Best Reviewed
Blu-ray Players
- Best Blu-ray player for videophiles Oppo BDP-93 *Est. $500
- Best Blu-ray player for most users Panasonic DMP-BDT210 *Est. $150
- Best budget Blu-ray player Panasonic DMP-BDT110 *Est. $120
- Blu-ray player and gaming console Sony PlayStation 3 Slim (160 GB) *Est. $250
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- Great picture quality
- Good performance with DVDs
- Netflix streaming
- Great audio support
- Some disc-compatibility issues
- Slow
The Samsung BD-P2500 is among the most capable stand-alone Blu-ray players available. Features include the ability to stream Netflix videos from the Internet directly to your TV. This BD Live-compatible player (meaning it can access content from the Internet) also has complete audio support, including onboard decoders for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA, analog 7.1-channel audio outputs for sending those HD audio formats to older home theater receivers, and bitstreaming to send HD audio to new receivers that have their own decoders. Solid video-processing circuitry delivers top-notch Blu-ray and DVD picture quality. There are some negatives, however. Some discs require a firmware upgrade to be playable. In addition, the Samsung BD-P2500 is a bit slower than some other stand-alone Blu-ray players -- and considerably slower than the Sony PlayStation 3 (*Est. $400). Though the PS3 can't stream Netflix, it does add a powerful video game console to the equation. The Samsung BD-P2550 (*Est. $350), a Best Buy exclusive, is similar to the BD-P1500, but adds Pandora Internet music streaming.
We found lots of reviews for the Samsung BD-P2500 Blu-ray player. On balance, the best coverage is at CNET, which provides enough details for most without burying readers in minutiae. The review at BigPictureBigSound.com is also comprehensive without being overly technical. For those who do want to dig deep into the technical details, the review at Home Theater magazine is hard to beat. Sound & Vision includes the essentially identical BD-P2550 in a four-player "shootout." You can read lots of user feedback at Amazon.com.
Our Sources
1. CNET
Matthew Moskovciak expresses concern about "minor disc compatibility issues," but otherwise says that the Samsung BD-P2500 is a top performer with excellent features in this comprehensive but not overly technical review. The coverage has been updated to include firmware updates that add Netflix streaming and onboard DTS-HD MA decoding to the player.
Review: Samsung BD-P2500, Matthew Moskovciak, Jan. 14, 2009
Chris Boylan looks at the Samsung BD-P2500 after its latest major firmware upgrade. This detailed article sometimes wanders off into the esoteric, but Boylan does a good job explaining things in a way that's easy to understand. He recommends the player for "both the die-hard audio/videophile and the value-oriented Blu-ray shopper looking for something more."
Review: Samsung BD-P2500 Blu-ray Disc Player with Netflix, Chris Boylan, Jan. 6, 2009
3. Home Theater MagazineDetails/Subscribe
This review of the Samsung BD-P2500 provides lots of technical details, though non-videophiles might occasionally be left scratching their heads. Kris Deering finds some disappointments, but overall says that the BD-P2500 is a solid performer and a sound investment. The Blu-ray player earns the magazine's Top Pick award.
Review: Samsung BD-P2500 Blu-ray Player, Kris Deering, Feb. 2009
4. Sound & Vision MagazineDetails/Subscribe
Sound & Vision brings together four full-featured yet affordable Blu-ray players for this roundup, including the Samsung BD-P2550 (identical to the BD-2500 except for the addition of Pandora streaming music support). The player is commended for its flawless handling of Blu-ray and DVD playback, and Al Griffin says that the ability to stream from Netflix and Pandora "put it over the top in terms of desirability."
Review: Blu Rodeo, Al Griffin, Feb./March 2009
5. Amazon.com
Over 200 users report on their experiences with the Samsung BD-P2500. It earns a good -- but not perfect -- four out of five stars overall. Most owners seem very pleased, but firmware/disc-compatibility issues leave a few disappointed.
Review: Samsung BD-P2500 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player, Contributors to Amazon.com, As of Aug. 2009
Blu-ray Players Runners Up:
5 picks by top review sites.
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2 picks by top review sites.
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Sony NSZ-GT1 Wi-Fi-Enabled 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player Featuring Google TV
In Stock.
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