Samsung BD-P1600
Manufacturer: Samsung Part number: BD-P1600/XAA
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The Samsung BD-P1600 has a great mix of features and performance for a standalone Blu-ray player, with only its annoying design holding it back.
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CNET editors' review
Samsung BD-P1600 price range: $129.95 - $199.00
- Reviewed by: Matthew Moskovciak
- Edited by: David Katzmaier
- Reviewed on: 03/31/2009
- Released on: 03/31/2009
The good: Excellent image quality on Blu-ray movies; Netflix and Pandora streaming; speedy load times and operational speed; Profile 2.0 compliant; onboard decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio; Wi-Fi compatible, with purchase of USB dongle.
The bad: Design marred by an annoying flip-down panel; Wi-Fi dongle is very expensive.
The bottom line: The Samsung BD-P1600 has a great mix of features and performance for a standalone Blu-ray player, with only its annoying design holding it back.
Samsung was the first manufacturer with a standalone Blu-ray player, but in 2008 it often felt like the company was struggling to keep up with Panasonic. When Panasonic released the first Profile 2.0 player, Samsung was still shipping Profile 1.1 players, with promises that future upgrades would make its player up to snuff. Now, just a few months into 2009, it appears the tables have turned.
The Samsung BD-P1600 comes complete with all the features we now expect on Blu-ray players, including Profile 2.0 compatibility and onboard decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. But the BD-P1600 goes beyond the basics, adding improved operational speed, Netflix and Pandora streaming, and the ability to add Wi-Fi functionality with a USB dongle (sold separately.) By far, the BD-P1600's biggest fault is its annoying flip-down panel that occupies the entire front of the unit. However, if you can live with the design misstep, the BD-P1600 offers an excellent value for its performance and features.
Design
The BD-P1600 features a sleek and seamless front-panel design, which at first left us wondering where the disc tray was. That's because the entire front panel actually flips down, similar to Panasonic's early Blu-ray player, the DMP-BD10. Luckily, the Samsung's tray opens and closes when you eject a disc using the remote control, but we still didn't like it. One reason is that the buttons--even open/close and power--are hidden under the panel, so you'll have to flip it down by hand to make any other adjustments. Also note that there's a USB port under the panel, so if you plan on using that port for BD-Live storage (perhaps because the back port is occupied by the Wi-Fi adapter), you'll have to leave the panel down permanently--which isn't a nice look. Lastly, the door feels flimsy and we wouldn't be surprised if it broke and stopped popping back up automatically after a while.
Of course you'll be using the remote, and not the buttons on the unit, for most commands. The included clicker is a substantial redesign over previous players, but in some ways it's a step back. Most of the buttons are logically positioned and there's good button separation, but important buttons like Popup Menu, Disc Menu, and Title Menu are stuck at the bottom of the remote and confusingly labeled. We also would have liked to see easy-access buttons for Netflix and Pandora--you'll have to dive into the menu system to activate those services--but that's more of a nitpick.
User interface
The BD-P1600's user interface is visually appealing, with vibrant colors and HD graphics. While the eye-candy is nice, we weren't fans of the layout for the setup menus, as we found the vertical alignment confusing. (Those with high-end Denon receivers, like the AVR-3808CI, will notice a resemblance.) Luckily, you'll rarely need to access the deeper setup-menu system, so it's a minor issue.
The user interfaces for Netflix and Pandora are better. The Netflix interface is identical to the Netflix Player by Roku, with your instant queue arranged horizontally on the screen. You'll need to find and add movies to your instant queue using a computer, like all Netflix Instant Streaming devices so far. Pandora's interface is somewhat bare bones, but it's easy to use and you get essentially full Pandora access from the onscreen menu. We'd love if Samsung enhanced the functionality even further by offering up larger album art images and information about the artists.
Features
Like almost all 2009 Blu-ray players, the BD-P1600 is Profile 2.0-compatible, which means it can playback the Internet-enabled BD-Live feature available on some new Blu-ray movies. You'll need to have the player connected via Ethernet or Wi-Fi (using the USB Wi-Fi adapter, not included), as well as connect a USB thumbdrive for storage.
All of Samsung's 2009 Blu-ray players also include Netflix Instant streaming, including the BD-P1600. The functionality is nearly identical to that of the Roku and we recommend you check out that review for more information. In short, you can stream anything in Netflix's "Watch Now" section and while there are some flaws--much of the SD content is not wide-screen, for example--it's a pretty great user experience overall. The initial catalog of movies and TV shows was fairly lackluster, but recent deals with CBS and Disney have significantly improved the content selection. (CNET Reviews is published by CBS Interactive, a unit of CBS.) Although each service has its strengths, we prefer Netflix to Amazon Video On Demand, which is offered on the competing Panasonic DMP-BD60.
The BD-P1600 has onboard decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. That means it can decode those soundtrack formats so they can be played back on almost every HDMI-capable AV receiver. Bit stream output is also supported, if you'd rather the decoding be done in your AV receiver. Those looking to play DVDs with legacy DTS formats like DTS 96/24, ES, ES Matrix, and Neo:6 will be happy to note the BD-P1600 has decoding for these formats, unlike players that feature DTS-HD Master Audio Essential.
The BD-P1600's connectivity is standard. The main connection is the HDMI output, which is capable of handling 1080p HD video and high-resolution multichannel audio. There's also a component-video output that can output Blu-ray at 1080i and standard DVDs at 480p. Audio connections are basic, including an optical digital-audio output and an analog-stereo output. There's also an Ethernet port on the back, plus a USB port that can be used with the Wi-Fi adapter. There's an additional USB port on the front panel as well.
While we appreciate the fact that the BD-P1600 is Wi-Fi ready, the benefit isn't that practical. The USB Wi-Fi dongle carries a list price of $80, bringing the overall cost of the BD-P1600 close to the step-up BD-P3600, which includes the Wi-Fi adapter in the box. Considering that the BD-P3600 has additional step-up features--like 7.1 analog outputs, onboard memory, and PC streaming--we'd suggest stepping up to the BD-P3600 if you want Wi-Fi access. Alternatively, you can implement your own solution using a PowerLine network for about $80 as well.
Blu-ray performance
Image quality on entry-level Blu-ray players isn't always up to par, so we were interested in how the BD-P1600 would handle our tests. We started off with Silicon Optix's HQV test suite, with the BD-P1600 connected to a Sony KDL-52XBR7 via HDMI.
The BD-P1600 outperformed our expectations on the test disc. It aced the Video Resolution Test, showing the full detail of Blu-ray without any jaggies showing up on the rotating white line. Next up were two video-based jaggies tests and the BD-P1600 performed well again, with crisp image quality free of jaggies. It passed the Film Resolution Test as well, depicting both the initial test pattern and the long panning shot of Raymond James Stadium without major image defects.
We switched over to actual program material, and the BD-P1600 didn't let up. We fired up "Mission: Impossible III" and the panning sequence at the beginning of chapter eight looked perfect, lacking any moire visible in the stairs. It also handled Chapter 16 well, with the trimming of the limo looking jaggy-free as it approaches Tom Cruise. Next we looked at "Ghost Rider" and the end of Chapter six was properly rendered, with the BD-P1600 showing no moire in the grille of the RV as the camera pans away. Last up was the video-based "Tony Bennett: An American Classic" and the BD-P1600 did an acceptable job, with only a few jaggies visible in the striped shirts of the dancers. It's worth pointing out that we got nearly identical performance on all these scenes from the step-up BD-P3600, as well the Panasonic DMP-BD60.
One of the biggest letdowns of Blu-ray compared with DVD so far has been how much slower and less responsive standalone Blu-ray players are at loading and navigating discs. Samsung's new 2009 players, including the BD-P1600, have made a lot of progress in this regard. For example, the BD-P1600 loaded "Mission: Impossible III" in just 16 seconds, compared with 21 seconds on the Panasonic DMP-BD60. The differences are even greater on discs with elaborate menus; the Samsung loaded "Spiderman 3" in a minute and 3 seconds, compared with a minute and 27 seconds on the DMP-BD60. Beside just disc loading, we found the BD-P1600 to be considerably more responsive than most Blu-ray players--and nearly as speedy as the PS3--although just a tad slower than the step-up BD-P3600. If you like to demo your favorite action scenes for friends, the quick navigation is a blessing.
Standard DVD performance
There are still many more movies available on standard DVD than Blu-ray, so standard-def performance still matters. We started off looking at test patterns from Silicon Optix's HQV test suite, with the BD-P1600 upscaling to 1080p.
The BD-P1600 started off strong, resolving all the detail of the initial resolution pattern without any image instability that we sometimes see on lesser players. Next up were two video-based jaggies tests, and the BD-P1600 stumbled, failing both tests, as jaggies were visible on both the rotating white line and three pivoting lines. On the other hand, it had no problems with the 2:3 pulldown test, as we couldn't see any moire in the grandstands as the race car drove by.
We moved onto program material, starting with "Star Trek: Insurrection," and the BD-P1600 deftly handled the introduction, rendering both the hulls of the boats and the curved bridge railings smoothly. We flipped over to the difficult introduction of "Seabiscuit" and the BD-P1600 performed well again, lacking the jaggies and other image distortions that so frequently show up on this disc. That being said, we had the Panasonic DMP-BD60 on hand to directly compare, and we'd give the nod to the Panasonic for DVD playback, as it had a slightly cleaner and sharper look to it.
User reviews
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Good features, but be careful about what's missing
by rdean on March 21, 2009
Pros: Netflix/Pandora streaming, 1080p output is crisp
Cons: WiFi not included (extra-cost not-yet-released dongle),BD-Live support requires 1GB memory not included (extra cost USB flash drive)
Summary: I was considering spending $100 for a PS3 w/ 80GB storage but the Netflix streaming swayed me in this direction. I'm a bit disappointed that the WiFi adapter isn'...
Summary: I was considering spending $100 for a PS3 w/ 80GB storage but the Netflix streaming swayed me in this direction. I'm a bit disappointed that the WiFi adapter isn't available yet.
9 out of 11 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Issues with this player, would pass on it If I were you
by suninmoon0 on July 12, 2009
Pros: Fast operational speed and slick interface.
Cons: Major audio lag. Firmware update process could kill the player if done over network.
Summary: I purchased this player about a month ago when Amazon was running the 4 Blu-ray's and a Samsung player for a big discount. Picture quality and audio are great, ...
Summary: I purchased this player about a month ago when Amazon was running the 4 Blu-ray's and a Samsung player for a big discount. Picture quality and audio are great, when they work. I've had problems on several discs with audio lag and when the player found a firmware update over the network, I readily upgrading to it only to have the upgrade process kill the player. I've heard updating from USB does not have any issues.
Even though I was a few days past my 30 day return, Amazon was gracious enough to overnight me a new player, same model. I cant say enough about Amazon's customer service, they are superb. I got the new player in and upgraded the firmware with a USB thumb drive this time and was successful, however the player continues to have a delay in the audio. Just to be sure I connected the player to a TV using just a brand new 1.3b HDMI cable and bypassing my receiver, the audio delay continues. I hear no audio lag playing regular DVD's by the way.
Out of curiosity, in case it might be the discs themselves, I purchased a Panasonic Blu-ray player from Best Buy. Absolutely no audio lag, works perfect. Although the operational speed of the Panasonic player is not as fast as the Samsung, I'd rather have audio the way it's supposed to be heard instead of watching a movie that looks like it's been dubbed over.
I don't know if this is a problem on all of these players or maybe a run of them came out bad, but I've had two bad so far and I'm about done with this model. The model up from this one has the same video processor so it might have the same issues. I'll give the player high marks for it's operational speed and slick interface, but the audio problems are a deal breaker for me. I would look elsewhere if I were you.
I just received a full refund from Amazon on the second player but will probably just wait until an affordable player is released that operates fast and has no issues.5 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Worked great for 2 weeks...then failed
by poochz11 on July 7, 2009
Pros: The picture quality of this unit was great, and super easy to set up.
Cons: The unit broke down and stopped playing BD after 2 weeks. It would begin playing movies, and about 30 minutes into the movie, would start skipping and eventually stop playing. Happened with 3 different Blu ray movies.
Summary: If the machine would keep working, the included items such as netflix and pandora, as well as the video quality make it worthwile. When I returned the unit to the ...
Summary: If the machine would keep working, the included items such as netflix and pandora, as well as the video quality make it worthwile. When I returned the unit to the store (within 30 days of purchase) the sales person in the home theatre area said that many of these machines had been returned for the same reason. He recommended the LG machines (BD 370 or BD 390) or the Sony machines. Since I really enjoyed the Netflix application, I went with the 370. Picture quality isnt quite what the Samsung was (barely noticeable though) but it works and has the Netflix app.
4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Samsung Blu-ray player rules
by johnnydk on April 17, 2009
Pros: Netflix and Pandora Streaming and fast loading. Samsung is as always the best Blu-ray player in the market. I recommend you to check out http://www.squidoo.com/best-blu-ray-player for information best and cheapest Blu-ray players.
Cons: I can't think of one
Summary: I would like to recommend Samsung for everyone.
Summary: I would like to recommend Samsung for everyone.
4 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
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NetFlix in HD, Pandora and HD picture and audio
by buddenal on March 20, 2009
Pros: NETFLIX IN HD!, PANDORA free radio, Great HD sound, Great HD picture.
Cons: I'm not sure if I like the flip down front pannel....?
Summary: The 1600 has a small foot print. It's a stripped down modle that left out all the "extra stuff" I don't need, never use and never will! But ...
Summary: The 1600 has a small foot print. It's a stripped down modle that left out all the "extra stuff" I don't need, never use and never will! But you can add them on later if you want. All around perfect BD for the price and features. If you use Netflix this BD is a must have, plus if you like endless comercial free cystal clear music Pandora is it.
4 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Good product crappy warranty
by idahoangler on August 13, 2009
Pros: Fantastic picture and easy use
Cons: 1. The labor warranty runs out in just 90p days. Ours broke at 95 days. the minimum cost for repair is 85.00. taking the total cost over 300.00 in the first year.
Summary: I generally expect a product I pay $250.00 for to operate for longer than three months and if it does not I expect the company that provided it to ...
Summary: I generally expect a product I pay $250.00 for to operate for longer than three months and if it does not I expect the company that provided it to provide a little more back up than 3 months. I understand I should have looked closer at the warranty however samsung has generally been better than that.
3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great Design
by farts_are_funny on July 20, 2009
Pros: Disagree with the reviewer's view that front panel is a design flaw. The front panel is very appealing for those that rate aesthetics in the home. Looks great in my loungeroom and using the unit with a front panel is no hassle at all.
Cons: Haven't found any yet. I'm still smiling everytime I look at it. :)
Summary: This is my first Blu Ray player and it operates beautifully. Very happy with the load times and general aesthetics of the front panel design.
Summary: This is my first Blu Ray player and it operates beautifully. Very happy with the load times and general aesthetics of the front panel design.
3 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Unit failed in 1 day
Pros: nothing good
Cons: Unit failed in 1 day during playing my 1 bluray movie and if you call Sansumg they will repair this lemon...........no change for a brand new one.No Way,!!!
Summary: I'm not sure if I like the flip down front pannel....it not so nicelook.
Summary: I'm not sure if I like the flip down front pannel....it not so nicelook.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Doesn't support DVD+R discs
by cinco777 on November 14, 2009
Pros: Played UP movie - picture and sound (optical connection to 5.1 Yamaha Rcvr) are great.
Cons: CNET review shows DVD+R supported. Not so. I need DVD+R for slide shows. Based on CNET review, I bought BD-P1600. Manual says DVD+R is not supported and phone call to Samsung confirmed that they do not support DVD+R. Returning unit this afternoon.
Summary: Picture and sound are great but can't keep unit since it doesn't support playing DVD+R discs and I have over 50 slide shows (vacation photos for last ...
Summary: Picture and sound are great but can't keep unit since it doesn't support playing DVD+R discs and I have over 50 slide shows (vacation photos for last seven years) written to DVD+R discs. Didn't get to try the Netflix movie streaming but liked the clear instructions for making it work.
This is a Monday, 11/16, update. I didn't return my BD-P1600 because it doesn't play DVD+R format discs (all my vacation slide shows). I decided to keep my Sony DVD player to play my slideshows. Both players are now connected to my TV.
Updated on Nov 16, 2009
I am network connected via cable. I updated my firmware via the front USB port. I'm very pleased with the performance of Netflix, Pandora, and YouTube. Blu-ray Instant Viewing via Netflix delivers an awesome HD quality video and the sound via my Yamaha receiver (optical connection) is great. My new rating for my BD-P1600 is now 4 Stars - not 2. It would be 5 stars if it had DVD+R support.
My first Blu-ray disc is the movie "UP" and I couldn't be more pleased with its video quality and sound on my Panasonic Plaza TV and Yamaha Receiver.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Most unreliable product, poor customer service
by gadhad on October 28, 2009
Pros: Has pandora internet radio and netflix
Cons: Defective mother board causing the unit to heat rapidly and pose a fire hazard.
Summary: Poor Customer service response. Samsung refuses to acknowledge selling a defective product. Product broke less than two months after purchase. Heats up quickly, fire hazard. Tech said had defective mother ...
Summary: Poor Customer service response. Samsung refuses to acknowledge selling a defective product. Product broke less than two months after purchase. Heats up quickly, fire hazard. Tech said had defective mother board. But customer service said the replacement part is free but that they would charge me $90 for labor and $20 for shipping which is more than half of the price I paid for the unit. Definitely not a good deal.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Samsung
- Part number: BD-P1600/XAA
- Description: Immerse yourself in blu-ray brilliance with the BD-P1600 blu-ray player. It delivers the sharpest images possible and highest quality audio. Want more entertainment? You can also stream movies and music with Netflix and Pandora and enjoy special interactive features with BD-Live 2.0. Sleek and ultra-slim, the BD-P1600 is the missing component to your home entertainment ensemble.
General
- Product Type Blu-Ray disc player
- Form Factor Tabletop
- Width 17 in
- Depth 7.8 in
- Height 2.1 in
- Weight 4.9 lbs
DVD
- Media Type CD, DVD, BD-R, CD-R, BD-RE, CD-RW, DVD+R, DVD-R, BD-ROM, DVD+RW, DVD-RW
- BD Profiles Profile 2.0 (BD-Live)
- Audio D/A Converter 24bit / 192kHz
- Built-in Audio Decoders Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby True-HD, DTS decoder, DTS-HD High Resolution, DTS-HD Master Audio
- Media Load Type Tray
- HDMI Version 1.3a
- Upscaling Yes ( Up to 1080p )
- Supported Digital Video Standards VC-1, H.264, MPEG-2
- Supported Digital Audio Standards MP3, WMA
Network & Internet Multimedia
- Network Connection Ethernet
- Internet Streaming Services Netflix
DVD Features
- Parental Lock Yes
- Additional Features JPEG photo playback, Progressive scanning
Audio System
- Sound Output Mode Stereo
- Dynamic Range 100 dB
- Digital Audio Format DTS digital output, Dolby Digital output
- Signal-To-Noise Ratio 110 dB
- Total Harmonic Distortion 0.003 %
Remote Control
- Type Universal remote control
- Technology Infrared
Connections
- Connector Type 1 x HDMI ( 19 pin HDMI Type A ) - Rear, 1 x Component video output ( RCA phono x 3 ) - Rear, 1 x Composite video/audio output ( RCA phono x 3 ) - Rear, 1 x Digital audio output (optical) ( TOSLINK ) - Rear, 1 x Network ( RJ-45 ) - Rear, 1 x USB - Rear, 1 x USB - Rear
Power
- Power Device Power supply
- Power AC 120 V
- Power Consumption Operational 30 Watt
Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & Support 1 year warranty
- Service & Support Details Limited warranty - Parts - 1 year, Limited warranty - Labor - 90 days
Dimensions & Weight (Shipping)
- Width (Shipping) 20.2 in
- Depth (Shipping) 12.3 in
- Height (Shipping) 7.6 in
- Weight (Shipping) 6.4 lbs
Manufacturer info
- Samsung
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Samsung products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.samsungusa.com/
- Address:
105 Challenger Road, Ridgefield Park, NJ 07660 - Phone: 1-800-726-7864
- Fax: 1-973-601-6001
