Customer Reviews

Samsung BD-P2500 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player

5 star:		(118)
4 star:		(55)
3 star:		(20)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(45)

 

 

Very happy with this purchase! I'm glad to see Amazon has them back in stock. I have never had a problem with another seller - but I do prefer Amazon. I got my unit from a local retailer who I had a discount code for. With tax etc. I ended up paying what I would have paid on amazon. Unfortunately amazon now charges tax for us New York residents (not amazon's choice...)

I digress.

I was initially going to buy the BD-P1500 just for it's price point, but was drawn to this model when I found out about the Netflix feature.

The unit was well packed (nice to see manufacturers getting more conscious about being "green" with packing).

The unit is smaller than I expected and seems sturdy.

Box contained:
Player with permanently attached cord
Remote with batteries (aaa)
One AV cable (RCA red/yellow/white)
User guide

The anynet+ feature is nice if you have other Samsung components. I have a Samsung TV and because I used an HDMI cable to connect, the TV and Blu-ray player "talk" to each other. The player turns the TV on automatically and switches it to the correct input which is a nice convenience.

NETFLIX! This feature is so cool! The picture quality was amazing. I have the player connected to my linksys router with a cable using the net port on the back. I suppose you could do this wirelessly with some extra components. You have to log into netflix and cue movies on your PC, and then you can watch them on your TV through the player. It works really well. Note that this feature requires a firmware upgrade (see below for my complaint about this...)

Picture and sound quality seems wonderful!

Two small quirks/complaints:
1) Load time: It takes a good minute or so for a blu-ray disk to load initially. Once loaded response time is great, but that initial load time is long

2) Firmware upgrade: I connected the unit to my router and went to setup to have it check for an upgrade and was told that I already had the latest firmware, which I know I did not. If you turn the player on and don't see the Netflix logo on the home screen, you probably don't have the latest firmware. I went to the Samsung website, downloaded an update file which I then had to burn to a CD. Putting the CD in the player then sucessfully updated the firmware. I am not sure why the net upgrade option didn't work, but I have seen other users complain about this online. A mild annoyance. The CD upgrade took about 5 minutes. It is also upgradable by USB using a flash drive.

All in all, I am very happy with this!

I went to the big-box stores ready to buy a new Blu-Ray(BD)player and figured I would make my final decision of either the Panasonic BD-50 or the Sony BDP-S550 once I got there, as these are the two most popular BD players that offer what I want. Analog outputs were a must for me, since my Onkyo receiver only has HDMI passthrough. But surprisngly the one that caught my eye was the Samsung BDP-2500 for $75 less than either of the other models. It seemingly offered every feature that I needed/wanted including 7.1 analog outputs, USB and ethernet ports and now had a firmware update available with the Netflix streaming "Watch-now" Service to boot, which was a feature that greatly interested me on the pricier LG BD-300, the only other player to offer this feature so far. So with a 15% coupon that the big-box store mailed me to thank me for my purchase of my Samsung LN52A650, I picked it up for under $300, not bad since retail was $500 on this machine under 2 months ago. My only other BD player that I have owned to date is my PS3, so I don't have a ton of experience evaluating BD player quality. But here are my early impressions; The Samsung BD picture is equal to if not slightly better than the PS3. Not only my own impression but 3 adult family members who have watched numerous movies on each player, on my TV, so that says something. But while BD quality is fairly close wit h a slight edge to the BDP-2500, where the BDP-2500 shines is Standard-Def(SD) movies. The upscaling is simply amazing. It is not even close, it simply blows away the PS3 in this category. For the technical types out there, this is due to the Samsung's use of the Reon HQV video-processing chip. The chip is critically-acclaimed in tech circles and is used in Denon and some Toshiba BD players. So if you feel you will continue watching your collection of standard-def DVD's, this machine scores big points here.
To address one of the other reviews that the buyer had issues with firmware updates. I have had no problem whatsoever with either the process of upgrading the firmware nor any issues with the player's performance after upgrading. I personally recommend using the USB upgrade method over the network and CD methods. After the upgrade, Netflix Streaming video worked very good, although it should be noted that the Netflix streaming system does not stream in HD quality at this point. It is similiar in quality to a standard DVD.At some point, I'm sure it will go to HD, but don't know when. It's just nice to have fairly future-proof player for when it does. I know that Samsung has had some issues with previous BD players such as the BDP-1200 and even the current BDP-1500, but from what I've read and experienced, this machine is a marked improvement and hopefully approaches the awesome quality of their LCD TV line.

I decided not to skimp and not buy one of the "cheapo" entry level bluray players after hearing how slow most were and also how most were stripped of inputs and other functions.After doing alot of research, talking with a friend who bought this bluray player, and after trying out several units in the stores themselves, i decided that the Samsung BD-P2500 was the best Bluray player features/quality vs. cost and i've been extremely happy with the player since the day i picked it up.Not only is the color,picture, dvd upscaling better than most other bluray players, it blows away the new Sony BD350 AND BD550.

One piece of advice.The BD-P2500 IS NOT for the novice or someone that doesn't want to spend the extra money(over a bargain/starter bluray player)for a Home Theater quality,profile 2.0 Bluray player.It has ALOT of features that require some learning to get to know how to use(
like the ability to upgrade the firmware with a usb 2.0 memory stick and pc.

First, I love this blu-ray player. Not just for the requisite amazing HD picture and sound, but for the best-in-class upscaling for plain DVDs. I thought I wouldn't really use the additional Netflix and Pandora streaming features (a rare treat on this specific Samsung model, BD-P2500), but I have to admit, I'm hooked on those as well! Netflix movies are delivered straight to the unit (some even in HD), and Pandora Internet Radio is a dream. It creates smart playlists that I swear are from my own personal iPod collection, but sound a heck of a lot better through my stereo. Best of all, Pandora services are FREE, plus they work well over my wireless LAN. Both Netflix and Pandora are extremely easy to use. You simply queue instant movies on your home computer (via the Netflix site), and your blu-ray player is smart enough to retrieve accordingly. Pandora asks you for a few "radio stations" upfront (i.e., the names of a few of your favorite bands), and then tailors personalized music accordingly.
I LOVE THE INTERNET-ENABLED FEATURES, BUT WANT TO RUN THINGS WIRELESSLY, LIKE EVERY OTHER SMART SYSTEM IN THE HOME...
If you're like me, you won't want to run an Ethernet cable into your living room to the blu-ray player to enable BD-live, Netflix streaming, and Pandora services. So, you may ask, "The player has a hard-wired Ethernet port. Can I use it wirelessly?"
Answer: Yes, but you'll need an aftermarket adapter. I purchased the Linksys Dual-Band Wireless-N Gaming Adapter and connected it to the player. It was mind-numbingly easy to install on the BD player. I first hooked the wireless adapter to my laptop, installed the included Linksys software, configured the adapter to find my wireless network, entered the WEP key, unplugged it, and plugged it into the BD player's Ethernet port. The Samsung did the rest, automatically created an Internet connection to my wireless router, and no additional configuration was required. Internet quality/reception is great, even through my old Linksys WRT54G wireless router.
Glitches: The only glitch I found was first trying to get Netflix to work. It would keep hanging and posting error messages that directed me to the Netflix help pages--which weren't much of a help at all. The solution was downloading firmware updates until I reached the most recent one. Note that firmware updates for this unit appear to be sequential; You have to download and install a couple until you get the latest update. Bottom line, once you have the system connected to your home Internet network, keep trying updating the firmware until the player tells you that you have the latest update. (Firmware updates are easy; simply access the "options" page in the built-in menu.)
Enjoy!

I received this item yesterday, and immediately connected it to the internet so that I could update the firmware to get the netflix update.

The "update" menu said the firmware was up to date.

Then there was the 1 hour of phone calls and chats to samsung and netflix to try to get it to work.

samsung has a text chat with people who are very slow and not knowledgeable.

netflix customer support can't help with samsung problems, but then connected me to someone who was more helpful.

Apparently, I was supposed to be seeing a "netflix" logo on the samsung splash screen - something that samsung didn't even know.

Armed with this information, I determined that I did NOT have the latest firmware. I downloaded the zip file to my mac (the samsung support site says pc only!) and then copied the contents to a usb flash drive and updated the dvd player that way. at first it restarted to a hang but a power cycle got it to start up (NEVER unplug it DURING an update though!)

then the netflix icon showed up. Hope this helps others who will probably have the same problem, samsung cannot explain why the net updater thought the firmware was up to date when it wasn't.


on another note, found out today Amazon has discontinued it's policy to give you a refund in 30 days if the price of something goes down - as of sept 1. I got no notification of this, and was counting on the price of this player going down around thanksgiving and getting some money off. If you were planning to do the same thing, I suggest waiting to purchase this product until black friday. I will personally be returning it and purchasing elsewhere - I don't like it when companies change their policies without notifying their customers.

I just let my BD-P2550 run the Samsung firmware upgrade process that it has been requesting each time I turn it on for the past few weeks.

The process appeared to go normally (download went just fine, verification went just fine, update went just fine, and it turned itself off as it has after previous successful upgrades).

However, when I turned it back on afterward, it became apparent that it has bricked itself. I called Samsung tech support and quickly ran afoul of this unit's very weak warranty. They couldn't help me get it working again, but they have offered to let me pay them to fix it.

I am always cautious about firmware upgrades and am convinced that there is nothing I might have done differently to prevent this circumstance, except to keep ignoring those firmware upgrade requests. This unit isn't even six months old yet.

It may cost me more to go with another manufacture when I replace this machine, but I am hopeful that I'll find a maker who won't leave a customer in a ditch like this.

I was sold on the LG BD300 since I first heard about it a year ago and have been waiting for it ever since. I was planning on getting it until I heard about the Samsung BD-P2500 and figured I should at least research it a little before buying the LG, and boy am I glad I did!! That's when I found out Samsung made a sister model to the 2500, the BD-P2550. The 2500 and 2550 are identical except except for one feature, the 2550 adds Pandora Internet Radio. A small difference, you might think, but Pandora takes the purchase to a whole other level of enjoyment! As you can deduce, I ended up buying the Samsung 2550 and absolutely LOVE it! But since the 2500 and 2550 are so similar, and I've encountered a lot of people trying to decide between Samsung 2500/2550 and LGBD300, I figured I'd add my 2cents.

The main things that turned me off LG and onto Samsung were:

1- Samsung BD-P2550 has Pandora. I wasn't sure if I'd use this service or not so went to the website to check it out. I have to say, I really like the service and have been making good use of it via the Samsung. Sure, you can listen to Pandora on your computer, and maybe even hook up your computer to your home stereo system. But having it there and ready to go on the Samsung has been great! I really love it and love that I can listen on my home theater setup. I also have TVersity streaming to my home theater setup via my DirecTV receiver, and its possible TVersity can pick up Pandora too, but it would be lacking the same interface available on the Samsung BD-P2550, and the menus look great on my plasma TV. The Pandora feature alone beats the LG BD300 in my opinion, and the little extra money for the Samsung is more than worth it to me.

2- LG has NO internal flash memory while the Samsung has 1gb flash. This is useful for BD Live features and makes the experience easier and more enjoyable.

3-Samsung's video upscaling of regular DVDs is SUPERB! I'm very picky about video quality and I thought the picture looked spectacular. This is due to the superior chipset inside the Samsung, which LG is lacking. And naturally, Blu Ray disks look awesome too.

I admit, I never tried the LG so I'm not making a true test-drive comparison here. All I can say is I was totally sold on the LG and waiting a year for its release, but in the end, I'm glad I picked Samsung BD-P2550 at the last minute.

A word about Firmware updates:

Updates are easiest if you hook up your player to the internet via the network port on the back. This is also the only way to get BD Live content, so you may want to hook it up that way if you can. The player automatically configures the network settings and connects to the internet automatically. My player did need a firmware update, but the process was very simple. Just select the upgrade from the player's setup menu and it takes care of the installation by itself. The upgrade only took about 20min, then the player rebooted and I was good to go. No issues. No hassle. No sweat.

I have to give the Samsung BD-P2550 Blu-Ray player top marks. It's truly awesome and I'm glad I got it. I bought a Toshiba HD player last year before the bottom fell out on HD-DVD and then returned to Amazon for a full refund. I didn't mind returning it since most the disks I tried playing locked up and wouldn't play. But I was disappointed HD-DVD died. But in the end, everything worked out for the best and I'm very happy with this Samsung. And no disk lockups as with the HD-DVD I tried last year.

Incidentally, Netflix streaming actually looks pretty good considering it's not HD. And soon they'll be streaming HD quality, so that'll be cool to try. Maybe I won't even need to rent disks anymore and will just stream everything. Also, the player's menus and interface are clean and easy to use and it was a breeze to setup the player with my Harmony 1000 remote.

So between Netflix, Pandora, superior DVD upscaling and superb Blu-Ray picture, it's hard to beat the Samsung BD-P2550. It's a giant leap into future technology and will remain cutting edge for years to come. It's awesome!! Go for it!!!!

I first began looking at blu-ray in oct/nov of last year, and I haunted these reviews and online AV forums for the next three months looking for the best player. Since I received a lot of information through Amazon (from whom I evenutally purchased this player), I felt it was the least I could do to return the favor.

If you have been searching for a player for any length of time, you know that no single model or brand is without its detractors. At various times I considered Sony and Panasonic, and came very close to buying the Panasonic DMP-BD30K 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player. In the end, I went with the Samsung for two reasons - the other items in my home entertainment system were Samsung also, and the streaming Netflix feature. I can't compare the Samsung BD-P2500 with other blu-ray players, but I can describe my experiences after three weeks.

I ordered this player on a weekend, and it arrived on the following Wednesday, using the cheapest shipping offered. The item was well packed, nestled in some formed styrofoam inside the manufacturer's box and then the entire thing placed in another box and padded with air packets. There is no assembly required, and installation takes less than five minutes.

Right or wrong, I felt that if all the components of my AV system were the same brand, I'd have fewer compatability problems. And according to my research online and in stores, Samsung had the best customer satisfaction. After nearly a month with television, home theater audio and blu-ray player, I'm extremely happy with every piece. I don't know if my original reasoning bears out, but I do know I haven't had any problems with interoperability between components.

Samsung also features a communication option called Anynet+, which will allow different components to talk with one another, and allows me to control multiple pieces with one remote. It works, but I'd give this feature a C grade. It has taken me three weeks of experimenting to get comfortable with it, and I suspect I still haven't gotten it down completely. At some point, I'll probably look into buying an all in one remote anyway, because even though the components all work together, when you add cable or satellite, you still have another remote to juggle. If you were leaning toward this player over another based on the Anynet+ feature alone, I'd look for some other criteria by which to judge them. In my experience, it doesn't add that much value.

The value comes out in the picture, which is literally eye-popping. At the time of purchase, I also bought 6 blu-ray discs (Iron Man, Transformers, King Kong, Sleeping Beauty, Meet the Robinsons, and Encounters at the End of the Word), and they have played without a single hitch. No sound drop, no loading problems, no stuck discs - just a beautiful picture. I've read reviews that complained about the load time for blu-ray players, so maybe my expectations were lowered, but I don't think this player takes any more time to load than a conventional DVD player does. (If you use the Anynet+ feature to power up and load, it will take a few extra minutes). I've also read about this player not being able to read certain discs. So far, I haven't had that problem either, and aside from the discs I own, I've also rented others.

The upconversion capabilities of this player are unreal. I popped in a regular edition of 'Master and Commander' not long after getting everything set up, and while I could tell that, yes, it wasn't a blu-ray disc, I couldn't see enough difference in picture quality to justify replacing my old disc. Not all DVDs are as impressive as that one was, but I doubt there will be any need to double dip as older titles I already own are released on blu-ray. Especially films from the seventies and earlier. The only exceptions I can think of are films that are noted for the cinematography as well as the storyline (Apocalypse Now, Lord of the Rings, Etc.)

I have only used this player while hooked up with HDMI 1.3 cables, so I can't compare to other methods, but I know that 6-Foot Gold-Plated HDMI v1.3b CAT 2 Cable Male to Male for HD HDTV High Definition Digital Multimedia Audio / Video (Retail, RoHS, UL Compliant) are a ridiculously cheap and easy way to connect this player to other devices. These are the cables I use, and though I haven't tried any others, I can't see how the more expensive cables could make a difference. The picture I get right now is better than some store displays I've seen.

If I were to knock anything about this player, it would be its tendency to forget the resolution setting once you turn the unit off. Sometimes when you turn it back on, the resolution is set to 1080i instead of 1080p. I've not timed it, but to reset the resolution takes approximately 1 minute, so for me, it isn't a big deal. I also can't be sure it's not my fault for this instead of the machine's.

The other reason I went with this player initially was its ablility to stream Netflix movies, and I've found that this feature has become more important to me than I would have thought. I'd not had a Netflix account beforehand, and I set one up specifically to see how well it would work with the player. To do this, I ran an ethernet line from my modem to the player (about 60 feet, strung down and across the basement ceiling and back up again - a real pain), though I'm still not sure if I couldn't have found a way to do this wirelessly. Since I already have the line ran, it doesn't matter to me anymore, but if your set-up and house are configured in such a way as to make hard wiring difficult, it may be worth checking into.

Back to the service itself, though. I doubt I'll ever buy another DVD again, (which is something Amazon probably doesn't want to hear). Not all of their titles are available for instant streaming, but I think they'll end up offering more and more as time goes on. Even what they offer now is impressive, and easily keeps me in movies while I'm waiting for others to arrive in the mail. The way we racked up late fees from our local video store, I know in the short time we've had the service we've already come out ahead. I would suggest though that you ask around first and found out how well the area you live in is for streaming movies. I know that some areas have bandwidth hogs and even though you might be hooked up to a broadband service, you won't always be able to stream high quality.

In addition to streaming Netflix, as soon as I hooked up the ethernet line, the player prompted me with a firmware update. I was nervous at first - everything had been working fine up to that point, and I'm a big believer in 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'. But after the update, everything is still working just as advertised. All in all, I'd highly recommend this player. I do think there are a few glitches, as I've mentioned above, but not nearly enough to downgrade its rating. If anything, the 'glitches' only apply to some of the bells and whistles. As far as doing what it's supposed to do, which is play blu-ray discs and upconvert regular discs, then it's everything I expected and more.

I purchased this over the Sony due to load times and the Netflix streaming feature. I loved everything about it except the unlit remote. I purchased in December and by March it wasn't playing regular DVDs. Of course it is out of warranty (90 day labor) and Samsung will charge another 85.00 to repair. Customer support hasn't been any help and hasn't even offerd an apology. (see below) I have pulled my old DVD player out of retirement for I shouldn't have to nor do I intend to spend any additional money on this product. A company should make a product that will last longer than 4 months shouldn't they? It would be a great Blue Ray if it was better built so be sure to figure in the cost of an extended warranty when comparing or if you purchase.


Samsung Response

Dear Ron
Thank you for contacting Samsung.

Samsung will do no more or less than exactly what it claims. Our warranty clearly states that this unit is covered for manufacturer defects for 90 days (Labor) and 12 months (Parts). Samsung will stand behind what we have stated down to the letter, if you are within warranty it WILL be covered. The warranty does not state that you will be covered forever, nor does it state it will be covered for a year, nor does it state it will be covered for any longer than the time it is covered for. If you purchase any product with a stated warranty term, and you expect the company who built it to cover it for any longer than the STATED warranty term then you may be sadly disappointed in any future purchases with any company. If you want your product to be covered for any longer than that exactly what is listed you should consider an extended warranty.

I purchased this product for my husband's birthday in February. Loved it at first. Great picture and sound - easy set up. Within a few weeks noticed that the player would stop responding during movies (both bluray & dvd) to the remote control and the panel controls. Looked on the support site and upgraded firmware as instructed. When this didnt work, I contacted tech support. After they walked me through about 5 different steps that I had already done myself, they concluded that it needed repair and I should send it in (despite being a unit that was only weeks old). They received the original unit the 27th of May. I just today received a replacement unit after waiting over a month - 3 of those weeks were spent calling daily to convince them they did indeed have my defective unit since my online status showed that I needed to send the unit in to them! I was elated to receive the BDP - 3600 since it was a nice upgrade with some great new features. I unpacked the unit, plugged it in and set it up easily. Picture and sound are great and I love the Netflix & Pandora connectivity. Within 15 minutes of setup, it began making an electrical popping noise and the screen image would flash. I soon noticed that if you touch the power cord near the back of the unit, the player spontaneously turns off and on. I immediately called tech support (for the nearly 50th time!) to report the problem. Rather than apologetically offering to send me out another unit immediately, I was instructed to once again send the unit in so they can inspect it for damage and then possibly repair it. After reciting my long story and referencing my case file (which by this time was quite large) I was told this was my only option. I requested to speak to another supervisor and was told she would transfer my files to the next level and they would contact me within 48 - 72 hours. After receiving my unit, they assured me that hopefully I would get a repaired or new unit within 7 - 14 working days. And for all my trouble, they said they would send me a prepaid shipping label that I should get by email in 24 - 48 hours. If I could get my money back and get off this merry go round, I would! At this point, I have no choice but to continue to play their game in hopes of getting a functional unit for the nearly $400 I spent in February.

In summary - if I had this to do over again I WOULD NOT PURCHASE A SAMSUNG UNIT!
Their products are shoddy and their customer support is unsatisfactory at best. Beware!