-ray Discs!) might finally be gone. The good news is that the manufacturers are now focusing on adding features, lowering prices, and eliminating the various compatibility issues that cropped up with some discs on certain players.

Read Full Review Here

Review By trustedreviews

The BD-P1500 looks very different to the BD-P1400 – out goes the curved fascia and in comes a flat front panel and a slimmer chassis. The gorgeous gloss-black finish remains (a must for any self-respecting BD player) and buttons are kept to an absolute minimum, making this deck a real piece of eye candy.
Around the back, the lack of 5.1 or 7.1 analogue audio outputs is unsurprising at this price, but it means that you’ll need an AV receiver with HDMI inputs to enjoy HD audio soundtracks. Otherwise it offers all the basics, including HDMI, component, composite, optical digital and stereo audio outputs.

Read Full Review Here

Review By hometheater

On the audio side, the BD-P1500 offers both on-board audio decoding and bitstream output for compatible home theater receivers. One disappointment, however, was the lack of on-board DTS-HD MA decoding. Also, Samsung has chosen to remove the 5.1 channel analog audio output option, which decreases its connection flexibility with non-HDMI home theater receivers.

Read Full Review Here

Review By techradar

The P1500 can match its pricier peers in image processing both with DVD and Blu-ray. When tested with the Silicon Optix HQV Blu-ray benchmark disc, it exhibited overt video noise – the player clearly has no HD noise reduction technology – but its deinterlacing on the jaggies test was excellent.

DVD playback, including upscaling via HDMI to 1080p, is very good. It sailed through jaggies and text crawl tests on DVD without stumbling.

Read Full Review Here

Review by engadgetHD

There's a lot to like about this player, but it's hard to believe that after 2 years and 5 players, Samsung still doesn't have a "full featured player." Sure BD Live isn't for everyone -- and in fact, many don't even have internet connectivity behind their HDTV -- but with BD Live and DTS-HD MA currently missing from this one, the only thing really left to like over the previous model is the price. And since the PS3 sells for the same -- unless you find the BD-P1500 on sale -- we wonder who'd prefer the BD-P1500 over Sony's multifaceted console. The good news is we don't have anything exceptionally bad to say about the BD-P1500; in fact, it works as advertised in every way. So if you're in the market for a standalone player, and don't care can wait for BD Live and DTS-HD MA decoding, this is currently the player to beat.

Read Full review here

Review by Overclockers Online

Samsung's fourth generation Blu-ray disc player appears to be a huge success. It's not nearly as expensive as buying a PlayStation 3 but some will argue that the PS3 has superior video out. I can't judge since I don't have a PS3. Given the time I've had with the BD-P1500, I'm eagerly awaiting for my favorite movies to come out on Blu-ray. The playback is great and the problems I experienced were minor in the grand scheme of things. As the market begins to mature

Read full review here

Review by Hifi-ring

Samsung just announced its new fourth-gen Blu-ray player dubbed the BD-P1500. It features HDMI 1.3 port with CEC, built-in Ethernet connection for BD profile 1.1 discs and firmware downloads, and 7.1 PCM, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD High Resolution and Master Audio. The video processor upconverts standard DVDs to 720p, 1080i and 1080p resolutions and offers Full HD video playback capabilities.

Read full review

Samsung BD-P1500 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player

Samsung BD-P1500 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player
(42 customer reviews)

List Price: $299.99 Find Cheapest Samsung BD-P1500 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player price at Amazon.com

Summarized Description:

Samsung’s BD-P1500 Blu-ray disc player comes in a sleek design with a high gloss black color. This tabletop form-factor player measures 16.9 x 3.3 x 10.8 inches and weighs in at 8.6 pounds.The Blu-ray disc player features BD profile 1.1 which gives the player picture in picture capability. It is also equipped with Samsung’s Anynet+ technology (HDMI-CEC) which allows a single remote control to control all other compatible components. The BD-P1500 comes included with an infrared remote control.

The BD-P1500’s tray loading Blu-ray disc drive can read the following media types: BD-ROM, BD-R, BD-RE, DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD-RW, AVCHD, audio CD, CD-R and CD-RW. It is capable of playing back the VC-1, MPEG2 and H.264 digital video standards and the PCM digital audio standard.

The Samsung BD-P1500 can output images at full HD 1080p resolution. It also features DVD up-conversion to 1080p through the HDMI output. The Blu-ray disc player also supports 1080i, 720p, 576p, 576i, 480p and 480i resolutions.

On the audio side, the BD-P1500 features onboard decoders for Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby True HD and DTS.

In addition to a single HDMI output (HDMI version 1.3) the Samsung BD-P1500 also offers composite video outputs and component video outputs. For audio signals, the Blu-ray disc player features optical digital audio outputs as well as a 2 channel analog audio outputs. Other ports include USB 2.0 and Ethernet, both of which can be used to upgrade the players software.

Manufacturer's Description

Experience the blu-ray difference with the SAMSUNG BD-P1500. The BD-P1500 lets you have it all - watch your favorite DVDs and blu-ray discs or listen to CDs with the highest-quality audio.

Samsung BD-P1500 with DimensionsFull 1080p resolution gives you the most outstanding HD image quality.Enjoy a richer, bolder color palette via extended gamut YCC technology. HDMI 1.3 transmission bandwidth capabilities ensure the strongest signal fidelity, while the Ethernet connection lets you easily check for the latest firmware upgrades online. Control all your Samsung AV devices from one remote, via Anynet+ technology. And advanced audio compatibility, including DD+, and True-HD, offers premium sound, for the greatest HD experience.

• CD & DVD compatible - This blu-ray disc player offers state-of-the-art viewing with CD and DVD playback compatibility. Even as you take advantage of the latest video and audio advances, you can still enjoy all your existing media content.


• built-in Ethernet connection - BD profile 1.1 interactivity lets you download the latest firmware upgrades and more with just a click of a button. Making firmware upgrades simple and easy, you can continually upgrade the BD-P1500 with the latest features.


• dolby digital plus and dolby true HD - Immerse yourself in amazing sound. The BD-P1500 supports the new Dolby Digital Plus Audio format. It also supports uncompressed PCM Audio and Legacy dts 5.1 Dolby Digital. Dolby® Dolby TrueHD delivers powerful sound that is bit-for-bit identical to the studio master, unlocking the true high-definition entertainment experience.


• 1080p resolution - Enjoy lifelike, vivid visuals and crystal-clear details with full high definition 1080p resolution.


• easily connect your digital devices - Tired of tangled wires? HDMI keeps it simple by using a single cable wire to deliver the sharpest, richest images possible. Conveniently and easily transfer high-definition video and audio from your DVD player to your HDTV and other digital devices using a single cable. HDMI version 1.3 transfers deeper color and higher resolution, and handles new, compressed audio formats.


• control it all with one remote - You’re in full command with the BD-P1500. Anynet+ delivers streamlined, one-touch control over all your Anynet+ compatible devices such as the TV, AV receiver, and home theater. You can operate all of them with a single remote control. A true “plug and play” product, it comes with a Consumer Electronics Control feature that lets you operate SAMSUNG HDMI products with one remote control.

Technical Specifications
Compatibility
Playback Media: BD-ROM / DVD-ROM / DVD-R / DVD-RW / AVCHD / audio CD
Playback Formats: VC-1 / MPEG2 / H.264
A/V Quality
DVD Upconversion Yes
Dolby Dital Decoder Yes
DTS Decoder Yes
Dolby Digital Plus Decoder Yes
DTS HD Decoder No
Dolby True HD Decoder Yes
Functional Feature
Local Storage: Yes
Picture in Picture: Yes
BD Profile profile 1.1
Connectivity
USB 2.0 Yes (for SW upgrade and memory expansion)
HDMI CEC Yes
Composite Video Outputs Yes
Component Video Outputs Yes
S-Video Outputs No
HDMI Outputs(Version) Yes (1.3)
Optical Digital Audio Outputs Yes
Coaxial Digital Audio Outputs No
Analog Audio Outputs 2-Channel
Network Yes (for SW upgrade only)
Product Weights & Dimensions
Dimension 16.9 inches x 3.3 inches x 10.8 inches
Weight 8.6 lbs.
Shipment Weights & Dimensions
Dimension 20.6 inches x 7.1 inches x 15.0 inches
Weight 12.6 lbs.

*Features and specifications are subject to change without prior notification.

Pros: Adds GPS capabilities to the already impressive and sleek messaging smart phone; 2-megapixel camera; Bluetooth; good call quality.

Cons: Doesn't offer Wi-Fi or 3G support; Web browser isn't the sleekest; the camera lacks video-recording capabilities; you only get the proprietary BlackBerry Messenger IM client.

Summary: Finding it hard to cough out big bucks for the S$2,699 Pioneer BDP-LX70A? This Samsung player may be a more affordable solution to unlocking a full Blu-ray HD audio-video experience.