Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love it, September 20, 2009
I used to have a DirecTV DVR (stopped the service, but still had lots recorded on it), a (sucky) DVD player (do not buy cheap GE products), a VHS player (also sucky, but indestructible), a great bookshelf stereo, a video game console, a TV and an input selector to switch between all of them. Connecting all these devices was a fishing net of cables that could drown a dolphin educated in basket weaving. Just disconnecting and reconnecting all those cables to move stuff around easily took 45 to 60 minutes. (I like them to be tidy, but I don't take the time to label them. Go figure.) Also, the whole setup was contained in an Ikea entertainment center that was 3 feet tall, 2 feet deep and just over 4 feet long.
Enter the HT-BD8200.
I knew I wanted this thing when I heard it's announcement last January. The more I read about it, the more I liked it. It seemed to have every feature I was looking for: compact size, wireless networking, connects to network accessible hard drives to show audio and video and images, streams Netflix and Pandora Internet radio, Blu-Ray (so I can be like the hip kids). Wall mountable, too! This thing was finally released in August, and I scooped 1 up. But, at $800 I started to worry that my expectations were a little high, and that I would be sorely disappointed.
Streaming Netflix directly to the TV is pretty cool. You cannot search for movies to watch through this system, but after you add them to your Watch Instantly queue on the Netflix website, the movie is immediately available to watch through the HT-BD8200. Similarly, the streaming Pandora music is cool, but also has limitations.
My HT-BD8200 is connected to my TV (also Samsung) by HDMI, both of which have the AnyConnect+ feature, which allows the 2 devices to adjust each other depending on what I am trying to watch. One thing I dislike about the streaming music feature; if I switch the TVs input source to the video game input, the music is turned off so that the HT-BD8200 can play the sound from the video game. What I wanted to do, though, was surf the web with the video game console while listening to Pandora's music. This could be a configuration problem, and there's probably a way around it, but for now, it's only slightly annoying.
The 2.1 virtual surround sound is really good. It can definitely put out more noise than I care to find out. With the volume at 20 (I think it goes to 100), I can easily feel the hardwood floor vibrate from the bass. I'm no audiophile, but I appreciate quality sound. The HT-BD8200 produces crisp, rich and clean sound. The virtual surround sound does work provided the sound being played was recorded with surround sound.
I feel like I have only dabbled in its many features. For example, I have not been able to get it to see a hard drive on my computer running Ubuntu/Linux, but a stand-alone networked hard drive should work well.
Yes, it's expensive, but it seems to have just about everything I can ask a small, wall mountable, attractive system to be capable of.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
HT-BD8200, October 28, 2009
SAMSUNG HT-BD8200 - I like it, but I hate it. Does not use HDMI for sound. Only for Video. Requires that you use HDMI cable AND Optical cable. when connected to the new Samsnug LED TV's, it disables ALL special sound features, and many picture features on my SAMSUNG UN55B8000 and 8500. The worst is the Automatic sound level that gets disabled. One channel volume is blaring, while another is low.. Whats up with that? when you disconnect this unit, everything is fine. You can configure the soundbar to turn off with the TV, but not to turn it on. You must keep BOTH remotes handy at all times because Samsungs own LED TV remotes will not work on the sound bar. Whats up with that? When you use this with WIFI, it conflicts with many other WIFI devices during power on causing connections to fail on other wireless devices(computers etc), while the HT-BD8200 powers on. All settles down and other WIFI devices start working again in a few minutes. It does not give any likness to 5.1 sound.
Overall, its overpriced .. It has some problems, I should have sent it back, but I didnt. The Netflix streaming is cool, but The HT-BD8200 does hang during netfix play, and needs powered off and back on every few days. I will live with it till its oblsolite.
The sound IS better than just TV speakers, but the loud fan noise kinda offsets that plus.
When I first called Samnung Tech support to report the flaws they had never heard of the HT-BD8200, whats up with that? finally after a week or so of calling for support, was told they have no plans to update the firware. I was given an option to send it back to Samsung for repair at my expense. I choose to just live with the flaws, but I kept thinking to myself, I bought it new, I should not to have to live with a repaired unit. I expect the repaired replacment would have been somone elses return with its own set of problems, and at least i know whats wrong with this one .. hahaha
Bottom line.
1)There are many formats listed in the manaual that clearly state will not play
2)This sound bar does not integrate with samsungs own high end TV's(cant speak for other TV makes and modles)
3)Loud fan noise
4)Flawed WIFI causes interfearance with other devices on your local Wireless
5)loose USB ports on internal circuit boards may be contributing to its issues
6)special TV sound and video features become disabled (at least on my 8000/8500 LED TV's)
I see a lot of reviews from people who have paid full price, and are totally happy. I would question those, seriouly ...
I say, buy it, and see for yourself. Just make sure they have a liberal return policy and dont pay full list price. I predict You will see it for $500 or less. Prices are droping on this unit for a reason.
Lower price = fewer expecations. for the right price, its a GREAT sound bar.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good value and more than adequate, November 2, 2009
After reading all the reviews, both good and bad, I decided to pull the trigger after I found a unit for around $500. I'm glad I waited for a little while as I believe that the right price for this product is about $600. It has plenty of features to keep you occupied and plays BD and DVD just fine. It will not satisfy the high end hifi crowd nor people expecting good 5.1 surround sound. Personally, I don't need wall shaking sound effects that pisses of my neighbours so this is the right system for me.
Edit: now that I've been using this for more than a week, I can say that I'm quite happy with this purchase. I have plugged in my TV to the system to use as external speakers and the virtual surround sound is more than adequate for my tastes. I can't go beyond 25 (max is 50) on the system volume without pissing off my neighbours.
So far: TV speakers << HT-BD8200 < 5.1 system.
The internet capabilities are a great extra to have. BD and DVD replay works great on my LN52B750. Only peeve is that remotes aren't compatible with each device and once in a while, my TV goes into a "mode not support" state and I have to restart the TV before I can use it. Hope Samsung will fix these problems in the future.
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