BD-P1500
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Samsung's BD-P1500 gets firmware update, Netflix streaming not included
Man, we're beginning to sound like a broken record when referring to BD-P1500 firmware updates. Back in June, we were miffed when a Profile 2.0-less update hit; if you'll recall, it was months later before BD-Live capabilities were added. Today, we've seen the deck's more flamboyant siblings receive updates that bring along the highly anticipated HD Netflix stream, yet the corresponding v2.1 BD-P1500 upgrade offers only "improved playback compatibility of some movie titles." 'Course, we never heard specifically that said feature was destined for this player, but wouldn't it be nice? Yes, yes it would.
CNET UK hosts Blu-ray player load time shootout, PS3 wins
Long load times on Blu-ray players have always been a pet peeve of ours, and obviously we aren't alone. The gurus over at CNET UK rounded up four of their favorite decks and popped in a test disc (Vantage Point) in order to find which was the quickest at getting down to business. Trailing the pack was Pioneer's BDP-LX71, which took a staggering 1:54 to load and play the film. Panasonic's DMP-BD35 nabbed the bronze in unceremonious fashion (1:16), while Samsung's BD-P1500 slipped in second with a 1:09 load / play time. As we gave away in the headline there, Sony's PlayStation 3 easily took first with a test time of just 42 seconds. We'd love to know if any other untested decks could outperform that -- anyone care to time their unit and chime in below?
Internal DTS-HD decoding for Samsung Blu-ray players is delayed
While Samsung's latest crop of Blu-ray players has had the ability to output DTS-HD High Resolution & Master Audio via HDMI 1.3 in the form of a bitstream from day one, many still have an older A/V receivers that doesn't feature HDMI 1.3. So today Samsung dropped us a note to let us know that that those poor souls in need a new A/V receiver will have to endure the DTS core track in our favorite Blu-ray movies a little longer. This is because the firmware update that was scheduled to deliver the new codecs to existing players is delayed. But don't fret, the good news is that Samsung is still optimistic that it can deliver the new feature before the year is up.
Amazon gets the BD bundle discounts going early
Aw, yeah. Remember way back when HD DVD and Blu-ray were at each other's throats, and manufacturers were giving out free titles left and right in order to get you to buy one format over another? It seems that little tactic is finding its way back as the holiday / Black Friday season approaches, with Amazon giving users a full $100 off their total purchase when buying an 80GB PlayStation 3 ($399.99), Sylvania NB500 ($199.98) or Samsung BD-P1500 ($211 at current check) along with four Blu-ray Discs from Warner Home Video. Best of all, a fair share of titles are priced well below $25 each, meaning that you'll actually net some discount on the BD player in addition to scoring four "free" flicks. The deal's good through December 31st, but who knows if it'll get any sweeter as the previously mentioned holidays grow closer.[Thanks, A1]
$150 Blu-ray players destined for Black Friday?
Could it be? Could we really see stacks upon stacks of Profile 1.1 (and maybe one or two Profile 2.0) Blu-ray players flying into carts on Black Friday? According to sources speaking with the typically reliable Fudzilla, that's exactly what we'll see -- well, if people think $150 is a low enough threshold. We're told that some of the older units (think Samsung's recently discounted BD-P1500, Funai's NB500 and Sony's BDP-S300) could be seen for as low as $150 as manufacturers attempt to clear out old inventory and make room for the Profile 2.0 push during the holidays. Our take? It makes sense. Another holiday season with only the hardcore movie buffs buying into Blu-ray won't be any good for disc sales in 2009 -- BD adoption needs to pick up, and this sounds like the perfect catalyst.[Image courtesy of NielsPettersolberg]
Buy Samsung's BD-P1500, get The Matrix Collection on Blu-ray for free
Samsung's BD-P1500 didn't stay situated at $200 for long before selling out (or being removed) at RadioShack, but on the eve of one of the most anticipated Blu-ray releases in the history of the format, along comes yet another deal that could be just the one you were waiting for. If you've been holding off on buying a BD deck until The Ultimate Matrix Collection landed, have a look at this. A number of retailers (Amazon, Best Buy and Circuit City, most notably) are now offering the Profile 1.1 Profile 2.0 player with a completely free copy of the 10-disc box set. Of course, the price of the player varies depending on your e-tailer of choice, but considering that the MSRP on the film set alone is $129.95, you can probably see the value here. Dig in below, if you're so inclined.[Thanks, Jason]Read - AmazonRead - Best BuyRead - Circuit City
Samsung BD-P1500 update finally enables BD Live
Love it or not, BD Live is the latest must have feature for Blu-ray players. Samsung is finally delivering on its promise today by making a firmware update available for download that turns on the internet magic of your Blu-ray Discs when you load them in a BD-P1500. Of course you'll need internet access behind your TV for any of this to work, but if you prefer, you can still download an image of the update disc if you don't want to use the player's auto-update feature. Now that the BD-P1500 and Sony BDP-S350 do BD Live, can both be had for less than $300, and offer just about every feature you'd want, it combined with Hollywood's impressive slate of titles released on Blu for this season, we can't think of any other excuses that an HD lover could have to not jump on the Blu-bandwagon.
Samsung's BD-P1500 Blu-ray player dips under $200
We want to say that it has begun, but we're still thinking it's a touch early to suggest the $200 barrier is collapsing before our very eyes. Not even 24 hours after Sony's BDP-S300 fell to under $200 at Amazon, Samsung's respectable BD-P1500 has now done the same over at RadioShack. The $299.99 player becomes $199.99 instantly when added to one's cart, and according to the promotional fine print, the additional $100 off will be valid until September 27th. The real question is: will the "sale" be extended?[Thanks, Shawn]Update: The player has vanished from the website. Sold out, possibly?
Samsung's BD-P1500 gets firmware update, Profile 2.0 not included
Not that we had a whole heap of complaints about Samsung's BD-P1500 when we reviewed it earlier this month, but Samsung has already pushed out a minor firmware update that reportedly addresses "playback compatibility." Chances are you won't find it posted online just yet, but for those who connect directly to the 'net with their Blu-ray player, the v080621.02 update can be sucked down and installed. Sadly, Profile 2.0 is not included, but it's nice to be treated to free updates nonetheless. Chime in below if you notice any drastic changes.[Thanks, Jacob]Update: It's now available via Samsung's website.
Samsung BD-P1500 review
Samsung has always led the way when it comes to Blu-ray players. It was the first to market, months before even Sony or the PS3. Sammy has also released more generations of Blu-ray decks than any other manufacturer at four. Sure, Samsung players have had a few problems, and with few exceptions customers have been forced to upgrade their units to get new features, but overall every previous Samsung player has been a solid performer -- thus, we don't expect you to be floored when hearing that the BD-P1500 fits the same mold. Also, like its predecessors, the BD-P1500 braves the way with new features, but unlike the original BD-P1000, there's a lot of competition now. But even so, we're still not sure how many will choose it over a PS3.
The Samsung BD-P1500 unboxed
It's been two years since we got a chance to play with the first Blu-ray player which was also a Samsung and here we are with the fourth generation player at our disposal. Right up front we like the way it looks, but there's no doubt this is a different class of machine from the previous generations as a few features are obviously missing like discrete analog outs. But features aside, we plan to run this thing through the paces, but for now click through for a up close look at Samsung's latest Blu-ray player. %Gallery-24001%
Samsung's BD-P1500 Blu-ray player in stock, in the wild
Remember that April June release date that Samsung just threw out not even a month ago for its twice-delayed BD-P1500? Yeah, apparently that's not entirely accurate. A few shots here prove that the firm's latest BD-Live-ready Blu-ray deck is indeed hitting at least some store shelves already, with this particular one being spotted in a San Diego Wal-Mart. Better still, the price was pegged at $348, or a full $51 less than the published MSRP. In other words, keep a sharp eye out for this puppy -- it's probably worth the extra $50 over the Funai NB500.[Thanks, Rob] %Gallery-22778%
Samsung delays fourth gen BD-P1500 Blu-ray player, adds BD-Live
We can't really see the logic in releasing a Blu-ray player without BD-Live in 2008 -- and neither can Samsung, which just announced its fourth generation BD-P1500 will be BD-Live Ready. The bad news is the May release date announced earlier has slipped to June, and the formerly comfortable $399 MSRP is now a less promising TBA. We're not sure if that "ready" tag means it will be BD-Live enabled out of the gate, however DTS-HD "High resolution" is confirmed on the way in a future firmware update. A slight delay for a significant upgrade in features? We'll allow it.Update: Samsung let us know the press release was in error, the MSRP will remain at $399.
Samsung's BD-P1500 Blu-ray player release pushed up to April - UPDATE
Samsung's fourth-generation Blu-ray player will be hitting store shelves slightly sooner than expected elsewhere, as the company announced during its CeBIT press conference that worldwide release will happen in April, rather May as previously announced at CES. The BD-P1500 updates the well-received BD-P1400 player with Profile 1.1 / Bonus View goodness, as well as 7.1 PCM, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, and DTS-HD MA audio support for $399. Pick up one of these up next month, or wait for the BD-Live enabled DMP-BD50 or BDP-S550? For those in need of legacy HD DVD support, still word whether the BD-UP5500 combo player's release date has been affected by Samsung's "focus" on Blu-ray. Update 3/11: Samsung PR dropped us a line that the BD-P1500 is still officially expected in the May/June timeframe. We'll keep you posted on any further updates.
Samsung intros BD-P1500 Blu-ray player, BD-UP5500 combo player
Hard to believe that CES 2007 was the venue at which Samsung launched its second-generation Blu-ray player, as just 12 months later we're staring the fourth-gen unit right in the face. Coming this May, the BD-P1500 will support 1080p playback (not to mention 720p / 1080i / 1080p DVD upconversion), 7.1 PCM, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD HR and MA, Bitstream audio output via HDMI, HDMI 1.3 with CEC and the obligatory Profile 1.1. Meanwhile, the firm is also announcing its forthcoming combo player, and for those out there who have yet to successfully hunt one down or are just too frightened by the reports of lackluster audio performance, you may want to hit the pause button 'til May. The BD-UP5500 (pictured after the break) handles Blu-ray / HD DVD discs and supports 1080p24, but otherwise remains functionality identical to the P1500. The pain? $399 for the BD-P1500, $599 for the BD-UP5500.
