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Samsung BD-P1500: Review

Posted to Video Components 2008-12-07

Ever since Sony released its creation called Blu-Ray and a gaming system to play the disc, the debate of whether to buy a standalone Blue-Ray player or the PS3 has ensued. To try and end the debate, Samsung has released the BDP1500. Released the middle of this year, it offers a lot of the same features as many of the high end players and does so at a much more competitive price.

Playing Blu-Ray discs with modest quality, Dolby Digital Plus decoding, and features such as picture in picture and hardware support via available firmware updates, Samsung has earnestly made attempts to make the buying decision easy.

Rating:

3.4 out of 5

Value

Frankly, I really think that if you're going to buy a Blu-Ray, regardless of debate, the PS3 is the best option. I say this because I'm a stickler for video perfection and there simply is no Blu-Ray player out there that functions as seamlessly as the PS3. In saying that though, my issue has also been that most standalone players costs the same if not more than the PS3. Samsung has changed that fact with the BDP1500. Expect to find this player for somewhere around $199 - $299, which is about $100 cheaper than a PS3. In lab tests, the PS3 has outperformed every other player, but the BDP1500, while not the best, isn't bad either. As a matter of fact, if you never have any intention on ever getting into gaming or you simply would like the sleeker, more space efficient standalone player, this is almost a must have.

Performance

This is probably on the low end of the top five Blu-Ray players on the market today; and that's a great place to be considering the tough competition. Overall video quality has proven to be very good, with a few minor setbacks. Some DVD's tended to have some aliasing issues, but for the most part, it was decent quality and played great more than bad. Blu-ray quality was adequately sufficient and compared to its predecessor, the BDP1400, had faster load times. While it's admirable Samsung has offered firmware updates, it would be nice if they would ship the BDP1500 with Profile 2.0 for BD-Live pre-installed on the unit, but the Ethernet and USB ports on the back provide the option of updating it online. If you don't have access to the internet you can also order a CD on their website. As for sound, even though it is labeled on the unit, it cannot decode DTS-HD Master Audio. They have said they will provide that through firmware, but as of the writing of this article, it still wasn't available. It can decode Dolby TrueHD though and as a whole, it sounds great.

Summary

The debate can easily go back and forth. Past arguments against the PS3 have been you cannot use a universal remote with the PS3 or the PS3 tends to run louder (because of the fan) than a standalone, and now you can add to the list, it is more expensive than other Blu-Ray players. Samsung has certainly provided an option for those looking for a player but not wanting to drop $400 or invest in a video game system. With few downsides, while you're checking out all the options, definitely take a look at the BDP1500, as it might be just what you are looking for.

Pros

The most affordable and respectable standalone Blu-Ray player
Ethernet and USB ports for available firmware updates
Great Blu-Ray and DVD playback
Dolby Digital TrueHD
Sleek design to fit any entertainment center

Cons

There are no cons for this product