Samsung's BD-P2500 ($499.99) is a Profile 2.0 Blu-ray player; it supports both BonusView/picture-in-picture playback and BD-Live Web functionality. Its other noteworthy addition, compared with earlier Samsung Blu-ray players, is the use of Silicon Optix's higher-quality HQV video processor, which allows for better upconversion of standard DVDs. Plus, thanks to an October 2008 firmware update, the BD-P2500 now allows you to stream movies and TV shows directly from Netflix
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The BD-P2500 supports Blu-ray, DVD, CD audio, and AVCHD playback; it will not play MP3, WMA, JPEG, or Divx discs. The back panel features HDMI 1.3, component video, and composite video outputs (no S-video). For HDMI, the output-resolution options are 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p/60, and 1080p/24. The menu's Movie Frame (24 fs) option allows you to enable 1080p/24 playback; once you do so, the player will always output 1080p/24 when it is available on a Blu-ray disc. For component video, output-resolution options are 480i, 480p, 720p, and 1080i. The setup menu includes sharpness and DVD noise-reduction controls.
As for audio connections, the BD-P2500 offers HDMI, optical digital (no coaxial), and both 2- and 7.1-channel analog audio outputs. The player can pass the Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio formats in their native bitstream form over HDMI, to be decoded by a receiver with the necessary decoders. It also sports internal decoders for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD High Resolution audio; however, it does not contain an internal decoder for DTS-HD Master Audio, which is more common than DTS-HD HR. The BD-P2500 can pass 7.1-channel PCM audio over both the HDMI and multichannel analog audio outputs. The step-down BD-P1500 offers similar audio capabilities, but it lacks the 7.1-channel analog audio outputs.
Given the player's Profile 2.0 designation, the inclusion of an Ethernet port is a given. This port allows you to connect to the Internet to access BD-Live Web features on Blu-day discs and to perform firmware updates. The back panel also has a USB port, which provides storage for BD-Live features. The BD-P2500 has 1GB of onboard memory, but you can also connect a USB storage drive (not included) for additional storage of BD-Live downloads. The BD-P2500 does not include any advanced control ports, like RS-232 or IR.
Read The High Points, The Low Points and the Conclusion on Page 2
High Points
• The BD-P2500 offers a very attractive image with Blu-ray sources, and the addition of HQV video processing means a higher-quality picture when upconverting standard DVDs.
• The player is Profile 2.0, so it supports BonusView and BD-Live.
• This player offers quick startup, load times, and navigation.
• The player passes Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio in bitstream form over HDMI, and it offers internal Dolby TrueHD decoding. The inclusion of 7.1-channel analog audio outputs makes it a good choice for someone who has an older, non-HDMI receiver.
• Netflix subscribers can stream content from their Instant Queue directly to the BD-P2500.
Low Points
• The player lacks internal DTS-HD Master Audio decoding.
• It does not support MP3, WMA, Divx, or JPEG playback.
• Netflix's Instant Queue feature doesn't offer as many titles as the company's mail-order business, but the company is adding content regularly. Also, you can't add content to the Instant Queue directly via the player; you must do so via your computer.
Conclusion
The BD-P2500 is a full-featured Blu-ray player that offers good overall performance. Its Netflix support gives it an edge over some comparably priced players, and you can find it for a lot less than its $499.95 MSRP.
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