While the rest of tech world was busy scouring news from CES 2009, Samsung's duo of Netflix-enabled Blu-ray players--the BD-P2500 and BD-P2550--received a firmware update to enable onboard DTS-HD Master Audio decoding. The players were promised the update "by the end of the year", but chalk it up to another delayed Samsung firmware release, as we've seen before.
The firmware is available for download from Samsung's site, and the players can be updated via a direct download using an Ethernet connection, or, for players not connected to home networks, users can download the file to a USB stick or CD, then install.
Firmware updates have always been a double-edged sword for Samsung players, as they're a pain to keep track of, but have also enabled the company to add features to older models. Now that features like DTS-HD Master Audio and Profile 2.0 support are essentially standard, we're hoping new Samsung Blu-ray players like the BD-P3600 and BD-P4600 are truly "ready to go" when they come out in the first half of 2009.
(Credit:
CBS Interactive)
As expected, Samsung has added support for HD streaming of Netflix video to its BD-P2500 and BD-P2550 players. The upgrade is available as a free firmware update (players should automatically prompt users to install the software update, or DIYers can download it from Samsung's support site and burn it to disc). Still no word on the promised DTS-HD Master Audio support for these players, but that will likely come in a subsequent firmware update soon.
The Netflix HD catalog is currently just a fraction of Netflix's streaming selection (300 titles out of around 12,000), but it will undoubtedly expand over time. HD compatibility was available first on the Xbox 360 last month, but--as we reported in October--all Netflix-compatible devices should be getting the HD upgrade soon. Indeed, there are signs that the high-def Netflix streaming will be hitting the remaining Netflix-compatible devices--TiVo DVRs, the LG BD300, and the Roku Netflix Player--in the near future, all via free firmware updates.
Samsung's new Blu-ray player is bursting with features.
When Panasonic released the DMP-BD35, it was the first Blu-ray player to include all the major features we look for and cost significantly less than the PlayStation 3. At that point, a lot of us at CNET were wondering, what's next for Blu-ray, other than falling prices? The Samsung BD-P2250 does a good job of answering that question, taking a solid Blu-ray playback and adding additional streaming media options such as Netflix and Pandora streaming to the package. Its Blu-ray credentials are mostly solid, too. It has excellent Blu-ray and DVD performance, thanks to HQV processing, and support for older audiovisual receivers with 7.1 analog audio outputs. We did have some nitpicks, as DTS-HD Master Audio decoding won't be onboard until a future firmware upgrade and we did have the player freeze on us while playing back Thunderball--not a good sign given Samsung's previous problems with disc compatibility. Even with those flaws, however, the Samsung BD-P2550 is a top-performing Blu-ray player and should be on your short list if you're looking to buy a standalone.
The BD-P1500 will get DTS-HD Master Audio by the end of 2008.
Samsung has put out some pretty good Blu-ray players, but the company needs to setup an RSS feed to keep buyers up to date with the constantly changing firmware plans. We got a note from Samsung this afternoon explaining that the firmware update adding DTS-HD High Resolution decoding to the Samsung BD-P1500, BD-P2500, and BD-P2550 has been delayed until the end of the year. That means owners will have to live with standard DTS soundtracks for a little bit longer if they don't own an HDMI-compatible receiver with onboard decoding for DTS-HD Master Audio.
On the upside, Samsung is now promising that all three units will get full DTS-HD Master Audio decoding, rather than the step-down DTS-HD High Resolution decoding. That's pretty good news, and the BD-P2550 is stacking up to be quite a player, with Profile 2.0 support, HQV video processing, Netflix streaming, and now internal decoding for both high-resolution audio soundtrack formats. And, we noticed it's now selling for $350 at Best Buy. Expect a full review from us sometime next week, and find out how it stacks up against the Editors' Choice winning Panasonic DMP-BD35.
(Credit:
Samsung)
Samsung is adding the ability to stream Netflix videos and Pandora's online music service to its latest Blu-ray players. Starting today, a free firmware update will add both services to the BD-P2550. (The nearly identical BD-P2500 will get Netflix support, but not Pandora.) The Samsung players join the LG BD300 Blu-ray player, the Roku Netflix Player, and (once a forthcoming firmware update goes live in November) the Xbox 360 as the only devices to date--outside of a PC--that can access Netflix's online viewing service.
Both Samsung players have been available at retail for several weeks. In addition to Netflix and (for the 2550) Pandora support, a subsequent firmware update due on October 30 will add DTS-HD audio support (onboard decoding for DTS-HD High Resolution, bit-stream output for Master Audio) for both players, and BD-Live support for 2550 (it's already available on the 2500). Those features are in addition to the players' already impressive feature set, which includes HQV video processing (which, in previous players, provides improved quality when playing standard DVDs); 7.1-channel analog audio outputs (good for interfacing with older AV receivers); and 1GB of onboard flash memory (no need for adding an SD card or USB flash drive to deliver compatibility with online BD-Live features).
The Netflix viewing experience should be nearly identical to that offered by the Roku player; it offers unlimited viewing of the growing (12,000-plus) library of on-demand movies and TV shows to any Netflix subscriber on the $9-per-month plan or above. The ad-supported Pandora personalized Internet radio service is free.
Both players carry a list price of $400, so anybody with even a passing interest in music should opt for the BD-P2550 (available at Best Buy). CNET will have complete hands-on reviews of the players as soon as the full firmware updates become available.
Related: CNET's best Blu-ray players
Samsung's new Blu-ray player already seems to available, but information about it is strangely scarce.
(Credit: Best Buy.com)Panasonic and Yamaha have already had their Cedia Blu-ray plans leak out, and we suspect the same may have just happened to Samsung. A new Samsung Blu-ray player, the BD-P2550, has appeared on Best Buy's Web site, and is apparently ready to ship for $500. Although the Best Buy listing is pretty light on information, we were also able to track down the manual (PDF link) for the BD-P2550 online, which reveals that the BD-P2550 will sport 7.1 analog outputs, Dolby TrueHD onboard decoding, a USB port, and an Ethernet port. It's not yet apparent whether the player is Profile 2.0 compliant, but the inclusion of both the USB port and the Ethernet port seem to indicate it will at least be Profile 2.0-ready, like the BD-P1500, which means it can gain access to BD-Live features after a firmware update sometime in the future.
Beyond the manual and the listing on Best Buy, images posted by a member of AVS Forums seem to confirm that the BD-P2550 will feature HQV video processing. We're usually pretty skeptical about branded step-up features like HQV, but we've seen excellent performance time and time again from players with HQV processing, so we expect it to be a significant feature if it's true. The old Samsung BD-P1200 also featured an HQV processor and although it's had its share of troubles, we always found it had excellent image quality on both Blu-ray Discs and DVDs.
We've contacted Samsung to find out more about the BD-P2550 and will update this entry as we receive more information.
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