73 of 78 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Honest Review After Three Days Of Use, May 30, 2011
This review is from: Samsung BD-D5500 3D Blu-ray Disc Player (Black) (Electronics)
I just received this player from Amazon three days ago. There are certain features of this product that exceed my expectation.
1.The Blu-ray disk reading is very fast. This is compared to the Panasonic DMP-DB60 Blu-ray that I had previously. This one is almost 10 times faster than the Panasonic DMP-DB60. I am very pleased by its fast reading capability.
2.You can connect a mass storage device to this machine to the USB port. I initially thought the USB ports were for small storage devices such a flash drive or thumb drive, like many earlier version Blu-ray/DVD players. But after I tried to plug a 500GB external hard drive into it, all the multi-media files on the drive were quickly recognized by the player. The reading was fast. I was pleasantly surprised by that.
3.Besides its high quality video output, the audio output is also very powerful. I connect this player to my "Logitech Z-5500 THX-Certified 5.1 Digital Surround Sound Speaker System", which is the best PC audio system that I have had so far (perhaps the best in the market). The sound is much more powerful than if the PC output is used. I had to tune the volume down by 1/3 of the normal level so that it won't shake the wall too much.
4.It plays many video formats and supports many codecs. It's the first Blu-Ray/DVD player that plays mkv video file that I've seen in the US market.
Please note that in order to have the subtitle of a video file to be read by the machine, you have to make sure the file name of the subtitle (with the extension of .sub or .srt) must be the same as the video file name. I didn't do that earlier. After I tried to play several video files, I figured it out myself, which made me more pleased with this product. I changed my rating from 4 stars to 5 stars.
I bought this player along with "Samsung UN55D7000 LED TV", which has several USB ports by itself. After a few days of use, I realized that the USB capabilities of this Blu-player and the TV are overlapped. But I was still impressed by the new technology.
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Does the Job, January 19, 2012
This review is from: Samsung BD-D5500 3D Blu-ray Disc Player (Black) (Electronics)
PROS/CONS
1) The BD-D5500 has a loading tray, which encourages proper handling of the disks by the edges. (Many more expensive players are "slot loading")
2) Despite the complaint of one reviewer, it is the standard width (17"), exactly the same as my old DVD player and my receiver.
3) The controls are illuminated, and so, easy to operate even in a dark room, but the controls are identified only by symbols
4) The controls are touch (not buttons)---sometimes a quick tap is good enough, sometimes it is not. I prefer the tactile feedback of buttons.
5) If you "pause" a movie (and do not remove it from the player), you can go back to it and resume play at the same location hours, maybe days, later. However, if you "stop" play, eject the disk, or turn off the player, it forgets where you stopped---Caveat, when attached to a Samsung TV, if you turn off the TV, that automatically turns off the player.
PROBLEMS
This is the first generation of 3D TVs, players, and movies. These TVs/players are NOT simple "audio-visual components" that you can "mix and match" with impunity. Instead, they are very complex sophisticated computers. They MUST "talk" to each other, and "talk" to your router, and your Internet service. The simplest way to assure that your TV and player "speak the same language" is to match TVs and players of the same brand and generation.
1) At least in 2011, many TVs and players required firmware updates. A large number of negative reviews are about problems viewing 3D which required firmware updates. I suspect that most individuals who had problems made no attempt to update the firmware and instead just returned the player.
2) I suspect that many of the other reported problems are from folks who connected the BD-D5500 to a non-Samsung TV with conflicting settings, or an old TV which was unable to support some of the player's features, or perhaps they used the wrong HDMI port.
3) All of the complaints about streaming problems sound like poor LAN connections to me. None of those reviewers mention having done anything to test their LAN connections. Particularly wireless connections, can be very tricky, and are prone to interference from other electronic devices (computers, wireless doorbells, fluorescent lamps, microwave ovens, etc.).
4) I bet many complainers used the unfortunately included low-definition component cable---hey, such cables worked fine for their old DVD players. Right? Why doesn't Samsung include a HDMI-cable? Because retailers like Best Buys make a large hunk of their profit selling $5 HMDI cables for $50, and push brands which do not include the necessary cables.
5) Many complainers noted that their "old" blu-ray player worked fine---I bet they were trying to connect the DB-D5500 with their "old" (non-3D) HMDI cable. Simply using a too-long HMDI cable can cause interference problems.
If the BD-D5500 were as problem-plagued as many rabid reviewers claim, Amazon would be glutted with hundreds of "refurbished" or "opened box" units at deep discounts---but as of January 2012, there is no glut of "refurbished" DB-D5500s. I have streamed movies (Netflix), played DVD movies and blu-ray movies (including 3D) and have had ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEMS.
FIRMWARE UPDDATES
Don't get freaked by the "firmware update"---I did't update my player firmware (because it isn't connected to the Internet and I have had no problems with it), but I did update the firmware in my Samsung D8000 TV. It is as simple and easy as a software update on your computer. If you have an Internet connection (see below), you just go to settings and select "update". That's all. No big deal.
PERFORMANCE
The (high definition) Blu-ray movies played on the DB-D5500 are fabulous, (standard low definition) DVDs are much clearer than played on my old DVD player. Nothing more needs to be said.
COMPARED TO OTHER BRANDS OF BLU-RAY PLAYERS
Among the Blu-ray players which can fully support the latest TV features (e.g., 3D) I've concluded that the Samsung BD-D5500 player is the best match with recent large Samsung TVs, particularly the 2011 models (e.g., the D8000 series). Compared to other brands, for example:
1) The Samsung TV and player remotes are very similar, and both can control both the TV and the player.
2) If you select the player from the TV source menu, the player automatically turns on and begins play. Conversely, If you insert a disk in the player, the TV turns on with the player set as the "source", and begins play.
3) Many functions of the player and the TV will sync with each other---you don't have to worry about the player being in one mode while the TV is in a different mode. For example, there are a variety of "picture modes" (which are preset suites of tint, contrast, brighness, sharpness, etc.) called "dynamic", "movie", "natural", etc. on the D8000 Samsung TVs (and probably other recent Samsung TVs). If the "source" is a Samsung player, then the "picture mode" "BDWise" is available. "BDWise" is ALWAYS the best picture---but you do NOT have that option if the TV and player are different brands.
4) The logic of the TV and player is identical, so you only need to learn one system.
5) You don't have to worry about possible conflicting functions which might result from mixing different brand players and TVs. This is particularly a concern with 3D.
Neither the latest Samsung TVs nor Samsung Blu-ray players support Blockbuster or Amazon Instant Movies currently, but may in the near future. While you can get these services on with other brand "smart" players, the best solution for now may be a Roku streamer
Roku 2 XS 1080p Streaming Player Alternatively, Internet chatter suggest that you may be able to access these services indirectly though the Internet browser app---but I haven't tried.
COMPARED TO OTHER SAMSUNG BLU-RAY PLAYERS
When comparing Samsung players, DO NOT assume that a higher price or higher-model-number means more features---MOST more-expensive higher-model-# Samsung players have FEWER features than the DB-D5500. For example: the DB-D5700 apparently does NOT support (true) 3D. The DB-D6500 does NOT support simulated 2D to 3D (albeit, you don't need that it if your TV can do the conversion). The Samsung website has a function which compares Blu-ray players, but no function to tell you which features you'll get (or loose) with specific TV-player combinations. Most features are redundant because they are already available on your TV (if it is only a few years old)---but a few key features (such as 3D) require support on BOTH the player and the TV. Among the several Samsung Blueray Players which support 3D, the DB-D5500 is the cheapest (~$80), and probably the most loaded with features.
If you have an older TV, which lacks internet connectivity (and doesn't support 3D), and you need a wireless connection, then a DB-D5700 could be a better choice. Except for the built-in wireless adapter and lack of 3D support, the BD-D5700 is identical to the BD-D5500.
LAN (INTERNET) CONNECTION
There are two ways to connect to the Internet, by connecting the player to your router: with an Ethernet cable, or "wireless". Virually all routers support BOTH "wireless" and Ethernet cable connections. You don't need "wireless" connection in order to support the remote control, 3D glasses, etc.---while these are "wireless", they are different systems. The BEST and cheapest way is with an Ethernet cable. The following 25' cable is only $6.50
Mediabridge - Blue RJ45 Computer Networking Cat5e Ethernet Patch Cable - (25 Feet) Even if you don't need a LAN connection, at least temporarily connecting the player (by Ethernet cable) to your router to the Internet for an automatic firmware update when you first setup the player (or anytime you have a problem with the player) is probably a good idea.
You do NOT have to connect the player via your router to your LAN to the Internet if all you want to do is play DVD and/or Blu-ray movies. You ONLY need to connect to your LAN for Internet services, such as Twitface (Twitter, Facebook, etc.), streaming sports, streaming movies from Netflix, Blockbuster, or Amazon etc. But, if (as in my case) your TV is connected to the Internet and offers all the services you want, there is no need for the player to be connected to the Internet. My connection is to the TV and is wireless, over a moderately slow DSL service, and an antique 811b router (which was considered slow 12 years ago). I have no problem streaming HD Netflix. If my slow connection works flawlessly, then almost any connection would be adequate. In most cases there is no need to upgrade your DSL service or router.
The DB-D5500 is "wireless ready", meaning that you can add a wireless adapter in order to connect to your LAN (to connect to the Internet). The wireless adapter is sold separately.
Samsung WIS09ABGN WIRELESS LINKSTICK WIS09ABGN2 USB LAN Adapter FOR SAMSUNG 2009 - 2010 & 2011 BLU-RAY PLAYERS, 2010 & 2011 SAMSUNG TVs---a non-Samsung wireless adapter will not work. Alternatively, the DB-D5500 is also "Ethernet ready"--you can connect to the Internet via your router, simply by connecting the player to your router with an Ethernet cable. If you have problems with a wireless connection, test the connection by substituting an Ethernet cable connection before you upgrade your DSL or buy a new router. If the cable works, then neither your DSL speed nor your router is the problem---simply moving around the player or router a few feet one way or another may make a big difference.
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