Samsung BD-P1000 Blu-Ray Disc Player

by Samsung

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 17 x 3.1 x 12.8 inches ; 9.3 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 15 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B000F99FDE
• Item model number: BD-P1000
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (86 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #72,613 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The Samsung BD-P1000 DVD player is the first model from Samsung that plays high-definition Blu-ray Discs, which takes advantage of today's flat-screen HDTVs by playing content at native 720p or 1080i video resolutions. You'll marvel at the clarity and full-color spectrum of the vibrant video produced from Blu-ray movie discs, which provide five times the resolution of standard DVD movie discs. The BD-P1000 also offers backward compatibility for DVD movie and CD audio discs, and an upconverting function that brings your favorite DVDs to near HD quality. It includes one high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) output, which provides uncompressed, all-digital video and multi-channel audio delivered via a single cable (720p/1080p). High-definition signals up to 1080i are also available through the component video output. Note that viewing high-definition Blu-ray Disc content requires an HDTV or HD-ready TV.

The user-friendly graphic interface includes a full-color, hi-def animated menu, with features such as advanced subtitle functions, video scene search and pop-ups--which provide informative tidbits and are embedded in Blu-ray Disc contents. And the unique 11-in-2 multi-format memory card slot displays 3-megapixel and larger images in full hi-def resolution. It's compatible with Secure Digital (SD), MultiMedia (MMC), CompactFlash, MicroDrive, XD Picture Card, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick Duo Pro, Memory Stick Pro, RS MMC, and Mini SD. Other technical features include

• Up to 1080p (1920 x 1080p) output through HDMI digital output
• Selectable 1080p/1080i/720p video upconversion of DVDÕs through HDMI
• BD-RE, BD-ROM, DVD ROM, DVD RAM, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, CD-ROM, CD-R/RW playback compatible
• MPEG2, VC-1, H.264, HD JPEG decoding
• 12-bit/192MhZ video D/A converter; 24-bit/192KHz audio D/A converter

The BD-P1000 provides a full range of audio decoding, including Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby DTS, and MP3. It has stereo outputs as well as coaxial and optical digital audio outputs for 5.1-channel home theater surround sound. It offers the following video output connection options:

• Composite AV (RCA): 1
• S-Video: 1
• Component Video: 1
• HDMI: 1

Blu-ray Disc Format
The next-generation Blu-ray optical disc format was created by a group of the world's top consumer electronics companies, including Samsung and Sony. This format was intended to meet the demand for playing and recording high-definition content, which far surpasses the video quality DVD can handle. With remarkable high quality video and crisp audio clarity, Blu-ray also offers increased storage capacity--up to 25 GB of content on a single-sided disc and enough space for two hours of high-definition movies or recorded content. (This is over five times the 4.7 GB of data a standard single-sided DVD disc can store.) The name Blu-ray is derived from the blue-violet laser the player uses to read and write to the disc.

Tech Talk
HDMI is a lossless, uncompressed, all-digital audio/video interface to link any audio/video source (such as a set-top box, DVD player, or AV receiver) with your TV--all over a single cable. HDMI supports standard, enhanced or high definition video, plus multi-channel digital audio on a single cable. It supports all ATSC formats--standard (SDTV), enhanced (EDTV), and high (HDTV).

Component video (also called Y/Pb/Pr) features a three-jack video input, which provides separate connections for luminance (Y), blue color difference (PB) and red color difference (PR). This results in increased bandwidth for color information, resulting in a more accurate picture with clearer color reproduction and less bleeding than you would get with S-Video or composite (RCA yellow video plug) connections. You will need a separate RCA left/right audio cable for sound.

• High Definition Formats: The most common high-def (HD) video format is 720p, which displays video at 720 vertical by 1280 horizontal pixels. The "p" denotes that it is progressive scan, meaning that all video lines are filled at the same time. The 1080i format displays video at 1080 vertical by 1920 horizontal pixels, and the "i" means that it is interlaced (the old-school way of presenting video where the screen scans the odd-numbered video lines first, then the even-numbered lines). The 1080p format has the same pixel resolution as 1080i, but it is a progressive scan format and thus has a constant vertical resolution of 720 lines.

What's in the Box
Blu-ray DVD player, remote control (multibrand for TVs; comes with batteries), printed operating insructions

Product Description

The BD-P1000 Blu-ray disc player includes a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) output, an industry-supported, uncompressed, all-digital audio/video interface on a single cable, allowing users to easily connect the Blu-ray player to their existing home televisions. It will also decode standard multi-channel audio. Samsung's unique technology allows it to also play standard DVDs and CDs in addition to Blu-ray discs while allowing for more cost-effective production. The supported DVD formats include DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, DVD-R, DVD+RW, and DVD+R. Additional features of the BD-P1000 include memory card reader, full audio format support, pop-up and always-on menu options; a full color high-definition animated button; and improved bitmap and text subtitles. The increased storage capacity of Blu-ray discs allows the Samsung BD player to offer an astounding 25 GB of content on a single-sided disc (50 GB per dual layer) - nearly six times the capacity of traditional DVDs and enough space for two hours of high-definition movies or recorded content. The Blu-ray next-generation optical disc format was created by a group of the world's top consumer electronics companies, including Samsung. This format was intended to meet intense consumer demand for playing and recording high-definition content, which far surpasses the video quality DVD can handle. With remarkable high quality video and crisp audio clarity, Blu-ray is unsurpassed in high-definition entertainment. Other applications including gaming and interactive media will take even greater advantage of the format. Connectivity includes CVBS Output, S-Video Output, component output, HDMI and both digital and analog audio outputs. Supported audio formats include 192KHz LPCM, Dolby digital & Dolby Digital Plus, MPEG 2, DTS and MP3. BD-P1000 also has a memory card reader supporting Compact Flash, XD Picture card, Micro Drive, SD, MMC & RS-MMC, Memory stick and Memory stick duo.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

58 of 74 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Buyer Beware, July 6, 2006

By 

E. Crum - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Samsung BD-P1000 Blu-Ray Disc Player (Electronics)

I purchased this blu-ray player the day they came out and ended up having to switch it out three times to get one that worked. The first one had a bad drive motor, the second a loose component connector and the third worked but still locked up frequently. The picture quality is only slightly better than many of the "upconversion" dvd players on the market. One reviewer stated that Underworld Evolution and T2 are stunning. While I will admit Underworld looks good, although the regular dvd is not that far behind it in picture quality, T2 has a DTS sound glitch that makes it skip on this player and overall the picture is not much better that the ultimate version out for half the price on regular dvd. The discs at this point are not worth the money, poor transfers overall and few or no special features. Save your money.

172 of 226 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars My advice: Wait until the format, and your own system, develop., June 29, 2006

By 

Theodore E. Kim (Indianapolis, IN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Samsung BD-P1000 Blu-Ray Disc Player (Electronics)

So much has been said and written about Blu-ray. So it was with much excitement that I unwrapped my brand new Samsung BD-P1000 on launch day.

Yet, after a weekend during which I tested four Blu-ray movies, as well as several standard DVDs, I couldn't help but be disappointed. In short, one expects this next-generation format to provide spectacular improvements over regular DVD. But, in truth, the differences are so slight that it makes me doubt the format's worth as a movie medium in its early stages.

I'll discuss several things in this review: Aesthetics, ease-of-use, picture and sound quality. (Just so you know, my equipment: A Panasonic plasma television with a resolution of 1024-by-768, as well as an Onkyo 5.1 surround audio system. I connected the player to my television using its HDMI output and optical audio input. I toggled between resolutions of both 1080i and 720p.)

First, aesthetics. Photos don't convey just how pretty this thing is. Its front side has a glassy appearance and looks every bit the high end machine it is. The remote is standard black plastic, fine. When the player is on, its front power button, disc door and circle of manual controls glow a bright neon blue -- lights that could prove a distraction for some.

Second, ease-of-use. Yes, the rumors are true. The player takes about 20 seconds to power up. Blu-ray movies take an additional 20 seconds to boot up. A little annoying, sure. But the wait times are hardly cataclysmic and should not be considered a deal breaker. Standard DVDs, by the way, load quicker.

In the back are all the expected inputs: HDMI, component, S-Video and composite video inputs; coaxial and optical outputs. The machine also has analog 5.1 outputs for those of you who can take advantage of such connections (and the sterling uncompressed audio quality those links provide.)

Third, picture quality. I tested four movies on my machine -- XXX, 50 First Dates, Underworld: Evolution and House of Flying Daggers. To hear boosters tell it, Blu-ray's ace in the hole is its picture quality. After all, the player can deliver a full 1080p picture, a resolution up to five times as good as standard DVDs.

Indeed, the picture does look sharp. But, as we all know, so do standard DVDs, especially on a good DVD player with upconversion capabilities. My eyes saw this: With the exception of a few scenes here and there, each film looked about the same as a regular DVD might look played on a good system.

Perhaps the problem is the source material itself, as some early professional reviews have indicated. A few scenes appeared downright grainy. Of the four movies I watched, 50 First Dates looked the best, with its sunny-day colors and clarity. The first few minutes of Underworld also offer promise as to what Blu-ray might deliver down the road (The movie's first scene is a close-up of a vampire's face -- the detail of which is truly stunning.)

Standard DVDs, meantime, look very sharp, displaying images equivalent to what a good DVD player might provide. Yet, switching between the Blu-ray movies and standard DVDs drove home the point: The difference in quality just isn't that spectacular, at least with the initial roster of Blu-ray titles.

Finally, sound. Each Blu-ray disc is encoded with both traditional Dolby Digital 5.1 sound, an uncompressed PCM 5.1 track and other assorted language tracks. Alas, my older surround system is unable to take advantage of the uncompressed sound. Early reviews laud that track for its quality. For my part, the regular Dolby 5.1 sounded like, well, regular Dolby 5.1 -- good but about the same as on a standard DVD.

In conclusion, as much as I hate to say it, the BD-P1000 experience was underwhelming. Really. Maybe my humble home theater system is simply incapable of unleashing the full power of Blu-ray. I haven't seen Blu-ray movies displayed on a 1080p television, nor have I heard the uncompressed audio quality.

More likely, most of you out there are like me: A home theater amateur intrigued by Blu-ray, yet hesitant about making the investment because of the lukewarm early reviews. My advice: Given its price tag, the lack of content out there and the negligible differences in quality compared with standard DVDs, I'd advise waiting. My hope is that Blu-ray will, indeed, show its true colors one day. Today is not that day.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Samsung BD-P1000 Blu-Ray DVD Player, December 7, 2006

By 

Raymond L. Duncan (australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Samsung BD-P1000 Blu-Ray Disc Player (Electronics)

Over here in Australia, I have just paid [...] for one of the first units to ht the stores and i am absoloutley over the moon with the result. Despite Samsung's suggestion that it would only play region "B" (Australian) discs, it plays all blu-ray discs that I can get my hands on including region "A" (USA and Canada), and I am rapidly building up my library from Amazon.com. The picture is superb, "Under Siege" for example has been rehashed to high def and the picture is just unbelieveable, but you must have a high definition TV to get the result required otherwise don't waste your money. The unit also plays all region 4 discs and all burnt copies including dual layer. Best investment I have made in years.
Ray Duncan
Cairns Australia